The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $1,500 Stock Trading PC Build – November 2022

The Best $1,500 Stock Trading PC Build – November 2022

By Ari Altman | Published November 10, 2022 | Updated November 10, 2022

Phanteks Evolv mATX 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!

The November 2022 edition of the Stock Trading PC Build gets some major upgrades, starting with Intel’s insanely-powerful Core i7-13700KF 16-core, 24-thread CPU. It will make quick work of anything you throw at it. Do you have a dozen windows open, full of charts, graphs, and news feeds? No problem, the 13700KF can handle it. Despite being cheaper than the 12900 we previously recommend, the 13700KF is around 20% faster. Backing it up is the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super video card, which will allow you to run up to four ultra-high-definition monitors. That’s something a lot of our readers have asked for in the Stock Trading PC, so we’re giving it to you!

This system also features 32GB of DDR4-3600 memory, giving you an amazing combination of speed and capacity. Also in this system is an ultra-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 glass- and aluminum-clad Phanteks Evolv mATX chassis. Finally, to keep it running quietly and efficiently, we spec a 650W Gold-rated power supply and a fantastic tower cooler from Scythe.

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

  • Intel Core i7-13700KF
    Click to Buy
    CPU –

    Intel Core i7-13700KF

    $423
    With the 13700KF on the market, it’s game over for AMD! The 13700KF blows away Intel’s previous leader, the 12900KS, which was already unbeatable, and in doing so, drives a serious bargain at the extreme high-end of PC gaming performance. Offering up 16 cores, 24 threads, and the pumped-up cache and clockspeed, it’s the chip every serious gamer will want in their system!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This is a powerful CPU, and thus requires a capable cooler, which we recommend later in this guide.
  • Asus Z790M
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    ASUS Prime Z790M-Plus D4

    $200
    This micro-ATX motherboard is a great backbone for any compact  system, offering a lot of value for the dollar. It supports the latest processors, while offering three PCIe Gen 4 M.2 slots, 8 USB ports (including a Type-C port), and four expansion slots for add-in cards.
    The Guru’s Tip

    While this board has video outputs, you'll be using the ones on the video card, so make sure to connect your monitor(s) to that.
  • MSI GTX 1660 Super
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    MSI GeForce GTX 1660 Super Ventus 6GB

    $220
    Offering high performance in a compact package, along with very low power use, the GTX 1660 Super 6GB set new standards for GPUs at its pricepoint. It’s significantly faster than the original 1660 due to a much more advanced memory subsystem.
    The Guru’s Tip

    While this is technically a gaming card, we're selecting it for another reason: four ultra-high-definition video ports, allowing you to run as many huge monitors as you could possibly want!
  • Click to Buy
    Memory –

    Corsair 2x16GB Vengeance LPX DDR4-3600

    $100
    This Vengeance LPX kit from Corsair provides plenty of 32GB capacity, thanks to its dual 16GB sticks. Plus, they are running at a fast 3600MHz with impressive 18-22-22 timings for excellent all-around performance on any platform!
    The Guru’s Tip

    We're recommending DDR4 RAM, which is the right match for the motherboard we recommend.
  • WDBlack SN770
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    WD_BLACK SN770 1TB NVMe

    $98
    WD knocked it out of the park with its ultra-high-performance, bargain-priced SN770 PCIe Gen 4 drive. 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 5150MB/s and write speeds of 4900MB/s.
    The Guru’s Tip

    Install this in the top M.2 slot of the motherboard.
  • Phanteks Evolv mATX
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    Phanteks EVOLV mATX Tempered Glass Gray

    $140
    This compact, ultra-stylish case from Phanteks truly stands out from the crowd. The case is wrapped in gorgeous 3mm-thick aluminum panels, which give it a truly premium feel. It also features dual hinged glass doors, which look great and provide easy access to the interior. It doesn’t skimp in the cooling department either, with factory-installed 140mm fans in both the front and rear of the chassis! This particular version comes in Phanteks’ trademark anthracite gray color, which looks very pro!
    The Guru’s Tip

    Keep in mind that this is a micro-ATX case, which means it requires a micro-ATX motherboard, such as the one we recommend.
  • Phanteks Amp
    Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    Phanteks AMP 650W Gold

    $110
    The AMP 650W from Phanteks offers exceptional performance at a great price. It features 650W of Gold-rated power, fully-modular cables, a low-noise fan design with zero-fan mode, and an ultra-compact form factor at just 140mm deep.
    The Guru’s Tip

    This powerful PSU will be put to good use, given the potent CPU and video card in this system!
  • Scythe Fuma 2
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    Scythe Fuma 2 Rev. B

    $66
    Offering amazing performance thanks to its big heatsink and dual 120mm fans, along with excellent compatibility thanks to its offset design and 155mm height, this is our favorite cooler at any price. The latest Rev. B version swaps out the “classic” grey fans with more on-trend black models, and ups the RPM level from 1200RPM to 1500RPM. To keep noise in check, the new Kaze Flex II fans use a specially-designed fan frame to minimize turbulence on heatsinks and maximize static pressure.
    The Guru’s Tip

    This cooler includes the Intel Socket 1700 adapter required for use with the Intel 13th-Gen CPU.
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    Click to Buy
    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 the OS you want to take full advantage of the hybrid design of Intel's latest high-performance processors.

Optional Products

  • Click to Buy
    The High-End WiFi/Bluetooth Card –

    TP-Link Archer TX55E

    $40
    The future is here! If you’re a high-end PC user, it’s time to step up to a modern WiFi adapter, and the TX55E is the one! It offers true next-gen WiFi 6 speeds (hitting 2400Mbps) in a robust PCIe x1 expansion card form factor, with two attached high-gain antennas. And as a bonus, it has Bluetooth built in!
    The Guru’s Tip

    While not strictly required, you'll need this if you want to connect to a wireless network with your PC. Without it, you'll only be able to use wired Ethernet.
  • Philips 34
    Click to Buy
    The 34-inch Widescreen Monitor –

    Philips 346E2CUAE

    $420
    It wasn’t long ago that monitors with the specs of this model would cost twice as much, so there’s no doubt that Philips is offering tremendous value in a high-end model here. You get a huge 34″ curved VA panel with a resolution of 3440 x 1440 , 121% of the sRGB color gamut, and an adjustable stand to allow for an ergonomic position. It’s equipped with Displayport and HDMI inputs, plus a USB Type-C port to connect to laptops. The best part is that it’s protected by a 4-year advanced exchange warranty.
    The Guru’s Tip

    You 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!
  • Click to Buy
    The Ultimate Business Keyboard –

    Logitech MX Keys Wireless Illuminated Keyboard

    $120
    The sleek, full-featured keyboard is our top pick for serious office productivity use. The low-profile keys and metal frame give it a very professional look and feel, along with a solid typing experience. It also offers backlighting to make typing in the dimly-lit conditions easier, and being wireless, you can easily move it out of the way when you need more desk space. Finally, Logitech’s Flow Control software allows you to use it on multiple systems simultaneously!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This is the perfect complement to the MX Master 3 mouse recommended below!
  • Click to Buy
    The Deluxe Wireless Mouse –

    Logitech MX Master 3S

    $100
    Nothing can bog you down faster than a mouse tangled up on its cord. So we strongly recommend a wireless mouse, but not just any wireless mouse – the MX Master 3S from Logitech has an incredibly comfortable profile, ideal for use all day long, along with the most innovative scroll wheel ever to make its way onto a mouse. Its built-in battery will last up to 70 days before needing a charge, and the 3S can even track on glass, thanks to its highly-optimized 8000dpi sensor!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This mouse can even be used with multiple systems at once, like a laptop and this desktop PC!
  • Click to Buy
    The Deluxe PC Speakers –

    Logitech Z207 Multi Device Speakers

    $60
    Logitech’s Z207 speakers sound and look great without taking up much space. They’ll also work with any Bluetooth audio device, so you can switch over to phone or tablet audio with the push of a button. Logitech has packed a ton of value into this slimline speaker kit!
    The Guru’s Tip

    You'll want a set of speakers for Zoom calls or market news!
  • 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

    Avoid 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!

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