Why August 2025 Is a Great Time to Build
Component prices have stabilised across the board — and with the arrival of new-gen CPUs and GPUs, older but powerful hardware has dropped into budget territory. That makes August 2025 one of the best times in years to build an affordable, capable gaming PC in the UK.
Between AMD’s budget-friendly APUs and NVIDIA’s discounted RTX 30/40-series cards, there’s serious value to be had — especially for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gamers.
What Matters Most in a Budget Build
When money’s tight, prioritising the right components is key. Here’s how we weigh the essentials in 2025:
- GPU: Your most important investment — always prioritise GPU over CPU if gaming is your main focus.
- CPU: Aim for 6 cores or more. AMD’s Ryzen 5 and Intel’s i5 chips remain sweet spots.
- RAM: 16GB is now a minimum standard. Don’t go below it.
- Storage: NVMe SSDs are fast and cheap. A 1TB drive is ideal for budget builds.
- Motherboard: Focus on compatibility and upgrade potential — not features you won’t use.
Our Top 3 Builds: £500, £700, £900
Each of these builds is balanced, upgradable, and targeted at real-world UK prices in August 2025.
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600G (with integrated Vega graphics)
- Motherboard: B550M chipset (Wi-Fi optional)
- RAM: 16GB DDR4-3200
- Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD
- Case + PSU: Budget micro-ATX case with 500W Bronze PSU
Performance: Great for 1080p low-medium settings in most titles. No GPU needed to start — ideal for tight budgets.
- CPU: Intel Core i5-12400F
- GPU: Radeon RX 6600 or NVIDIA RTX 4060
- RAM: 16GB DDR4-3200
- Storage: 1TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
- Motherboard: B660 chipset
- PSU: 550W 80+ Bronze
Performance: 1080p ultra settings in nearly all games. Quiet, cool, and highly efficient.
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600
- GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4060 Ti or AMD RX 6750 XT
- RAM: 32GB DDR5-6000
- Storage: 1TB NVMe Gen4 SSD
- Motherboard: B650 chipset (AM5)
- PSU: 650W Gold-rated
Performance: Excellent for 1440p high settings and light productivity. AM5 means future CPU upgrades are easy.
Upgrade Paths & Longevity
All builds above leave room to grow. You can upgrade the GPU, drop in more storage, or even shift platforms as your budget grows. Notable tips:
- The £500 build can easily accept a GPU like the RX 6600 later.
- The £700 build supports better GPUs like the RX 7700 XT with a PSU upgrade.
- The £900 build already uses AMD's AM5 platform, ensuring CPU compatibility into 2026–2027.
Future-proofing doesn’t mean maxing out — it means building smart now with flexibility later.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to spend £1500+ to enjoy modern gaming. With smart part selection and timing — especially in August 2025 — even a £500–£900 build can give you smooth, reliable, and visually impressive gaming performance.
Start where you can. Upgrade when you need. And build it with purpose.
Game hard. Spend smart — CTRL your build.