TechFuel HQWorked examples
These are this calculator’s own outputs, computed with the same formula the tool runs in your browser — so you can see a real answer without touching a single input.
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, $176) · Motherboard mb-b650-tomahawk (MSI B650 Tomahawk WiFi, AM5/B650, DDR5, $176) · RAM ram-ddr5-32gb-6000 (G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30, DDR5, $600) · GPU gpu-rx-9060-xt-16gb (RX 9060 XT 16GB, tgp_w 150, length_mm 270, tier mid, $445) · Storage ssd-sn850x-2tb (WD Black SN850X 2TB, $350) · PSU psu-750w-gold (Corsair RM750x 750W, $115) · Case case-meshify-2 (Fractal Meshify 2 Compact, max_gpu_length_mm 341, $119)
- Result: Total price $1,981 · Estimated power draw 365 W (CPU + GPU + 150W system) · Recommended PSU 450W or higher (20% margin) · Performance tier “Mid — 1440p” · Likely use case “1080p ultra” · Green banner: “Build looks compatible. Estimated load 365W, PSU rated 750W.”
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, AM5, tier flagship, $445) · Motherboard mb-b850-edge (MSI B850 Edge WiFi, AM5/B850, DDR5, $250) · RAM ram-ddr5-32gb-6000 ($600) · GPU gpu-rtx-5080-fe (RTX 5080 Founders Edition, tgp_w 360, length_mm 304, tier flagship, $999) · Storage ssd-sn850x-2tb ($350) · PSU psu-750w-gold (Corsair RM750x, wattage_w 750, $115) · Case case-h7-flow (NZXT H7 Flow, max_gpu_length_mm 410, $110)
- Result: Total price $2,869 · Estimated power draw 630 W · Recommended PSU 800W or higher (20% margin) · Performance tier “Flagship — 4K + path tracing” · Likely use case “4K ultra” · 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 it and moves the total to $2,894.
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 does the math: total price, estimated power draw with a 150W system-overhead allowance, recommended PSU wattage with a 20% safety margin, and a performance-tier estimate that takes the lower of CPU and GPU tier (so a flagship GPU paired with an entry-level CPU doesn’t lie to you).
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 glorified link-out farms or PCPartPicker reskins. This one is opinionated about the parts list (every entry is editor-picked, with a notes line explaining why it’s in the dataset) and honest about what it can and can’t tell you. It can’t promise that street prices haven’t moved since each part’s last verification date — most prices were re-verified 2026-07-24, and every part carries its own last_verified date (the 2026 PC part prices reference has the per-category breakdown and the staleness policy). It can’t simulate every edge case of multi-GPU or watercooling fitment. What it can do is keep you from buying a 358mm GPU for a case that maxes out at 341mm, or pairing DDR4 RAM with a DDR5 board.
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.