PC Builds

PC build guides

Complete builds at honest price points, plus the component deep-dives behind them. Every build here lists the exact parts, the real price at the time of writing, the receipts where I have them, and the reason each component beat its closest competition — not a spec sheet copied off a launch slide.

How I build

Three rules run through every build on this page:

• No sponsored parts, no paid placement. Nothing here is chosen because a vendor sent it or pays for the slot — if a cheaper part is the right call, that’s the part. (The full standard is on the disclosure and methodology pages.)
• Cited benchmarks, or first-hand numbers from gear I own. Performance claims either link to a named third-party source (TechSpot, Tom’s Hardware, GamersNexus) or come from my own bench — currently a Ryzen 7 7800X3D / RTX 5080 rig in St. Louis County. Where a number can’t be backed either way, it’s left out.
• No regret parts. Every component has to be one I wouldn’t be embarrassed to still run in three years — a current-gen socket, real headroom in the power supply, and a board that can take the next chip.

By budget

The library is built around honest price tiers, not one “best” rig:

• Mid-range 1440p (~$1,500): the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB build is the current anchor — full parts list, May 2026 prices, and 1440p benchmarks.
• High-end 4K (~$2,500): the $2,500 RTX 5080 + 7800X3D 4K build is the flagship — first-party 4K benchmarks, June 2026 prices, and the 7800X3D-vs-9800X3D call.
• Budget 1080p (~$1,100): the cheapest sensible AM5 1080p build for 2026 — current parts, real prices, and why the RAM crisis moved the entry price off $800.

Spec your own

Three tools do the math so you don’t have to guess: the PC Builder checks socket, PSU, and case-clearance compatibility as you swap parts; the PSU Wattage Calculator sizes the power supply for your exact components; and the Budget Builder sorts gear by what you can actually spend.

Component pricing moves quickly. The “Last updated” date on every article reflects when prices were last verified; the receipts in older builds are dated artifacts of when those parts were bought, not promises about today’s street prices.