Introduction
$2000 is a solid starting point for consumers looking to pick up an awesome high performance gaming PC. Be it for gaming at 1080p, 1440p, or 4K, or as a hybrid workstation system, this price range truly does offer a range of prebuilts that can do it all. Consumers will have access to a wider range of component choices especially at the mid-range bracket, including many of NVIDIA’s newer but expensive RTX 4000 graphics cards.
It should be noted that not all prebuilt PCs in this article reach the maximum possible budget of $2000 we have set out. This way, we can present a series of systems at a varying price-points and with a plethora of different specs. This allows consumers to get a better idea of what performance they can expect at various prices, in order to make a better choice as to what’s the most suitable option.
1. AVGPC Blizzard Series Gaming PC
CPU: Intel Core i7 12700K
PC/HH Says: The i7 is a very fast CPU that offers a great and balanced foundation to a build at this price.
Memory: 32GB
PC/HH Says: 32GB is more than enough for casual consumers and even many enthusiasts in 2023.
GPU: RTX 4070 Ti
PC/HH Verdict: Strong rasterisation performance, but a little low on VRAM for high-res gaming.
Our first system is the AVGPC Blizzard, a highly capable PC that sits closely to our maximum budget here of $2000. However, for this price, consumers get a high-speed 8+4-core CPU, 32GB of RAM, and a powerful, current-gen graphics card. What’s more, its great specs make it ideal for a multi-purpose work and gaming PC.
In terms of performance users can expect, these specs allow the PC to perform extremely well even in modern AAA titles at 4K. Granted, for games requiring high refresh rates, such as esports titles, even at this resolution consumers are guaranteed a high and stable framerate making the most of even 144Hz or higher displays. Thanks to the power of the RTX 4070 Ti, even Ray-Traced games will not have as large of an impact in comparison to lower-end graphics cards.
Overall, the AVGPC Blizzard is one of the most powerful PCs in this roundup, which is reflected by its high price. This is however let down by certain elements, such as the relatively barebones motherboard. However, in terms of pure performance alone, the AVGPC Blizzard has both the high-end hardware and the cooling to ensure a great gaming experience.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Perfect amount of RAM for AAA gaming | ❌ White colour scheme won’t suit all |
✔️ Powerful GPU choice | ❌ 240mm cooler limits overclocking potential |
✔️ High-end i7 processor | ❌ Micro ATX motherboard makes case look a little ’empty’ |
PC/HH Rating: 9/10
2. Skytech Gaming Chronos Gaming PC
CPU: Intel Core i7 10700K
PC/HH Says: Despite its age, this octa-core CPU still provides a great foundation in 2023.
Memory: 32GB
PC/HH Says: 32GB is enough for all but the most demanding of workloads in 2023, and enough for many consumers for many years to come.
GPU: RTX 3070 Ti
PC/HH Verdict: A powerful, last-gen graphics card that’s capable in even more demanding games.
The Skytech Gaming Chronos does offer another fantastic gaming experience, be it with an older CPU and GPU than other PCs in this roundup. Naturally, it also doesn’t cost as much as other prebuilts using the most cutting-edge parts. Because of this, consumers may not get the same high levels of performance compared to other prebuilts in this roundup, however it does certainly still offer great overall value for its price.
Despite the now three generation-old CPU, and last-gen GPU, this PC will still offer fantastic performance, at both 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, consumers can still expect great results, however in the most demanding current titles, at maximum settings, this will be diminished to a degree. In terms of Ray-Tracing, the RTX 3070 Ti is ideally positioned to deliver a great experience, especially at lower resolutions, without too large of an impact on performance. The 10700K, despite its age, is still a good eight-core CPU capable of providing great performance in modern tasks, especially when pushed with some overclocking.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ 32GB of RAM | ❌ Older CPU |
✔️ Good system cooling | ❌ No USB-C on case, |
✔️ Fast Gen 4 NVMe SSD | ❌ No room for RAM expansion |
PC/HH Rating: 8/10
3. Corsair Vengeance A7200
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
PC/HH Says: A fast, last-gen CPU providing consumers with more than enough performance for most tasks.
Memory: 16GB
PC/HH Says: 16GB of memory is a great starting point, but the minimum we’d recommend in 2023.
GPU: RTX 3070 Ti
PC/HH Verdict: Strong performance in both rasterised and raytraced games, however falling behind current-gen offerins.
Corsair prebuilt PCs are known for their use of high-quality parts throughout, even if performance itself isn’t as great as other prebuilts at a similar price-point. As such, for consumers interested in a system with fantastic overall usability and a great user experience, the Corsair Vengeance a7200 is a fantastic choice. In terms of cooling, case choice, expansion options, and overall aesthetics, Corsair have spared almost no expense to ensure a near compromise-free experience for the user. As such, it’s an ideal PC for potential customers looking for a great, all-around PC, where everything from the case, to the cooling, to the PSU, is as high-end as can be expected from a PC that costs almost $2000.
Performance-wise, the Corsair Vengeance a7200 uses the previous-gen AMD octa-core CPU, the Ryzen 5800X. It features more than enough performance for a high-end gaming PC. Especially for gamers utilising higher resolutions, the CPU will have less on a impact, thus it’s not a great loss that the included chip isn’t a high-end Ryzen 9 SKU, or a current-gen Ryzen 7000 series CPU. The included graphics card, the RTX 3070 Ti, is once again a fantastic choice for both 1080p and 1440p gaming, and more than capable in all but the most demanding of games at 4K.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Fantastic cooling | ❌ Higher price |
✔️ Good motherboard choice | ❌ Last-gen GPU |
✔️ Great case | ❌ Only 16GB of RAM |
PC/HH Rating: 7/10
4. Skytech Gaming Azure
CPU: Intel Core i7 12700F
PC/HH Says: This 7+4 chip from Intel provides the perfect balance of power and value at this price-point.
Memory: 16GB
PC/HH Says: 16GB is still plenty, however also the bare minimum for such an expensive PC.
GPU: RTX 4070 Ti
PC/HH Verdict: A powerful, current-gen graphics card ideal for both rasterised and raytraced games, even at higher resolutions.
Our second PC from Skytech, the Skytech Gaming Azure 2, features much more higher-end specs, with an expected increase in price. However, for many, the large increase in the performance, and overall usability, and longevity of the PC, might be worth it.
In terms of performance, the RTX 4070 Ti and Intel 12700F are a fantastic pairing for high-resolution gaming. Be it for high fresh-rate 1080p or 1440p gaming, or for the highest possible gaming experience at 4K, this PC is ready for the task. Raytracing is also possible at a very adequate framerate thanks to the power of the RTX 4070 Ti. The 16GB on the other hand is, while certainly more limiting than the 32GB configuration found on many other prebuilts at this price, shouldn’t be noticeable to too many users. However, it does certainly limit the PCs usefulness at other intensive tasks and workloads. However, the Azure 2 does use a locked CPU, meaning that consumers will not be able to overclock it themselves to increase the performance even further.
The Skytech Gaming Azure 2 is, while certainly expensive, a great value PC regardless thanks to its high prioritisation of pure performance. At the same time, other areas, such as the case and cooling, are still more than adequate. While there are certainly some areas there corners were cut to reduce the overall price, such as the locked CPU or the 16GB of RAM, for most users these should not have much of an effect on the overall usability of the system.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Fast graphics cards | ❌ Non-overclockable CPU |
✔️ Good-looking case | ❌ Only 16GB of RAM |
✔️ Good motherboard | ❌ Only 1TB Gen 3 SSD |
PC/HH Rating: 8/10
5. iBuyPower Gaming RDY Y60
CPU: Intel Core i5 13900KF
PC/HH Says: One of the fastest CPUs currently on the market, this chip offers more than enough performance for almost all users.
Memory: 32GB
PC/HH Says: 32GB of fast, DDR5 memory is ideal for such a high-end build in 2023.
GPU: RTX 4070
PC/HH Verdict: Whilst not as fast as its Ti counterpart, the RTX 4070 is still a highly capable card, even at 4K.
The IBuyPower Gaming RDY Y60BG204 is one of the most high-end systems in this roundup, featuring one of the fastest consumer CPUs currently on the market, alongside on the largest price tags of all the PCs we have featured so far. For that price however, consumers will receive a great gaming experience thanks to the high-speed CPU and GPU used. What’s more, it uses the highly popular HYTE Y60 case, beloved my many for its unique aesthetic. While it is certainly expensive, it does feature high-end specs offering a fantastic gaming experience. What’s more, it’s one of the few PCs at this price-point to make the leap to DDR5 memory.
The RDY Y60BG204 features some of the fastest components available at this price. The 13900KF is one of the best consumer CPUs currently produced by Intel, which, when combined with the fast DDR5 memory, delivers fantastic overall CPU performance, which is especially important at 1080p. At higher resolutions, where the GPU is more important, the RTX 4070, which features 12GB of VRAM, delivers fantastic performance, even at 4K. However, it naturally isn’t as fast as the RTX 4070 Ti found in other PCs in this list. This leads to a slight off-balance in the overall build, as while the CPU is the one of the fastest currently available on the market, there are certainly higher-end SKUs than the RTX 4070 available as well. In current games, especially at higher resolutions, the GPU will have much more of an impact on the overall framerate. As such, having an even faster graphics card, rather than just a high-end CPU, would have been more beneficial here for most gamers.
Pros | Cons |
---|---|
✔️ Very fast CPU | ❌ GPU could be faster |
✔️ 32GB of DDR5 memory | ❌ Very expensive |
✔️ Stunning case | ❌ Relatively basic motherboard |
PC/HH Rating: 7/10
Conclusion
With a budget of $2000, consumers can find a PC that offers almost everything necessary for a great gaming experience with almost no compromise. At this price, builds are able to both maximise their performance with a fast graphics card and CPU, whilst also being able to focus on smaller, yet still important details, such as cooling, the motherboard, or the case. Each of these PCs does offer a slightly different experience, at very different prices. As such, the choice primarily comes down to the consumers individual needs and budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is $2000 enough for a gaming PC?
$2000 is more than enough for an amazing gaming experience, even when using a higher-resolution display, or using maximum quality settings. At this price-point consumers can expect a near compromise-free gaming experience in almost all games.
Should I build a gaming PC or buy a prebuilt?
While buying a gaming PC allows for more customisation around exact part choices, buying a prebuilt is the easiest solution for those looking to game with minimal hassle!