When building a new PC, you'll probably set your overall budget first and shop for components second (unless you have an unlimited budget). So it makes sense to optimize your gaming PC budget so you don't end up with an unbalanced CPU and GPU combination and, more importantly, don't blow your budget on things that have less of an impact on performance.
You probably know that the majority of your gaming PC budget should be reserved for the CPU and GPU. However, it's easy to get tempted by expensive high-end motherboards, power supplies, cases, and coolers and spend more on them than you need to. In particular, there are 5 such components that you shouldn't overspend on when building a gaming PC.
5 PC case
You can probably do without a premium case
The case is an important part of any build, and you don't want to skimp too much on a case purchase. However, many PC builders tend to take a “go big or go home” approach when choosing a case. This can quickly lead to you spending $150 or even $200 on one of the best PC cases. Even if you have a relatively generous budget of $1,500, a $200 or $300 case is a lot of change.
It will determine the overall look of your PC, component compatibility, and future upgradeability, but you can easily buy something for under $100 that does a great job in all of these areas.
With so many affordable PC cases out there that offer everything you could want for your gaming PC – adequate ventilation, tons of connectivity options, cable management features, great looks, RGB lighting – it's wise not to waste precious money on features you'll never use. Even if you're a fan of the aquarium cases popularized by Lian Li and NZXT, you can still choose one of my favorite PC cases without breaking your budget.
A case is an important decision. It determines the overall look of your PC, component compatibility, and future upgradeability. But you can easily buy something that does a great job in all of these areas for under $100 and save the rest of the money for your GPU and CPU.
4 Case fan
You don't need LCDs or interlocking designs
Another area where pulses can overwhelm sensitivity is with case fans. Brands like Lian Li and Corsair offer fans with customizable LCDs and magnetic daisy chain functionality. You may decide to spend more money on your case's ventilation for a little more convenience. If you buy a case that doesn't come with fans pre-installed (which is the case with many), you'll likely need to buy 3 to 6 case fans. Buying 6 of these fancy fans can easily cost you $150 to $300.
Most users don't need LCDs on their fans spitting out RPM and temperature information, and they can easily work with fans connected together via cables. Sure, it's more convenient to plug fans together, but are you really willing to spend hundreds of dollars for that privilege? You can get some of the best case fans for under $80 instead (for six Corsair AR120 RGB fans).
3 CPU cooler
No, even your 360mm AIO shouldn't cost $250
If you're using a modern, power-hungry Core i9 or Ryzen 9 processor, high-end cooling is a must. Even non-flagship models these days need strong cooling to reach their full potential, but that shouldn't give you permission to waste money on an overpriced 360mm AIO with an LCD screen.
If you buy a 6 or 8 core processor for gaming, you don't need the most advanced cooler to keep it cool.
Even a $100 liquid cooler will have a 360mm radiator, top-notch cooling performance, and a brilliant RGB design. That's incredible value if you're looking to spend as much as possible on a high-end graphics card and a powerful CPU (maybe even an 8-core chip). Plus, if you're buying a 6-core or 8-core processor for gaming, you don't need the best cooler to keep it cool.
2 Power supply
A 1000W power supply is enough for your RTX 4090
Many PC builders still overspend on their power supply, purchasing units rated at 1600W even though their PC's power requirements are well under 1000W. Even after accounting for short-term spikes and future upgrades, most gamers won't need more than an 80+ Gold 850W power supply, with 1000W units only making sense for PCs with an RTX 4090 and a Core i9-14900K.
Around $100 to $120 is the maximum that most gamers should spend on their power supply.
The best power supplies on the market are well-built, have good reviews, and come with up to 10 years of warranty. They don't have to be “over-sized” to ensure reliable power for your valuable components. It's never wise to skimp on your power supply, but going to the other extreme isn't something users should do these days either. Around $100-$120 is the maximum most gamers should spend on their power supply.
1 Motherboard
Aah, the biggest household eater
The motherboard is by far the most money-wasting component. Even though it makes little difference in performance, gamers continue to spend up to $500 on their motherboard. And for what – unnecessary features, overly flashy designs, touchscreen displays and extreme VRM solutions?
Whether it's a robust VRM solution, integrated heatsinks, PCIe 5.0 M.2 connectors, or enough PCIe lanes for your GPU and NVMe SSD, you get all of this on a decent mid-range motherboard.
Even if you overclock your CPU, connect a dozen USB devices, and use two Gen5 SSDs, you rarely need to spend more than $250 on a motherboard. You can even get the best motherboard in white for around $250, so there's little reason to sacrifice your precious money for a premium motherboard.
Whether it's a robust VRM solution, integrated heatsinks, PCIe 5.0 M.2 connectors or enough PCIe lanes for your GPU and NVMe SSD – you get all of this on a decent mid-range motherboard. You can better invest the money you save in fast DDR5 RAM, a high-quality gaming SSD and of course a better GPU and CPU.
Your gaming PC is a passion project, but it doesn't have to be unnecessarily expensive
Building a gaming PC can often be a very personal affair, and you should only spend on components that you really want on your PC. However, this can be done without breaking your budget on components that are expensive just because they're expensive. It's better to spend the majority of your budget on a high-end GPU, powerful CPU, fast RAM, and ample storage. You can then decide if you have the wiggle room to spend on nice extras.
Sure, if you have a $3,000 budget, you can go wild with that. However, most users start with a relatively low budget of around $1,000 or maybe $1,500. This requires you to make smart choices and control your impulses when you come across premium components that don't directly affect your PC's performance.