THE STARTER (~500USD)

The best bang-for-your-buck. This build is suitable for running most modern games at 1080p/60fps/medium settings.

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 rates shoot up. Do you care less about the frame rate than the extreme-quality visuals? Wonderful. Crank those dials up and witness the glory.

Type Item Price
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor $119.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard $72.98 @ Amazon
Memory Patriot Viper 4 Blackout 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory $39.99 @ Amazon
Storage TCSunBow X3 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive $51.99 @ Amazon
Video Card Zotac GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER 4 GB Twin Fan Video Card $159.99 @ Amazon
Case DIYPC MA08-BK MicroATX Mini Tower Case $30.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply Corsair CX (2017) 450 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply $49.99 @ Newegg
  Price/availability may vary.  
  Total $525.91


60 FPS ULTRA BUILD (~750USD)

A quality mid-range computer in the $750 range. This build is suitable for playing at "Ultra" graphics settings for most games, on 60 Hz refresh rate. With the components in this build, it will be able to support VR.

Type Item Price
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 2600 3.4 GHz 6-Core Processor $119.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard Gigabyte B450M DS3H Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard $72.98 @ Amazon
Memory XPG Z1 DDR4 3000MHz (PC4 24000) 16GB (2x8GB) $66.99 @ Amazon
Storage TCSunBow X3 480 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive $51.99 @ Amazon
Video Card XFX Radeon RX 5700 8 GB DD Ultra Video Card $319.99 @ B&H
Case Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case $39.99 @ Newegg
Power Supply EVGA GD (2019) 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply $59.99 @ Amazon
  Price/availability may vary.  
  Total $736.91


HIGH REFRESH RATE ULTRA BUILD (~1000USD)

This build is suitable for playing at "Ultra" graphics settings for most games, on refresh rates higher than 60 Hz. The base build offers 1080p (Full HD) resolution, while the augmentation allows you to pick higher resolution graphics cards. 

Type Item Price
CPU AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor $174.99 @ Amazon
Motherboard MSI B450M PRO-VDH MAX Micro ATX AM4 Motherboard $79.99 @ B&H
Memory Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 X 8GB) DDR4 3600 $74.99 @Amazon
Storage Team L5 LITE 3D 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive $105.99 @ Amazon
Video Card GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 2070 Super Windforce OC 8G Graphics $499.97 @ Amazon
Case Thermaltake Versa H22 ATX Mid Tower Case $42.98 @ Newegg
Power Supply EVGA GD (2019) 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply $64.98 @ Amazon
  Price/availability may vary.  
  Total $1043.89


ZERO ULTRA BUILD (~1800USD)

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 1440p/4K and high frame rates such as 144 Hz and 240 Hz.

Type Item Price
CPU AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor $309.97 @ Amazon
Motherboard MSI B450-A PRO MAX ATX AM4 Motherboard $99.99 @ Amazon
Memory Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 X 8GB) DDR4 3600 $74.99 @Amazon
Storage Mushkin PILOT 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive $128.99 @ Amazon
Video Card Asus GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB Dual OC Video Card $1029.99 @ Newegg
Case Phanteks Eclipse P400A ATX Mid Tower Case $74.98 @ Amazon
Power Supply SeaSonic FOCUS Gold 650 W 80+ Gold $99.99 @ Amazon
  Price/availability may vary.  
  Total $1818.90

 

Remember to always peer-review your builds with communities such as /r/PCMasterRace, /r/buildapc or /r/buildmeapc. Never buy public or example starter builds exactly as-is. There are always personal improvements and 24-hour sales that can lower the price while keeping or even improving price-performance.

Buying used can save you money, but always remember you may have trouble with it later on and possibly no warranty to lean on.

The feeling of nerve-wracking fear and simultaneous excitement is normal for first-time builders. Just remember that these things were made to be put together by humans like you. Just take your time and don't force square pegs into round holes and you'll be installing your OS and drivers in no time! If you need help, never be afraid to ask! Communities such as ours and many others online can help you. Check the links to our social networks and feel free to ask for help. Our discord server at discord.gg/pcmr has online chat rooms with build help. Our subreddit is always open for you to pose your questions.

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