Best Gaming PC Under £800 in 2026: RTX 5050 and RTX 5060 Builds

Quick Answer

Under £800, the RTX 5050 is the realistic pick, with complete PCs from about £780. RTX 5060 builds usually cost £810 to £1,000 but run roughly a third faster at 1080p. If you can stretch your budget by £80, the RTX 5060 is the better buy.

A few years ago, £800 bought a properly capable gaming PC without much thought. In 2026 it's a tighter squeeze. AI data centres have swallowed up memory chips, RAM and SSD prices have shot up, and that cost lands in every prebuilt PC, whatever badge sits on the case.

The good news? £800 still gets you a machine that plays Fortnite, Valorant, Call of Duty and most big releases at 1080p. You just have to spend it in the right places. This guide covers what the RTX 5050 and RTX 5060 really deliver, which builds are worth your money right now, and the traps to dodge. Every price here was checked on 10 October 2026.

How Much Does a Gaming PC Under £800 Really Cost in 2026?

Short answer: a complete RTX 50 series PC at exactly £800 is rare at the moment. Memory and SSD costs have climbed hard this year, and DDR5 kits have more than doubled since late 2025. That's why most budget PCs still use DDR4 with a six-core Ryzen 5 or Core i5. It isn't a flaw. It's how you keep the graphics card, the part that sets your frame rate, inside the budget.

Here's what the market looks like this autumn:

Tier	Graphics card	Typical price (complete PC)	Good for
Strictly under £800	RTX 3050 6GB	£620 to £720	Esports and older games
Closest to £800	RTX 5050 8GB	£780 to £860	1080p, esports, most new games on medium to high
Best value stretch	RTX 5060 8GB	£810 to £1,000	1080p on high settings, DLSS 4, some 1440p

Retailers change prices often, so treat this table as a guide, not a promise.

RTX 5050 vs RTX 5060: Which Graphics Card Is Better Value?

The RTX 5060 is about 32% faster than the RTX 5050 at 1080p in aggregated testing, and it uses faster GDDR7 memory. The RTX 5050 costs less, draws a little less power and still handles 1080p well. Both have 8GB of video memory and both support DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation.

Spec	RTX 5050	RTX 5060
Video memory	8GB GDDR6	8GB GDDR7
Shader cores	2,560	3,840
Memory bandwidth	320 GB/s	448 GB/s
Power draw	130W	145W
1080p speed	Baseline	About 32% faster
Best for	Esports, tuned settings	High settings, longer life

In esports games the gap is small. In heavier titles it opens up. Here are average frame rates at 1080p on high settings from published third-party testing:

Game	RTX 5050	RTX 5060
Valorant	685 FPS	723 FPS
Apex Legends	244 FPS	268 FPS
PUBG	225 FPS	249 FPS
Grand Theft Auto V	76 FPS	87 FPS

Your own numbers will shift with your processor and settings, but the pattern holds. Reviewers also found the RTX 5050 lands just behind the older RTX 4060, which is why many of them called the RTX 5060 the smarter buy for a small extra spend.

One honest warning. Eight gigabytes of video memory is the weak spot on both cards. It's fine at 1080p. Push into 1440p with ultra textures in the newest games and you'll be dropping settings. Want a deeper head to head? Our RTX 5060 vs RTX 5070 comparison shows what the next step up buys you.

Best Gaming PCs Around £800: Our Five Picks

We picked these from our current range using three rules: the graphics card gets priority, 16GB of RAM is the minimum, and the price has to make sense on 10 October 2026.

Pick	Graphics	Processor	Memory and storage	Price
IONZ KZ10 Mini	RTX 3050 6GB	Ryzen 5 5500	16GB, 500GB SSD	£649.95
IONZ Aether Vision	RTX 5050 8GB	Ryzen 5 5500	16GB DDR4, 1TB SSD	£849.95
IONZ Aether Vision	RTX 5060	Ryzen 5 5500	16GB, 1TB SSD	£879.95
IONZ KZ900 V2	RTX 5060	Core i5-12400F	16GB DDR4, 1TB NVMe SSD	£949.95
IONZ Curve	RTX 5060	Ryzen 5 5600	16GB, 1TB SSD	£959.95

Best if £800 is a hard limit

The IONZ KZ10 Mini with RTX 3050 is a dependable way to stay under £800 with a new, fully built PC. It suits Fortnite, Valorant, Minecraft and older games. The 500GB drive fills up quickly, so plan for a second SSD.

Best RTX 5050 build

The IONZ Aether Vision with RTX 5050 costs £849.95, down from £940.95. You get a compact case, air cooling, a 500W 80+ power supply, USB Wi-Fi and Windows 11. The 1TB SSD is the real bonus at this price.

Best value RTX 5060 build

Here's the one we'd point most people towards. The IONZ Aether Vision with RTX 5060 is £879.95, a saving of £132 on its regular price. That's only £30 more than the RTX 5050 version above, and £30 buys roughly a third more speed. Easy decision.

Best Intel option

The IONZ KZ900 V2 with RTX 5060 pairs an Intel Core i5-12400F with a 1TB NVMe drive in an RGB case. It's £949.95, down from £1,041.95.

Best for upgrading later

The IONZ Curve with RTX 5060 ships with a 650W 80+ power supply, which leaves more headroom when you swap in a bigger graphics card down the line. It's £959.95.

Want to compare more? Browse every gaming PC from £600 to £999 or the full RTX 5060 PC range.

Should You Buy Prebuilt or Build Your Own?

At this budget, prebuilt wins for most people. Here's why. An RTX 5060 card on its own currently lists at roughly £375 to £430, and an RTX 5050 at about £260 to £290 at the cheaper end. Add a processor, motherboard, RAM, SSD, power supply, case and Windows, and beating a prebuilt's price gets very hard, especially with memory so expensive.

A prebuilt also arrives assembled, tested and ready to plug in. Building makes sense if you already own spare parts or simply enjoy the process. If you're unsure, read are prebuilt gaming PCs worth it before you decide.

What to Check Before You Buy

Spec sheets can look similar. These are the details that actually matter:

• Graphics card first. Never trade an RTX 5060 for a fancier processor. In games, the graphics card does the heavy lifting.
• 16GB of RAM is the floor. 32GB can wait, because adding RAM later is easy. Our guide on how much RAM you need for gaming explains more.
• A 1TB SSD where possible. Modern games are huge, and 500GB disappears fast.
• An 80+ rated power supply. Check the wattage too if you plan to upgrade later.
• A sensible monitor. A 1080p screen at 144Hz suits these cards. A 60Hz screen wastes them.

Also keep an eye on sale prices and the price match policy on selected products. And before you click buy, skim our list of gaming PC buying mistakes to avoid. It's short and could save you real money.

The Bottom Line

If £800 is firm, buy an RTX 5050 build and enjoy 1080p gaming without drama. If you can find another £80, go for an RTX 5060, because the speed jump is worth it. Either way, insist on 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Ready to choose? Start with our RTX 5060 gaming PCs or compare RTX 50 series graphics cards.

FAQs

What is the best gaming PC under £800?

For a strict £800 limit, an RTX 5050 build is the best choice, with complete PCs from about £780 at major retailers. If you can add £80, an RTX 5060 PC like the IONZ Aether Vision at £879.95 gives roughly a third more speed for very little extra.

Is the RTX 5060 good for gaming in 2026?

Yes. It handles 1080p on high settings in most games, supports DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation, and can manage some 1440p games with tuned settings. Its 8GB of video memory is the main limit, so expect to lower textures in the newest titles.

Is the RTX 5050 worth buying?

It's worth it if the budget is tight. The RTX 5050 runs esports games very well at 1080p and handles many newer games on medium to high settings. If your budget stretches by about £30 to £80, the RTX 5060 is usually better value.

Can you get an RTX 5060 gaming PC under £800?

Rarely. The sharpest RTX 5060 prices this autumn sit just above £800, and most builds cost £880 to £1,000. Sale prices change often, so check current listings before ordering and compare against RTX 5050 builds.

RTX 5050 or RTX 5060: which should I buy?

Buy the RTX 5060 if you can afford it. It's about 32% faster at 1080p and uses quicker GDDR7 memory. Choose the RTX 5050 only when the price gap matters or you mostly play lighter esports games.

Is 8GB of VRAM enough in 2026?

For 1080p, yes, though it's the limit. Most games run well with sensible settings. At 1440p or with ultra textures in the newest releases, 8GB can force you to turn settings down. DLSS helps, but it doesn't add memory.

Can the RTX 5060 handle 1440p gaming?

In many games, yes, especially with DLSS 4 and medium to high settings. It's built for 1080p first, so expect compromises in demanding titles. For comfortable 1440p at high settings, an RTX 5070 or better is the safer route.

Are prebuilt gaming PCs worth it under £800?

Usually, yes. Component prices are high, so building your own rarely saves money at this level. A prebuilt arrives tested, with Windows installed and everything in one box. Just check the RAM, SSD size and power supply before buying.

How much RAM does a budget gaming PC need?

16GB is the sensible minimum in 2026. With DDR5 prices so high, DDR4 builds offer better value at this budget, and you can add more memory later if you start streaming or multitasking heavily.