You’re looking to buy a new gaming PC, but how much does it cost?
Budgeting for your new gaming PC can be a tricky thing. There is no one set cost for a gaming PC and finding the right one for you can become a mission. We’re here today to try and clear the air a little, offering suitable specs for different needs and the price point they could feature.
How Much Does a Gaming PC Cost?
Frankly, there is no nice answer to this question. The crux of it is, “it depends”. There are too many factors to give one straight answer. Fluctuating prices, various price to performance points, brand preferences, additional costs for aesthetics, and so on. Even if I could give you a definitive answer today, it would likely be wrong within a few months or a year. Times, they be a-changin’.
What I can do today is showcase ideal specs for various uses and provide ballpark figures with an example PC from Overclockers UK. We’ll be going over PCs for:
- Those on a budget
- Standard office use
- Casual gaming
- Mainstream gaming
- Esports gaming
- Streaming
- VR gaming
- Content creation
- And a Workstation
That’s nine primary uses, nine PCs, and nine potential matches for your needs! Naturally, even these showcases may not quite fit your needs, but they’ll certainly provide a good starting point!
Pre-Built vs DIY
Before we get into the meat of this article, there is something else to consider. Building your own gaming PC, or even just upgrading parts on your current PC. The latter is definitely the cheapest option of all three, if budget is your biggest constraint. Building your own gaming PC can be cheaper too, if you shop around for good deals, and has the added benefit that you are in full control of every component that goes in.
Both, however, do require skill and additional tools to pull off successfully. Thankfully, we have a couple of blogs that can help with that!
How Much Does a Budget PC Cost?
If you’re looking to cut costs on your next computer, there are a few savvy spending tricks you can do to pinch those pennies. Hardware you’d typically find in a budget computer may include:
- An APU or CPU with integrated graphics
- Older generations of tech
- Entry-level tier hardware – ie Intel Core i3/i5 or AMD Ryzen 5
- Small form factor case and components
We have a dedicated category for budget PCs, ranging in price from £800 to £1000*, and one for PCs under £1000. This includes pre-built and configurable gaming PCs, offering more scope to find a PC that fits your needs.
Example Budget PC: OcUK Gaming Kestrel
The OcUK Gaming Kestrel is priced at £824.99*. It sports Zen 3 and RDNA 2 hardware as standard, so you can still enjoy high performance gaming without breaking the bank. Plus, with configurable options, you can save on select hardware and splurge on others. Just note, this will affect the overall price.
OcUK Gaming Kestrel Configurable PC
- Configurable PC – adjust the PC case, storage, and more!
- Selection of AMD Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs
- Choose between AMD Radeon RX 6000 and 7000 GPUs
- Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- Flexible storage options
How Much Does an Office PC Cost?
What you’ll need from an office PC depends on the work you do. Operating on the assumption you’ll need web browsing, word processors, corporate applications such as Slack and Teams, and perhaps the odd bit of specialist software, your hardware demands won’t be much. Which means, an office PC doesn’t have to have a premium price tag. Typically, they’ll have:
- An APU or CPU with integrated graphics
- High-capacity HDD or SSD
- 8-16GB RAM
- Understated aesthetics
The Office PC category is currently populated with one machine, priced at £550*, but the Refract Gaming Crimson (pictured above) would also make an ideal office PC. It features more gaming-focused hardware, however, and comes with a £869.99* price tag.
Example Office PC: OcUK Gaming Kinetic H6M
Sticking with the category, we have the OcUK Gaming Kinetic H6M for £550*. This features an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 CPU, sporting six cores and twelve threads. This processor can expertly handle office workflows, with up to 32GB RAM to keep operations efficient. Once again, this computer can be configured, with additional storage drives or a graphics card for multi-monitor set ups, but this will increase the pricing.
OcUK Gaming Kinetic H6M Home and Office PC
- Configurable PC – adjust the PC case, storage, and more!
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600G APU with integrated graphics
- Option to add on a dedicated GPU
- Up to 32GB DDR4 RAM
- Flexible storage options
How Much Does a Casual Gaming PC Cost?
Gaming PC prices wildly differ because there are different tiers of hardware you can install in them. A general rule of thumb for pricing is the higher the performance, the higher the cost. Therefore, casual or entry-level gaming PCs tend to be reasonably priced whilst still featuring all the hardware you need to enjoy your games. A typical casual gaming PC could feature:
- Entry level CPU – Intel Core i3/i5 or AMD Ryen 5
- 16GB RAM
- Entry-level GPU – NVIDIA RTX x060 or AMD Radeon RX x600 model GPU
- Gamer aesthetics
- Air cooling
Our entry-level gaming PC category has a price range of £749 to £1450*, covering a variety of performance points within the casual and entry level bracket.
Example Casual Gaming PC: Refract Gaming Amber
The Refract Gaming Amber costs £1,199.99*. Powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 7500F CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, this pre-built PC has been designed for casual gaming at 1080p. Plus, it is fully assembled, tested, and ready to plug in and play!
Refract Gaming Amber Pre-Built PC
- Pre-built PC designed by our team of experts
- AMD Ryzen 5 7500F CPU
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU
- 16GB DDR5 RAM
- Covered by our three year parts and labour warranty
How Much Does a Mainstream Gaming PC Cost?
Following the general rule of thumb, the more performance you want, the more your PC is going to cost. As such, mainstream gaming PCs will carry a bigger price tag than what we’ve listed so far. Still, their mid-tier hardware keeps the pricing accessible for most. They typically include:
- Mid-range CPU – Intel Core i5/i7 or AMD Ryzen 7
- 16-32GB RAM
- Mid-range GPU – NVIDIA RTX x070 or AMD Radeon RX x700 model GPUs
- Air-cooling or AIO cooler
The price range for our mainstream gaming PCs is between £1049 and £1700*. The eagle eyed among you will have noticed there is some crossover with the entry-level pricing there. As with every bracket of gaming PC, there is range and scope. Some higher-end entry-level PCs will be well suited for more mainstream gaming but fall at the lower end of the scale for the next bracket up.
Example Mainstream Gaming PC: OcUK Gaming Hawk
Sitting firmly in the middle of our mainstream price range is the OcUK Gaming Hawk, costing £1,349.99*. This pairs a 14th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU with an AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT GPU, powering your gaming with the innovative advanced hybrid core and RDNA 3 architectures.
OcUK Gaming Hawk Configurable PC
- Configurable PC – adjust the PC case, storage, and more!
- Selection of 14th Gen Intel Core CPUs with hybrid core architecture
- Choice of AMD Radeon RX 7000 GPUs
- Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- Flexible storage options
How Much Does an Esports PC Cost?
If you’re looking to compete in esports, especially professionally, then you’re going to want some power behind your gaming. Anything for that competitive edge over the other players! As a lot of popular esports titles have very accessible requirements, even entry-level gaming PCs will serve you well. Esports gaming PCs tend to include:
- High-speed CPUs optimised for gaming
- SSD primary storage for fast loading
- Mid- to high-tier GPUs
- Ultra-fast RAM for minimal latency
Our Esports Gaming PC category sports a spicy range of computers to suit a variety of budgets, priced between £749 and £1825*. As always, the higher the price, the higher the performance.
Example Esports PC: OcUK Gaming Rapier
The OcUK Gaming Rapier is £1,624.99* on its standard spec. This configurable PC boasts a choice of AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs, NVIDIA RTX 40 Series GPUs, up to 64GB DDR5 RAM, and the option of up to three high-speed SSDs. Once again, any adjustments will affect the overall price.
OcUK Gaming Rapier Configurable PC
- Configurable PC – adjust the PC case, storage, and more!
- Selection of AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs with Zen 4 architecture
- Choice of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs
- Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- Flexible storage options
How Much Does a Streaming PC Cost?
Streaming PCs can come with a big price tag, as you need hardware that is capable of running your game and live streaming it to your audience. All without screen tearing, lag, or other performance issues that will ruin the show. Streaming PCs typically have:
- Mid- to high-tier multi-core CPUs
- High-performance GPUs
- 32GB+ RAM
- AIO or water-cooling for efficiency and minimal noise
As the star of your show, streaming PCs can truly be a statement piece. As such, the price range of our streaming PC category is between £1,349 and £10,500*. This is a little skewed by 8Pack and Infin8 PCs, which are overclocked extreme gaming PCs with custom water-cooling loops. Omitting them, the upper limit drops down to £4,000*.
Example Streaming PC: OcUK Gaming Khopesh
The OcUK Gaming Khopesh is priced at £2,149.99*. With an AMD Ryzen 7 7700X CPU, you have all the processing power you need for multi-threaded loads like streaming. Plus, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU will render your games in stunning detail for all to enjoy!
OcUK Gaming Khopesh Configurable PC
- Configurable PC – adjust the PC case, storage, and more!
- Selection of AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs
- Choice of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs
- Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- Flexible storage options
How Much Does a VR Gaming PC Cost?
VR has gone from a sci-fi pipe dream to a staple of gaming in recent years. A VR gaming PC needs to support your chosen VR headset, and the spec requirements for the games vary greatly. As the technology has developed and become more readily available, game specs are more reasonable but there are some which require high-end tech! Therefore, anything from a mainstream to high-end PC is well suited for VR gaming. Typically, they’ll need:
- An Intel Core i5/i7 CPU or equivalent
- A mid- to high-range GPU
- At least 16GB RAM
- Available ports for VR hardware (wired only)
Our VR gaming PC range is priced between £1,349 and £12,000*, with 8Pack and Infin8 PCs once more bolstering that top end. Without them, the upper limit is around £3,900*.
Example VR Gaming PC: OcUK Gaming Zirconium
For elite-tier VR gaming, we love the OcUK Gaming Zirconium, priced at £3,299.99*. Equipped with an Intel Core i7-14700KF CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super GPU, there is little this gaming PC can’t handle in the virtual reality and beyond!
OcUK Gaming Zirconium Configurable PC
- Configurable PC – adjust the specs to suit your needs!
- Selection of 14th Gen Intel Core CPUs
- Choice of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series GPUs
- Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- Flexible storage options
How Much Does a Content Creation PC Cost?
The cost of a content creation PC depends on what sort of content you’re creating. Complex digital 3D rendering will require an AMD Ryzen Threadripper or Intel Xeon CPU, which is more in the workstation territory (which we’ll get to soon). For creating online content, a high-performance gaming PC is more suited to the job and comes with a much more accessible price tag. Content creation PCs typically need:
- High-end CPUs – AMD Ryzen CPUs with 3D V-Cache excel
- 32GB+ RAM
- High-end GPUs – NVIDIA RTX x080 and AMD Radeon RX x900 model GPUs
- Ultra-fast, high-capacity SSD storage
Using the OcUK Gaming PC Configurator, you can craft yourself the perfect PC for content creation. With both Intel and AMD models, the configurator lets you choose every component from a pre-selected list of hardware. From processor to power supply, you have full control over the specification. Prices start from between £1,279 and £2100*, but will be affected as you customise.
Example Content Creation PC: Refract Gaming Ultraviolet
Alternatively, you can opt for the pre-built Refract Gaming Ultraviolet, priced at £3,799.99*. This gaming PC has been engineered for 4K gaming, VR, content creation, streaming, and more! With its AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D CPU with 3D V-Cache and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, the Ultraviolet is primed to handle anything you throw its way.
Refract Gaming Ultraviolet Pre-Built PC
- Pre-built PC designed by our team of experts
- AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D CPU with 3D V-Cache
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU
- 32GB DDR5 RAM
- Covered by our three year parts and labour warranty
How Much Does a Workstation PC Cost?
Workstation PCs are expensive, there are no two ways around it. They feature specialist hardware, multi-GPU configurations, and high-capacity everything. But it is needful, as these machines are designed to handle CUDA heavy applications, complex workloads, and the sort of processes that would grind our regular PCs to a halt. Typically, they feature:
- Professional-grade CPUs – AMD Ryzen Threadripper or Intel Xeon
- High-capacity quad-channel RAM
- Elite-tier or multi-GPU configurations
- Combination of HDDs and SSDs to provide fast and high-capacity storage
We have a range of professional PCs, our RENDA systems. These are priced between £1,600 and £11,000*, with each PC designed for different workflows. Alternatively, you can seek out the intense power of 8Pack PCs, ranging between £6,888 and £33,000*. Some of these PCs are more suited to gaming than workstation, but even those have been fine-tuned to squeeze every drop of performance from the hardware.
Example Workstation PC: 8Pack Domin8
The 8Pack Domin8 is currently the most expensive PC on our website, at £32,299.99*. It is a beast and we proudly showed it off at Computex 2023. From its powerhouse performance to custom-developed hardware, there are no holds barred with the Domin8.
8Pack Domin8 Extreme Overclocked PC
- Extreme workstation PC overclocked by 8Pack
- Intel Xeon W9-3495X CPU
- 2 x NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs
- Custom, bespoke water-cooling system
- 256GB octo-channel RAM
Still Not Found What You’re Looking For?
While we’ve covered some good ground here and showcased a variety of price points, there are still plenty more gaming PCs to discover at Overclockers UK. If you’ve yet to get heart eyes, you can explore our whole range. Plus, of course we have more blog content for you to peruse!
We’re Here to Help
In truth, a gaming PC’s cost is always going to match however much you have to spend on it. If you need a little more help and guidance, our customer service team is just a message away!
*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 14 min read
Emily Haylock
Author
Emily is a board and cosy gamer, keyboard obsessive, and content copywriter for Overclockers UK. She has been with Overclockers UK since 2020, writing about everything from noblechairs to 8Pack PCs. She writes from within her desk nest with a foster pup at her feet. (What, a desk duvet is a totally normal thing!) In her downtime, she likes to play board games, farming sims, and old-school Final Fantasy. IX to be specific. It is the best, and that is a hill she will die on.
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