This pricing guide is a companion to my Ultimate Guide to Buying PC Components. It provides a breakdown of target pricing for each PC component based on a total PC budget of $500, $1,000, $1,500 or $2,000+.
I review this periodically to ensure there are a variety of choices at the suggested price target. For instance, for a $500 build, if there are only two choices for memory at $30, I’ll adjust the price to perhaps $35 if it will get me 7-10 choices.
Conversely, if there are 20 memory options at the $30 target price and 15 options at $25, I’ll drop the target price to $25. I review prices periodically so you can be confident that this guideline provides the latest information and a good starting point for you to speed up your component shopping.
Pricing Guide
| Budget | $500 | $1,000 | $1,500 | $2,000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | $150 | $200 | $350 | $500 |
| Motherboard | $100 | $150 | $200 | $200 |
| Memory | $30 | $60 | $100 | $150 |
| Storage | $60 | $100 | $150 | $200 |
| Power Supply | $50 | $75 | $100 | $150 |
| Case | $50 | $100 | $100 | $100 |
| Video Card | – | $200 | $300 | $550 |
| CPU Cooler | – | $60 | $100 | $150 |
| TOTAL | $440 | $945 | $1,400 | $2,000 |
You can also use my shopping blueprints based on your budget. I also review these blueprints periodically so you’re always getting the most up to date components. If you really want to save time, just pick your budget, buy the components on that blueprint, and enjoy building your PC!
