The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $1250 Quiet Gaming PC Build – November 2023

The Best $1250 Quiet Gaming PC Build – November 2023

By Ari Altman | Published November 6, 2023 | Updated November 6, 2023

NZXT H5

Note: This guide is no longer updated. Please see our $1000 Build or our $1500 Build for the most current component recommendations.

Game Hard, Run Silent!

Want a high-powered Quiet Gaming PC Build that delivers an excellent gaming experience while running in near silence? Then the $1,250 Quiet Gaming PC Build is the system for you! Every component has been chosen to maximize performance in both games and applications, while minimizing noise.

This Month’s Build, an All-AMD Machine!

For November 2023, the Quiet Gaming PC Build gets huge upgrades across the board, starting with AMD’s ultra-modern Zen 4 platform. In this system, we’re going for the Ryzen 5 7600 6-core, 12-thread CPU, which offers unbeatable performance for the price. It’s supporting the equally-amazing AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB video card. This combo can handle resolutions up to 2560 x 1440 with ease, and the GPU is also very quiet thanks to its excellent efficiency and cooler.

As for the other components, the Quiet Gaming PC Build is loaded up with big upgrades versus past months, including 32GB of DDR4-6000 RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive. It also gets a silent CPU cooler and an efficient Gold-rated power supply. Bringing it all together is the stylish NZXT H5 Flow tempered glass case.

Parting Thoughts

We also list a few of our favorite accessories to complete the Quiet Gaming PC build, including a responsive keyboard, a great low-cost mouse, and an excellent 165Hz gaming monitor, but feel free to check out our dedicated Monitor Buyer’s Guide and Peripherals Buyer’s Guide for more options.

We update this build on a monthly basis to incorporate new product releases or major price adjustments, so check back often. Throughout our guides, we provide direct shopping links to Amazon for our readers in the US, which will auto-convert for readers in other countries, including Canada, the UK, and parts of the EU, with automatic substitutions made where necessary. Your use of these links helps keep this guide alive!

The Pre-Built Option

  • Skytech
    Click to Buy
    The Mainstream Gaming Desktop –

    Skytech Archangel 12400F/RTX 4060 Ti

    $1100
    Grab this Skytech gaming PC at an insanely-low price! Equipped with an Intel Core i5-12400F 6-core, 12-thread processor and a GeForce RTX 4060 Ti 8GB, it’s ready to game, and priced lower than any other similar system you can find on the market today. Also on the component list is 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, a 1TB solid-state drive, built-in 802.11ac wireless networking, and Windows 11!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This system is nearly as fast as the DIY build we profile below, and comes in at a great price, so if you're in a rush to game, it's your best bet!

The DIY Build

  • AMD Ryzen 5 7600
    Click to Buy
    CPU –

    AMD Ryzen 5 7600

    $210
    AMD did it again with Zen 4, simply smashing through the performance barrier in all respects. The 6-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 7600 is up to 25% faster in content creation than its predecessor, while offering simply amazing energy efficiency plus the latest connectivity standards thanks to the advanced AM5 platform.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU comes with a cooler, but we recommend a quieter model later in this guide.
  • Gigabyte B850
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    Gigabyte B850 AORUS Elite WiFi7

    $240
    This B850 board from Gigabyte allows you to tap into the potential of AMD’s cutting-edge AM5 platform at a great price. You get a potent 14+2+2 Phase power solution, a PCIe Gen 5 video card slot, three M.2 slots (one being Gen 5, the others Gen 4), plus built-in WiFi 7.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This board requires DDR5 memory, which is of course what we recommend in this guide.
  • PowerColor RX6600
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    PowerColor Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB Fighter

    $345
    The Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB has impressive gaming power, going head to head with the RTX 3070 and RTX 4060 Ti, but with 50% more VRAM for better future-proofing!

    The Guru’s Tip

    We don't recommend anything less than 12GB of VRAM at this performance level - new games will require it!
  • T-Create
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    TEAMGROUP 2x16GB T-Create DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO

    $87
    To get the most out of AMD’s latest CPUs, you want fast RAM, and DDR5-6000 is the sweetspot not only in terms of price, but in terms of the capabilities of the AM5 platform. It allows for the optimum settings and highest overall performance. This kit from TeamGroup is specially designed for AM5, thanks to the tight 30-36-36-76 EXPO timings.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Use the EXPO profile on this kit to take advantage of its speed - this is a setting you select in the motherboard's UEFI interface.
  • MP44L
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0

    $58
    The MP44L PCIe 4.0, which blows past previous PCIe Gen3-based drives by harnessing the power of the PCIe Gen4 interface, is an absolute bargain of a high-end drive. It can hit up to 5,000MB/s in sequential operations!

    The Guru’s Tip

    Gen 4 drives used to be a splurge, but this well-priced drive makes it easy to go fast!
  • H6
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    NZXT H6 Flow RGB

    $135
    The H6 Flow RGB offers great style and performance at a great price. It uses an innovative “fishbowl” design that provides a perfect view of your components, while angling the trio of RGB-lit front fans to provide tremendous airflow directly to the GPU, along with a cool light show. It also has a mesh top panel to make the most of liquid CPU cooling. It features a tempered glass side panel for excellent looks, and plenty of space for your components.

    The Guru’s Tip

    The solid steel front panel will keep this system running very quiet.
  • Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    SilverStone ET550-HG

    $86
    This unit offers Gold-rated efficiency (that’s 90% at 50% load) and plenty of power (550W) in a short chassis, which makes it very easy to install. The semi-modular cable design means all the most commonly-used cables are permanently affixed, while the cables you’re unlikely to use are detachable and can be left in the box.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This quality power supply is selling for far less than its competitors!
  • Scythe Kotetsu Mark 3
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    Scythe Kotetsu Mark 3

    $30
    This cooler is the perfect pick for a mainstream PC Build. It offers great styling thanks to the black fan and top plate, robust cooling potential courtesy of the fall fin stack, and nearly-silent operation, provided by the excellent Scythe Kaze Flex II fan, among the best 120mm fans on the market! The quality of this high-end fan alone makes this cooler an absolute bargain!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This is by far the best pick in its price range!
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg

    $139
    Windows 11 built on everything people loved about Windows 10, and then took 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! Note that we’re linking to Newegg, because Amazon long ago stopped selling this physical USB version of Windows, which is the most convenient one to use.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Win11 is what you want on your new PC!

Optional Products

  • Click to Buy
    The 27" 1440p 180Hz Gaming Monitor –

    Acer XV271U

    $200
    Acer has been in the high-end gaming monitor market for years, and always offers out-of-this-world value! This model packs in a big 27″ 2560 x 1440 IPS panel, a whopping 180Hz refresh rate and FreeSync Premium for ultra-smooth framerates, a Displayport 1.2 port and dual HDMI 2.0 ports, plus built-in speakers. To get it set up just right, it has a height-adjustable stand, unheard of in this price range. It even includes a Displayport and HDMI cables in the box!

    The Guru’s Tip

    You'll be able to take full advantage of this monitor's capabilities thanks to the powerful GPU in this build.
  • K55 Pro
    Click to Buy
    The Budget Gaming Keyboard –

    Corsair K55 RGB Pro

    $50
    Pick up a great keyboard at a great price with the K55. It offers IP42-rated dust and spill resistance, zoned RGB backlighting, dedicated macro and media keys, plus quiet keys with a tactile bump to provide great feedback with low noise levels!

    The Guru’s Tip

    To set the keyboard's backlighting, you'll want to download Corsair's iCUE software.
  • Razer Basilisk V3
    Click to Buy
    The Pro Gaming Mouse –

    Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed Wireless

    $54
    Offering cutting-edge performance, there’s nothing like the Basilisk V3 for anywhere near the price. Ultra-sensitive 18K sensor, mechanical switches, Razer’s awesome HyperSpeed wireless system with up to 285 hours of battery life, and perfect ergonomics. It’s a great mouse!

    The Guru’s Tip

    Avoid all the knock-off brands that often top the sales charts - they won't come close to offering the same performance and quality.
  • HyperX Cloud
    Click to Buy
    The Budget Wireless PC Headset –

    HyperX Cloud Stinger Core

    $70
    HyperX absolutely revolutionized the budget gaming headset market with the Stinger series, and the Cloud Stinger Core is its budget wireless offering. It has an ultra-lightweight design, 40mm drivers, and a convenient swing-down mic for better control. With up to 17 hours of battery life, it will go all day and then some!

    The Guru’s Tip

    There's no better wireless headset under $100 than the Stinger Core!