How Much Should You Spend Building a Gaming PC ?
Building a gaming PC can be an exciting yet daunting task, particularly when it comes to understanding the costs involved. There is so many components in different price are available in the market, so it is very difficult task to choose the right one. Here I will discuss how to choose the right component in different budget categories.
The total cost of building a gaming PC varies greatly depending on a range of factors, including the level of performance you’re aiming for, the brands and models of components you choose, and where you purchase these components from. In this article, we will break down the costs associated with building a gaming PC in 2024, covering each key component, additional peripherals.
Key Components of a Gaming PC
To build a gaming PC, you need several essential components. Below, we will discuss each of these components in detail and provide a cost estimate for different performance levels: budget, mid-range, and high-end.
1. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The CPU is the brain of your gaming PC and is very important for overall performance. Intel’s Core and AMD’s Ryzen series processors are very popular choices for gaming.
| Budget Option: | Mid-Range Option: | High-End Option: |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5600X – Approximately $160 | Intel Core i5-12600K – Approximately $180 | AMD Ryzen 9 7900X – Approximately $400 |
| Ryzen 7 5700X3D – Approximately $200 | AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D – Approximately $600 | |
| Intel core i9 14th gen 14900k – Approximately $550 |
2. Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)
The GPU is the most important component for gaming performance as it renders the graphics in your games. NVIDIA and AMD are the leading brands in this space.
3. Motherboard
The motherboard is the heart of a gaming pc, which connects all the components of your PC. It’s important to choose one that is compatible with your CPU and has the features you need.
| Budget Option: | Mid-Range Option: | High-End Option: |
| MSI B450 Tomahawk Max – Approximately $100 | MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 – Approximately $210 buy now | ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero – Approximately $580 |
| Gigabyte B550 AORUS ELITE V2 – Approximately $190 | GIGABYTE X670E AORUS Master – Approximately $370 | |
| ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero – Approximately $530 |
4. Memory (RAM)
RAM is essential for multitasking and gaming performance. The standard for gaming PCs is 16GB, but 32GB is becoming more common for high-end systems.
| Budget Option: | Mid-Range Option: | High-End Option: |
| Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 – Approximately $5S0 | CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3200 – Approximately $75 | CORSAIR Dominator Platinum RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-5600 – Approximately $160 |
| G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3600 – Approximately $130 |
5. Storage
For storage, a combination of SSD (Solid State Drive) for speed and HDD (Hard Disk Drive) for capacity is common.
| Budget Option: | Mid-Range Option: | High-End Option: |
| Kingston A2000 500GB NVMe SSD – Approximately $40 | Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB NVMe SSD – Approximately $100 | Western Digital WD 1TB WD Black SN850X NVMe Internal Gaming SSD – Approximately $110 |
| Samsung 990 PRO 1TB NVMe SSD – Approximately $120 |
6. Power Supply Unit (PSU)
A reliable PSU is important to ensure the stability and longevity of your components. Choose a PSU with a higher wattage rating so it can handle your pc well and in future if you want to upgrade your pc it also handle your pc properly.
| Budget Option: | Mid-Range Option: | High-End Option: |
| EVGA 600 W1, 80+ WHITE 600W – Approximately $65 | Corsair RM750x, 80+ Gold 750W – Approximately $120 | Seasonic Prime TX-850, 80+ Titanium 850W – Approximately $220 |
| Corsair RM1000E 1000 Watt Fully Modular -Approximately $220 |
7. Case
The case protects your components and often comes down to personal preference regarding aesthetics and functionality.
| Budget Option: | Mid-Range Option: | High-End Option: |
| NZXT H510 – Approximately $85 | Fractal Design Meshify C – Approximately $100 | Corsair Obsidian Series 500D RGB SE – Approximately $250 |
| NZXT H6 Flow RGB -Approximately $110 | ||
| Corsair 5000D airflow -Approximately $170 |
8. Cooling System
Proper cooling is essential to maintain optimal performance and longevity of your Processor. This can range from basic air cooling to advanced liquid cooling solutions.
| Budget Option: | Mid-Range Option: | High-End Option: |
| Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition – Approximately $35 | Deepcool Infinity LT720 ARGB CPU Liquid Cooler – Approximately $140 | Corsair iCUE H150i Elite Capellix – Approximately $200 |
| GIGABYTE Aorus Waterforce X II 360 ICE Liquid CPU Cooler- Approximately $300 |
Additional Peripherals
While the core components are the primary focus, you’ll also need peripherals to complete your gaming setup. Here’s a brief look at the additional costs associated with peripherals:
Monitor
| Budget Option: | Mid-Range Option: | High-End Option: |
| ASUS VG245H 24″ – Approximately $160 | Dell S2721DGF 27″ -Approximately $320 | ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM 27″ – Approximately $570 |
Keyboard and Mouse
| Budget Option: | Mid-Range Option: | High-End Option: |
| Logitech G213 Prodigy Keyboard and Logitech G203 Mouse – Approximately $80 | Corsair K70 RGB Pro Keyboard and Logitech G502 Hero Mouse -Approximately $220 | Razer Huntsman V2 Analog Keyboard and Razer Viper Ultimate Mouse – Approximately $290 |
Headset
| Budget Option: | Mid-Range Option: | High-End Option: |
| HyperX CloudX Stinger – Approximately $30 | SteelSeries Arctis 7 – Approximately $150 | Sennheiser GSP 670 – Approximately $320 |
My Personal Recommendations on Different Budget Categories Gaming PC Build
Budget Build
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X – $160
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Super – $250
- Motherboard: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max – $100
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB DDR4-3200 – $50
- Storage: Kingston A2000 500GB NVMe SSD – $40
- PSU: EVGA 600 W1, 80+ WHITE 600W – $65
- Case: NZXT H510 – $85
- Cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition – $30
- Monitor: ASUS VG246H 24″ – $160
- Keyboard and Mouse: Logitech G213 Prodigy Keyboard and Logitech G203 Mouse – $80
- Headset: HyperX CloudX Stinger – $30
- Total: Approximately $1,050
Mid-Range Build
- CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K – $180
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti – $450
- Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 – $210
- RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws V 32GB DDR4-3600 – $70
- Storage: Samsung 970 EVO Plus 1TB NVMe SSD – $100
- PSU: Corsair RM750x, 80+ Gold 750W – $120
- Case: Fractal Design Meshify C – $100
- Cooling: Deepcool Infinity LT720 ARGB CPU Liquid Cooler -$140
- Monitor: Dell S2721DGF 27″ – $320
- Keyboard and Mouse: Corsair K70 RGB Pro Keyboard and Logitech G502 Hero Mouse – $220
- Headset: SteelSeries Arctis 7 – $150
- Total: Approximately $2,060
High-End Build
- CPU: Intel core i9 14 gen 14900k – $550
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 – $2000
- Motherboard: GIGABYTE X670E AORUS Master – $380
- RAM: CORSAIR Dominator Platinum RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-5600 – $160
- Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 1TB NVMe SSD – $120
- PSU: Corsair RM1000E 1000 Watt Fully Modular – $220
- Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 500D RGB SE – $250
- Cooling: GIGABYTE Aorus Waterforce X II 360 ICE Liquid CPU Cooler – $300
- Monitor: ASUS ROG Swift PG279QM 27″ – $570
- Keyboard and Mouse: Razer Huntsman V2 Analog Keyboard and Razer Viper Ultimate Mouse – $290
- Headset: Sennheiser GSP 670 – $320
- Total: Approximately – $5,160
