My old PC finally died, and repairing it is difficult because its parts are from an outdated generation. I'm planning my first custom build and have a budget of about $4,000–$5,000 USD. I need it for software development and smooth screen recording while I code, and I also play games that use shaders. What specifications should I prioritize, and are there any particular parts or brands you would recommend?
3 Answers
A parts-list builder is useful for checking compatibility and tracking prices while you choose components. With $4,000–$5,000, you’ll have no trouble running development tools, recording your desktop, and playing shader-heavy games. Even a considerably older system with a mid-to-high-end processor, 32 GB of RAM, an NVMe drive, and a strong graphics card can do those tasks well. The monitor may end up being the most tempting place to spend the extra money.
That budget is more than enough for coding, recording, and gaming. A modern high-end CPU, 32–64 GB of DDR5 memory, a fast 2 TB or larger NVMe SSD, and a capable graphics card should handle everything comfortably. Hardware-based video encoding on current graphics cards also makes screen recording much easier without heavily affecting performance. Make sure the power supply has enough capacity and the case has good airflow. You probably don’t need to spend the entire budget on the tower, so leave room for a good monitor and peripherals.
You don’t need an extreme workstation for these requirements. I’d focus on a recent 8- to 16-core processor, 32 GB of RAM to start, a dedicated graphics card with a good hardware encoder, and separate or expanded SSD storage if you plan to keep lots of recordings. A high-end build will give you plenty of headroom, but even a much cheaper modern gaming PC should record coding sessions smoothly.
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