I'm building a PC for the first time and have a budget of about $2,000–$2,200 in the United States. The main use will be gaming, but I also need it for schoolwork and general everyday tasks. I'm looking for a complete list of everything that goes inside the case, including the processor, graphics card, motherboard, memory, storage, power supply, cooling, and case. I'd also appreciate advice on compatibility and whether I should leave room for future upgrades.
3 Answers
Since gaming is the priority, the build should focus most of the budget on the graphics card, while still using a strong modern processor. A parts-list tool can help check compatibility and prices, and you can choose a different case as long as it supports the motherboard size, graphics card length, cooler height, and power supply. Make sure the list includes operating-system costs and any peripherals if those are part of the total budget.
You can learn a lot from build guides and videos, but don’t buy parts until you’ve checked the full combination. Pay particular attention to the motherboard’s memory support, the cooler and case clearance, graphics-card dimensions, power-supply capacity, and whether the storage drive has the right interface. Prices change frequently, so compare several retailers before ordering.
For a new gaming system in this price range, I’d start with 32GB of memory rather than 16GB. A matched 2x16GB kit is preferable because it leaves the motherboard’s other slots available and generally puts less stress on the memory controller than filling all four slots. You can always upgrade later if your workload eventually needs more.
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