Secure a snappy gaming PC with an RTX 5060 and 16GB of DDR5 RAM for just $959 — MSI Codex R2 rig handles 1080p gameplay with a 10-core Intel CPU and 1TB of storage
An affordable pre-built gaming PC for gaming at 1080p
New gaming PCs are getting more and more expensive, thanks to the rapidly increasing costs of SSDs and RAM. Luckily, there are still some deals to be had, like this MSI Codex gaming PC with a 10-core Intel CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 1TB of SSD storage, and 16GB of DDR5 RAM — all for a budget-friendly price tag under $1,000.
These specs will set you back just $959, thanks to this deal over at MSI's own store. This is front-and-center a machine ready for gaming at 1080p, bolstered by current-gen Nvidia features like DLSS 4 that offer upscaling and multi-frame generation to make games even smoother to play.
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 might be an entry-level option for gaming, but it offers superior performance compared to an integrated GPU. It comes equipped with 3,840 CUDA cores, along with 8GB of GDDR7 VRAM. In practice, with those DLSS features enabled, this will let you run games with high graphics presets at 1080p.
The MSI Codex R2 B14NVL5-447US gaming PC comes with an Intel Core i5-14400F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060, 16GB of DDR5 memory, and 1TB of storage.
The RTX 5060 also ranks as the best value GPU in our GPU hierarchy when looking at FPS per dollar at 1080p. The 8GB of VRAM isn't as huge a limitation here as you might think in a build like this, as this isn't intended to be a powerhouse. It does have the juice for modern gaming, as long as you're happy to optimize your settings in the most demanding games. Temper your expectations accordingly: 1440p might be possible in certain games that are less resource-intensive, but 4K is off the cards.
GPU aside, the Intel Core i5-14400F processor included here isn't a bad option for 1080p gaming and continues to be well-sold in many pre-built rigs. It has 10 cores, six of which are performance cores that deliver the best gaming performance. The other four, meanwhile, are efficiency cores, which are best for multi-threaded tasks. This CPU's clock can boost up to 4.7 GHz, too. The Intel i5-14400F falls behind its AMD rivals, but this is a rig for 1080p gaming, so it doesn't matter much.
You're also getting 16GB of DDR5 RAM here, the newest RAM type, and, while memory prices are soaring at the moment, this does give you longevity to upgrade your build at a later date. A 1TB NVMe SSD is also included, which should provide you with enough space for at least a few big modern game installations.
The $959 sale price for this MSI Codex R2 gaming PC is a great deal if you're seeking a 1080p-capable rig on a budget. This sub-$1000 PC is one of the best spec'd options at this price point, with room for future upgrades. This deal won't be around for long, however, so pick it up while you can.
If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.
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Ben Stockton is a deals writer at Tom’s Hardware. He's been writing about technology since 2018, with bylines at PCGamesN, How-To Geek, and Tom’s Guide, among others. When he’s not hunting down the best bargains, he’s busy tinkering with his homelab or watching old Star Trek episodes.