Best Gaming PC Specs in 2025: What You Really Should Get at £800, £1,500 & £2,500

If you are planning a gaming PC or upgrade in 2025, knowing what to aim for at different budgets is key. Prices move constantly, but this guide breaks down what is realistic at three popular levels in the UK: £800, £1,500, and £2,500.

What to Prioritise

Before we look at specific builds, it helps to understand where your money goes:

• GPU: The most important component for gaming performance.
• CPU: Influences how smoothly your GPU performs, especially in open-world and simulation titles.
• RAM: Impacts game stability and multitasking.
• Storage: Determines load times and responsiveness.
• PSU and cooling: Keep your system efficient, quiet, and safe.

Tier 1: ~£800 PC

This build targets smooth 1080p gaming and can handle 1440p in less demanding titles with settings adjustments.

Component Breakdown

• CPU: Ryzen 5 5600x or Intel Core i5 (6–8 cores). These offer excellent single-threaded performance for most modern titles and esports games.
• GPU: RTX 4060, RTX 5060, or RX 7600 XT. Strong value options for 1080p ultra settings and 1440p medium.
• RAM: 16 GB DDR5 at 5600–6000 MT/s. Fast and responsive memory keeps background tasks from interfering with games.
• Storage: 1 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. Fast load times and consistent performance compared to SATA drives.
• Motherboard: A good B650 or B760 board offering PCIe 4.0 and upgrade potential.
• PSU: 650W 80+ Gold unit. Efficient and reliable power with headroom for GPU upgrades.
• Cooling: Stock coolers are acceptable, but a budget tower cooler helps lower noise and temperatures.

See our recommended build here.

Monitor Recommendation

A 1080p 144Hz display is the perfect match here. It offers smooth visuals for competitive titles like Apex Legends, Valorant, or Fortnite while giving cinematic single-player games enough clarity to shine.

This setup provides excellent value and a solid entry into modern gaming performance.

Tier 2: ~£1,500 PC

This is the current sweet spot for most gamers in 2025. It’s capable of running the latest titles at 1440p on ultra settings and even plays many games at 4K with DLSS or FSR enabled.

Component Breakdown

• CPU: Ryzen 7 7600X or Intel Core i7 (6–12 cores). Excellent for high-refresh gaming and light content creation.
• GPU: RTX 5070, 5070 Ti, or RX 9060 XT. With 12–16 GB of VRAM, these GPUs deliver great performance for high-resolution textures and demanding effects.
• RAM: 32 GB DDR5 at 6000+ MT/s. Perfect for future-proofing and open-world games that push memory limits.
• Storage: 2 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. Keeps your entire library loading quickly.
• Motherboard: B650 or Z790 with robust VRM design and modern connectivity.
• PSU: 850W 80+ Gold. Enough for sustained GPU loads without noise or instability.
• Cooling: A 240mm AIO or large air cooler ensures stable performance under heavy gaming sessions.

See our recommended build here.

Monitor Recommendation

A 1440p 165Hz monitor fits this build perfectly. It balances detail and refresh rate, providing stunning visuals with buttery-smooth motion. This combination is great for immersive single-player experiences and competitive gaming alike.

This is the all-rounder setup most gamers should target in 2025.

Tier 3: ~£2,500 PC

This build is for high-end performance — 4K gaming, ray tracing, and demanding AAA titles. It’s designed for those who want maximum fidelity and longevity.

Component Breakdown

• CPU: Ryzen 7 9800X3D, or Intel Core Ultra 9. With 12–16 cores, these CPUs provide top-tier gaming and multitasking power. The X3D chips offer huge performance gains in cache-heavy titles.
• GPU: RTX 5080 or RX 9070 XT, with 16–24 GB of VRAM for 4K and ray tracing workloads.
• RAM: 32–64 GB DDR5 at 6000–6400 MT/s. Ideal for future titles, high-end modding, or streaming setups.
• Storage: 2 TB PCIe 4.0 or 5.0 NVMe SSD. Ultra-fast loading and seamless texture streaming for large worlds.
• Motherboard: A premium board with PCIe 5.0 support, WiFi 6E/7, and strong VRM cooling.
• PSU: 850–1000W 80+ Gold or Platinum for consistent power delivery.
• Cooling: A 360mm AIO or high-end dual-tower air cooler. Quiet operation with headroom for overclocking.

See our recommended build here.

Monitor Recommendation

Pair this with a 4K 144Hz G-Sync or FreeSync display to get the most from your hardware. It’s the ultimate visual experience — fluid, detailed, and future-proof for the next generation of games.

This tier represents the pinnacle of consumer PC gaming in 2025.

Final Thoughts

The right gaming PC for you depends on your goals:

• Around £800 gets you smooth 1080p performance and room to upgrade.
• Around £1,500 delivers high-refresh 1440p gaming and 4K capability.
• Around £2,500 offers the best visuals, future-proof components, and long-term reliability.

Whichever level you choose, remember to balance your build. A fast GPU, a capable CPU, enough RAM, and efficient cooling all contribute equally to a great gaming experience. Here at Gamertech we have three ways for you to buy a PC. You can build your own on our brilliant PC builder. You can use one of our pre-configured PCs which you can still configure if you wanted to change the looks or any of the components. Lastly you can buy an off the shelf model which has already been built and tested and we can deliver next day.

Tarl @ Gamertech