The Best $1,000 Content Creation PC Build – June 2021
Looking for the best video editing/content creation PC build you can buy for $1,000? You just found it! While content creation isn’t anything new, in the past it’s been the domain of agencies that could invest in a fleet of overpriced Mac Pros. For all you folks doing content creation at home or on the side, money spent on an overpriced content creation PC comes straight out of your bottom line. But there’s no need to overspend! This guide will set you up with a PC build perfect for video or photo editing that provides excellent performance, quiet operation, and ease of assembly, all at a great price. If you’re ready for a Content Creation PC Build that can handle any professional task you could throw at it, follow this guide to get the best component picks.
For June 2021, this build features Intel’s awesome Core i7-11700, an eight-core, 16-thread superstar that blows away everything that’s come before it, including Intel’s own Core i7-10700 and all of AMD’s CPUs in this price range. Intel has pulled the rug out from under AMD by dropping prices while AMD raises them, meaning it takes the price/performance crown by a longshot! Making the Intel CPU an even better deal these days is its built-in video, which is 50% faster than the previous-gen chip, and infinitely faster than AMD’s, since AMD CPUs don’t have built-in video! Given that video cards are completely unavailable at retail due to their use in cryptocurrency mining, built-in video is priceless. Keeping this system fed with data is 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, along with a fast 1TB PCIe-based solid-state drive. The PC is housed in a stylish SilverStone mid-tower case and powered by an efficient power supply. And take note: if you need a monitor or peripherals, we have some great recommendations for you at the end of this guide, but you can also check out our dedicated monitor buyer’s guide and peripherals buyer’s guide.
Note that throughout our this and all of our guides, we provide direct links to Amazon, Newegg, or B&H for our US readers, and our Amazon links will auto-convert for readers in the UK, Canada, and a number of countries in the EU, with substitutions made based on availability. To support this site, please use these links if you purchase any of the products we list.
Required Components
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CPU –Intel Core i7-11700 @B&H
$340Supercharge your content creation PC with the Intel Core i7-11700, an eight-core, 16-thread CPU that easily beats anything AMD can offer at this pricepoint, and is actually 20% faster than Intel’s equivalent 10th-Gen CPU. And perhaps most importantly, it has the fastest built-in graphics ever offered on a CPU, Intel’s UHD Graphics 750, which is priceless at a time when add-in video cards are sold out worldwide! This onboard graphics provides fantastic video acceleration capabilities.
The Guru’s TipThis CPU includes a cooler, and to keep costs in check, we suggest you use it for this build. Also note that it's constantly sold out, and we're linking here to a store where it's most likely to be in stock at a great price!
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Motherboard –MSI MAG B560 Tomahawk WiFi
$200This impressive board from MSI packs in an incredible number of features for the price. These include triple M.2 slots (the top one being a Gen 4 slot), cutting-edge 2.5Gbps LAN and Intel Wi-Fi 6E, nine USB ports (including a Type-C port), and 12+2+1-phase power system to handle the most power-hungry of CPUs under sustained loads.
The Guru’s TipYou'll be able to output to two UHD displays simultaneously using this board's HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 ports in conjunction with Intel's HD 750 graphics on the CPU.
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Memory –Crucial 2x8GB Ballistix DDR4-3200 Black
$88The Guru’s TipThanks to great price on mainstream RAM, we can now squeeze a whole lot of performance and capacity into your system by going with a 16GB DDR4-3200 kit. It will help you make the most of your snazzy new system, which fully supports this ultra-high RAM speed!To reach the rated speed of this kit, make sure to enable the memory overclocking profile in the motherboard BIOS.
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Solid-State Drive –XPG SX8200 Pro 1TB NVMe
$110The Guru’s TipHarnessing the power of cutting-edge TLC V-NAND, the NVMe protocol, and the PCIe interface, this SSD is by far the fastest drive at its pricepoint. It can hit sequential speeds of up to 3500MB/s! Note that you’ll need a jeweler’s-type screwdriver to affix it.While PCIe Gen 4 drives would work in this build, the premium for them is still far too high for a system in this price range.
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Case –Silverstone Fara B1 RGB
$70The Guru’s TipThe bargain-priced case offers tremendous features and style for the price. It has dual 120mm RGB fans to provide cooling and modern looks, along with a tempered glass side panel, a sleekly-styled front panel with ample venting, plus three USB ports on top.We used to recommend the standard single-fan version of this case, but this dual-fan version is now a better value and saves you the need to get another fan!
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Power Supply –Silverstone ET550-B
$56The Guru’s TipThis PSU easily beats every competitor in its price class, offering top-notch quality and Bronze-rated efficiency. With 550W of power on tap, this unit has plenty of headroom to keep this system going for years, even with significant upgrades, including more powerful video cards.While many lower-cost PSUs are of questionable quality, this is the real deal!
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Operating System –Windows 10 Home USB Flash Drive
$130The Guru’s TipWindows 10 was a big step up from Windows 8.1, and Microsoft continues to support Windows 10 users not only with regular security updates, but with major content releases every six months. And the USB version installs in under 5 minutes, meaning you can get right into using your system!W10 on USB is becoming harder to find in stock, so if it's sold out, you buy it via download from the same product page. All you need is an 8GB or bigger flash drive to load the image onto.
Optional Products
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The 24-inch Small Office Monitor –HP 24mh IPS Monitor
$125 The Guru’s TipWe recommend you use this monitor's HDMI cable input, as that will allow the use of its speakers.
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The Basic Wireless Keyboard/Mouse Combo –Logitech MK270 Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo
$25 The Guru’s TipThis wireless kit uses a single USB receiver for both devices, freeing up a port for other USB peripherals.
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The Deluxe PC Headset –Corsair HS70 BT
$100 The Guru’s TipThis model also has Bluetooth built in, allowing you to use it with your smartphone!
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Webcam –Logitech C925-e Webcam
$81 The Guru’s TipThis has a microphone built in, but in order to teleconference, you'll still need headphones to hear, or alternatively speakers, such as the ones below.
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The Basic PC Speakers –Creative Pebble 2.0
$20 The Guru’s TipNote that despite the name, these are far larger than a pebble!
Total Cost: $994
Required Components
- CPU – Intel Core i7-11700 @B&H ($340)
- Motherboard – MSI MAG B560 Tomahawk WiFi ($200)
- Memory – Crucial 2x8GB Ballistix DDR4-3200 Black ($88)
- Solid-State Drive – XPG SX8200 Pro 1TB NVMe ($110)
- Case – Silverstone Fara B1 RGB ($70)
- Power Supply – Silverstone ET550-B ($56)
- Operating System – Windows 10 Home USB Flash Drive ($130)
Optional Products
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The TBG DIY PC Build Guides
View all of 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 massive gaming towers.
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The Monitor Buyer's Guide
Upgrade the view for your PC with a new monitor - we list the best in our buyer's guide!
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Speaker & Headset Buyer's Guide
Upgrade your audio experience with our top-rated picks among speakers, headsets, and mics!
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The Wireless Networking Buyer's Guide
Need to upgrade your home network to get the most of your new PC? Check out our picks!