PCMR BUILDS
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. Remember that these are just price points and you can build at any budget between them. Use them as a default template and make them perfect by posting about it in our subreddit and other communities!
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. These requirements could be using a specific professional software, or handling large amounts of files in a setting that is different than most settings. For users who want to use their PC for their everyday activities, lots of gaming, the odd video or photo editing, our suggestions will do great.
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.
OUR BUILD SELECTION
GPU Pricing is currently in a poor state due to low availability of both previous and current generation cards. Please keep in mind that waiting for prices to normalize might take a few months
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 to $1000) 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 to $1200) 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), AMD EXPO (AMD Extended Profiles for Overclocking), DOCP (Direct Over Clock Profile), or EOCP (Extended Over Clock Profiles). This is true for any PC build, including pre-builts. Do not be afraid, this is perfectly standard and you are meant to do this to achieve the memory manufacturer’s stated performance. Just enable one of the set profiles on your motherboard and you should be good to go. For our AMD builds, this speed will usually be 6000 Mhz CL30. For Intel builds, this will vary, but usually the higher the better. Just pick the default overclocked profile for your RAM and you’re good to go.
Starter
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.
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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. You can find this on the case’s product page.
If you need more storage for regular use and gaming, just get another of the SSDs mentioned in this build. If you need a lot more storage, you may be interested in an HDD, which although much slower, is quite a bit cheaper if you need to archive large amounts of data, and access speed isn’t important.
Decent and cheap case fans to keep the system cooler (Add ~$15 for a 3-pack)
Mid-range build
About
A sweetspot-level computer in the ~$800 to $1000 range. This build is suitable for playing at ultra graphics settings for most games at 1080p, at a 60Hz refresh rate, or for triple-digit framerates at medium to medium-high settings. It uses an AM5 socket, which is the newest from AMD, and will allow you to upgrade easily later on.
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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. A good alternative for the 7900XT in this build would be the RTX 4070Ti.
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. You can find this on the case’s product page.
If you need more storage for regular use and gaming, just get another of the SSDs mentioned in this build. If you need a lot more storage, you may be interested in an HDD, which although much slower, is quite a bit cheaper if you need to archive large amounts of data, and access speed isn’t important.
Decent and cheap case fans to keep the system cooler (Add ~$15 for a 3-pack)
High Refresh Rate build
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, if the budget makes sense for them. It is very versatile and can do pretty much everything you may need.
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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. You can find this on the case’s product page.
If you need more storage for regular use and gaming, just get another of the SSDs mentioned in this build. If you need a lot more storage, you may be interested in an HDD, which although much slower, is quite a bit cheaper if you need to archive large amounts of data, and access speed isn’t important.
Decent and cheap case fans to keep the system cooler (Add ~$15 for a 3-pack)
High-End build
About
This build ensures a 120 FPS or greater experience at 1080p/1440p at high graphics settings, and it can handle 4K gaming as well, just with lower graphical definition framerates (choose one), but this depends on the game. Worry not, with the components in this build, it will be able to handle content creation/streaming easily, as well as give you a fabulous gaming experience.
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Augmentations
Availability of the 9800X3D is still limited, in the event it is sold out or scalped, we recommend looking at the 7800X3D as an alternative
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.
If you need more storage for regular use and gaming, just get another of the SSDs mentioned in this build. If you need a lot more storage, you may be interested in an HDD, which although much slower, is quite a bit cheaper if you need to archive large amounts of data, and access speed isn’t important.
Ultimate PCMR Build
About
A (mostly) 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 and lots of aesthetic gains (even though this part is subjective). That's what happens when you go for the ultra-high-end. Its main goal is to provide a suggestion for a very high end build that’s also very beautiful if you are into the modern RGB tastes and want to use premium brands. We say “mostly” because we tried to avoid the upper echelon of hardware where you are paying for 2% or 3% performance boosts. According to our parametric filter, this build will probably feature an RTX 5080 GPU. You can change it for an RTX 5090 if you really want the best Gaming GPU ever made. You’ll get a nice bump in performance but you’ll spend quite a bit more.
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Augmentations
If you want an Intel build: Intel Edition
Availability of the 9800X3D can be limited in some regions. In the event it is sold out or scalped, we recommend looking at the 7800X3D as an alternative. You do not need to change anything else in the build if you make this change. An alternative, if you really need the top of the top CPU, is the 9950X3D, but be aware that it is quite a bit pricier, will not provide gaming benefits over the 9800X3D other than in some niche scenarios (like heavily CPU dependant gives that can use its cores) but can be a boost for productivity if you need that special king of power.
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.
If you need more storage for regular use and gaming, just get another of the SSDs mentioned in this build. If you need a lot more storage, you may be interested in an HDD, which although much slower, is quite a bit cheaper if you need to archive large amounts of data, and access speed isn’t important.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Last revised: March 9 2025. Provide feedback here.
Q: Should I get AMD Ryzen or Intel Core?
For the highest end gaming, AMD is currently king, with the 9800X3D, 7800X3D and 9950X3D CPUs. Intel still has very competent CPUs like the 14700K and 14900K, which can also be a good choice depending on the price you can get them for.
At the mid end, there are good choices for both, but AMD has taken the lead with their 7600X CPU.
At the low end, there are also good choices for both. The Ryzen 5600 and 5600X can sometimes be bought for a bargain, while the Intel 12400F is very competent and can be priced extremely well in some markets too.
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 5090. 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 and for video editing (but you should check if the software you are using will take advantage of it).
NVIDIA GPUS can make use of DLSS and Frame Generation and tends to be much more competent in the Ray Tracing department, although AMD has lately made big strides with their FSR technologies as well.
Don't care about brands? 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, so be sure to activate it if you get one. 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. It is also really well priced, so do consider it, depending on your use case.
Q: Do I need an SSD?
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. Your Operating system should be installed on an SSD, and preferably also any games and software you use daily. The only thing that should maybe be in HDDS are large amounts of data that you need to archive and not access often. Think of decades worth of photographs you seldom open, lots of movies that you may have saved over the years, etc.
SSDs improve the load times in day-to-day usage. Loading Windows, Firefox, or Word, for example, are another order of magnitude faster For gaming, SSDs noticeably decrease loading times, although they don’t tend to do much for the actual in game performance.
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 when it comes to choosing and obtaining an OS. For Linux, there are a plethora of amazing, fast, and free distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora, Linux Mint, Debian, Pop!_OS, etc.
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). It will work perfectly fine otherwise, and it will update just like if you did have a working license.
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. Check the website of whatever distro you’d like to use and you will most likely have instructions there.
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 probably 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 gencies and large corporations all around the world, do get by with Windows.
Fully disabling telemetry (without potentially breaking anything) is not possible on consumer Windows editions without embarking on an excruciating quest of figuring out how to disable every single little part of Windows that can send telemetry.
The only real way of disabling telemetry is upgrading to any version of Windows intended for Enterprises (Education, Enterprise, IoT Enterprise, any LTSC edition) and using the Local Group Policy Editor to enable the "Allow Telemetry" (or "Allow Diagnostic Data in Windows 11) policy and set it to "0 - Security (Enterprise Only)".
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).
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. Also, a cheap wifi dongle should be available for about 10 dollars. 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/PCBBuilds 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/pcmasterrace, r/PCBuilds or 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 have a deep passion for computing and gaming. I began my journey with gaming at a young age, starting with a Super Nintendo and later transitioning to gaming on my PC when my father introduced our family to a computer around the age of 8. Over the past 20 years, I’ve been immersing myself in PC gaming, and I don’t see this passion waning anytime soon.
Computing has always come naturally to me. At just 12, I was building our first family computer, and by 13, I was setting up Apache web servers and creating websites. This early fascination with technology led me to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Management Information Systems and eventually carve out a career as a platform engineer.
I’ve been an active member of the PCMR community for many years, spending much of my time there as a moderator on their Discord server. I genuinely enjoy being part of this passionate computing community and helping others navigate their way into the world of tech.
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.