Do you always dream of having a cute gaming setup, but money is a constraint? Gaming setups are definitely not cheap – I’ve read online that some people spend more than $3K on their kawaii gaming setup! Others shell out $2K for PC components alone. Building a budget PC for gaming can quickly start to become frustrating when you begin to compare various hardware available in the market today. The frustration comes from balancing quality with the amount of money you currently can spend.
But it’s definitely not impossible! In this article, I’ve compiled a list of gaming setup items and you don’t have to spend more than $1000. I believe $1000 is a great budget because then you can get the best of both worlds in terms of performance and longevity.
Overview:
| COMPONENTS | PRICE ($) |
| Case: NZXT H510 Gaming Case | $70 |
| CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 2600 | $186 |
| GPU: Nvidia GeForce GT 1030 | $89 |
| Motherboard: ASRock B450M PRO4 | $82 |
| Memory: PNY 16GB (2x8GB) XLR8 Gaming Memory Ram | $95 |
| Storage: ADATA SU635 240GB | $30 |
| PSU: EVGA B1 500w 80+ | $48 |
| Monitor: Sceptre E255B-1658A 25″ Monitor | $180 |
| Mousepad: Cat Paw Mouse Pad with Wrist Support | $16 |
| Gaming Mouse: Sailor Moon Backlit Gaming Mouse | $20 |
| Mechanical Gaming Keyboard: Ducky One 2 Mini | $100 |
| Gaming Chair: Pink and Black Office Chair | $55 |
| Gaming Headset: SADES MPOWER Stereo Gaming Headset | $40 |
| TOTAL | $1,011 |
PC Components
- PC Case:
The first component for your budget gaming build would be the case. Getting your hands on a PC case under $100 is quite tricky, but I do have one suggestion you can check out:
 | NZXT H510 Gaming Case ($70)NZXT is a very well renown brand in the gaming industry. Their cases are built to last you a long time, and they have A+ customer service. The NZXT H510 is also a very popular budget gaming case. It offers a cable management system; removable fan/radiator mounting brackets; and easy-to-use drive trays. You can plug in your devices in front-panel USB-C connector supporting high-speed USB 3.1 Gen 2 devices. And, it includes two Aer F120mm fans for optimal internal airflow, along with removable filters. |
- CPU:
The next component would be the CPU – this will be the heart of your gaming build.
 | AMD Ryzen 5 2600 ($186)AMD Ryzen 5 2600 comes from the 2nd generation series, equipped with 6 unlocked cores and 12 threads with an additional 2 cores and 8 threads over the previous version. This CPU is a small workstation in itself, which is value for the money spent on it. |
- GPU:
 | Nvidia GeForce GT 1030 ($89)This GPU is admirably good in its price range. It performs exceptionally well in the competitive gaming titles it was designed for. A budget-friendly architecture with a good form factor makes it accessible to anyone with a tight budget. |
- Motherboard:
 | ASRock B450M PRO4 ($82)When combined with the AMD Ryzen 5 2600, the ASRock B450M PRO4 presents better-overclocking capabilities and better I/O performance. It has great VRMs (Voluntary Regulator Modules) to provide better cooling under load. |
- Memory:
 | PNY 16GB (2x8GB) XLR8 Gaming Memory Ram ($95)This 16GB RAM can easily afford 3600MHz of memory and significantly boost performance over the other lower clocked memory modules. CPUs have a love for memory speed because it reduces access latency. This, therefore, increases responsiveness, better average FPS, and smooth gameplay. It also offers a brilliant RGB design. This 16GB RAM is great for this gaming-oriented budget build. |
- Storage:
 | ADATA SU635 240GB ($30)SSD storage is mandatory for gaming builds in 2021, and this SSD can squeeze into your budget. In case you aren’t satisfied, you can spend a bit more, like $20-$30, to get a 500GB SSD, if your requirements are a bit different and you tend to install more apps and games. |
- Power Supply Unit:
 | EVGA B1 500w 80+ Bronze ($48)EVGA has proved itself to be one of the best entry-level PSUs, and even the quality is a bang for the buck at this price. A 500w Power Supply Unit should be more than enough for your gaming build. You may get more options at this price range, but at the end of the day, quality is what matters for PSUs, and we aren’t sure if they can handle the other components that you are going to use. |
Monitor
 | Sceptre E255B-1658A 25″ Monitor ($180) This Sceptre E255B-1658A 25″ Gaming Monitor is excellent; if you’re thinking of building a budget gaming setup and want more performance while also saving cash, then this 25-inch 1080p TN screen with a 144Hz maximum refresh rate could be the perfect monitor for you. It contains built in speakers, so you don’t have to purchase additional speakers. |
Mousepad
 | Cat Paw Mouse Pad with Wrist Support ($16) This cute cat paw mouse pad comes in various colors. The paw part of the mouse pad acts as a wrist supports to prevent wrist pain. It’s 11 inches by 8 inches, so it’s not too big and not too small. |
Gaming Mouse
 | Sailor Moon Backlit Gaming Mouse ($20)The Sailor Moon Backlist Gaming Mouse is one of the cheapest and best budget wireless gaming mice available in this price range. It only costs $20 and can be easily connected to your gaming PC or gaming laptop. |
Gaming Keyboard
 | Ducky One 2 Mini ($100)The Ducky One 2 Mini is one of the best gaming mechanical keyboards, and a great mechanical keyboard to start with. It comes with Cherry MX Brown switches, but they also offer various other switches and sizes (if you do not know about key switches then check out my article: Your Guide to Keyboards, Key Switches, and Keycaps). The Ducky One 2 Mini mechanical keyboard can handle more than 100 million keystrokes, which means this keyboard can last for a long time. Apart from this, there are many customizations available, from RGB lighting to different colored keycaps. |
Gaming Chair
 | Pink and Black Office Chair ($129)Finding a good quality gaming chair under $100 is quite a difficult task, however this Pink and Black Office Chair is comfy. It offers great support for your back , and it’s very easy to assemble. |
Gaming Headset with Mic
 | SADES MPOWER Stereo Gaming Headset ($40)The Sades MPower Stereo Gaming Headset is one of the best budget gaming headsets available in the market, and the sound quality is top-notch The mic provided with the headset is also retractable. |
Final Verdict
The $1000 budget kawaii gaming setup suggested in this article is the bang for the buck. I offered options that were not only inexpensive, but also had great quality. As a result, this build will last you for a long time while letting you play all the famous titles at the highest FPS. Overall I feel that this battle station is the best one you can build at the given price range.
