Budget. Let's be honest, it's not the most attractive word. But when you're shopping for a gaming PC in a certain price bracket, it does the job. Whether you're making the move from console to PC, upgrading from a family PC or getting into PC gaming for any other reason, the likely place to start is with your budget, and then find out if the specifications will play the games you want to play.
Unfortunately, this is usually where things get complicated for shoppers, because you need to look at lots of retailers, check YouTube benchmark videos, run this past Reddit, and then finally check the benchmarks of the PC to see if it will cope with everything else you need a PC for. It's quite a task. So, with that in mind, this article will aim to provide everything you need to know in one place.
Budget Gaming PCs
We've selected the most popular systems between approximately £595 and £1000, so whatever your budget, there should be something here for you. Of course, we're going to look at the types of games you can play on these systems, too, which will help you decide.
Don't forget! You will also need a monitor for these systems, so you can check out the best deals on monitors here.
Horizon i3 1650 Windows 11
Specification:
| CPU | Intel Core i3 10100F 3.6GHz CPU |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 Memory |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 1650 |
| Storage | 500GB Solid State Drive |
| Windows | Windows 11 |
December 2021 Price: £589.99 £569.99 - VERY LIMITED STOCK!
The Intel Core i3 10100F 3.6GHz CPU is Intel's answer to the Ryzen 5 5600 CPU, and also has the benefit of integrated graphics with the UHD Graphics 630 platform. Paired with the solid Nvidia GTX 1660 dedicated graphics card and 8GB DDR4 memory, this system spec is ideal for E-Sports gaming and less demanding titles like Valorant, CS:GO, Fortnite and impressive performance in more demanding titles like Call of Duty: Warzone and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Main Features
- Ideal for E-Sports gaming
- Awesome performance at 720p
- Fully upgradeable
What Games Can I Play?
Here is a small selection of the games that will run on the Horizon i3 1650: -
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- GTA V
- Valorant
- CS:GO
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Fortnite
- PUB:G
- DOTA 2
- Forza Horizon 4
- Call of Duty: Warzone
Is It Right For Me?
Great for E-Sports, but powerful enough to stretch its legs on AAA titles, the Horizon i3 1650 is a capable gaming system that defies the GPU shortage and price hikes. With just a RAM upgrade, you will also see an increase in framerates across all titles in the list above.
Horizon 5 Vega Gaming PC
Specification:
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 5600G 3.9GHz |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 3200MHz |
| Storage | 240GB Adata Ultimate SU630 SATA SSD |
| Wi-Fi | 433Mbps Built-in Wi-Fi |
| Windows | Windows 10 |
December 2021 Price: £593.99
(or £493.99 without Windows 10)
The Perfect E-Sports Gaming System
CPU (processor) manufacturers, AMD and Intel, have been good to gamers over the last two years. With the GPU shortage in full swing, both manufacturers ensured their APU and iGPU (integrated graphics) processors were more than capable of handling competitive and E-Sports games with around 8GB of DDR4 RAM. This meant that while most gamers were waiting on graphics cards to come back in stock, or come down in price, they had a perfectly good gaming PC they could play their favourite titles on.
That's not to say that this PC can't handle other games, either. The Ryzen 5 5600G APU is capable of tackling AAA titles, RPGs, and many other genres with the 8GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM to back it up.
Main Features
- The perfect introduction to high-octane E-Sports gaming
- Great performance at 720p
- Fully upgradeable
What Games Can I Play?
Here are some of the top games that will run on the Horizon 5 Vega: -
- Valorant
- CS:GO
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Fortnite
- PUB:G
- DOTA 2
- Forza Horizon 4
- Call of Duty: Warzone
Is It Right For Me?
If you are looking for a gaming system that will be comfortable playing E-Sports titles, then this is it. You have enough CPU and RAM to play in competitive matches, and when you're ready to upgrade, the Ryzen 5600G and MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX motherboard provide an easy path.
Horizon 3 Intel GTX 1660S
Specification:
| CPU | Intel Core i3 10100F 3.6GHz CPU |
| RAM | 16GB 2666MHz DDR4 Memory |
| Graphics | GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER |
| Storage | 500GB Solid State Drive |
| Wi-Fi | 433Mbps Built-in Wi-Fi |
| Windows | Windows 10 Home |
December 2021 Price: £789.99
(or £493.99 without Windows 10)
A Step Up In Gaming Power For Under £800
The Horizon 3 offers incredible value for money, and a worthy specification for your first Gaming PC, with all the power you need to play the latest games without breaking the bank. At under £800 you get GTX graphics power, a huge 16Gb DDR4 RAM, and a processor that will allow you to play 1080p games.
Main Features
- Capable of playing E-Sports and AAA titles
- Great performance at 720p and 1080p
- 16GB memory for improved performance
What Games Can I Play?
With great performance in 1080p and 720p gaming, you will see excellent framerates in games such as: -
- Valorant
- Apex Legends
- CS:GO
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Fortnite
- PUB:G
- DOTA 2
- Forza Horizon 4
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Forza 4
- Battlefield V
- Jedi: Fallen Order
Is It Right For Me?
With an extra 8GB memory, having 16GB DDR4 RAM and the GTX 1650 Super on board, your gaming will be elevated to a new level over the entry level PCs above. If your gaming tastes stretch a little further than just E-Sports and competitive play, this budget gaming PC will be ideal.
Horizon 5 Intel RX 6600 Next Day Gaming PC
Specification:
| CPU | Intel Core i5 10400F 2.9GHz CPU |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 Memory (2666MHz) |
| Graphics | AMD Radeon RX 6600 Graphics Card |
| Storage | Western Digital Blue SN550 500GB NvMe SSD (PCIe Gen3 x4) |
| Wi-Fi | Built-in Wi-Fi |
| Windows | Windows 10 Home |
December 2021 Price: £939.08
Radeon Graphics and 16GB DDR4 Under £1000
This specification takes you into the realms of 1080p gaming with ease, with the impressive AMD Radeon RX 6600 at its heart and 16GB DDR4 RAM powering your games, the Horizon 5 Intel RX 6600 is just as happy playing AAA titles such as Call of Duty: Warzone as it is playing Apex Legends.
Main Features
- More than happy playing E-Sports and AAA titles
- Awesome performance at 720p and 1080p
- 16GB DDR4 memory for excellent performance
What Games Can I Play?
Expect increased framerates and smooth gameplay in titles such as: -
- Apex Legends
- Borderlands 3
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla
- Valorant
- CS:GO
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Fortnite
- PUB:G
- DOTA 2
- Forza Horizon 4
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Forza 4
- Battlefield V
- Jedi: Fallen Order
Is It Right For Me?
Whatever gaming level you're at, and whatever genre you're into, the Horizon 5 Intel RX 6600 is excellent value and will have you playing your favourite titles in 1080p, with fast loading thanks to the Western Digital Blue SN550 500GB NvMe SSD.
FLASH SALE! Horizon 5 Intel RTX 3060 Ti Gaming PC
Specification:
| CPU | Intel Core i5 10400F 2.9GHz CPU |
| RAM | 16GB (2x8GB) CCL Choice 2666MHz DDR4 RAM |
| Graphics | Gainward RTX 3060 Ti Ghost 8GB GPU |
| Storage | Kingston 500GB NV1 M.2 NVMe SSD |
| Windows | Not Included |
December 2021 Price: £1,019.99
RTX Is On! Serious Gaming Power At Just Over £1000
This limited deal offers you RTX gaming, with Ray Tracing and smooth framerates thanks to the 8GB GDDR6 on board the Gainward RTX 3060 Ti Ghost GPU. Powered by 16GB of DDR4 RAM you'll enjoy better gameplay and also benefit from fast loading times with the Kingston 500GB M.2 NVMe SSD.
Main Features
- More than happy playing E-Sports and AAA titles
- Awesome performance at 720p and 1080p
- 16GB DDR4 memory for excellent performance
What Games Can I Play?
The Horizon 5 Intel RTX 3060 Ti Gaming PC is capable of playing 100% of the Top 100 games right now, and meets the majority of recommended requirements, too. Titles such as: -
- Grand Theft Auto V
- VALORANT
- Forza Horizon 5
- Cyberpunk 2077
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Battlefield 2042
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- League of Legends
- Minecraft
- Forza Horizon 4
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Fortnite
- Apex Legends
- FIFA 22
- Genshin Impact
- Far Cry 6
- Dead by Daylight
- Age of Empires 4
- New World
- Halo Infinite
Is It Right For Me?
This PC specification will see you through the next few AAA titles releases, and all of the top 100 games in December 2021. It truly is spectacular. If you have room in your budget for this awesome gaming rig, then you should hurry - this is a limited time deal!
Last Word
These systems are truly our best value PCs in the last few years, with APU/iGPU specifications to keep the budget low, and GTX/RTX systems that we feel represent a perfect balance of price and performance.
Looking for something with a little more power? Our Nazare systems are a range of extreme gaming PCs starting at £1,952.99 - and available on finance. With 4 months interest free credit with PayPal Credit, your dream gaming rig could be well within your grasp.
Nazare 5212 iCUE RTX Gaming PC
Why Choose CCL?
Just like every other retailer, CCL is hoping you will become a valued customer after reading this article. But that's where the similarities end, and we'd like to take a moment to tell you why you can trust us with your budget PC.
Established 25+ years
We are very proud to have a customer base that has stretch over almost three decades. Customers have chosen CCL time and time again for our commitment to the best customer service and value for money, which is reflected in our 4.8 (Excellent) Trust Pilot reviews, our multiple awards from highly recognised magazines (PC Pro, ICT Review, Computer Shopper and PC Advisor etc.) and various industry bodies.
Manufacturer Relationships
We are proud to be one of the few IT companies in the highest partnership echelon for Intel, AMD, Microsoft, and many others. Our relationships with these companies allows us to pass on savings and give you access to the latest products as soon as they launch.
Premium 3 Year Warranty
Every single PC we are covering below comes with a 3 year on site warranty. This covers all parts and labour, so you have absolute peace of mind; our 3 year collect and return warranty not only covers the cost of labour should the worst happen, but also covers the replacement parts and carriage costs getting the PC to and from CCL for a repair.
We're Just Like You
We are a business run by PC enthusiasts, gamers, and IT hobbyists. Our PCs are built by experts with an average of 10+ years experience in configuring and testing systems. This is our major strength, and enables us to guarantee the highest levels of build quality in the industry that many of the competition simply cannot match.
