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- You can build a beastly 1080p gaming PC for <$900 if you opt for used parts.
- It’s always best to splurge on a brand new SSD and PSU as these are the two most sensitive PC components.
- Beware of falling into the trap of buying overpriced used parts like the trending Ryzen 7 9800X3D or the RTX 50xx GPUs.
Let’s be real—building a gaming PC in 2025 is expensive. The PCMR is facing a mid-life crisis with all current generation GPUs from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel being subject to relentless scalping.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you assumed you’d need to spend at least $1,500 on a 1080p gaming PC.
But what if I told you that you could build a killer 1080p and maybe even a capable 1440p rig for half that price?
The secret? Buy used.
I’m not talking about some janky, decade-old hardware. I’m talking about last-gen CPUs and GPUs that still crush games, paired with smartly sourced components that won’t fail on you. Let me show you how to do it right.
The Heart Of The Build: Used CPUs That Still Dominate
Ryzen 7 7800X3D – The Used Gaming King
Forget the brand-new 9800X3D—unless you absolutely need the latest and greatest CPU for gaming the 7800X3D is still a beast for gaming.
It trades blows with Intel’s best in most titles, and thanks to that 3D V-Cache (total of 96 MB of L3 cache), it’s still one of the fastest gaming CPUs you can buy—used for under $350.
The fact that you can easily pick up a competent B550 motherboard for barely $100 is the icing on the cake.
Intel Core i5-13600K – The Efficiency Monster
If you’re Team Blue, the i5-13600K is a used-market steal. It’s faster than a stock 12900K in games, sips power compared to older Intel chips, and can be found for under $150 if you hunt. Hell, it ships brand new for just $25 more.
Pair it with one of the best B660 boards, and you’ve got a rig that’ll last years.
Why buy new when last year’s chips are this good?
2. GPUs: Where The Real Savings Happen
RTX 3060 – The 1080p Sweet Spot ($175-$225 Used)
Yes, the RTX 4060 exists, but why pay $400 when a used RTX 3060 delivers 90% of the performance for half the price? With 12 GB of VRAM, it’s even more future-proof than the 8 GB RTX 4060. Trust me, the RTX 3060 is still a great GPU to be using in 2025.
RTX 3070 – 1440p On A Budget ($250-$300 Used)
The 3070 is a monster for 1440p gaming. Sure, the 8 GB VRAM stings in some newer games, but DLSS helps, and at $250-ish used for the higher-end triple fan variants, it’s a steal compared to the RTX 4070 that’s still being scalped for more than $550.
RTX 3080 – The Used High-End Champion ($375-$425 Used)
If you want near-4070 Ti performance without the $800 price tag, the RTX 3080 is your best bet. It chews through 1440p and even handles 4K at medium settings.
Just make sure you get a beefed-up model with vamped-up cooling (preferably the triple fan variants)—some of the early ones ran hot.
Pro Tip: Avoid ex-mining GPUs unless they were well-maintained (repasted, undervolted).
3. What Used Parts You Should NEVER Buy
SSDs – Just Spend The $50
Storage is cheap, and SSDs do wear out over time. A brand-new 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD costs $40-$50.
Why risk a used drive that might die in a year or two? Never cheap out on storage.
Power Supplies – Be Careful
I’ll get flak for this, but used PSUs can be fine—if they’re from a reputable brand (Corsair, EVGA, Seasonic) and not ancient.
Look for 80+ Gold units with at least a 5-year warranty remaining.
Avoid: No-name PSUs or anything that’s been used for mining 24/7.
Nevertheless, when it comes to PSUs, I’m a sucker for buying brand new. Then again, please don’t think I’m suggesting the notoriously self-exploding Gigabyte PSUs.
4. The Best Used Deals Nobody Talks About
Motherboards – The Backbone (But Be Picky)
A used B550 (AMD) or B660/Z690 (Intel) board can be snagged for $80-$120. Just make sure:
- There are no bent pins.
- The BIOS is updated (for CPU compatibility).
- All slots work (test before buying).
RAM – DDR4 is Dirt Cheap Used
DDR4 16GB (2x8GB) 3200MHz kits sell for $20-$30 used. RAM rarely fails, that’s why manufacturers love to market their lifelong warranties.
Nevertheless, just run MemTest86 to be safe.
CPU Coolers – Why Pay Retail?
A Noctua NH-D15 is $100 new, but you can find them for $50 used. Air coolers don’t wear out so quickly—just clean the dust off and reapply the thermal paste.
PC Cases – Literally Just Metal Boxes
Why spend $150 on a new case when a used Fractal Meshify or Lian Li PC-O11 goes for $50-75? Just wipe it down with a microfibre cloth and you’ll be good to go.
My Thought Process Behind Recommending PCs With Used Parts
I’m sure you’re wondering why I didn’t recommend a single AMD or Intel GPU. While the RX 6700 XT ($300 to $350 used) and RX 7700 XT ($400 to $500 used) are high-performance GPUs, I believe their Nvidia counterparts, such as the RTX 3070 and RTX 3080, offer superior performance for less money.
I also want to give a special shoutout to the Intel Arc B580, which slightly outperforms the RTX 3060 and comes with newer firmware, making it more future-proof. However, the Arc B580 is nearly impossible to find at its original price, as scalpers have inflated it to over $400, making it a tough purchase compared to a used RTX 3080 at the same price.
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[Wiki Editor]
Ali Rashid Khan is an avid gamer, hardware enthusiast, photographer, and devoted litterateur with a period of experience spanning more than 14 years. Sporting a specialization with regards to the latest tech in flagship phones, gaming laptops, and top-of-the-line PCs, Ali is known for consistently presenting the most detailed objective perspective on all types of gaming products, ranging from the Best Motherboards, CPU Coolers, RAM kits, GPUs, and PSUs amongst numerous other peripherals. When he’s not busy writing, you’ll find Ali meddling with mechanical keyboards, indulging in vehicular racing, or professionally competing worldwide with fellow mind-sport athletes in Scrabble at an international level. Currently speaking, Ali has completed his A-Level GCEs with plans to go into either Allopathic Medicine or Business Studies, or who knows, perhaps a full-time dedicated technological journalist.
Get In Touch: alirashid@tech4gamers.com
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