The Best $1,250 Stock Trading PC Build – July 2024
Turbocharge Your Trading!
If you’re looking for the ultimate Stock Trading PC Build, this is the one! It’s informed by three guiding principles: it must be fast, quiet, and classy. You’ll have all of this and more for around $1500, and indeed this system will instantly start paying for itself as it maximizes your trading potential.
Now, to be realistic, we know that given the current market, today may not the best time to pick up trading (although hindsight might prove that stocks are a value at the moment!). Even so, if you’re already trading, or you have other professional endeavors that demand a seriously-powerful PC at a great price, this is the one! With that said, if you want something with nearly the same capabilities at a lower pricepoint, check out our $1000 Content Creation PC, which will work great for trading as well!
This Month’s Build, Powered by Intel and AMD!
The July 2024 edition of the Stock Trading PC Build features Intel’s powerful Core i7-14700K 20-core, 28-thread CPU. It will make quick work of anything you throw at it thanks to all those threads, plus an impressive turbo speed. Do you have a dozen windows open, full of charts, graphs, and news feeds? No problem, the 14700K can handle it. Backing it up is 64GB of DDR5-6400 memory, a major upgrade from previous versions of this build. Moving from the more common 32GB to 64GB means you’ll be able to have a practically unlimited number of screens and tabs open, allowing you to never lose track of your next trade.
Also in this system is a fast 1TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive. For a Stock Trading PC Build, serious speed is important, because when you’re in the groove, you’ll be getting multiple streams of data hitting your drive constantly, and this one can take it! To make your Stock Trading PC Build look great without using a ton of desk space, we recommend the compact mesh-clad Asus AP201 micro-ATX chassis (and in particular, we like the white version, although it’s also available in black). To keep the build running quietly and efficiently, we spec a 650W Gold-rated power supply and a fantastic dual-tower CPU cooler. As an optional upgrade, we list the AMD Radeon RX 6600 8GB video card, which will allow you to run up to four ultra-high-definition monitors (up from the two the system can support without a separate video card). While many of our readers do want this capability, we’ve now made it optional, because the truth is most readers were leaving this component out and sticking to the two-monitor limit, which we agree will work for most traders (and most desk space!).
A Few Other Notes
If you’re looking to complete your system, feel free to browse our Monitor Buyer’s Guide and Peripherals Buyer’s Guide, although you’ll also find our favorite picks for a trading PC listed later on this page. Throughout our guides, we provide direct product links to Amazon in the US, and these links will auto-convert for our readers in Canada, the UK, and several countries in the EU, with regional 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 i7-14700K
$400The Guru’s TipThe 14700K offers blazing-fast performance for a relative bargain price. With 8 performance cores and 12 efficiency cores (up from 8 in the 13700K), it delivers a total of 20 cores and 28 threads of game- and content-crushing performance. It’s the chip every serious PC user would be proud to have in their system!This CPU has built-in graphics, which is enough to support two UHD monitors. If you need more than that (and many traders do!), please make sure to add the video card we list in the optional components section of this guide.
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Motherboard –MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi II DDR5
$200The Guru’s TipThis full-featured Socket 1700 board from MSI is a perfect match for Intel’s latest CPUs. It offers a potent 12+1+1 VRM design, two PCIe Gen 4 M.2 slots, a PCIe Gen 5 video card slot, eight USB ports (including a Type-C port), and integrated WiFi 6E plus 2.5Gbs LAN. And making it truly cutting-edge is its support for next-gen DDR5 RAM!Keep in mind that this system conforms to the micro-ATX (mATX) format, so we strongly recommend you stick to our recommendation here so you don't unintentionally choose a motherboard that uses the larger ATX format.
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Memory –G.Skill 2x32GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6400 CL32
$205The Guru’s TipFor the ultimate in speed, you must go with DDR5 RAM, but not just any DDR5 RAM, because you need high-frequency DDR5 to blow past DDR4 RAM performance. And that’s what you get with G.Skill’s Trident Z5 kit running at DDR5-6400 with timings of 32-39-39-102 at 1.40V. This is the real deal when it comes to DDR5 performance!With 64GB of capacity, this will allow your Stock Trading PC to never run out of memory!
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Solid-State Drive –TeamGroup MP44 1TB PCIe 4.0
$69The Guru’s TipThe MP44 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 7,400MB/s in sequential operations, practically maxing out the Gen4 interface!Install this SSD in the upper slot on the motherboard.
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Case –Asus AP201 White Mesh
$75The Guru’s TipThis compact, ultra-stylish case from Asus truly stands out for its elegance and performance. The case is wrapped in mesh, comprising 57,000 precision-machined 1.5mm holes, which give it great airflow along with a unique industrial look. While we think the white color enhances its aesthetics, it’s also available in black.This case is a micro-ATX case - make sure you do not buy a full-size ATX motherboard!
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Power Supply –Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 650W
$85The Guru’s TipThermaltake offers a ton of value in its GF line, and this model is no exception. You get 650W of Gold-rated power, fully-modular cables (including ones for the latest video cards), and a fan that doesn’t even spin at low loads for total silence. The best part: a full 10-year warranty.This system will only pull about 300W at load, meaning this PSU will never be stressed, and may not even need to turn its fan on!
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CPU Cooler –Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO
$43The Guru’s TipThermalright is legendary in the CPU cooler business, having designed some of the very first premium tower coolers in the early 2000s. Their focus has always been on performance per dollar, providing a lot of metal for your money. And with the Phantom Spirit 120 Evo, that metal comes in the form of seven chunky 6mm heatpipes running through two big heatsink towers. They are aided by two ultra-premium 120mm fans using fluid dynamic bearings and a proven 9-blade design. All in all, you get class-leading performance at a price that no other manufacturer can touch!The 14700K requires a serious cooler to keep it running at maximum boost, and this model can handle it!
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Operating System –Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg
$139The Guru’s TipWindows 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.Windows 11 is definitely the OS you want to take full advantage of a modern PC.
Optional Products
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Video Card –PowerColor Radeon RX 6600 Fighter 8GB
$200 The Guru’s TipYou only need this video card in one of two circumstances: (1) you want to use more than two monitors (the max supported by the motherboard's built-in video), or (2) you want to do some gaming on the side!
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The 34-inch Widescreen Monitor –Philips 346E2CUAE
$400 The Guru’s TipYou can run up to four of these on the Stock Trading PC, so feel free to grab a couple to start if you have the space for them!
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The Ultimate Business Keyboard –Logitech MX Keys S Wireless Illuminated Keyboard
$110 The Guru’s TipThis is the perfect complement to the MX Master 3 mouse recommended below!
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The Deluxe Wireless Mouse –Logitech MX Master 3S
$100 The Guru’s TipThis mouse can even be used with multiple systems at once, like a laptop and this desktop PC!
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The Deluxe PC Speakers –Logitech Z207 Multi Device Speakers
$59 The Guru’s TipYou'll want a set of speakers for Zoom calls or market news!
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Webcam –Logitech C920x Pro HD Webcam
$76 The Guru’s TipAvoid no-name webcams at all costs. They've flooded the market as more people work from home, and they are almost always of dubious quality!
Total Cost: $1222
Required Components
- CPU – Intel Core i7-14700K ($400)
- Motherboard – MSI MAG B760M Mortar WiFi II DDR5 ($200)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x32GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6400 CL32 ($205)
- Solid-State Drive – TeamGroup MP44 1TB PCIe 4.0 ($69)
- Case – Asus AP201 White Mesh ($75)
- Power Supply – Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 650W ($85)
- CPU Cooler – Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO ($43)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
Optional Products
- Video Card – PowerColor Radeon RX 6600 Fighter 8GB ($200)
- 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 ($59)
- Webcam – Logitech C920x Pro HD Webcam ($76)
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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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The Headset/Speaker Buyer's Guide
Upgrade your audio experience with one of our top-rated speakers or headsets!
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The Wireless Networking Buyer's Guide
Your trading PC will live or die by your network connection... don't take chances on your old gear holding you back!