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The Best $1000 Content Creation PC Build – May 2022

The Best $1000 Content Creation PC Build – May 2022

By Ari Altman | Published April 28, 2022 | Updated May 15, 2022

SilverStone Fara B1Your Ticket to Pro-Level Content Creation on a Budget!

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. And take note, this build also serves as our top recommendation for a Stock Trading PC at the $1000 pricepoint. In short, if you’re ready for a PC build that can handle any professional task you could throw at it, follow this guide to get the best component picks.

This Month’s Build, Powered by Intel!

For May  2022, this build is better than ever, thanks to the newly-released Intel Core i7-12700, a 12-core, 20-thread powerhouse of a CPU equipped with integrated Intel graphics. It’s the ultimate tool for content creators on a budget. The built-in video allows you to get up and running without worrying about the added expense of a separate video card, which would eat up enough of a $1,000 budget to lead to an overall lowering of performance.

Keeping this system fed with data is 32GB of ultra-fast DDR4-3600 RAM, which will accelerate both CPU and GPU tasks, along with a high-speed 1TB NVMe solid-state drive that’s perfect for content creation use. The PC is housed in a stylish SilverStone mid-tower case and powered by an efficient and quiet power supply.

Parting Thoughts

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 or Newegg 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

  • Intel Core i7-12700
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    CPU –

    Intel Core i7-12700

    $350

    Intel reclaimed the performance lead with its 12th-Gen “Alder Lake” CPUs, and the 12700 offers the perfect blend of performance and efficiency for high-end professional applications. It offers eight multi-threaded performance cores plus 4 efficiency cores, making it a beast for content creation and multi-tasking! Note that the 12700 is the “locked” version of its 12700K cousin, which means it cannot be overclocked, but for professional apps, overclocking is never a wise choice!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU includes a cooler, which adds to its value, but if you'd like a quieter overall system, pick up the cooler we list in the optional parts section of this guide.
  • Gigabyte B660 Aorus Master
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    Gigabyte B660 AORUS Master DDR4

    $190

    This feature-packed Socket 1700 board from Gigabyte is a perfect match for Intel’s latest CPUs. It offers a potent 16+1+1-phase VRM design with 60A power stage, three PCIe Gen 4 M.2 slots, a PCIe Gen 4 video card slot, ten USB ports (including a Type-C port), and integrated WiFi 6 plus 2.5Gbs LAN. It also has high-end audio using the Realtek ALC1220 codec. Note that it conforms to the DDR4 RAM standard, allowing the use of less expensive memory while maintaining similar performance to DDR5-based systems.

    The Guru’s Tip

    You'll be able to output to two UHD displays simultaneously using this board's HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.2 ports in conjunction with the graphics built into the CPU.
  • Viper Steel
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    Memory –

    Patriot 2x16GB Viper Steel DDR4-3600 C18

    $125

    Patriot offers the best performance per dollar of any major RAM manufacturer, and its 32GB kit of DDR4-3600 is proof positive of that. Featuring a fast 3600MHz speed and tight 18-20-20 timings, there is no better option anywhere near the price!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This ultra-fast RAM won't just help CPU performance, it will also unleash the onboard graphics, which uses system RAM in lieu of dedicated video RAM. Note that to reach the rated speed of this kit, you'll need to enable the memory overclocking profile in the motherboard BIOS.
  • WD Blue SN570
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    Solid-State Drive –

    WD Blue SN570 1TB NVMe

    $90

    WD knocked it out of the park with its high-performance yet bargain-priced SN570. Optimized for excellent real-world performance thanks to WD’s years of SSD development, it easily keeps up with much more expensive drives. This 1TB model can provide sequential read speeds of 3500MB/s and write speeds of 3500MB/s. Note that you’ll need a jeweler’s-type screwdriver to affix it.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This is far faster than any QLC-based drive, most of which cost more!
  • Click to Buy
    Case –

    Silverstone Fara B1 RGB

    $68
    The 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.
    The Guru’s Tip

    Thanks to the front- and rear-mounted fans in this chassis, there's no need to get another fan!
  • Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    Silverstone ET550-B

    $47
    This 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.
    The Guru’s Tip

    While many lower-cost PSUs are of questionable quality, this is the real deal!
  • Microsoft Windows 11
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    Operating System –

    Windows 11 Home USB

    $139

    Windows 11 take everything people loved about Windows 10, and then takes it to 11! It adds significant under-the-hood changes to make it faster and more secure, and of course, the interface is sleek too!

    The Guru’s Tip

    Windows 11 is definitely what you want on a system running Intel's latest hybrid processors!

Optional Products

  • Arctic Freezer 34
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    Arctic Freezer 34 w/ 1700 Kit

    $40
    This cooler is the perfect pick for a mainstream PC Build. Thanks to its advanced design, it offers nearly-silent operation despite excellent cooling capability. It uses our favorite all-around 120mm fan, the excellent Arctic P120.
    The Guru’s Tip

    This optional cooler will allow your system to perform more quietly, making it a great value enhancer.
  • Logitech MK735
    Click to Buy
    The Deluxe Wireless Keyboard/Mouse Combo –

    Logitech MK735 Keyboard/Mouse Combo

    $80
    This combo includes two great Logitech products at one great price. The keyboard has built-in media keys and a wrist rest, along with a handy LCD display to show status of various options like caps and num lock. The mouse is ergonomically designed and offers 7 customizable buttons. Both peripherals connect to your PC with a single tiny, Logitech Unifying USB receiver.
    The Guru’s Tip

    This wireless kit uses a single USB receiver for both devices, freeing up a port for other USB peripherals.
  • Click to Buy
    The 32-inch 4K Monitor –

    LG 32UD60-B 4K

    $330
    Looking for the best high-end content creation monitor available at a bargain price? This is it! It gives you a great view of your desktop, thanks to its massive 32″ 4K panel! It also includes a highly-adjustable stand for proper ergonomics.
    The Guru’s Tip

    The value this monitor offers to content creators can't be overstated!
  • Click to Buy
    Webcam –

    Logitech C920x Pro HD Webcam

    $70
    Need to use your PC for video conferencing? No problem! Just add this high-quality 1080p webcam from Logitech, which includes a built-in microphone. Just remember that if your monitor doesn’t have built-in speakers, you’ll also need stand-alone speakers for web conferencing to work. We’re amazed at the number of people who use headphones for video conferencing when it’s so much more professional to use gear attached to your PC, rather than your head!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This 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.
  • Click to Buy
    The Basic PC Speakers –

    Creative Pebble 2.0

    $19
    Because desktop PCs, unlike laptops, don’t have internal speakers, we recommend you pick up Creative’s Pebble kit. Whether it’s music, You Tube videos, TV, or movies, Pebble will sound great.
    The Guru’s Tip

    Note that despite the name, these are far larger than a pebble!
  • Click to Buy
    The Budget Wireless PC Headset –

    ‎SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless

    $97

    SteelSeries has made a name for itself in the gaming headset world with its no-nonsense focus on performance. The Arctis 1 follows in this tradition with high-end drivers, lossless 2.4 GHz wireless for ultra-low latency wireless connectivity on both PC and PS4/PS5, a detachable bidirectional microphone, and 20 hours of battery life.

     The Guru’s Tip

    We really value wireless connectivity on headsets when doing content creation, as we're never at our desk for too long!

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