The TBG DIY PC Build Guides
Introduction to the TBG PC Build Guides
Welcome to TBG’s DIY PC Build Guides! This is where you’ll find all the best PC builds on the ‘net, from ultra-compact home office PCs to screaming-fast gaming towers. In total, we offer 20 distinct DIY PC Build guides, constantly updated with the latest and greatest components.
The April 2024 Updates
Early 2024 saw a few major product updates, but nothing that shook up the DIY PC industry in a serious way. Much remains the same as it did in late-2023: the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is simply the fastest, most cost-effective, energy-efficient gaming CPU ever made. We recommend it in a bunch of our higher-end gaming builds. We have a few other picks for lower-budget system (mainly AMD CPUs as well), and for our high-end professional or mixed-use systems, we mainly go with Intel’s latest Core i7 and Core i9 CPUs, which might not be particularly efficient, but certainly out-boost and “out-core” AMD’s options. That translates to amazing all-around performance.
In the GPU world, we’re going to be in stasis for a while, with no major releases predicted until the end of the year. That means our picks will likely remain consistent for a while: AMD sweeps at the budget end of the spectrum, while Nvidia and AMD trade blows in the premium segment, and nothing will touch Nvidia’s RTX 4090 at the high end. In fact, it’s so dominating that it appears Nvidia will buck previous trends and won’t bother to release a 4090 “Ti” or “Super”.
With regard to other key components, we’re continuing to see a steady rise in SSD prices, and this is not going to end soon, unfortunately. They’ve gone up 30-50% since late-2023, and will likely go up another 15-20% before the price correction is over. The good news is that the closely-related DRAM market has stabilized after bouncing off its price floor, and we have now seen RAM prices hold steady for several months in a row. That is great news, folks, because these prices are still very attractive historically speaking.
Finally, we wanted to give a shout out to cooler manufacturers, who have been releasing a steady stream of excellent new models that perform at significantly higher levels than older models, and importantly this is on a noise-normalized basis. We’ll take a bit of credit for weaning manufacturers off their habit of simply upping the RPM of fans on new models to juice the charts. We are now getting legitimately better designs, to the point where if you have a top cooler from just a few years ago, it is absolutely outperformed by mid-range models today. In fact, there’s not a cooler in our guides that’s more than one year old, meaning the entire market has been refreshed during that time!
Using the TBG PC Build Guides
Whether it’s your first, tenth, or hundredth time building a PC, these guides will set you up with the best components you can buy. To find the right PC for you, feel free to browse all of the options below, or alternatively choose specific criteria from our filter browser below, which will display just the builds that meet your needs. You can then click on the “View Specs” button to see a quick view of prices, parts, and dimensions, or click the “View Guide” button to jump straight to the full Build Guide for that build. Happy hunting, and good luck with whichever build you choose!
Our DIY PC Build Guides are updated monthly, and sometimes daily, to ensure you get the most up-to-date info. If you appreciate the work we do on these, don’t forget to use our Amazon and Newegg links to support continued publication of these guides. And if you’re specifically interested in Small Form Factor PCs, definitely check out our monthly guide to the Small Form Factor PC Market as well.
We’d like to express special thanks to SilverStone Technology Co., which sponsors the TBG PC Build Guides. Founded in 2003, SilverStone has made major contributions to PC case design, small form factor PC development, and power supply innovation!
The Best $500 Ultra-Compact NUC PC Build – April 2024
The Pre-Built Option
The Best $500 Home Office PC Build – April 2024
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Option
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 5600G w/ Vega Graphics ($118)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC ($110)
- Memory – Silicon Power 2x8GB DDR4-3200 ($34)
- Solid-State Drive – Teamgroup MP33 512GB NVMe ($39)
- Case – Cooler Master Q300L ($40)
- Power Supply – Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ ($40)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
Optional Products
- Video Card – PowerColor Radeon RX 6600 Fighter 8GB ($200)
- The Basic Wireless Keyboard/Mouse Combo – Logitech MK270 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo ($23)
- The 24-inch Small Office Monitor – Sceptre E248W-19203R ($100)
- The Basic PC Speakers – Creative Pebble 2.0 ($18)
- Webcam – Logitech C920x Pro HD Webcam ($63)
The Best $750 Small Office Mini-ITX PC Build – April 2024
Required Components
Optional Products
- Solid-State Drive – Silicon Power 2TB SATA ($100)
- The 24-inch Small Office Monitor – Sceptre E248W-19203R ($100)
- The Basic Wireless Keyboard/Mouse Combo – Logitech MK270 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo ($23)
- Webcam – Logitech C920x Pro HD Webcam ($63)
- The Basic PC Speakers – Creative Pebble 2.0 ($18)
The Best $750 Budget Gaming PC Build – March 2024
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Build
- CPU – Intel Core i3-12100F ($95)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte H610M S2H V2 DDR4 ($90)
- Video Card – XFX Radeon RX 7600 SWFT210 8GB ($260)
- Memory – Silicon Power 2x8GB DDR4-3200 ($34)
- Solid-State Drive – Teamgroup MP33 1TB NVMe ($62)
- Case – Antec NX200 M ($54)
- Power Supply – Thermaltake Smart 500W 80+ ($40)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
Optional Products
- Wireless Card – TP-Link Archer T5E AC1200/Bluetooth 4.2 ($27)
- The Bargain Gaming Headset – HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 ($40)
- The Budget Gaming Keyboard – Logitech G213 Gaming Keyboard ($50)
- The Mid-Range Gaming Mouse – Logitech G502 Hero ($36)
- The 24-inch 165Hz Gaming Monitor – Sceptre E248B-FPT168 24″ 165Hz ($120)
The Best $1,000 High-End Home Theater PC Build – April 2024
Required Components
- CPU – Intel Core i5-13500 ($200)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte B760 AORUS Elite AX ($170)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x16GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6400 CL32 ($110)
- Solid-State Drive – TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0 ($69)
- Case – SilverStone GD09-C ($113)
- Power Supply – SilverStone ST55F-GS ($84)
- CPU Cooler – DeepCool AN600 ($55)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
The Best $1000 Mid-Range Gaming PC Build – April 2024
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Option
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 5600X ($157)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC ($110)
- Video Card – PowerColor Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB Fighter ($340)
- Memory – Silicon Power 2x8GB DDR4-3200 ($34)
- Solid-State Drive – TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0 ($69)
- Case – SilverStone PS15 Pro ($74)
- Power Supply – SilverStone ET550-B ($60)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
The Best $1000 Content Creation PC Build – April 2024
Required Components
- CPU – Intel Core i7-14700K ($400)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte B760M DS3H AX ($140)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x16GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6400 CL32 ($110)
- Solid-State Drive – TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0 ($69)
- Case – SilverStone Fara H1M ($63)
- Power Supply – SilverStone ET550-B ($60)
- CPU Cooler – Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 ($35)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
Optional Products
The Best $1000 eSports Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build – April 2024
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 5600 ($140)
- Motherboard – ASRock B550M-ITX/AC ($111)
- Video Card – PowerColor Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB Fighter ($340)
- Memory – Silicon Power 2x8GB DDR4-3200 ($34)
- Solid-State Drive – Teamgroup MP33 1TB NVMe ($62)
- Case – SilverStone SG13 ($65)
- Power Supply – SilverStone SX500-G ($108)
- Adapter – SilverStone PP08 ($12)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
The Best $1500 High-End Gaming PC Build – April 2024
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 7600X ($207)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX ($190)
- Video Card – Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Super Twin Edge 12GB OC ($610)
- Memory – TeamGroup 2x16GB T-Force Vulcan DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO ($103)
- Solid-State Drive – TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0 ($69)
- Case – Phanteks XT Pro Ultra ($90)
- Power Supply – Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 650W ($91)
- CPU Cooler – Arctic Freezer 36 ($25)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
The Best $1,500 Stock Trading PC Build – April 2024
Required Components
- CPU – Intel Core i9-14900K ($540)
- Motherboard – MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi II DDR5 ($180)
- Video Card – PowerColor Radeon RX 6600 Fighter 8GB ($200)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x16GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6400 CL32 ($110)
- Solid-State Drive – WD_Black SN850x 1TB NVMe ($85)
- Case – Asus AP201 White Mesh ($70)
- Power Supply – SilverStone DA750R ($101)
- CPU Cooler – DeepCool Assassin 4S ($80)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
Optional Products
- The 34-inch Widescreen Monitor – Philips 346E2CUAE ($400)
- The Ultimate Business Keyboard – Logitech MX Keys S Wireless Illuminated Keyboard ($110)
- The Deluxe Wireless Mouse – Logitech MX Master 3S ($100)
- The Deluxe PC Speakers – Logitech Z207 Multi Device Speakers ($60)
- Webcam – Logitech C920x Pro HD Webcam ($63)
The Best $1500 High-End Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build – April 2024
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 7600X ($207)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte A620I AX ($130)
- Video Card – Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Super Twin Edge 12GB OC ($610)
- Memory – TeamGroup 2x16GB T-Force Vulcan DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO ($103)
- Solid-State Drive – TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0 ($69)
- Case – SilverStone SG16 ($85)
- Case Fan – Arctic P12 PWM ($9)
- Power Supply – SilverStone SX500-G ($108)
- CPU Cooler – Thermaltake TH120 Black V2 ($70)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
The Best $2000 High-End Content Creation PC Build – March 2024
Required Components
- CPU – Intel Core i7-14700KF ($379)
- Motherboard – MSI MAG Z790-A Max WiFi ($240)
- Video Card – Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 12GB Twin Edge OC ($540)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x32GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6400 CL32 ($205)
- Solid-State Drive – Crucial T500 2TB Gen4 ($152)
- Case – Fractal Design North White ($140)
- Power Supply – SilverStone DA750R ($101)
- CPU Cooler – DeepCool Assassin IV White ($100)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
Optional Products
- Sound Card – Creative Sound Blaster AE-7 ($210)
- The 32-inch Professional 4K Monitor – ViewSonic VP3256-4K ($500)
- The Ultimate Business Keyboard – Logitech MX Keys S Wireless Illuminated Keyboard ($110)
- The Deluxe Wireless Mouse – Logitech MX Master 3S ($100)
- The Deluxe PC Headset – SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless ($137)
The Best $2000 Premium Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build – April 2024
The DIY PC Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D ($390)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte B650I AORUS Ultra ($250)
- – Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT 20GB Pulse ($700)
- Memory – TeamGroup 2x16GB T-Force Vulcan DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO ($103)
- Solid-State Drive – Crucial T500 2TB Gen4 ($152)
- Case – Cooler Master NR200 ($90)
- Power Supply – SilverStone SST-SX650-G ($138)
- CPU Cooler – Scythe Mugen 6 Black (Dual Fan Edition) ($55)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
The Best $2000 Premium Gaming PC Build – April 2024
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D ($390)
- Motherboard – MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi ($200)
- Video Card – Asus GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super 16GB TUF ($800)
- Memory – TeamGroup 2x16GB T-Force Vulcan DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO ($103)
- Solid-State Drive – Lexar NM790 2TB ($148)
- Case – Lian Li Lancool 216 RGB ($100)
- CPU Cooler – Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 ($35)
- Power Supply – SilverStone DA750R ($101)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
The Best $2500 Extreme 4K Gaming PC Build – April 2024
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D ($390)
- Motherboard – ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi ($260)
- Video Card – XFX Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB MERC310 ($927)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO ($210)
- Solid-State Drive – WD_Black SN850X 2TB NVMe ($155)
- Case – Phanteks Eclipse G500A Digital RGB @Newegg ($130)
- ARGB Fan – ARCTIC P14 PWM PST A-RGB ($18)
- Power Supply – SilverStone DA850R ($111)
- CPU Cooler – SilverStone IceMyst 360 ($137)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
The Best $3,000 Extreme Mini-ITX Gaming PC Build – April 2024
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D ($569)
- Motherboard – Asus ROG Strix B650E-I ($312)
- Video Card – Zotac GeForce RTX 4080 Super 16GB @Newegg ($1000)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO ($210)
- Solid-State Drive – Crucial T705 2TB PCIe Gen 5 ($282)
- Case – LIAN LI A4-H2O X4 ($155)
- Power Supply – Corsair SF750 ($170)
- CPU Cooler – DeepCool LS520S Zero Dark 240mm ($80)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
The Best $3000 Elite RGB Gaming PC Build – March 2024
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D ($390)
- Motherboard – MSI B650M Project Zero ($230)
- Video Card – Zotac GeForce RTX 4080 Super 16GB White @Newegg ($1070)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO White ($223)
- Solid-State Drive – WD_Black SN850X 4TB NVMe ($294)
- Case – Corsair 2500X White ($160)
- Case Fan – Corsair iCUE LINK QX120 3-Pack White ($140)
- Power Supply – SilverStone DA850R White ($150)
- CPU Cooler – Corsair iCUE Link H150i LCD CPU Cooler White ($285)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
Optional Products
The Best $3500 Ultimate Gaming PC Build – April 2024
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D ($390)
- Motherboard – ASUS ROG Strix B650E-F Gaming WiFi ($260)
- Video Card – Asus GeForce RTX 4090 TUF OC @Newegg ($1800)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO ($210)
- Solid-State Drive – Samsung 990 Pro 2TB ($190)
- Case – be quiet! Shadow Base 800 FX ARGB ($180)
- Power Supply – SilverStone DA1000R ($160)
- CPU Cooler – SilverStone IceMyst 360 ($137)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
The Best $5000 Dream Machine Gaming PC Build – April 2024
The DIY Build
- CPU – Intel Core i9-14900K ($540)
- Motherboard – ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi II ($480)
- Video Card – MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Suprim Liquid X 24G @Newegg ($1970)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6800 CL34 ($270)
- Memory – Second Kit of G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6800 CL34 ($270)
- Solid-State Drive – Crucial T705 4TB PCIe Gen 5 ($544)
- Case – MSI MEG Prospect 700R ($380)
- Power Supply – be quiet! Straight Power 11 Platinum 1500W ($250)
- CPU Cooler – SilverStone IceMyst 360 ($137)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
Optional Products
The Best $10,000 Supreme Dream Machine Gaming PC Build – March 2024
The DIY Build
- CPU – Intel Core i9-14900KS ($672)
- Motherboard – ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero ($687)
- Video Card – MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Suprim Liquid X 24G @Newegg ($1970)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6800 CL34 ($270)
- Memory – Second Kit of G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6800 CL34 ($270)
- Solid-State Drive – Crucial T705 4TB PCIe Gen 5 ($544)
- Solid-State Drive – Corsair MP600 Pro XT 8TB ($970)
- Solid-State Drive – Second Corsair MP600 Pro XT 8TB ($970)
- Case – Cooler Master HAF 700 EVO ($500)
- Power Supply – be quiet! Dark Power Pro 13 1600W ($400)
- CPU Cooler – Corsair iCUE Link H170i LCD CPU Cooler ($340)
- Operating System – Microsoft Windows 11 Pro Flash Drive @Newegg ($199)
Optional Products
- The Ultimate Gaming Keyboard – Corsair K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard ($200)
- The Ultralight Gaming Mouse – Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro Wireless ($150)
- The Ultimate Gaming Headset – SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless ($349)
- The Super-Ultra-Wide Gaming Monitor – Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 G95SC ($1300)