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Setup guide6 min read

A complete gaming setup for 1,500: the realistic split

A new gaming tower eats most of a 1,500 budget. Here is the honest parts list, slot by slot, with two paths: buy everything new, or reuse what you own and buy a better screen.

By Setuplify Lab

MSI Codex R2 gaming tower with a glass side panel and RGB fans

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This is the setup for someone who wants to play recent games properly on a PC without going past roughly 1,500. It suits a first real gaming desk, or a player whose old computer no longer keeps up. The honest headline first: a new, assembled gaming tower takes most of that money on its own. What is left decides whether you buy every part new or keep some of what you already own.

So this guide gives two realistic paths around the same tower:

  • Buy everything. The tower, a fast screen and budget peripherals that do their job well. Your current desk and chair stay for now.
  • Reuse what you own. If you already have a keyboard, a mouse, a headset or a decent desk, move that money to a sharper screen and a better mouse.

The towers are not the same in both markets. In the US, the cheapest real gaming tower we list is the MSI Codex R2. In France, it is the LDLC PC11 ART, and we did not find a cheaper assembled gaming tower in stock there. The cards below show the live price in your market; only one of the two towers is sold where you live.

The parts

The tower: 1080p gaming with room to grow

The MSI Codex R2 (sold in the US only) pairs a 10-core Intel Core i5-14400F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 (8 GB), 16 GB of DDR5 and a 1 TB SSD. It targets 1080p: esports and recent games at medium to high settings, with DLSS 4 helping in heavier titles. The useful detail is the case. It is a standard ATX mid-tower with a 650 W power supply, so a bigger graphics card later is a realistic upgrade. MSI also puts a USB keyboard and mouse in the box, which counts at this budget.

The LDLC PC11 ART (sold in France only) is built and tested by LDLC around a six-core Ryzen 5 5500, an RTX 5060 (8 GB), 16 GB of DDR4 and a 1 TB SSD, with LDLC's 5-year warranty. Read the small print before you order: Windows 11 is a trial, so a licence comes out of the same budget, Wi-Fi works through a USB key, and the 500 W power supply and the AM4 platform limit big upgrades later.

Want to spend less on the tower? In the US, the ZOTAC MEK 5050 uses the same RTX 5050 as the Codex with a six-core Ryzen 5 5500, a 650 W Gold power supply and two free memory slots, for less money; its system warranty is only one year. In France, the Materiel.net PC Gamer Blink costs a little less than the PC11 ART but steps down to an RTX 5050, so the PC11 ART stays our pick if you can stretch. Both anchor our budget gaming setup, which builds a full desk around them.

If you are weighing these against something bigger, our gaming PC picks cover the whole ladder, and how to choose a gaming PC explains which part matters for which resolution.

The monitor: match the screen to the graphics card

Both towers are 1080p machines, so the natural partner is a fast 1080p screen. In France that is the AOC 24G50F: a 23.8-inch IPS panel at 144 Hz, or 180 Hz with AOC's overclock mode, with Adaptive-Sync to avoid tearing. It costs very little next to the tower. The stand only tilts, but the VESA holes accept an arm later.

In the US, where the AOC is not sold, the ASUS TUF Gaming VG259QM5A is the 1080p match: a 24.5-inch Fast IPS panel at 240 Hz with G-Sync Compatible support and two HDMI ports, also sold in France. Its stand only tilts. If you would rather buy a screen for the next graphics card, the LG UltraGear 27GX704A-B is a 1440p OLED at 240 Hz. On the Codex, treat it as a screen bought for the next graphics card: the RTX 5050 runs out of breath at 1440p in heavy new games, so you will lean on DLSS and lower settings until then. The glossy panel reflects lamps and windows, so think about where it faces.

On the reuse path in France, the ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ5A is the cheapest way to a sharp 27-inch 1440p screen, at up to 210 Hz. Use DisplayPort for the full refresh rate (its HDMI ports are 2.0). The same caveat applies: the PC11 ART is tuned for 1080p, so DLSS 4 does more of the work at 1440p.

AOC 24G50F gaming monitor seen at an angle on its black stand

AOC Monitor

AOC Gaming 24G50F

  • 23.8"
  • 1920 × 1080
  • 180 Hz
Not available in United StatesSetuplify score: 7.0/10

Keyboard and mouse

On the buy-everything path, spend little here, but spend it well. The Razer Ornata V3 X is a quiet full-size membrane keyboard with a wrist rest in the box. It has no mechanical feel, but it is spill resistant and easy to live with in a shared room. For the mouse, the wired Razer Cobra weighs 58 g and uses durable optical switches, and the Logitech G305 adds LIGHTSPEED wireless on one AA battery rated for up to 250 hours. The wired Logitech G203 LIGHTSYNC is the cheapest safe pick of all: a classic 85 g shape, 1,000 Hz and settings stored on the mouse.

If you keep your current keyboard, put the difference into the mouse. The Razer DeathAdder V3 is a 59 g ergonomic wired mouse with a true 8,000 Hz mode, one of the best gaming mice for the money.

Razer Cobra wired gaming mouse in black with green underglow, top view on a white background

Razer Mouse

Razer Cobra

  • 58 g
  • Symmetrical
  • Wired
$39.99Setuplify score: 7.6/10

Headset

The Razer BlackShark V2 X weighs 240 g and plugs into anything with a 3.5 mm jack, a console controller included. The HyperX Cloud Stinger 3 is the other cheap choice, with a boom mic that mutes when you flip it up and ear cups that rotate flat. If you already own something to listen with, the HyperX Cloud III is the comfortable step up: a metal frame, a detachable mic, and DTS Headphone:X through its USB dongle. Want wireless? The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 5 weighs 265 g, lasts up to 60 hours and switches to Bluetooth for your phone, but this version does not support Xbox.

Black HyperX Cloud III wired headset with its detachable boom mic, three-quarter view

HyperX Headset

HyperX Cloud III

  • Gaming headset
  • Wired
$69.99Setuplify score: 8.4/10

Mouse pad

A large cloth pad does more for your aim than its price suggests. The SteelSeries QcK Heavy XXL covers 900 x 400 mm, takes a full keyboard and still leaves room for low-sensitivity swipes, and its thick rubber base stays put.

SteelSeries Desk mat

SteelSeries QcK Heavy XXL

Setuplify score: 8.4/10

A 90 x 40 cm cloth gaming mat with a thick rubber base that covers the keyboard and mouse area in one piece.

900 x 400 x 4 mmCloth

$29.99Check priceat Amazon(Affiliate link)

Desk and chair: keep yours for now

At this budget the tower leaves no room for furniture. Keep your current desk and chair and plan them as the next purchase. When that time comes, the IKEA LAGKAPTEN / ALEX desk and the IKEA MARKUS chair are the cheapest proper pair we list. One warning: IKEA says this desk is not suitable for a screen stand, which rules out clamp-on monitor arms, so keep the screen on its own foot.

Where the money goes

On the buy-everything path, the tower takes the large majority of the budget. The screen is the second line, and in France the 24-inch AOC keeps it small. Keyboard, mouse, headset and pad together cost less than the screen. In France, set a slice aside for the Windows licence the PC11 ART needs after its trial.

On the reuse path, the tower costs the same, but the money you would have spent on peripherals moves to the screen and the mouse: the two parts you look at and hold for every second of play.

What we would not do: pick a cheaper, unknown tower to afford a premium headset. The graphics card decides what you can play, the rest decides how comfortable it feels.

What to upgrade first later

  1. The chair, if you sit on a dining chair. Long sessions hurt before low frame rates do. Our gaming chair picks start at sensible prices.
  2. The screen, if you started on the 24-inch AOC: move to 1440p together with your next graphics card.
  3. The graphics card. The Codex's 650 W power supply leaves room for a bigger card. On the PC11 ART, a big card also means a new power supply.
  4. Memory. 16 GB is the minimum for current games. Check which memory slots are free before you buy a second kit.
  5. Light. A clamp lamp or a monitor light bar makes evening sessions easier on the eyes. Our list of cheap desk upgrades has the options.

Curious about the next step? The gaming setup for 2,500 moves to an RTX 5070 tower and better peripherals, and the student setup goes the other way. For a full desk with a chair and a desk on a smaller budget, see the budget gaming setup. Or drop the parts you already own into the Setup Builder and let it fill the gaps for your market.

Written by

Setuplify Lab, Editorial team

The Setuplify team builds, photographs and takes apart desk setups so you can pick parts with confidence.

See it on a desk

Setups from this guide, with every component listed.

  • Bedroom gaming desk at dusk: a white IKEA desk with a drawer unit, an ASUS TUF monitor, a black LDLC tower with RGB fans, a Razer keyboard with purple backlight and a wrist rest, a Razer mouse on a small pad, an IKEA architect lamp clamped on the left, a black Razer headset hanging on a desk hook, a light gray Razer chair, a wooden shelf with books, and a bed and a window on the right

    First Light

    A first gaming setup in a bedroom, spending where it counts.

    $5706 of 8 parts sold here

    8 components

  • Small black desk in a bedroom corner at night, between a bed and a door: an AOC monitor on a black gas spring arm, a pegboard above with a shelf, a controller and a green under-light, a compact ASUS ROG NUC standing on the desk, a Razer keyboard with RGB backlight and a black mouse on a mat, a HyperX headset hanging under the desk, a black mesh chair with a headrest and a city view through the window

    Compact Corner

    A full gaming setup in a bedroom corner, between the bed and the door.

    $4,4756 of 7 parts sold here

    7 components

  • Dark bedroom gaming desk lit in blue and purple: an MSI 27-inch monitor showing a sci-fi landscape, a black ZOTAC tower with three RGB fans on the right, a SteelSeries headset lying on the left, a Razer keyboard and mouse with RGB on a long Corsair mat with a glowing edge, a black FlexiSpot standing desk, a gray fabric Corsair gaming chair in front and a bed on the right

    Budget Frag

    A full 1080p gaming desk at entry-level money, with a 320 Hz screen and RGB everywhere it is free.

    $1,884

    8 components

Keep reading

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Questions people ask

Can you build a complete gaming setup for 1,500?

Yes, but the tower takes most of it. With an entry 1080p gaming tower, a budget screen, keyboard, mouse, headset and pad, you reach the budget while keeping your current desk and chair. Reusing peripherals you already own frees money for a better screen.

Should I pair a 1080p gaming PC with a 1440p monitor?

Only if you plan to upgrade the graphics card. Towers like the MSI Codex R2 or the LDLC PC11 ART target 1080p, so at 1440p you lean on DLSS and lower settings in heavy games. A 1440p screen makes sense as a purchase for the next card.

Do LDLC gaming PCs include Windows?

No. LDLC PCs such as the PC11 ART and PC11 VOLT SEVENTY ship with a Windows 11 trial, so you need to buy a licence after a month. Count it in your budget.

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