How We Decided What To Test
We went through a lot of respected and well-known gaming PC manufacturers like, Dell, HP, CyberPowerPC, iBuyPower and even the newest prebuilt gaming desktop PCs from companies that only do upgrades and customizations like CUK.
After a thorough sweep, we made a list of some prebuilt PCs we thought could make it and really looked at their specs, made comparisons and in the end ended up with 5 best gaming PCs just under $1,000.
What to Watch out for When Buying a Gaming PC
Not everyone has the knowledge of all the PC peripherals to built their own PC, so a lot of gamers and people, in general, go for prebuilt PCs. So let’s take a look at what you should be looking at when buying a PC like this.
GPU
It doesn’t matter if it’s a prebuilt or a custom-built gaming PC, the graphics card is definitely the most important piece of hardware. It’s the engine that gives power to any gaming PC.
This is what enables you to see a picture or video on your monitor and has a very big influence on the graphics quality you will be able to have in games. As a matter of fact, if you pair an average graphics card, such as a GTX 1660 with a lower quality i5 CPU it can yield you some great results. Of course you can’t do that with every single game, there are a lot of factors that go into how a game performs, such as how optimized it is, but in general, games are chiefly dependent on the GPU more than the CPU.
CPU, RAM and Storage
Now even after saying all that, processors also matter in gaming. But the CPU doesn’t improve framerate as much as the GPU does because the CPU focuses on doing tasks in general rather than rendering.
As far as RAM goes for this price anything below 8GB of DDR4 won’t fly with us nor should it with you, it is unacceptable.
Last but not least, the storage. At this price range, it pretty common to find an SSD and an HDD together in one PC, and having an SSD is very helpful.
Unless you find a prebuilt PC that just blows your out of the water but does not have both an HDD and an SSD then you should really try to get one that has. SSDs are much faster than their older versions and are in most cases the biggest performance booster when you look at the price. But they don’t boast the sheer amount of storage, well not at the same price at least. So it basically comes down to whether you want quality, quantity or a bit of both.
How Did We Do the Tests
This time, unlike our tests with PCs under $800 and $500 dollars, we tested the games at 1440p/ultra settings. I mean for that price 1080p would be a breeze, so we decided to make them sweat a bit.
If you don’t have a 1440p monitor, then it would be a smart idea to look into buying one now, since you will be futureproofing your new PC and if you really want to get the most out of your new shiny PC.
These PCs should be able to handle these games at 2k and 4k on average with some small differences. Games like Fortnite, Player Unknown’s Battleground, Overwatch, Warframe, Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, Dota 2, Monster Hunter: World and Grand Theft Auto V.
With the right settings in mind, you can get 60fps gaming on all these video game. If you really want the best performance then it would probably be best to turn down the graphics from ultra to high, but it is really subjective, some people prefer the visuals over performance. But competitive players would never want better visuals at a loss of framerates.
Now let’s look at each PC and what they offer.
iBUYPOWER Elite Gaming PC
The iBUYPOWER Elite Gaming PC is a very strong prebuilt PC, and that’s holding back on our praise. What this machine brings to the table is not only a great multitasking CPU in the Ryzen 7 2700X, but it comes together with a new RTX 2060. The games we mentioned before don’t stand a chance against this beast, you won’t have to worry about getting better framerates at the cost of visuals with this PC. Another thing this PC can handle with ease is VR, although VR isn’t as popular it’s still good to be able to do it.
Just like the other PCs this rig comes with Windows 10 preinstalled and even has WiFi. The computer case has RGB lights inside it that can be controlled remotely and it has a tempered glass side panel, so the lights inside really get the most out of them.
Now, this gaming PC is ideal for any game out there, but with this powerful CPU streamer or content creators, in general, can make use of it without worry.
You also get a mouse and keyboard with it, but maybe you should check out some other one since these are not that good.
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme VR GXiVR8560A
This PC has a lot of really good hardware, like a 9700F Intel chip, 16 GB DDR4 RAM and a GTX 1660 Ti. When it comes to the design of the case, it really appealed to our senses since it comes with an RGB fan setup which can light up the whole room. Just like the last case, this one also has a tempered glass side panel which makes the RGB lights even better.
The main part of this whole case is, of course, how the GPU and CPU go together. The CPU is one of the best you can get at this price range, and the might 1660 Ti paired with the CPU make an incredible duo.
Having 16GB DDR4 RAM is no slouch either, it greatly speeds up this whole build and is quite enough for today’s gaming standards. Another thing you have in this case is a 120GB SSD which is perfect for having your OS on. Just like the last PC it also comes with a free keyboard and mouse, but the same advice goes for this too.
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme VR
As far as the price goes, it is perfect for this PC, especially for a prebuilt PC, it really packs a punch. This prebuilt PC is made for VR, and that’s the reason it has an RTX 2060 GPU with 6GB memory. As far as the CPU compartment, it’s not really the most powerful one at this price point, but it will definitely satisfy your gaming needs for its price.
The case just like the last two comes with WiFi and tempered glass so that you always have a view inside it. The case has a very modern design and features really good airflow to prevent overheating, so your temperatures should be stable during those long gaming sessions.
Now even though the CPU and GPU are the most important parts that are not all it also has a 120 GB SSD which will improve those pesky loading times in games and 1TB HDD to store files to your heart’s content.
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme VR GXiVR8480A2
This gaming rig brings some incredibly powerful GPU performance to the table. But before we talk about the GPU let’s mention the CPU, which could be considered sold, it’s an i5-9400f that has a base clock speed of 2.9GHz and is quite enough for a PC at this price point. But as already mentioned, the main part is the RTX 2060 Super with 8GB of memory. That is a very powerful GPU that is going to run any game at max settings with ease.
SkyTech Shiva Gaming Computer
SkyTech brings the Shiva as a rival to the other gaming rigs, and it sure packs a punch.
The main part of this whole rig is its Ryzen 2600 CPU whose base clock speed stands at 3,4 GHz and can boosted up to 3.9 GHz, which considering the price is quite a lot. Now paired with this amazing CPU is an RTX 2010 which gives you raytracing technology and some solid performance.
This PC is built for gaming so we’re not surprised to see 16GB of DDR4 RAM, which will futureproof you for quite some time since that is the perfect amount nowadays. As I’ve mentioned before to get the most out of your games and to lesson those loading times, you need an SSD, and luckily this PC has a 500 GB SSD. But unfortunately, that’s the only storage it has, but it’s enough to get you started.
Now when it comes to the design of the case, it’s a very good one, but we’re not surprised since it’s from InWin. On the side of the case, there is a large glass case that lets you see every little detail inside this machine. The hardware in this machine is actually flipped, which means the PSU is at the top. The best thing about its design is that you can mount the fans on the back panel so you won’t use any airflow and you’ll still get the most out of the light show.
Conclusion
We have our own pick for the best rig, but in general, there isn’t that much difference between them, so it really comes down to personal taste.
