Assembling a PC is fun, however, determining how much it costs to build a PC can be a challenge, especially for beginners. This is because most PC components, like the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage drive come with various specs, offerings, and brand choices.
Also, the cost of a custom PC depends heavily on its purpose. For instance,
- A basic PC may cost anywhere from $400 to $800
- A mid-range PC may cost $800 to $1200
- A high-end PC costs ≥ $1500
Hopefully, this breakdown gives you an idea. In this article, I’ll address all cost-related concerns with great depth and clarity. I’ll also guide how to prepare the right budget, avoid overspending, and whether it’s cheaper to build or buy.
Let’s get started!
Contents
The Average Cost of Custom PC Build
Below is a table to help you gauge the average cost of custom PC builds. I have taken several usage types into consideration.
Note: I will be mentioning the price range for each category and sub-category, as it is impossible to zero in on a single price point.
Types | Entry-level | Mid-range | High-end |
---|---|---|---|
Basic home PCs | $400-$800 | $800-$1200 | $1200+ |
Work PCs | $500-$1000 | $1000-$1500 | $1500+ |
Gaming PCs | $600-$1000 | $1000-$1800 | $1800+ |
Video editing PCs | $1200-$2000 | $2000-$3000 | $3000+ |
3D modeling PCs | $1500-$2500 | $2500-$3500 | $3500+ |
Scientific PCs | $2500-$3500 | $3500-$5000 | $5000+ |
Content creation PCs | $1000-$2000 | $2000-$3000 | $3000+ |
VR PCs | $1200-$2000 | $2000-$3000 | $3000+ |
High-performance PCs | $1500-$2500 | $2500-$3500 | $3500+ |
Home theater PCs | $500-$1000 | $1000-$1500 | $1500+ |
I’ll now create another table listing the average cost of different computer parts:
The Average Cost of PC Components
Component Name | Entry-level | Mid-range | High-end |
---|---|---|---|
CPU | ($120-$150) Intel Core i3/ AMD Ryzen 3 | ($200-$250) Intel core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 | ($300-$400+) Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 onwards |
Motherboard | ($30-$50) Gigabyte B450M DS3H or ASUS Prime B450M | ($120-$150) ASUS Rog Strix B550-F or MSI B450 Tomahawk | ($300-$400+) ASUS Rog Maximum XIII Hero or Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro |
RAM | ($30-$50) G.Skill Ripjaws 8GB or Kingston KVR26N 8GB | ($60-$80) Corsair Vengeance LPX or Silicon Power XPOWER DDR4 | ($120-$150+) Patriot Viper 4 or G.Skill Trident Z Neo |
Storage drive | ($50-$70) Crucial MX500 or Western Digital Blue 3D | ($100-$170) Samsung 970 EVO Plus NVMe SSD or Seagate FireCuda 520 1 TB NVMe SSD | ($200-$300+) Corsair MP400 2 TB NVMe or Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB NVMe |
Graphics card | ($150-$200) AMD RX 570 or NVIDIA GTX 1650 | ($400-$500) NVIDIA GTX 3060 or AMD RX 6800 | ($700-$1000+) NVIDIA GTX 3080 or Radeon RX 6900 XT |
Power supply | ($30-$60) EVGA 80+ Bronze or Seasonic S12II-520 80+ Bronze | ($80-$140) EVGA SuperNOVA 550W 80+ Gold or Corsair RM650x 650W 80+ Gold | ($140-$500+) EVGA SuperNOVA 850W 80+ Titanium or Corsair AX1600i 1600W 80+ Titanium |
Computer case | ($30-$70) Corsair Carbide Series 100R or Fractal Design Focus G Mini | ($80-$160) Phanteks Enthoo Pro or NZXT H5 Elite or Fractal Design Meshify | ($180-$500+) Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL ROG or Phanteks Enthoo Elite |
Cooler | ($30-$60) Cooler Master Hyper 212 or ARCTIC Freezer 34 Esports DUO | ($70-$140) Noctua NH-D15 or Corsair H100i RGB Platinum | ($150-$200) Phanteks PH-TC14PE or be quiet! Shadow TF 2 |
Note: There can be other combinations for RAM modules, storage drives, CPUs, motherboards, and other parts depending on the purpose of your computer.
How Much Does it Cost to Build a Gaming PC?
Well, gaming is the most popular use case among PC builders, at least for me. So let me put together a standard price list of components needed whilst building a gaming PC. I am keeping a budget of $1500. Consider it a mid-range build.
Here is what I can put together:
1. Motherboard: ASRock B560M-ITX/ac
2. CPU: Intel Core i5-11600K3
3. RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB-DDR4
4. GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
5. Storage: Kingston A2000 500GB NVMe SSD
6. Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro4
7. Case: Phanteks Enthoo Pro
8. PSU: EVGA SuperNOVA 750W G5
A gaming PC build cost can even go beyond $1800, per the table I chalked out earlier.
This would set you back by $1260 to $1400, depending on the availability. The mentioned assembly can easily handle the likes of Cyberpunk 2077, Fortnite, and other high-end games at decent frame rates — 60-100 FPS.
Do note that gaming PCs usually cost more than normal PCs due to a host of reasons. These include the inclusion of powerful GPUs for gaming machines, high-speed processors, NVMe SSD modules, and advanced cooling solutions.
Factors That Determine the Cost of a PC Build
Now that I have touched upon the cost of building a PC, it is important to touch upon the key factor that determines the same.
1. Use-Case
It goes without saying that the purpose of your PC determines the money it takes to put it together. It is obvious that a 3D modeling PC would cost a lot more than one required for standard content writing or documentation.
2. Software Needs
This point aligns with the use-case as if you are planning to put together a 3D modeling or an architecture-specific PC, you might want it to run the likes of ZBrush, Maya, SolidWorks, AutoDesk 3DS Max, Rhino, and more. The price of putting together such a PC would be way higher than that of a basic work computer.
3. Component Quality
Even if you plan on building a gaming or a 3D modeling PC, the difference in the quality of components can lead to different price points. For instance, a mid-range 3D modeling PC with a Quadro P5000 GPU would cost less than a high-end variant with Quadro P6000.
4. Brand
Getting components from well-established brands can cost you more. Take the example of a PC case. A Phanteks variant will cost you more than a SilverStone variant, with the same set of specs.
5. Cooling solutions
This point again relates to the first two — the purpose of your PC. Gaming workstations require advanced cooling solutions, which do not come cheap.
Tips To Lower Your PC Build Costs (#3 is My Favorite)
Yes, it is possible to lower the overall cost of a custom computer system. Here are the ideas:
1. Prioritize
You might want to build the best computer. Trust me; everybody wants that. However, if you want to lower the costs, it is better to prioritize.
For instance, if you plan on running more tabs than everything else, getting a bigger chunk of RAM might do the trick. You can also save a lot if you are ready to replace the NVMe SSD with a sizable HDD.
2. Go smaller
If you do not plan to future-proof your PC, I would recommend going for a smaller PC case. SFF or Small Form Factor cases from Lian Li, Phanteks, and even Silverstone come at competitive rates and cost less that the ATX cases from the same brands.
For instance, you can pick a Lian Li TU150 case for almost $100, boasting a compact design and aluminum build.
3. Pick AMD for Intel
For the same set of features, AMD GPUs and CPUs cost less than NVIDIA and Intel counterparts. For instance, you can pick the AMD Radeon XT as the high-end GPU of choice instead of NVIDIA’s RTX 3070.
Both support ray tracing and offer excellent gaming performances. However, the AMD variant is priced lower than the NVIDIA variant by a couple of hundred dollars.
4. Focus on the Motherboard
Once you plan out the exact specifications for your PC, you can purchase the motherboard accordingly. In most cases, you can pick a budget-specific motherboard just to lower the space wastage.
5. Look for Deals
Black Friday deals can be pretty good when it comes to picking the best components at throwaway prices. Therefore, it is advisable to plan a build during the discount phase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Consider the high-end and entry-level PCs; the average cost comes out to be almost $1800. At this average price, you can easily get hold of a pretty decent gaming or even a mid-range high-performance PC.
It is always cheaper to build a PC, provided you are comparing it with a similarly loaded prebuilt PC. As you can choose and prioritize components as per your needs, custom builds end up costing less.
It is always worth building a PC. In fact, it is more satisfying as you can plan out the types of games and software modules you want to run, pick components accordingly, and fit them as per your aesthetic preferences.
Yes, it is possible to build a PC for under $500. You will need to choose budget components like the Corsair 100R case, ASRock A320M-HDV motherboard, a standard Ryzen 3 2200G CPU, a Corsair Vengeance LPX 8GB RAM (DDR4), a Kingston A400 SSD (120GB), and even an EVGA 500 W1 power supply.
If you follow the exact instructions, get all the tools and important components (including the anti-static setup) in place, and have a fair idea regarding the PC components, it is relatively easy to build a PC from scratch.
Conclusion
Building a PC is costly and time-consuming. The cost varies based on factors covered earlier. Further research is needed for specific PC types like architecture, scientific work, VR, etc., to understand necessary components and price points. This will enhance your PC-building experience.
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