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PC Builds

The Best Gaming PC Build Under $2000 in 2021

9 Mins read

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Microsoft
Newegg

For many PC gamers around the world, the 2021 has proven to be quite a disappointing year so far. Due to the cryptocurrency mining craze, prices of PC components have sky-rocketed, and building a brand new gaming PC has become an extremely expensive and difficult venture. Just a year ago, with a budget of $2,000 you could build an overkill gaming PC build, but nowadays this isn’t the case, as most GPUs now cost a fortune, and as such the overall expenses of building a good gaming PC have dramatically increased.

Read also: The Best Gaming PC Build Under $1500 in 2021

Although all may seem grim now, with a budget of $2,000 you can still build an amazing gaming PC in 2021. The only problem is getting a graphics card, since many scalpers are buying them everywhere online, and are reselling brand new GPUs on eBay for a very high price. But let’s forget about that for now, and talk about our best $2000 gaming PC build.

Our $2,000 gaming PC build features a brand new AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, which is able to deliver outstanding performance, both in gaming and productivity. Although our build features an AMD Ryzen CPU, we’ve decided to go with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 in the graphics department, as this card seems to be one of the biggest hits this year thanks to its great gaming performance which should please most players who game at 1080p and 1440p resolutions. Since GPUs nowadays cost a lot of money, the rest of our $2,000 PC build is pretty straightforward. We have 16GB of very fast DDR4 memory running at speed of 3,200 MHz, a one 1TB Samsung 970 EVO NVMe solid-state drive, and a 650 watts Gold-certified power supply. Overall, this is quite a powerful PC build, so if you are looking for a gaming PC with a $2,000 price tag, be sure to give our build a try.

PC Build Components List

ComponentSelectionAvailability
ProcessorAMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-Core, 4.6 GHz ProcessorCheck price
CoolerBe Quiet! Dark Rock 4Check price
MotherboardASUS TUF Gaming X570-PLUS (Wi-Fi), ATXCheck price
MemoryG.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200 MHz KitCheck price
Graphics CardMSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G OCCheck price
Solid State DriveSamsung 970 EVO 1TB M.2 NVMe SSDCheck price
Power SupplyEVGA Super Nova 650 G5 80+ Gold CertifiedCheck price
CasePhanteks Eclipse P500A Mid Tower CaseCheck price

If you sum up the prices of all the components we’ve listed above, you will get the amount of around $2,000. Since prices change every day, this amount may exceed our designated budget at the time you are reading this, so don’t be surprised if the numbers won’t be adding up the way we initially envisioned.

Expected Gaming Performance

R5 5600X + RTX 30601080P @ Ultra1440P @ Ultra
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla74 FPS44 FPS
Call of Duty: Warzone133 FPS89 FPS
Cyberpunk 207763 FPS40 FPS
Fortnite178 FPS130 FPS
Forza Horizon 4146 FPS105 FPS
Horizon Zero Dawn81 FPS73 FPS
Red Dead Redemption 294 FPS68 FPS
Shadow of the Tomb Raider117 FPS79 FPS

As you can see, our $2,000 PC build is able to deliver killer performance at 1080p resolution, and great performance at 1440p resolution. Even with ultra settings enabled, the GeForce RTX 3060 and Ryzen 5 5600X are able to deliver more than 130 FPS on average in the latest first-person shooters. In action-adventure and RPG games, such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Horizon Zero Dawn, our PC build is able to deliver more than 75 FPS on average despite bad optimization. At 1080p resolution, our build is able to deliver overkill performance, as most games are able to run at frame rates higher than 100 FPS. Only in certain titles, like the Cyberpunk 2077, the performance is a bit underwhelming at 1440p, however, this game is known to be very demanding, and we expect that with future driver updates, the performance of this PC build will even become better.

If you are interested in specific details of each individual component of our $2,000 PC build, then keep reading further.

PC BUILD DETAILS

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

Cores/Threads: 6C/12T | Base Clock: 3.7 GHz | Boost Clock: 4.6 GHz | TDP: 65W | PassMark Score: 22.190

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is the new king of mainstream gaming CPUs. This no-compromise chip is able to deliver outstanding gaming performance, as well as class-leading application performance with and incredible power efficiency. The Ryzen 5 5600X comes with 6 processing cores and 12 threads which can run at clock speeds of up to 4.6 GHz. Compared to its predecessors, the new Ryzen is able to offer incredible single-threaded performance which puts even Intel’s CPUs to shame. Thanks to its multiple cores, this processor is great both for gaming and productivity, and is also perfect for streaming and serious video editing. With a TDP of only 65 watts, this is also one of the most power efficient CPUs we’ve seen in years.


Cooler: Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4

Supported Sockets: 115X, 1200, 1366, 2011(-3); FM1, FM2(+), AM2(+), AM3(+), AM4 | Dimensions: 96 x 136 x 159 mm | Noise Level: 21.4 dBA | Fans: 1 x 135 mm | Max. Fan Speed: 1.400 RPM

Although AMD Ryzen 5 5600X comes with its own stock cooler, buying an efficient aftermarket cooler for this CPU is a must, since its stock cooler isn’t particularly effective when it comes to keeping it chill. This is why we recommend getting the Be Quiet! Dark Rock 4 CPU cooler. This German-made high-performance cooler features an incredibly quiet 135 mm fan which is able to provide amazing airflow, and cool down CPUs with a TDP of up to 200 watts. The Dark Rock 4 can also boast with the fact that it features six high-quality copper heat pipes that help dissipate the heat from your CPU, and it comes with a DIY-friendly installation kit which allows you to mount it on your CPU in no time. Overall, the Dark Rock 4 is a fantastic CPU cooler that is very affordable, and will keep your CPU cool and stable for years to come.


Motherboard: ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus (Wi-Fi)

Form Factor: ATX | Socket: AM4 | Chipset: AMD X570 | Memory Support: 4 x DDR4-4400 (O.C.) | Features: 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16, 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4), 2 x PCIe 4.0 x1, 8 x SATA3, 2 x M.2

If you plan to get yourself a brand new AMD Ryzen 5 5600X, then you’ll also need to get a reliable and versatile motherboard. The ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus is one such no-compromise motherboard. Featuring a powerful AMD X570 chipset, this motherboard is fully compatible with all the new AMD Ryzen 5000 Series CPUs. Being made by ASUS, the TUF Gaming X570-Plus is loaded with high-end features. These features include full support for PCIe 4.0 bus interface, dual M.2 slots, an on-board 802.11ac Wi-Fi module, military-grade chokes, 12+2 power phase VRM design, and Aura Sync RGB lighting. This motherboard also comes with two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, which means you can install two AMD graphics cards in CrossFireX configuration. In short, the ASUS TUF Gaming X570-Plus is a perfect high-end motherboard which is able to offer plenty of features for a reasonable amount of money.


Memory: G.SKILL TridentZ (2x8GB) DDR4 3200 MHz Kit

Speed: DDR4 3200 MHz | Stock Latency: 16-18-18-38 | Operating Voltage: 1.35V | Capacity: 2 x 8GB

G.SKILL is widely known as a company that produces high-quality memory modules. The Trident Z series RAM sticks represent the pinnacle of G.SKILL’s engineering, which is why we’ve decided to use them in our $2,000 gaming PC build. Featuring an award-winning heatspreader design, the Trident Z DDR4 memory modules also come with a fully customizable RGB LED bar on top of them, which can be altered using the G.SKILL’s proprietary software. Besides looking great, the Trident Z memory modules are also specially optimized for extreme overclocking operations, so don’t be afraid to ramp up their clock speed from the stock 3,200 MHz working frequency. Last but not least, the Trident Z series memory modules come with full Intel XMP 2.0 support, which means you can easily overclock them with one click if you aren’t familiar with the whole overclocking process.


Graphics Card: MSI Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ventus 2X 12G OC

Boost Clock: 1807 MHz | Memory: 12GB GDDR6 | Length: 235 mm | Power Connectors: 1 x 8-pin | Outputs: 3 x DP, 1 x HDMI

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 is one of the biggest hits this year. For an official MSRP of only $329 (which is highly unlikely you’ll be able to get it for) this graphics card has a lot to offer. First of all, the card comes with a whooping 12GB of GDDR6 memory, which is absolutely amazing. It can also boast with good raytracing performance which is slightly better compared to the GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER. When it comes to raw gaming performance, the RTX 3060 is able to deliver ultimate 1080p gaming experience, and amazing 1440p gaming experience. At 1080P it can run latest PC games on ultra settings with more than 80 FPS on average, while at 1440P it is able to deliver up to 60 FPS on average in the latest PC titles such as Cyberpunk 2077 or Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. Lastly, it is worth to mention that this is a very energy efficient graphics card, as it’s able to draw only 170 W of power under full load, which is 15 watts less compared to the AMD Radeon RX 580 that is a whooping 46% slower than the RTX 3060.


Solid State Drive: Samsung 970 EVO 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD

Capacity: 1 TB | Interface: M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 | Max. Read Speed: Up to 3500 MB/s | Max. Write Speed: Up to 2500 MB/s

When can we say more about the Samsung EVO 970 SSD other than the fact that this is one of the best solid-state drives ever made? With sequential read speed of up to 3,500 MB/s, and write speed of up to 2,500 MB/s, this is by far one of the fastest consumer SSDs currently available on the market. Offering out-of-this-world performance compared to the ordinary 3.5-inch HDDs, the Samsung 970 EVO is suitable both for serious gaming, as well as productivity work. With a capacity of 1TB, the 970 EVO is able to offer enough space to accommodate multiple PC games, as well as an operating system, and a variety of professional applications.


Power Supply: EVGA Super NOVA 650 G5 80+ Gold Certified

Form Factor: ATX | Capacity: 650W | Efficiency rating: 80 PLUS Gold Certified | Modularity: Modular

Very few power supply units are able to offer fully modular design and high power capacity for a reasonable price. The EVGA Super NOVA 650 G5 is one such PSU. Featuring 100% Japanese capacitors, an ECO operating mode, a 91% efficiency rating, and Gold 80+ certification, this is one of the best upper tier PSUs you’ll find around. The EVGA Super NOVA 650 G5 works perfectly in a combination with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060, and is still able to provide some extra juice in case you decide to overclock your CPU or upgrade your PC build even further. In case you’re a geek like us, you’ll also appreciate the fact that this PSU is able to deliver 54 amps of power on +12V rail, which we find to be amazing. Last but not least, this PSU comes with EVGA’s 10-year limited warranty, which tells you just how this PSU reliable is.


Case: Phanteks Eclipse P500A

Form Factor: Mid Tower | Motherboard Support: E-ATX, ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX | Dimensions: 240 × 510 × 505 mm | Radiator Support: Up to 2 x 360 mm | I/O Ports: USB 3.1 Type-C x 1, USB 3.0 x 2, HD Audio x 1, Mic x 1 | Drive Bays: 10 x 3.5″, 3 x 2.5″

Although you may not agree with us, but we find Phanteks’ PC cases to be very appealing due to their extremely clean and organized looks. The Eclipse P500A is no exception in that regard, as this mid-tower PC case can boast with an incredibly tidy and minimalistic design, as well as with plenty of useful features. Designed primarily for gamers, this case is very DIY-friendly, and it allows you to install up to ten 3.5-inch drives, and up to three 2.5-inch drives. The Eclipse P500A can also house up to two 360 mm AIO radiators, and one 140 mm radiator. This case also comes with an overkill GPU clearance of 435 mm, and it allows you to install CPU coolers that measure up to 190 mm in height. Nice addition represents the inclusion of USB Type-C port on the P500A’s front panel, and there is also a pre-installed vertical GPU mounting bracket which allows you to install and showcase your graphics cards behind the case’s tempered glass side panel.

Conclusion

With our $2000 gaming PC build you’ll be able to achieve the ultimate 1080p and 1440p gaming experience in 2021, without having to worry about lowering your graphics settings in order to achieve stable FPS. Our PC build also comes with full raytracing support, which means you’ll be able to fully experience the joys of raytracing tech in PC titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, or Watch Dogs: Legion. We hope our buying guide helped you in search of the information you were looking for. If you still feel confused, and need advice about buying, feel free to post a comment below. We will try to help you.

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Microsoft
Newegg

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About author
Frank is the Editor-in-Chief at ViCadia. He is an avid PC gamer, as well as a tech enthusiast. Besides being a tireless writer, he is also ViCadia’s web developer.
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