Can you get a good gaming PC under £400 in the UK? Yes, if you choose carefully. However, £400 won’t buy a high-end new machine. Even so, it can buy a capable PC for smooth 1080p gaming. Here’s what to expect at this budget, and how to spend it well.
New or refurbished: which gaming PC under £400?
At this price, most new PCs rely on built-in graphics or a very basic graphics card. Neither is great for gaming. Instead, a refurbished PC lets you put more of your budget into the graphics card. That’s the part that matters most for how games play.
What matters most at this budget
Graphics card. This does most of the work in games. For 1080p, aim for a card with 6–8GB of video memory, such as the GTX 1060 6GB or RX 580 8GB. Both were hugely popular for years, according to the Steam Hardware Survey.
Processor. A quad-core Intel Core i5 or i7 handles most esports titles. In addition, it copes with many bigger games at sensible settings.
Memory. 8GB is the minimum for gaming today. 16GB gives you more breathing room, especially if you stream or run other apps while you play.
Storage. An SSD makes the PC start up and load games far faster. Meanwhile, a second hard drive gives you room for a bigger game library.
Our gaming PCs under £400
The GTX 750 4GB builds are our lowest-cost option. It suits lighter gaming, esports at lower settings and everyday use.
The RX 580 8GB and GTX 1060 6GB builds are a step up in performance. They give smooth 1080p gaming in popular esports titles and handle many bigger games at sensible settings.
All three come with an Intel Core i5 or i7, 8GB of memory, and a 120GB SSD plus 500GB hard drive. You can upgrade to 16GB of memory and larger storage when you order. At the time of writing, every build starts under £400. Finally, each product page gives rough frame-rate estimates for popular games.
Our recommendation
If your budget allows, choose an RX 580 8GB or GTX 1060 6GB build over a GTX 750 4GB one. The graphics card makes the biggest difference to how games play. Similarly, the 16GB memory upgrade is good value if you multitask while gaming.
Browse our GTX 750 gaming PCs and RX 580 and GTX 1060 gaming PCs. Alternatively, read our PC buying guide for more help choosing.