Best gaming PC under $1,200

Put the largest share into the graphics card, since it decides most of your FPS. Buy a processor that is just fast enough not to hold it back, 16 to 32GB of memory, a 1TB NVMe SSD and a quality power supply. Skip RGB and oversized coolers first when money is tight.

Prices are estimates converted from our catalogue and can differ from US retailers such as Amazon, Newegg and Micro Center. Check current prices before you buy.

Competitive shooters such as Valorant, CS2 and Fortnite at low settings lean on the processor: they draw simple scenes hundreds of times per second, so a fast CPU with a large cache raises the frame rate more than a bigger graphics card.

Open world and story games such as Cyberpunk 2077, Alan Wake 2 or Black Myth: Wukong are the opposite. They are limited by the graphics card and its memory, especially at 1440p and 4K, so money moved from the processor to the card buys more smoothness.

That is why the builder asks for your games first: the same budget is split differently for an esports player and for someone who plays big single player titles.

16GB of memory still runs most games, but 32GB in two sticks removes stutter in newer titles and leaves room for a browser, Discord and recording in the background. Two sticks matter: one stick halves the memory bandwidth.

A 1TB NVMe SSD is the practical minimum today, because a single modern game can take 100 to 150GB. A hard drive is fine only for videos and archives, never for games.

The power supply is the part most often cut to save money, and the one that does the most damage when it fails. The builder always sizes it with headroom above the full load and the graphics card maker's official minimum.

Each computed build passes the same checks: processor socket against the motherboard, memory type (DDR4 or DDR5), graphics card length against the case, cooler height or radiator size against the case, power supply wattage and connectors, and whether the board may need a BIOS update for the chosen processor.

When a maker has not published a measurement, the result says it is not verified instead of guessing, so you know exactly what to confirm before buying.

The cheapest upgrade path is to start with a platform that has a future. AMD's AM5 socket is supported at least through 2027, so a faster processor can drop into the same board later. Leave power supply headroom for a stronger graphics card, and buy memory in a kit you can keep.

The graphics card is usually the first part to replace after two or three years. The result page shows which stronger cards still fit your case and power supply.

Buying the most expensive processor for a gaming PC and pairing it with a weak card. Choosing a 240Hz monitor for games your PC cannot run near 240 FPS. Saving on the power supply. Buying one memory stick. Paying for RGB before performance.