Modern gaming PCs can come in all shapes and sizes, offering varying levels of utility to end users depending on the titles they wish to play. Not all gaming PCs are built equally, and one's needs and respective budgets might not match up with most prebuilt PCs on the market. It is therefore nearly always better to build a gaming PC in terms of cost, flexibility, and customization potential.
When one is considering a $2000 gaming PC build, they are ideally targeting 2K resolution gaming, since most 4k-ready games will see them easily push past the $3k mark because of the premium hardware required to sustain a stable high frame rate at that resolution. If users are targeting a Full HD resolution, most $1000 gaming PCs will help them achieve that easily, leaving plenty of options for gamers browsing within that lower price range.
What Do Users Need To Build A Gaming PC
When considering whether to build a gaming PC or purchase a prebuilt alternative, gamers need to focus on these particular components (not necessarily in the order below) and think about how they will work together to ensure they get the best value out of their gaming system:
- CPU/Processor
- GPU/Graphics Card
- Motherboard
- RAM Modules
- SSDs/Alternate Storage
- CPU Cooler (Some CPUs do come bundled with a cooler)
- Power Supply Units (PSUs)
- PC Cases
The Best Budget CPUs for Gaming for 2024
Here are some of the best gaming CPUs that can be bought without breaking the bank.
What Gaming PC Build Should I Get?
We have divided our build guides into multiple tiers to allow users to choose the best build possible, while also catering to different budget and performance classes:
- The Entry Level $500 Gaming PC Builds that target Full HD Gaming
- The Mid-Range $1000 Gaming PC Builds that can handle Full HD and 2K Gaming along with Entry-level VR Support
- High-end $2000 Gaming PC Builds aiming to deliver stellar 2K Ray Traced Performance along with mid-range VR Support
- The Enthusiast-Grade $3000 Gaming PC Builds that can handle 4K Gaming with Ray Tracing (with DLSS/FSR at times)
COD: The Best Gaming PCs You Can Build For MW3 & Warzone
Building a PC that can handle Warzone in 2023 is a complex affair for gamers trying to eke out as much performance as possible from their budget.
Game ZXC's Best 3 Gaming PC Build Suggestions Under $2,000
Best Overall Gaming PC Build Under $2000
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Intel Core i5 14600KF 14-Core, 20-Thread CPU
$290 $295 Save $5The Intel Core i5 14600KF 14-Core, 20-Thread CPU is a powerful mid-range CPU that replaces the last generation Intel Core i5 13600KF with higher clocks on both its performance and efficiency cores.
Like all its siblings, it does offer better performance out-of-the-box versus its predecessors but replaces them at the same price points they sold last year. Unlike the Intel Core i5 14600K, this model trades at a small discount thanks to it skipping out on integrated graphics. -
Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB
The Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB replaces its predecessor successfully without breaking the bank. This AIo cooler is hands down the top performer in the thermals department and brings an upgraded VRM fan and dedicated contact frames for the latest Intel and AMD platforms. Its 360mm radiator is highly effective at cooling, and the fans bring beautiful addressable RGB lighting for gorgeous lighting effects.
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GIGABYTE B760 AORUS Elite AX
$170 $190 Save $20The Gigabyte B760 Aorus Elite AX covers all bases in offering a stellar and uncompromising DDR5-based motherboard packed with features including Wi-Fi 6E and rear and front USB-C ports.
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CORSAIR VENGEANCE RGB DDR5 6400MHz 32GB
Corsair's Vengeance RGB DDR5 RAM kit features dual RAM modules, each having 16GB memory capacity. It has built-in XMP 3.0 profiles, offering a blend of a high-rated frequency, low latency, and a reasonable price tag in tow.
For aesthetics, the RAM sticks look gorgeous as a result of the RGB LEDs on top of its dedicated aluminum heat spreaders. -
Kingston FURY Renegade 1TB PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe M.2 Internal Gaming SSD
This version of the Kingston FURY Renegade SSD has a storage capacity of 1 TB and is designed to work with both laptops and desktops. It operates on PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe technology, which allows it to achieve read speeds of up to 7,300 MB/s and write speeds of 7,000 MB/s. The cooling solution on this one is a low-profile graphene aluminum heat spreader, but the SSD is also available with a heat sink.
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ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super OC
The ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super OC is a factory-overclocked RTX 4070 Ti SUPER GPU offering an excellent tri-fan cooler with a vapor chamber.
With a 10% bump in CUDA cores over its predecessor, high boost clocks, and the TUF gaming lineup's penchant for reliability in tow, the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super OC is the complete package for gamers looking to play games in 2K at a high refresh and occasionally dabble with 4K in some titles with ease. -
GIGABYTE GP-UD1000GM PG5 Rev2.0 1000W PSU
$138 $160 Save $22The GIGABYTE GP-UD1000GM PG5 Rev2.0 1000W is the second revision of the successful PG5 PSU with the addition of a native 16-pin PCI-E 5.0 power connector and compliance with Intel's new ATX 3.0 PSU standards in a fully modular design backed by as much as 10 years of warranty at an affordable price.
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Corsair iCUE 4000X ATX Mid Tower Case
The Corsair iCUE 4000X ATX Mid Tower case is a beautiful case that is easy to build in, making it a perfect starting point for any PC build. In addition, this case has excellent cooling potential with space for 6x 120 mm or 4x 140 mm cooling fans and multiple radiators, including a 360 mm in front and 280 mm in the roof.
The tempered glass side panel makes it easy to admire your PC build, and there is way less of a scratch risk than there is with plastic side panels.
Total Estimated Cost: $1,886
The gaming PC above is built for a singular purpose: Gaming at the maximum value one can get just a shade under $2k, and it more than meets that requirement. Pairing Intel's best budget gaming CPU, the Core i5 14600KF, aggressively cooled by the Arctic Liquid Freezer III ARGB tri-slot AIO with the newly released ASUS TUF RTX 4070 Ti Super OC does deliver on its promise for performance under the hood.
While there are plenty of RTX 4070 TI SUPER GPUs out there, The ASUS TUF offering delivers solid performance, and excellent thermals, while acting as a silent operator under load irrespective of the game it is running. The Intel Core i5 14600K's 14-core, 20-thread configuration does require some serious cooling to allow gamers to benefit from its ability to boost higher clocks than its predecessor and Arctic's solution rises spectacularly to the challenge.
The Corsair iCUE 4000X can easily be the home for each build we will go over here. While not overly imposing, this mid-tower case is easy to build in and will comfortably fit a full-length GPU and larger CPU coolers. For storage, the top-tier Kingston Fury Renegade 1TB is handpicked as the premium weapon of choice for gamers. As one of the fastest PCI-E 4.0 SSDs on offer, it is an excellent starting point for most gamers looking to build a gaming PC, but if more space is needed, users can always throw in a second drive or go for the higher capacity 2-terabyte version of the same.
The Gigabyte B760 Aorus Elite AX offers a balanced, budget option with built-in Wi-Fi, decent VRMs for users looking to upgrade down the line, and as many as three M2 slots on offer to ensure gamers can upgrade their storage based on their own needs from time to time. While it might limit serious overclockers, most users would be more than happy to have a B760 chipset, considering all its convenient USB ports and cost-effective feature set under the hood.
The bundled 32 GB of fast DDR5 RAM clocking in at 6400 MHz from Corsair is more than enough for all current games and meets most if not all, requirements in 2024 with ease. One would be hard-pressed to find a requirement more than that for most creativity or productivity-centric applications any time soon. However, if users want to upgrade down the line, the motherboard in this build does house 4 DIMM slots, so they can buy another kit of this RAM to go up to as much as 64GB by doubling down on another RAM kit.
Finally, the PCI-E 5.0 and ATX 3.0 compliant Gigabyte GP-UD1000GM Gold PSU can handle up to 1000 watts of power delivery, is fully modular, and 80+ Gold certified. It accomplishes this without an eye-popping price tag while still offering a native 16-pin connector that the RTX 4070 TI Super requires. With the available power, this PSU should be good for a couple of GPU and CPU upgrades, unless another massive spike in power requirements from the next generation of GPUs happens, which seems relatively unlikely until 2025 at the earliest.
Best Productivity-Centric Gaming PC Under $2000
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Intel Core i7 14700KF 20-Core, 28-Thread CPU
$374 $435 Save $61The Intel Core i7 14700KF is the iGPU-less version of the unlocked Intel Core i7 14700K CPU, offering four additional efficiency cores and a lower price thanks to it skipping the integrated Intel UHD 770 that the latter offers. It requires a discrete graphics card for display and adequate cooling for one of the most power-hungry CPUs.
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DeepCool Liquid Cooler LS720 360MM ARGB Liquid Cooler
The DeepCool Liquid Cooler LS720 360MM ARGB Liquid Cooler is one of the best-looking ARGB liquid coolers available on the market, and it delivers excellent cooling that can handle some of the most powerful CPUs on the market without costing the part as some of the more premium ARGB liquid coolers.
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Kingston Fury Beast RGB 32GB 6000MHz DDR5 Cl36
The Kingston Fury Beast RGB 32GB RAM kit is AMD Expo Certified and provides tight timings at a CAS latency of 36-38-38-80 (CL36) at AMD's stated sweet spot of 6000MHz in DDR5. With excellent RGB in play along with a lifetime warranty, users have already begun pushing the Fury RAM considerably harder than what they are rated for, sometimes even at CL32 at higher clocks.
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Gigabyte Z790 Gaming X AX
$200 $250 Save $50Gigabyte Z790 Gaming X AX is a fantastic $200 board that supports CPU and memory overclocking. Ideal for users who own mid-range Intel CPUs, it is a cost-effective solution to build a budget or mid-range gaming build. WiFi 6E, fast 2.5G LAN, multiple USB ports, and good component compatibility are among its notable features.
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XPG 1TB GAMMIX S70 Blade SSD
The XPG 1TB GAMMIX S70 Blade SSD is an excellent value-added SSD that offers some of the fastest possible speeds one can get on PCI-E 4.0 making it a great addition to both PCs and game consoles for those looking to spruce up their PS5's storage this summer. With a heat spreader that the company states works well for the PS5 console and a powerful controller able to handle the highest possible read/write speeds one could need as a consumer, the Gammix S70 Blade is a complete package with a price no one can argue with.
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XFX Speedster MERC310 AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX Black 24G
$930 $1000 Save $70AMD's Flagship RX 7900XTX is a behemoth that trades blows with Nvidia's RTX 4080 and sometimes the RTX 4090 and regularly comes out ahead versus the former.
With 24GB of GDDR6X memory and the latest in connectivity thanks to support for Displayport 2.1 backed by one of the best cooling designs we have seen on a GPU, the XFX Speedster MERC310 AMD Radeon RX 7900XTX Black 24G is a force to be reckoned with.
It is a marked improvement on everything that makes the 7900XTX such a potent performer, but better and faster than the stock unit. -
MSI MPG A1000G PCIE5 PSU
$160 $200 Save $40The MSI MPG A1000G PCIE5 PSU is built from the ground up to support the ATX 3.0 spec while also being PCI-E 5.0 compatible in a fully modular design without costing an arm and a leg unlike some of its nearest competitors, making it a viable contender for a gaming PC.
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LIAN LI LANCOOL 216 PC Case
$100 $103 Save $3The LANCOOL 216 is a mid-tower case with all-around mesh panels for optimal airflow. Thanks to its modular rear panel, it can be optimized for air or water cooling. It includes 2 x 160mm and 1 x 140mm pre-installed PWM fans and an innovative rear PCIe fan bracket to maximize airflow.
Total Estimated Cost: $2,120
This gaming PC build combines the power of Intel's latest 14th-generation CPU and AMD's highest-end RX 7000 series GPU, picking the current generation's favorite Intel CPU for gaming and coupling it with an excellent high-end GPU from Team Red that offers 24GB of VRAM on offer for some of the more challenging productivity workloads.
Not only is the Intel Core i7 14700KF one of the fastest CPUs available currently, but it is the only current-gen CPU that receives a core bump this time around with Intel adding 4 additional efficiency cores (E-Cores) to bring it closer to the Core i9 than ever before.
The XFX Speedster Merc RX 7900XTX can handle any game thrown its way even in 2024, though it struggles somewhat with Ray Tracing at higher presets. The build uses low latency, overclocking-friend DDR5 memory from Kingston's FURY series to keep things fast and affordable simultaneously. For users requiring more RAM, the 14th-generation-ready Gigabyte Gaming X motherboard in this build has 4 DIMM slots, allowing for easier upgrades in the future.
For storage, a budget-priced, fast XPG Gammix Blade SSD is used to keep the price under $2000, but users can go for a larger 2TB SKU for an additional $50 if they require it. All of these components will easily fit in the airflow-centric Lian Li Lancool 216 case. This case offers excellent cooling performance and leverages the excellent, cost-effective Deepcool LS720 cooler that can be mounted in 2 different directions to keep the CPU's temperature in check.
For users wanting more RGB lighting control, the Lancool (and the subsequent 216X) also offers support for a dedicated RGB controller built into the case. This allows for better cable management and fewer wires in the front of the PC, giving it a more professional look for a productivity-centric system in 2024.
The Best PC Cases for Airflow in 2024
If powerhouse CPUs and GPUs are turning a gaming rig into an oven, these cases can combat the most dangerous temperatures.
Best Premium CPU-Centric Gaming PC Under $2000
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AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
$352 $449 Save $97The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is AMD's latest and greatest CPU when it comes to gaming. With an excellent and highly efficient gaming performance that tops the charts currently, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is here to stay and has a crown to claim thanks to its 3D V-Cache-enabled prowess when it comes to gaming on a PC.
The octa-core CPU currently happens to be the fastest in the business for gaming even as it leads efficiency charts at the top, making it a very sought-after gaming upgrade. -
ASUS ROG Strix LC II 240 ARGB
ASUS ROG Strix LC II 240 is aesthetically pleasing and uses a fabulous CPU block with a 7th Gen Asetek pump that is made for high-performance cooling. The RGB lighting and the compatibility with RGB software allows users to play with the cooler's properties. Perfect for budget and mid-range CPUs, the Strix LC II 240 ARGB is an ideal cooler for overclocking.
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G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo RGB (AMD Expo)
G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo RGB series is a specialized RAM kit for the AM5 platform with up to 6000 MT/s speed. The RAM kit brings exceptional RGB lighting on top of the heat spreaders and works at low latency. It's decently stable at the advertised speed and makes an ideal choice for gaming builds.
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NZXT N7 B650E Gaming Wi-Fi 6 Motherboard
The NZXT N7 B650E Gaming Wi-Fi 6 Motherboard is an excellent AMD socket AM5-based motherboard based on the 650E chipset with decent overclocking, excellent power delivery, and above-average expansion slots in tow. It comes in a white or all-black design that is enthusiast-friendly in terms of its design and feature set.
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Kingston NV2 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe Internal SSD
$61 $75 Save $14This internal solid-state drive from Kingston has 1 TB of digital storage capacity. The NV2 series SSD is designed to be compatible with laptops. It operates on PCIe 4.0 Gen 4x4 technology, features an M.2 2280 form factor, and delivers read speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s. It has lower power requirements, generating minimal heat, which makes it perfect for compact devices.
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MSI Gaming RTX 4070 Ti Super 16G Gaming X Slim
The MSI RTX 4070 Ti Super 16G Gaming X Slim is a premium, compact, and overclocked take on Nvidia's penultimate RTX 4000 series SUPER GPU and it delivers the goods across the board for users impressed by MSI's extended excellent run with Ada Lovelace-based GPUs.
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GIGABYTE GP-UD1000GM PG5 Rev2.0 1000W PSU
The GIGABYTE GP-UD1000GM PG5 Rev2.0 1000W is the second revision of the successful PG5 PSU with the addition of a native 16-pin PCI-E 5.0 power connector and compliance with Intel's new ATX 3.0 PSU standards in a fully modular design backed by as much as 10 years of warranty at an affordable price.
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Lian Li O11 Vision
The most stunning-looking addition to the Lian Li O11 series of cases yet, the Vision mid-tower case features tempered glass on three sides of the enclosure. With a unique dual-chamber design, a PSU and cables are hidden behind a removable, adjustable motherboard tray. Because of the O11 Vision's modular nature, builders have plenty of cooling options, including support for up to two 360 mm liquid cooling radiators and 11 fans. To maintain constant airflow into and out of the case, the chassis is raised further off a surface with extensive venting on its bottom panel.
Total Estimated Cost: $2,086
This is the most powerful gaming PC build on the menu in terms of CPU power even as it makes massive inroads in the GPU department compared to its previous configuration. It aims to use the best available AMD gaming CPU in a package that can play the latest games at FHD and 2K with ease, and even pushes sub-4K resolutions at a decent frame rate on most modern titles. To do so, it leverages the 7800X3D's market-leading performance for games and uses the newly launched MSI RTX 4070 Ti Gaming X Slim, which offers additional VRAM and power versus the RTX 4070 TI models it replaces.
It is supported by an excellent white-themed B650E-based NZXT N7 motherboard designed by ASRock that offers plenty of expansion potential, decent networking, and an aesthetic that rivals that of considerably more expensive motherboards. This, along with 1TB of Kingston's reliable, affordable PCI-E 4.0 SSD storage makes sure there is very little, if any, waiting time for games to load.
The PC saves money on a cooler compared to its peers by going for a reliable dual-slot cooler from ASUS (ROG Strix LC II 24) that costs just under $120, opting to spend more on the newest Lian Li case, the O11 Vision which adds a glass panel on the top of the case. With a 1000W PCI-E 5.0 and ATX 3.0 Gigabyte PSU to power anything up to an RTX 4090 GPU upgrade, this PC can handle anything in terms of power upgrades. It can also cool significantly high TDP CPUs (such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D) with a simple AIO upgrade, making it an excellent, modular upgrade-friendly option to start or continue a PC gaming journey.
The Best Budget 4K Monitors for 2024
Not all 4K monitors are expensive. These are the best budget options that are available right now.
FAQ
Q: Is A $2000 PC Good For Gaming?
If you are looking to game at resolutions at 1440p or 1080p at high refresh rates $2,000 is an excellent budget. These components should also keep up with gaming trends for at least 3 years so you won't have to worry about replacing anything anytime soon.
Q: Is It Cheaper To Build A Gaming PC?
Building a PC yourself is a great way to save on a variety of products on sale. It also provides more fine-grained control over the components one needs for a build.
Prebuilt PCs charge a building fee most of the time, so you can pick up PC parts for close to the same price most PC building companies can, and you save the cost of building.
You just have to be comfortable putting the components together, but with the amount of build guides available today it is easier than ever to build your own PC.