Don’t let your bank balance get in the way of having an awesome gaming setup. Even if you’re on a budget, you can still create a stylish setup on the cheap that looks like part. You don’t believe us? Then we’ll show you! Here at Overclockers UK, we have everything you need to tailor the gaming setup to match your budget.
Set-Up One: Classic Black
It never goes out of style, and that’s why you’ll never have a shortage of options for this aesthetic. A classic black gaming setup will fit into any room and will be easy to work with if you want to change things up later on.
To make it simple to start with, we’ve picked the Refract Gaming Jade Pre-Built PC. The Jade is part of our Refract Gaming range, fitted with cherry-picked components and a tasty three years parts and labour warranty. Our team of tech experts has designed this system to handle all your favourite games, including Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0.
Of course, you have to pair it with some stylish and powerful peripherals, with the classic black finish naturally. The ASUS K1 Keyboard and M3 Mouse Bundle is perfect for boosting performance and saving a pretty penny. To display your favourite AAA games, we have the ASUS TUF Gaming VG249Q1A FHD monitor, with IPS panel technology, a 165Hz refresh rate, and 1ms response time.
Available to order for £1,499.99* with free next-day delivery
Available to order for £79.99*
Available to order for £168.95*
Available to order for £89.99*
Next, make sure you’re getting the most out of playing these games, you need an immersive headset. The ROG Delta Core matches our aesthetic and budget nicely, plus comes equipped with ASUS Essence drivers and airtight chambers. This promises improved isolation and pristine, natural-sounding audio for you and your games.
Next, all this awesome tech needs somewhere to live. The ThunderX3 ED5 Hex Gaming Desk is a solid surface, with a steel frame and adjustable feet. As well as a cupholder, headset stand for your ROG Delta Core headset, and integrated cable management, it also features stunning HEX RGB lighting. We’ll top it off with the OcUK Mega Mat XXL. Although the D12 has a mouse friendly surface, you should always get a sizeable mousepad for your setup.
Available to order for £154.99*
Available to order for £14.99*
Lastly, you just need somewhere to sit. We’ve picked out the ThunderX3 TC5 gaming chair to solve that issue. If you’ve never experienced the difference a gaming chair makes and are reluctant to break the bank doing so, then the TC5 is perfect for you. It’s got an ergonomically friendly design and is built with breathable AIR Tech for a more comfortable experience. We’ve of course picked black, but the TC5 range comes in a whole range of styles and vibrant colours so it can perfectly match any aesthetic.
Available to order for £179.99*
SETUP TOTAL COST – £2,188.44*
Set-up Two: Modern White
Now if you really want to stand out despite your budget, how about a sleek, modern, all-white gaming setup? This high-end look can be cheap to assemble if you know what to look for. Luckily for you, you’re already reading the right guide for that!
Available to order starting from £999.95*
First up has to be the system – the OcUK Gaming Radiance Frosty MK 2 comes in a gorgeous white Lian Li Lancool 205M Mesh gaming case. After all, your PC needs to match the aesthetic! We build this system to order, meaning you can configure its components to better match your needs and budget. Plus, with the glass side window showing off the interior RGB lighting, your setup will get a little extra dazzle for free.
Now the peripherals – the MSI 27” Modern MD27QPW gaming monitor ticks all the boxes of a solid screen, with the added bonuses of an all-white frame and stand to match the rest of the setup and ambient backlighting. For our keyboard we have the gorgeous Ducky One 3 Classic 65 in pure white with excellent Cherry MX Red switches. Lastly, we turn to Glorious and their Model O Gaming Mouse in Matte White to complete the trio.
Available to order for £248.99*
Available to order for £139.99*
Available to order for £54.99*
For audio, we’ve picked out the stunning EPOS H3 Stereo Gaming Headset. These can be stored neatly on the Nitro Concepts D12 Gaming Desk. Measuring in at a hearty 116cm by 75cm it has plenty of room for all that tasty tech we just saw. As well as offering plenty of legroom, it has a spot for both your headset and your drink of choice. We’ll drape it in the brilliant white Glorious GW-P XL Extended Pro Gaming Surface, dominating the desk with a new aesthetic. Lastly, we’ll turn to the trusty ThunderX3 TC5 to give you a comfy perch. But of course, we’ll be picking up the All White version this time around.
Available to order £89.99*
Available to order for £114.95*
Available to order £19.99*
Available to order for £179.99*
SETUP TOTAL COST – £1,849.84
Set-Up Three: Fiery Red
For our third and final pick, we thought we’d throw a splash of colour in for fun. After all, who doesn’t love a dash of red to go with their favourite games? We’ve got some great options to help you get some of this shade in your setup on the cheap.
Available to order for £769.99* with free next-day delivery
For our gaming PC, we’ve picked another from our Refract range. The Crimson is a perfect entry-level system for casual gamers and those just starting out in the wonderful world of PC gaming. We’ve got some very red peripherals to match the gorgeous lighting of this computer; the LG 27GP850-B gaming monitor, the Corsair Gaming K63 Mechanical keyboard with red backlighting, and the EPOS GSP 500 Premium Headset, in red of course.
Available to order for £379.99*
Available to order for £74.99*
Available to order for £99.95*
For the mouse, we thought of something a little different to help you keep the lid on your budget. We’re going with the faithful Glorious Model O again but this time in Matte Black. But then, we’re going to slap a Glorious Ascended Cable in Crimson Red on that gaming mouse to improve the flexibility and the aesthetic in one fell swoop.
Glorious Model O Gaming Mouse available for £59.99*
Glorious Ascended Cable V2 – Crimson Red available for £14.99*
We’re going to turn to Nitro Concepts once again. Firstly, for the gaming desk, as the D12 comes in a very eye-catching black and red version we simply must have for this setup. Then secondly for the gaming mat, as they have a spacious and stylish option with a thick red border that’ll stand out once we’ve set everything up on the black centre.
Available to order for £114.95*
Available to order for £19.99*
How else could we finish but with the ThunderX3 TC5 gaming chair and one of its many amazing variants? This time we’ve got the Ember Red to turn to, completing our series of red-accented pieces for this fiery setup.
Available to order for £179.99*
SETUP TOTAL COST – £1,710.83*
Upgrading on a Budget
We have plenty of extra reading if you are looking to upgrade on a budget.
- Level 24: Save Big and Upgrade in the New Year
- Level Up Your Peripherals and Save a Bundle
- Level Up: The Best Gaming PC and Hardware for Under £1000
- The Best Gaming PCs You Can Buy for Under £1000
- The Best Gaming PCs You Can Buy for Under £600
- Savvy Spending: Balancing Studies and Gaming on a Student Budget
- The Best Budget Gaming Chairs
- The Best Gaming PC and Hardware for Those on a Tight Budget!
*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 7 min read
Jacob Smith
Author
Jacob is a passionate gamer, plus a noted Pokemon and LEGO nutjob, who emerges only when doing the words here at Overclockers UK. Since starting at the tail end of 2021, Jacob has gone on to write dozens of blogs on everything from the latest games to whimsical Dickens-inspired poetry. Outside of creating content and being the one person in the office daring to champion Nintendo, he is often found fawning over his Pokemon card collection and his trio of lovely doggos.
Read More >>