PC Builder: Parts Picker with Compatibility Checks

Worked examples

These examples use part IDs that remain in the current dataset and the same compatibility and power formulas the tool runs in your browser. Dollar totals are intentionally omitted because the v2.1 dataset has stored no retailer prices since 2026-08-01.

Mainstream 1440p AM5 build that passes every check (the most common path through the tool)

• Inputs: CPU cpu-r5-9600x (Ryzen 5 9600X, tdp_w 65, AM5, tier mid) · Motherboard mb-b650-tomahawk (MSI B650 Tomahawk WiFi, AM5/B650, DDR5) · RAM ram-ddr5-32gb-6000 (G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30) · GPU gpu-rx-9060-xt-16gb (RX 9060 XT 16GB, tgp_w 150, length 270mm, tier mid) · Storage ssd-sn850x-2tb · PSU psu-750w-gold · Case case-meshify-2 (341mm GPU clearance)
• Result: Price check “14 current retailer searches” · Estimated power draw 365 W (CPU + GPU + 150W system) · Recommended PSU 450W or higher (20% margin) · Performance tier “Mid — 1440p” · Green banner: “Build looks compatible. Estimated load 365W, PSU rated 750W.” Selecting the seven parts creates fourteen current retailer-search buttons.

4K flagship where the 750W PSU misses the margin gate by 6W — the PSU-undersizing rule firing on a genuinely close call

• Inputs: CPU cpu-r7-9800x3d (Ryzen 7 9800X3D, tdp_w 120) · Motherboard mb-b850-edge · RAM ram-ddr5-32gb-6000 · GPU gpu-rtx-5080-fe (RTX 5080 Founders Edition, tgp_w 360, length 304mm) · Storage ssd-sn850x-2tb · PSU psu-750w-gold (750W) · Case case-h7-flow (410mm GPU clearance)
• Result: Price check “14 current retailer searches” · Estimated power draw 630 W · Recommended PSU 800W or higher (20% margin) · Performance tier “Flagship — 4K + path tracing” · Red error: “PSU undersized: estimated load 630W + 20% margin = 756W, but RM750x (2024) 750W 80+ Gold is 750W. Bump to 800W or higher.” Swapping to the RM850x (850W) clears the compatibility warning.

What this is

A real PC build picker. Choose a CPU and the motherboard dropdown only shows boards that fit the socket. Pick a board and the RAM dropdown only shows compatible kits. The summary panel estimates power draw with a 150W system-overhead allowance, recommends PSU wattage with a 20% safety margin, and sets the performance tier from the lower of the CPU and GPU tiers. For each selected part, it also creates labeled Amazon and Newegg searches so you can check current listings without pretending a stored figure is live.

Compatibility warnings fire in real time: socket mismatch, chipset incompatibility, RAM type mismatch, PSU undersizing, and GPU-too-long-for-case clearance. Build URL captures the full state so you can share a build by copying the URL bar.

Why this exists

Most PC-builder sites are either link-out farms or PCPartPicker reskins. This one is opinionated about the parts list: each entry is editor-picked, and the notes explain why it is in the dataset. It cannot quote a live build total, simulate every multi-GPU or water-cooling edge case, or guarantee inventory. It can prevent the common hard failures — a 358mm GPU in a 341mm case, DDR4 in a DDR5 board, or a PSU below the calculated margin — and send you to current retailer results only after you have a compatible list.

The underlying parts dataset is published openly under CC BY 4.0 at /data/pc-builder-parts.json — you can fork it, remix it, or build your own picker on top of it. Required attribution: TechFuelHQ PC Builder Parts Dataset, CC BY 4.0. The same applies to every TechFuelHQ open dataset.

Assumptions and sources

• Component power, socket, RAM-type, and clearance figures are the entries in the published /data/pc-builder-parts.json dataset, transcribed from manufacturer product pages; the dataset stores no retailer prices by design (since 2026-08-01), which is why the tool links live searches instead of quoting totals.
• The estimated draw adds a flat 150W system allowance for the board, drives, fans, and lighting on top of CPU and GPU rated power - a TechFuelHQ working assumption, deliberately conservative for a single-GPU build.
• The recommended PSU applies a 20% margin over estimated draw - a TechFuelHQ sizing rule, the same margin the PSU calculator uses as its floor.