PC Builds that make sense
Gaming PC Builds
Gaming PC Builds with logical tier steps, from extreme budget to the best
Notes
I'd recommend this setup for those looking for decent PC gaming on a tight budget or those looking to get into PC Gaming. Graphics wise, you should be able to play most games at 1080p high, or even 1440p low-medium in most games. However in "Next Gen" games like Starfield or any Unreal Engine 5 game, expect to play on 1080p Low/Medium settings.
Notes
This would be the recommended build for the majority of people for PC Gaming on a budget. Graphics settings on this build are expected to be 1440p medium on any game. This also provides a platform with future CPU upgrades, and enough PSU wattage for future GPU upgrades. The CPU cooler may need to be upgraded for better CPUs later.
Notes
This build is the best cost to performance value currently. Ray Tracing is solid at this level. Play in 4K/2160p in many titles is possible. Future upgrades to higher end GPUs may require a 1000w PSU.
Notes
This build is for those that want 4K gaming. Ray Tracing is quite solid at this level.
Notes
If you want the absolute best and you have no budget, this is it.
Disclaimers
GPUs and Market Prices
Recent GPUs with retail market prices sorted by performance, lowest to highest
Notes
These are only currently available new GPUs from retailers. This is only showing typical rasterization performance, not ray tracing performance. Per game performance varies. Some games perfer Radeon or GeForce.
Do know that all GPUs on this list will play modern games at least 1080p medium, so even if the card is labeled low tier, don't be fooled into thinking it is a "bad card". Value for performance is important
Workstation Builds
Workstation builds for amateur and professional use like video production, 3D modeling, etc
Notes
Good entry workstation for professional workloads like compiling, photo editing and graphic design, occasional video editing, occasional 3D rendering.
Notes
This is the best tier for price to performance for workstations, before you start getting into much more expensive Threadripper based systems. You can also game on this and use this for AI generation like Stable Diffusion.
Notes
This is where we get into a more crazy high end workstation performance and pricing. You can also choose to do 3 or 4 of these workstation GPUs or get a better single GPU in this setup. The PSU setup allows it and the motherboard has plenty of PCI-E slots. The RTX A5000 is not as powerful as the RTX 4090, but this is a workstation card with ECC memory and can easily be mixed with multiple GPUs. The precision and stability will be wanted for serious production work.
Notes
This is probably the best workstation build you can do for now until a new generation of Threadripper comes along. You could technically do a dual socket EPYC setup, but it is much more complex to setup since it's not designed for workstation use.
Disclaimers
Laptops
Recommended laptops for various needs
Monitors
Recommended monitors for Gaming AND Creative work
Disclaimers
Tips and Resources for PC Gaming & Building
Tips, Tricks, Wikis, Videos, and other resources for PC Building and Gaming
About & FAQ
You have questions. I might have answers