Builds Introduction
The primary purpose of this page is to show you a few options at multiple price points for possible PC builds you might want to consider getting.
These builds are designed for gaming, and while they will be extremely competent for other uses, remember that you may have specific requirements that a pure gaming build might not fully cover.
Always remember that you, as a user, have an immense amount of freedom when buying and building a PC! Hardware can be bought new or used. What matters to you on a PC may be different than what matters for someone else. It's up to you to pick how and what to choose! These are base builds, and you can always improve on them if you wish. Just ask the PCMR community for help if you need it!
Building may appear complicated at first glance, but with some research, you will do just fine.
These things were made to be put together by people like you and I.
Follow these 3 main rules:
- Don't rush things (take your time, no need to rush)
- Don't force things (don't force square pegs into round holes)
- In case of doubt, ask any of our communities for help!
Tips
- Remember to always peer-review your builds with the PCMR community or other PC and PC build communities online, such as our subreddit /r/pcmasterrace, our dedicated (albeit much smaller) builds subreddits /r/PCBuilds and /r/PcMasterRaceBuilds. Never buy public or example starter builds strictly as-is; there are always personal improvements and 24-hour sales that can lower the price while simultaneously improving price performance even further beyond what a building committee like ourselves can offer.
- If you don't live in the US, no problem. Click the "PCPartPicker part list" link, then change the country in the top right corner. PCPartPicker will try to pick the cheapest compatible part available in your country.
- We try to avoid mail-in rebates, but do consider taking advantage of them if you live in a country that has them. They can help reduce the overall cost of your build.
- Buying used can save you money, but remember that such parts may not be covered by warranty. That's your choice.
Intel vs AMD
As of right now (early August 2024), we are not recommending any 13th or 14th generation Intel CPU builds. It was discovered that high-power (65W) Intel CPUs in the 13th and 14th generation (example: 14900k, 13900k) can experience gradual degradation of stability. Intel announced that the issue stems from incorrect microcode causing the motherboard to deliver unsafe voltages under certain circumstances and are working on an update. This update is yet to be released, but expected mid-August, and may result in different performance characteristics. All 13th and 14th gen CPUs are affected by this issue but few will be impacted.
In the meantime, there are steps you can perform to lessen the chance of instability in your CPU until Intel releases this microcode update.
Once a CPU is degraded it will be that way forever. Intel is extending the warranty window for this so you can consider an RMA. If you have a prebuilt contact your prebuilt's manufacturer. If you bought a CPU in a box contact Intel directly.
The Builds
- Starter build (~$650) The best bang-for-your-buck build. It performs better than consoles while offering the flexibility you need, such as if you prefer fancier graphics or frame rate smoothness. Not to mention the 6000 other things that a PC can do and a console cannot.
- Mid-range build (~$800) This build is suitable for playing at ultra graphics settings for most games, at 60 FPS, or medium to high settings at 90+ framerates for many games.
- High Refresh Rate build (~$1000) This build is suitable for playing at high graphics settings for most games, on refresh rates higher than 60 Hz. With slightly lower graphics fidelity you will reach triple-digit framerates.
- High-End build (~$1600) This build ensures a 120 FPS or greater experience at 1080p/1440p at high graphics settings.
- Ultimate PCMR build (~$2500 to $3000) This build is suitable for playing at high resolutions such as 4K or ultra-high frame rates such as 240 Hz. Or a mix of both.
After any build, Do not forget to overclock the memory, as every kit of memory always runs at JEDEC 2133/2400/2666 MT/s by default. Depending on the motherboard, the memory overclock may be called XMP (eXtreme Memory Profile), DOCP (Direct Over Clock Profile), or EOCP (Extended Over Clock Profiles). This is true for any PC build, including pre-builts.
Starter
Last revised: September 5th 2024. Version 2.03. Provide feedback here.
About
The most affordable build on this page. This build is suitable for running most modern games at 1080p/60fps/high settings. With the components in this build, it will be able to support VR.
It provides for PC versatility, as well. Do you want to play at 144 fps on a 144 Hz monitor for your First-person shooters? Perfect. Lower your settings and your frame rate shoots up. Do you care less about the frame rate than the extreme-quality visuals? Wonderful. Crank those dials up and witness the glory.
Know that is is possible to build a competent PC at an inferior budget, especially if you're willing to buy used. To get tips on such builds, please use our communities to ask for help.
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | *AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor | $114.81 @ Newegg |
| Motherboard | *Asus PRIME B550M-A WIFI II Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $99.99 @ Amazon |
| Memory | *Silicon Power XPOWER Zenith Gaming 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory | $28.79 @ Amazon |
| Storage | *Klevv CRAS C710 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $52.99 @ Amazon |
| Video Card | *ASRock Challenger D Radeon RX 6600 8 GB Video Card | $189.97 @ Newegg |
| Case | *Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case | $49.99 @ B&H |
| Power Supply | *MSI MAG A550BN 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $58.99 @ Amazon |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $595.53 | |
| *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
Augmentations
- Don't take our word for the case! Cases are subjective, pick one YOU LOVE, just make sure the video card and any aftermarket CPU cooler fit! You can find this on the product page of the case you want. We are somewhat partial to our collab with Lian Li, the O11 Vision. In case of doubt, or if you need help picking a case,ask for help from the community.
- This CPU comes with a basic cooler. If you'd like lower temps and lower noise you can get an aftermarket cooler. Just make sure it fits the case you pick.
- 2TB HDD for more storage (Add ~$50)
- Case fans to keep the system cooler (Add ~$15 for a 3-pack)
Benchmarks
Mid-range build
Last revised: September 5th 2024. Version 2.04. Provide feedback here.
About
An sweetspot level computer in the $800 range. This build is suitable for playing at ultra graphics settings for most games at 1080p, at 60Hz refresh rate, or for triple digit framerates at medium to medium-high settings.
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | *AMD Ryzen 5 5600 3.5 GHz 6-Core Processor | $114.81 @ Newegg |
| Motherboard | *Asus PRIME B550M-A WIFI II Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard | $99.99 @ Amazon |
| Memory | *Silicon Power XPOWER Zenith Gaming 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory | $28.79 @ Amazon |
| Storage | *Klevv CRAS C710 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $52.99 @ Amazon |
| Video Card | *MSI VENTUS 2X BLACK OC GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8 GB Video Card | $374.97 @ Newegg |
| Case | *Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case | $49.99 @ B&H |
| Power Supply | *MSI MAG A550BN 550 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply | $58.99 @ Amazon |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $780.53 | |
| *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
Augmentations
- If you will use VR, please consider using a Nvidia card. There are still issues with AMD graphics cards when it comes to using airlink on Quest headsets, and it might be worth spending a little extra for added compatibility
- Don't take our word for the case! Cases are subjective, pick one YOU LOVE, just make sure the video card and any aftermarket CPU cooler fit! You can find this on the product page of the case you want. We are somewhat partial to our collab with Lian Li, the O11 Vision. In case of doubt, or if you need help picking a case,ask for help from the community.
- This CPU comes with a basic cooler. If you'd like lower temps and lower noise you can get an aftermarket cooler. Just make sure it fits the case you pick.
- 2TB HDD for more storage (Add ~$50)
- Case fans to keep the system cooler (Add ~$15 for a 3-pack)
Benchmarks
High Refresh Rate build
Last revised: September 5th 2024. Version 2.04. Provide feedback here.
About
This build is suitable for playing at high graphics settings for most games, on refresh rates higher than 60 Hz. This build sits comfortably in the mid-range and is what we would recommend most people to get.
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | *AMD Ryzen 5 7600 3.8 GHz 6-Core Processor | $182.16 @ Amazon |
| Motherboard | *ASRock B650M Pro RS Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard | $134.99 @ Newegg |
| Memory | *Silicon Power XPOWER Zenith Gaming 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory | $90.97 @ B&H |
| Storage | *Klevv CRAS C710 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $52.99 @ Amazon |
| Video Card | *PowerColor Fighter OC Radeon RX 7900 GRE 16 GB Video Card | $515.29 @ Amazon |
| Case | *Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case | $49.99 @ B&H |
| Power Supply | *EVGA 700 GD 700 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply | $79.98 @ Amazon |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $1106.37 | |
| *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
Augmentations
- If you will use VR, please consider using a Nvidia card. There are still issues with AMD graphics cards when it comes to using airlink on Quest headsets, and it might be worth spending a little extra for added compatibility
- Don't take our word for the case! Cases are subjective, pick one YOU LOVE, just make sure the video card and any aftermarket CPU cooler fit! You can find this on the product page of the case you want. We are somewhat partial to our collab with Lian Li, the O11 Vision. In case of doubt, or if you need help picking a case,ask for help from the community.
- This CPU comes with a basic cooler. If you'd like lower temps and lower noise you can get an aftermarket cooler. Just make sure it fits the case you pick.
- 2TB HDD for more storage (Add ~$50)
- Case fans to keep the system cooler (Add ~$15 for a 3-pack)
Benchmarks
High-End build
Last revised: September 5th 2024. Version 1.43. Provide feedback here.
About
This build ensures a 120 FPS or greater experience at 1080p/1440p at high graphics settings. With the components in this build, it will be able to handle content creation/streaming.
| Type | Item | Price |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | *AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor | $419.00 @ Best Buy |
| CPU Cooler | *Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler | $34.90 @ Amazon |
| Motherboard | *ASRock B650M Pro RS Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard | $134.99 @ Newegg |
| Memory | *Silicon Power XPOWER Zenith Gaming 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory | $90.97 @ B&H |
| Storage | *TEAMGROUP MP33 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive | $97.99 @ Amazon |
| Video Card | *ASRock Phantom Gaming OC Radeon RX 7900 XT 20 GB Video Card | $679.99 @ Amazon |
| Case | *Lian Li LANCOOL II-W ATX Mid Tower Case | $74.99 @ Newegg Sellers |
| Power Supply | *Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 - V2 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply | $94.99 @ Amazon |
| Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts | ||
| Total | $1627.82 | |
| *Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria |
Augmentations
- If you want an Intel build: * Intel Edition
- If you will use VR, please consider using a Nvidia card. There are still issues with AMD graphics cards when it comes to using airlink on Quest headsets, and it might be worth spending a little extra for added compatibility
- Don't take our word for the case! Cases are subjective, pick one YOU LOVE, just make sure the video card and any aftermarket CPU cooler fit! You can find this on the product page of the case you want. We are somewhat partial to our collab with Lian Li, the O11 Vision. In case of doubt, or if you need help picking a case,ask for help from the community.
- 2TB HDD for more storage (Add ~$50)
Benchmarks
Ultimate PCMR Build
Last revised: September 5th 2024. Version 1.51. Provide feedback here.
About
A zero-compromises build capable of handling any game you throw at it with the highest resolutions and frame rates. This build is suitable for playing at high resolutions such as 4K and ultra-high frame rates such as 240 Hz. This is not a build designed to have a good cost-to-benefit ratio. This build is for those who do not mind spending quite a bit more for increasingly smaller performance gains. That's what happens when you go for the ultra-high-end. Its main goal is to provide a suggestion for a top-of-the-line, beautiful build that can give you pretty much everything you may need, from both the performance and the aesthetic side of things.
Augmentations
- If you want an Intel build: * Intel Edition
- Due to recent degradation reports on higher-end 13th and 14th-generation Intel parts, we advise either scaling back power settings or waiting to purchase until Intel issues a new microcode update to prevent degradation later this summer.
- At this price-range, returns are diminishing, so if you upgrade parts, expect to pay a lot more for not a lot more performance. e.g. if you want the best CPU possible, get the 14900k instead of the 14700k. Don't expect the difference in your experience to be particularly big, though.
- Don't take our word for the case! Cases are subjective, pick one YOU LOVE, just make sure the video card and any aftermarket CPU cooler fit! You can find this on the product page of the case you want. We are somewhat partial to our collab with Lian Li, the O11 Vision. In case of doubt, or if you need help picking a case,ask for help from the community.
- 4TB HDD for more storage (Add ~$65)
Benchmarks
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Last revised: August 4th 2024. Version 1.85. Provide feedback here.
Q: Should I get AMD Ryzen or Intel Core?
As of right now (early August 2024), we are not recommending any 13th or 14th generation Intel CPU builds. It was discovered that high-power (65W) Intel CPUs in the 13th and 14th generation (example: 14900k, 13900k) can experience gradual degradation of stability. Intel announced that the issue stems from incorrect microcode causing the motherboard to deliver unsafe voltages under certain circumstances and are working on an update. This update is yet to be released, but expected mid-August, and may result in different performance characteristics. All 13th and 14th gen CPUs are affected by this issue but few will be impacted.
A general TLDR to this question, but only after Intel fixes such issues is this: Overall, Ryzen or Intel at each price bracket are extremely competitive with each other. AMD tends to have an edge in low to mid-range builds, with the Ryzen 5600 being extremely good for the price, while Intel with the 13600k and 13700k tends to have the edge at higher-end builds. All things considered, the platform you choose depends mostly on price for gaming. However, the ultimate gaming experience is held by either a Ryzen 7800X3D or an i9-14900K, paired with an NVIDIA RTX 4090, which is what we would exclusively recommend if you want the best gaming experience money can buy.
More details: Pure multi-threaded applications such as video rendering greatly benefit from many Ryzen CPUs, due to the number of cores and threads. Meanwhile, Intel tends to focus on higher per-core performance. Unfortunately, or fortunately for Intel, games are not one of those that can linearly be spread across many cores and threads. Traditionally, games have always favored fewer stronger cores (Intel) over more weaker cores (AMD), although we are seeing a shift now as games started distributing their workloads across many CPU threads. Nevertheless, single-core performance is still king currently for gaming, assuming you got at least 4 cores. The X3D model Ryzen CPUs are made with gaming specifically in mind, and can often be on par, or even superior to Intel alternatives.
One thing to note though, Ryzen CPUs take a large hit in performance when the RAM is not overclocked. Thankfully, most RAM kits come with an overclocking profile, although you still need to manually configure the RAM profile in the BIOS, or if the memory does not support it, set up the memory frequency and latency timing manually. If you don't know what this means, feel free to take some time to do some research, or ask for an Intel version of the build.
Q: Should I get an AMD Radeon RX or NVIDIA GeForce GTX/RTX?
In general, you can find good choices in both brands at most price points. However, the ultimate gaming experience is held by an NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 4090. It is not cheap, though.
There are some subtle differences outside of performance:
- NVIDIA has a noticeably better video encoder, and is therefore a better option for streaming.
- NVIDIA GPUS can make use of DLSS (The 4000 series of DLSS 3) and tends to be much more competent in the Ray Tracing department.
Don't care about any of these? Pick your price point and check benchmarks of the GPUs in that range, particularly in the games you want to play.
Q: Should I get Intel Arc?
Intel Arc is the latest player in the GPU market, however, it comes with some drawbacks. For starters, Resizable BAR is a requirement for Arc due to the memory subsystem. Without ReBAR enabled, Intel Arc will experience poor performance and stuttering. Furthermore, Intel Arc does not do well with older games using APIs such as DX9 and DX11, and will suffer a performance regression compared to similarly priced AMD and NVIDIA cards. Finally, Intel Arc offers AV1 encoding for a cheap price, making this a valuable option for content creators and streamers.
Q: Do I need an SSD?
TLDR: Yes! Do not buy a PC without an SSD, and if you currently own any PC or laptops that doesn't have it, upgrade ASAP.
SSDs improve the load times in day-to-day usage. Loading Windows, Firefox, or Word, for example, are another order of magnitude faster. However, it has minimal impact on gaming performance apart from decreasing the loading time.
Refer to this video to see the difference in real-time.
Q: Why don't you include an Operating System?
There are far too many options out there when it comes to choosing and obtaining an OS. For Linux, you have a plethora of amazing, fast, and free distributions like Manjaro, Pop!_OS, and Steam OS. For Windows, you have Windows 10/11 or Windows Server (for hosting), etc. On top of that, obtaining Windows can be done in many different ways.
If you don't have a working Windows license, you can still run Windows with the condition that you see an "Activate Windows" watermark and you are not allowed to personalize your computer. (e.g. changing the wallpaper)
If you need a single Linux distro for a recommendation, you can't go wrong with Pop!_OS. It has the popularity and support of Ubuntu, but the appearance and behavior similar to Windows, assuming that you are familiar to Windows.
Q: Where can I get a Windows or Linux installation USB?
For Windows, you can use Windows Media Creation Tool.
For Linux, you download the disc image (.iso) then write it to a USB using a tool such as Balena Etcher.
Q: How about the privacy and spying issues with Windows?
First of all, if you use an Android phone or perhaps have a Facebook account, you can stop worrying now, as you can rest assured that Google and Facebook have taken away more of your privacy than Windows ever will. Also do keep in mind that a lot of people, including government agencies and large corporations all around the world, do get by with Windows so far.
If you are really concerned about privacy, there are free utilities to disable the privacy-related features such as WPD or ShutUp10.
Q: Why don't you include an optical drive?
Because this isn't 2012, and aside from installing the operating system (sometimes not even then), an optical drive is a dead and obsolete piece of technology. The PC industry has long since migrated completely to the faster, cheaper, and simpler digital distribution method. Also, keep in mind that you can always buy a portable external USB one later down the line when you really need it.
Q: Why don't you include a keyboard and mouse in each build?
Keyboards and mice are a tough thing to include since the majority of people have one or the other already, sometimes even both. If they don't, it's still a bit too subjective to just point people to a single keyboard and mouse. There's a lot of options out there for keyboards (mechanical, rubber dome, backlighting, size, noise, etc) as well as mice (laser, optical, wireless, etc). If you are interested in mechanical keyboards, this sub and /r/MechanicalKeyboards should be able to help you out.
Q: Why don't you include a monitor in the builds?
Consoles don't come with displays and neither should these individual builds. Displays are a separate thing. For example, you can hook your PC up to your existing monitor or TV just like you could with a console. Monitors (and TVs) vary extensively, and it would be a bit unfair to try and predict what someone's needs and preference would be.
Q: Overclocking, yes or no?
TLDR: If possible, yes, although nowadays it doesn't matter quite as much as in the past. Undervolting when done right can decrease your temperatures and power consumption while maintaining or increasing performance, so consider that too. You don't have to worry too much about this, and many people won't touch their stock settings at all.
Long answer: It always depends on each individual product, as not everything can be overclocked, and overclocking also follows the diminishing return formula. In addition, not all products are overclockable. You can't, for example, overclock a Hard Drive. You also can't (through regular means) overclock an Intel CPU that's not a K-series (e.g i7-13700 is not overclockable, i7-13700K is overclockable)
Q: How do I perform a BIOS Flashback?
Performing a BIOS Flashback allows you to update your BIOS on compatible motherboards without needing an older generation CPU. First, you need to download the latest BIOS from the manufacturer's website and load it on to a FAT32 formatted USB flash drive (smaller flash drives work better). Be sure to rename it to what your motherboard manufacturer specifies (for MSI motherboards, rename the file to MSI.ROM and when prompted, change the file extension). Next, with only power connected to the motherboard, insert the USB flash drive into the motherboard's port for BIOS Flashback and press the BIOS flashback button. Wait for the BIOS update to complete (the process may take up to 5 minutes or so) and then once completed, the LED will stop flashing and you can then disconnect your flash drive and install your components.
Q: What if I need wireless internet connectivity?
Most of our builds should come with motherboards with built-in wi-fi and/or a cheap wifi dongle should be available for you in the augmentations list. Check the motherboard specs to make sure it has wi-fi. Keep in mind there are other options such as MoCA adapters and Powerline Ethernet, or just a straight out superfast ethernet cable connected from the router to your motherboard.
Further Help and Contact
Questions, comments, concerns related to the page or the builds? If you want to visit the builds subreddits, go to /r/PBBuilds or /r/PCMasterRaceBuilds. To just simply message us click here for an integrated contact form!. Do not PM us for build requests, if you have a build request, please make a thread in /r/PcMasterRaceBuilds! You can also always consult your final draft with /r/PCMasterRace!
Meet (some, not all) the builders.
PCMR has a diverse team of people, and some of our mods get involved with all parts of it. However, here are some of the people who usually help out more with our builds:
The-Big-Noob
I like a lot of things, computing is certainly one of those things. I started gaming young with a Super Nintendo and Gameboy and got into gaming on my PC when my father got us a family computer at around age 8. I've been PC gaming for over 20 years now, and I do not intend on stopping anytime soon.
Computers have always come naturally to me, building the first family computer at age 12. I was standing up Apache web servers and building websites for them by 13. I currently hold a bachelors in Management information systems, and work as a DevOps engineer by day.
I've been a long time lurker in PCMR, and have spent the large portion of my PCMR tenure as a moderator on the Discord server. I really love this community and enjoy helping those joining the ranks of all things computing.
Pedro
Pedro is everywhere, in one form or another.
Moomin Boomin My interest sparked during the pandemic, watching hardware reviews and even taking a swing at opening laptops up. I still make the mistake of flipping the PSU switch, but I don’t get discouraged when building. ~ Peripheral enthusiast and penny pincher of PCMR, you can usually catch me scraping dollars for someone’s rig. Always happy to find you some deals!
Darkm0nt
I first encountered PC hardware with my dad's OptiPlex in 2009 and from that point I had a passing interest in tech. It wasn't until high school I developed a further interest in computer hardware and it's among my biggest hobbies. Amateur overclocker in the making. Feel free to talk to me about memory related questions should you feel the need. I go by mustafaezic/Darkmont on Discord and you can most often find me in the PCMR server though I'm in many other communities.
AutoModerator Calling
This page supports calls. You can also call AutoModerator to print out an individual build, but you must call it by name. Example: "Show me the builds/show him the builds". This only works on the PCMR subreddit (if you write it in a comment, for instance).