1 Budget

The very first thing to consider when building a PC is budget. While multi-thousand dollar gaming rigs are plentiful, the vast majority of users cannot afford such machines. Whats more, the law of diminishing returns is a very real prescense in the PC building world. After spending a certain amount on parts, costs begin to mount over things like RGB lighting or other non-performance related aspects. As we will discuss, the PC building world is a very opinionated one, but the community has more-or-less agreed on three “classes” of PC budgets; budget, mid-range, and high end. Here, we can briefly explore the three classes:

I. Budget

Budget systems are usually defined as system that cost less than $500.00 for the tower alone. Systems in this price range often have a number of similarities. First, they often only have one storage drive. While it’s usually a very fast drive, a budget system like this can quickly run out of space for games, movies, or even too many pictures! These systems are also usually rather basic, lacking luxuries like glass side panels and fancy lighting. Finally, perhaps the most important part of building a budget system is to focus on performance and a clear upgrade path. With a limited budget, every penny should be spent on getting the best performance. No lighting effects, no bells and whistles, just solid performance. A clear upgrade path is also a must. Many first-time builders will build a budget system with an integrated graphics (more on those later), which greatly reduces the up-front cost of the system, but allows for easy graphics upgrades later.

II. Mid-Range

A mid-range system is one which costs “around $1000.00”. With recent semiconductor shortages, I would suggest this number be increased to $1500.00. The PC world has settled on that figure as a “sweet spot” for getting the most performance for the money. At this price point, more powerful hardware, multiple storage devices, and some creature comforts are a possibility. My first PC build was in this range, and I suggest first time builders start here with their first PC. Here a balance is struck between not worrying how every penny should be spent and too much spending on aspects that don’t really matter.

III. High-End

High-end PCs are usually defined as anything over $2500.00. Beyond this price point, performance takes a backseat to other, more expensive considerations like high-end lighting or custom water cooling. While some people do need such a powerful machine (eSports Players, Cryptocurrency Miners, etc.) the vast majority of people will never use such performance. Instead, enthusiast often spend extreme sums of money building incredibly powerful, incredibly refined machines. At this price point, a custom PC becomes a form a self expression, almost a form of art. To see what I’m talking about, here are some custom PC builds for Post Malone and Terry Crews.