The best PC builds 2025: budget, gaming, video editing, and more

Building a PC can be a rewarding experience, but it’s also a serious investment that can feel a little intimidating, especially if it’s your first time. Unlike picking up a pre-built desktop computer off the shelf, building your own machine means you’re in full control of every component, and that also means you carry the responsibility for getting everything right.

Before you get started, it’s essential to define the kind of system you want to build. Are you aiming for a gaming rig, a content creation workstation, or just a reliable everyday desktop? You’ll need to be realistic about what kind of performance you can expect within your budget, as there’s no one-size-fits-all recommendation when it comes to building a PC. Hardware needs vary widely depending on what you plan to use the machine for, and costs can escalate quickly.

To help you navigate the process, we’ve put together a set of curated builds tailored to different use cases and price ranges. Whether you’re shopping for a budget-friendly starter system or a high-performance powerhouse, these builds provide a solid foundation for anyone unsure of where to begin.

The best budget PC build

If you’re building a PC on a tight budget and need a dependable desktop computer for general use like web browsing, office work, media consumption, and even a bit of light gaming, you can put together a solid system for just around $400. The best part? You won’t even need a dedicated graphics card thanks to AMD’s Ryzen APUs.

This build centers around the Ryzen 5 8500G, a 6-core, 12-thread processor with built-in Radeon 740M graphics, making it a great all-in-one option for budget systems. Compared to the popular older Ryzen 5 5600G, the 8500G offers newer Zen 4 architecture, higher clock speeds, and most importantly, it uses the AM5 socket, which opens the door to DDR5 memory and longer-term upgrade paths. It even includes AMD’s Wraith Stealth cooler in the box, which keeps costs down further.

The processor is paired with the MSI PRO A620M-E, a compact and affordable micro-ATX motherboard that supports the latest Ryzen CPUs and DDR5 memory. For RAM, we’ve included 16GB (2x8GB) of Crucial DDR5-4800, which is more than enough for everyday multitasking and modern workloads. Storage comes in the form of a 512GB Patriot P300 NVMe SSD, which offers fast boot and load times at a very reasonable price.

Housing all of this is the Cooler Master Elite 301, a budget-friendly micro-ATX case that still provides decent airflow and room for upgrades. Power is supplied by a 500W Thermaltake Smart PSU, which is more than sufficient for a system without a discrete GPU.

If you’re considering adding a graphics card to this build later, it’s a good idea to invest in a higher-quality power supply now to ensure your system can handle the extra power draw. If you plan to install a GPU right away, budget-friendly options like the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT or Nvidia RTX 3060 offer solid 1080p gaming performance. However, keep in mind that either of these cards will significantly increase the total cost of the build.

The best gaming PC build for under $1,000

A common misconception these days is that you need a real powerhouse of a PC in order to run the latest games. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend $1,600 on an RTX 4090 in order to get yourself a solid gaming computer. But you do need to choose a good PC case big enough to house your chosen GPU.

Spending just $1,000 on the desktop alone means you can play the most demanding games at medium to max settings. Of course, this PC isn’t a total beast. You’ll need to compromise on settings sometimes, but you’re also saving a fair bit of money.

Let’s explore this build in more detail.

For this $1,000 build, we went with the Intel Core i5-14400F, a solid midrange CPU with 10 cores and 16 threads. It’s not unlocked for overclocking, but for gaming and general use, it punches well above its price. Plus, it’s efficient and cools easily, so pairing it with the excellent Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE gives you plenty of thermal headroom without breaking the bank.

For the GPU, we picked the Sparkle Arc B580 Titan Luna OC. It’s not as popular as AMD or Nvidia cards, but Intel’s Arc lineup has come a long way, and this one offers great 1440p performance for the price. Since it comes with 12GB of VRAM and strong media encoding features, it is a great pick for gamers and creators alike. If you’re okay going off the beaten path, it’s an interesting alternative to the usual AMD and Nvidia options.

The ASUS Prime B760M-A motherboard has Wi-Fi 6 and decent expansion options, while the 32GB of DDR5 memory gives you plenty of headroom for multitasking or heavier workloads. Storage is handled by a 1TB Crucial P3 Plus SSD, which is fast enough for gaming and general use. Power comes from a 750W MSI PSU, giving you room to upgrade the GPU down the line. All of it goes into the Thermaltake Versa H16, which has good airflow and a touch of RGB thanks to the included 120mm case fans.

The best 4K gaming PC build

Stepping into the world of 4K gaming definitely raises the cost, but how much you spend is largely up to your goals. The build outlined here is a high-end setup — not budget-friendly by any means, but built for top-tier performance. Let’s break it down.

First, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is an obvious choice. Don’t waste your money on the Ryzen 9 9950X3D or the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K — this processor is cheaper, and yet, it’s the fastest gaming CPU right now, bar none. If you want savings, you can swap down to the Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

As for the GPU, we went with the RTX 5080, a true powerhouse for 4K gaming. The RTX 5090 is even faster, but its $3,000+ price tag just isn’t practical. That said, the 5080 doesn’t come cheap either, typically landing around $1,300. Still, it’s the smarter pick. Avoid overspending on premium models with minor factory overclocks — the performance gains rarely justify the extra cost. Stick with a standard 5080 and you’ll get incredible 4K performance without going overboard.

To complement the powerhouse CPU and GPU combo, the rest of this 4K gaming build is packed with premium components that support high-end performance without cutting corners. For cooling, the Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 A-RGB offers plenty of thermal headroom for the Ryzen 7 9800X3D. A 360mm AIO might be overkill for some chips, but in a build like this — where heat management is key, it ensures sustained performance during extended gaming or creative workloads.

The motherboard choice here is the Gigabyte X870 Eagle Wi-Fi7, which gives you solid connectivity options including next-gen Wi-Fi 7, PCIe Gen 5 support, and robust power delivery for future CPU upgrades. Paired with 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM, running at 6000MHz, the system has more than enough memory for both gaming and multitasking-heavy scenarios.

For storage, the Samsung 990 Pro 2TB NVMe SSD is a fast, high-end drive with Gen 4 speeds which is perfect for quick game load times and OS responsiveness. It’s a solid choice for a premium build like this, offering both speed and plenty of room for your game library and large files.

Housing all of this is the Fractal Design North, a sleek and well-ventilated case that balances aesthetics and airflow. If you don’t fancy the wood finish on the front, you can check out the Corsair 4000 series. To keep everything running smoothly, we’ve included the Corsair RM1000e, a fully modular 1000W PSU that’s more than capable of powering this rig and leaves room for future upgrades.

The best PC build for content creation

Buying a PC for content creation is no easy feat. Your budget and exact workflow needs will determine the kind of components you should prioritize. Whether you’re editing 4K or 8K video, working with motion graphics, or juggling multiple creative applications at once, this build is tailored to deliver strong all-around performance without going completely overboard on price.

This setup costs just under $2,000 and strikes a solid balance between CPU power, GPU capability, memory capacity, and storage bandwidth. It’s well-suited for creators who need fast rendering times and responsiveness when working with large files.

The CPU of choice is Intel’s Core Ultra 7 265K, a 20-core chip based on Intel’s latest Arrow Lake architecture. It’s a solid pick for productivity and creative workloads, offering efficient performance cores and AI-accelerated features. It’s paired with the MSI PRO Z890-P WiFi motherboard, which brings a full feature set for high-speed I/O inluding Thunderbolt 4, PCIe Gen 5 support, and enough connectivity to accommodate professional peripherals and upgrades.n the GPU front, we’ve gone with the Gigabyte WindForce GeForce RTX 5070 12GB. It’s a mid-to-high-end card that provides plenty of CUDA power for GPU-accelerated tasks in Adobe apps and more than enough muscle for 1440p gaming or occasional 4K rendering. If your creative tools don’t rely heavily on GPU acceleration, this leaves headroom in the budget for other priorities.

Memory and storage are two crucial aspects of a creator-focused build. This setup features 64GB of Teamgroup T-Create Expert DDR5-6400, which is great for handling large projects in Premiere Pro, After Effects, or Blender without running into memory bottlenecks. For storage, the 2TB Samsung 990 Pro NVMe SSD offers ultra-fast read/write speeds for your OS, apps, and current projects, while an 8TB Seagate Enterprise HDD handles long-term file storage.

Cooling is handled by the Arctic Liquid Freezer III 240 A-RGB, which is quiet, effective, and fits comfortably in the Lian Li Lancool 207, a compact ATX case with great airflow and cable management. Finally, the Corsair RM850e 850W PSU provides plenty of headroom for this build, and even leaves some upgrade potential — though users planning on jumping to an RTX 5080 or similar in the future should look toward a 1000W unit.

Putting your PC together

No matter which build you go with, putting together a new PC takes some patience and attention to detail. It’s not uncommon to run into a few hiccups, so be prepared to do a bit of troubleshooting if things don’t go smoothly on the first try.

Make sure to carefully install each component inside the case, manage your cables neatly, and set up the cooling fans properly. To help keep temperatures in check, you can follow our PC airflow guide for tips on optimizing ventilation and overall system cooling.