How much does it cost to build a gaming PC?
At Amazon today the parts for our 1080p build (RTX 5060) cost $1,246.83; for the 1440p build (RTX 5070), $1,964.63; for the 4K build (RTX 5080), $3,194.06.
1080p build with an RTX 5060: $1,246.83
| Part | Spec | Cheapest today | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics card | RTX 5060 | GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 5060 WINDFORCE, 8GB 128-bit GDDR7 | $459.99 |
| Processor | Ryzen 5 7600X, Ryzen 5 9600X or Ryzen 5 7600 | AMD Ryzen 5 7600X 6-Core, 12-Thread Unlocked Desktop | $172.99 |
| Motherboard | AM5, A620 or better | ASRock A620AM-X Micro-ATX Motherboard AMD AM5 Socket | $79.99 |
| Memory | 16GB DDR5 kit | KLEVV FIT V DDR5 16GB (2x8GB) 6000MHz CL28 SK Hynix | $272.99 |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe SSD | Patriot P400 Lite 1TB PCIe Gen 4 x4 SSD, Interface | $149.99 |
| Power supply | 550 W or more, 80 Plus Gold | MSI MAG A650GN II Gaming Power Supply, 80 Plus Gold | $49.99 |
| Case | ATX mid tower | Zalman RAVN Compact ATX Mid-Tower Gaming, 1 x 120mm Fan | $42.99 |
| CPU cooler | Tower air cooler, AM5 | Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE CPU, 4 Heat Pipes | $17.90 |
| Total | $1,246.83 |
Memory is 22% of it. The cheapest prebuilt desktop with an RTX 5060 is the Witrigs Gaming PC Desktop Computer Ryzen 7 at $1,099.88: these parts cost $146.95 more than it. Every RTX 5060 we price.
1440p build with an RTX 5070: $1,964.63
| Part | Spec | Cheapest today | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics card | RTX 5070 | ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 Solid OC DLSS 4 12GB GDDR7 | $829.99 |
| Processor | Ryzen 7 7800X3D or Ryzen 7 9700X | AMD Ryzen™ 7 9700X 8-Core, 16-Thread Unlocked Desktop | $309.99 |
| Motherboard | AM5, B650 or better | ASRock B650M-HM.2+ AMD AM5, Supports AMD Ryzen | $89.99 |
| Memory | 32GB DDR5 kit | CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5 RAM 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL36 | $473.79 |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe SSD | Patriot P400 Lite 1TB PCIe Gen 4 x4 SSD, Interface | $149.99 |
| Power supply | 650 W or more, 80 Plus Gold | MSI MAG A650GN II Gaming Power Supply, 80 Plus Gold | $49.99 |
| Case | ATX mid tower | Zalman RAVN Compact ATX Mid-Tower Gaming, 1 x 120mm Fan | $42.99 |
| CPU cooler | Tower air cooler, AM5 | Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE CPU, 4 Heat Pipes | $17.90 |
| Total | $1,964.63 |
Memory is 24% of it. The cheapest prebuilt desktop with an RTX 5070 is the Skytech Gaming PC Desktop, Intel i5 14400F at $1,599.99: these parts cost $364.64 more than it. Every RTX 5070 we price.
4K build with an RTX 5080: $3,194.06
| Part | Spec | Cheapest today | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Graphics card | RTX 5080 | ZOTAC Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 Solid CORE OC DLSS 4 16GB | $1,848.43 |
| Processor | Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Ryzen 7 9850X3D | AMD RYZEN 7 9800X3D 8-Core, 16-Thread Desktop Processor | $444.00 |
| Motherboard | AM5, B650 or better | ASRock B650M-HM.2+ AMD AM5, Supports AMD Ryzen | $89.99 |
| Memory | 32GB DDR5 kit | CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5 RAM 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz CL36 | $473.79 |
| Storage | 2TB NVMe SSD | Silicon Power 2TB NVMe M.2 PCIe Gen3x4 2280 SSD Solid | $215.97 |
| Power supply | 850 W or more, 80 Plus Gold | ASRock PRO 850G Power Supply, ATX 3.1 & PCIe 5.1 Ready | $60.99 |
| Case | ATX mid tower | Zalman RAVN Compact ATX Mid-Tower Gaming, 1 x 120mm Fan | $42.99 |
| CPU cooler | Tower air cooler, AM5 | Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE CPU, 4 Heat Pipes | $17.90 |
| Total | $3,194.06 |
Memory is 15% of it. The cheapest prebuilt desktop with an RTX 5080 is the Thermaltake LCGS View u2780S-380 Gaming Desktop at $3,019.38: these parts cost $174.68 more than it. Every RTX 5080 we price.
Is it cheaper to build or buy a PC?
| Build | Parts | Cheapest prebuilt with the card | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p (RTX 5060) | $1,246.83 | $1,099.88 | parts $146.95 more |
| 1440p (RTX 5070) | $1,964.63 | $1,599.99 | parts $364.64 more |
| 4K (RTX 5080) | $3,194.06 | $3,019.38 | parts $174.68 more |
A prebuilt with the same card costs less than the parts for all 3: by $147 (1080p), $365 (1440p) and $175 (4K).
What the memory shortage adds to a build
16GB of DDR5 is 22% of the 1080p build: $272.99 of $1,246.83. 32GB of DDR5 is 24% of the 1440p build: $473.79 of $1,964.63. 32GB of DDR5 is 15% of the 4K build: $473.79 of $3,194.06. The cheapest RTX 5070 card costs $829.99, 51% above the $549.00 Nvidia launched it at. RAM prices and SSD prices follow every kit and drive.
The three big DRAM makers have moved production toward HBM and server memory for AI data centers and cut the wafers they give DDR4 and other older products, TrendForce reported on June 22, 2026. Micron announced on December 3, 2025 that it would leave the consumer business and stop shipping Crucial memory and SSDs to retailers after February 2026.
Sources: TrendForce, July 3, 2026, TrendForce, June 22, 2026, Micron, December 3, 2025.
Processor and motherboard bundles
No bundle we can price costs less than its two parts bought alone today. Every CPU and motherboard combo.
Questions people ask
- How much does it cost to build a gaming PC?
- At Amazon today the parts for our 1080p build (RTX 5060) cost $1,246.83; for the 1440p build (RTX 5070), $1,964.63; for the 4K build (RTX 5080), $3,194.06. 32GB of DDR5 is 24% of the 1440p build: $473.79 of $1,964.63.
- Is it cheaper to build or buy a PC in 2026?
- Today buying is cheaper for every build we price. At Amazon the 1080p build's parts cost $1,246.83, $146.95 more than the cheapest prebuilt with an RTX 5060 ($1,099.88); the 1440p build's parts cost $1,964.63, $364.64 more than the cheapest prebuilt with an RTX 5070 ($1,599.99); the 4K build's parts cost $3,194.06, $174.68 more than the cheapest prebuilt with an RTX 5080 ($3,019.38). A prebuilt's parts differ from ours — check its power supply, memory and storage before comparing on price alone.
- Can you build a gaming PC for $1,000?
- Not with the parts in our cheapest build at today's prices: the 1080p build with an RTX 5060 costs $1,246.83 at Amazon. The cheapest prebuilt desktop with an RTX 5060 costs $1,099.88.
- Why are PC parts so expensive in 2026?
- The three big DRAM makers have moved production toward HBM and server memory for AI data centers and cut the wafers they give DDR4 and other older products, TrendForce reported on June 22, 2026. Micron announced on December 3, 2025 that it would leave the consumer business and stop shipping Crucial memory and SSDs to retailers after February 2026. 32GB of DDR5 is 24% of the 1440p build: $473.79 of $1,964.63. The cheapest RTX 5070 card costs $829.99, 51% above the $549.00 Nvidia launched it at.
All three builds are on AMD’s AM5 socket with DDR5 memory, each part read from its listing’s title. The power supply meets the card maker’s own figure for the whole PC; power supplies and cases come from makers whose units reviewers test, and the memory is a kit of two modules. Check the card’s length against the case before buying. We record prices, not frame rates. Amazon prices only, new and in stock; checked Oct 19. Also: GPU prices, CPU prices, RAM prices, SSD prices.