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My Gaming PC Build — Every Part and Why I Chose It
I’ve been building PCs long enough to know that the “best” build is the one that fits your actual use case — not the one that looks good in a benchmark video. My current setup is built to handle gaming, AI workloads, video encoding, and running a dozen background processes simultaneously without breaking a sweat. Here’s every part, why I picked it, and what I’d tell someone considering a similar build.
The Full Parts List
Before getting into the reasoning, here’s the complete build at a glance with links to each part on Amazon:
Why a High Core Count CPU
I picked a 16-core processor specifically because I needed a CPU that could handle gaming without bottlenecking my GPU while also running heavy background workloads. AI workloads, video encoding, and a browser with too many tabs open — it handles all of it without gaming performance taking a hit.
If you’re building purely for gaming, that many cores is overkill. A processor with 3D cache technology would actually give you better gaming performance at lower cost. But if you do anything compute-heavy alongside gaming, the extra cores earn their keep fast. Know your workload before you spec your CPU.
Running a high core count processor in a state where ambient temps are already working against you means cooling matters more than it does most places. Don’t cheap out on the cooler if you’re in a hot climate — I wrote a whole post about this.
Why 12GB of GPU VRAM
The 12GB of VRAM is the main reason I went with my current GPU. At the time I was choosing, 8GB cards were starting to show their age in newer titles and I knew I wanted to run local AI image generation which eats VRAM fast. 12GB sits in a sweet spot — solid 1440p gaming performance, plenty of headroom for AI workloads, and the open software ecosystem plays well with the Linux tools I run on my homelab.
It’s not the fastest card at its price point if pure gaming frames are your only metric. But for a mixed workload that includes AI, the extra VRAM was the right call and I haven’t regretted it.
64GB of RAM — Is It Overkill?
Yes. For pure gaming, absolutely yes. 32GB is the sweet spot for most gaming setups right now. I went to 64GB because I run AI models that like having headroom, I sometimes have virtual machines running in the background, and I have a bad habit of keeping way too many browser tabs open. Once you stop having to think about RAM you realize how much mental overhead it was taking up.
If you want RAM that just works without paying a premium for RGB you’ll never see inside a closed case, boring reliable kits from established brands are the right call. Save the budget for VRAM instead.
The Best Case Decision I Made
I’ve built in a lot of cases over the years. My current case is the best one I’ve used. The mesh front panel actually moves air instead of restricting it, cable management is genuinely painless, and there’s room for proper fan placement. In Florida where ambient temps work against you year-round, a case that breathes well isn’t optional — it’s a requirement.
Storage — Why So Much?
I’m running a 2TB NVMe as the primary drive for the OS, games, and applications, plus additional SATA SSDs for more storage. The reason is AI model files — they’re enormous. A single image generation model checkpoint can be 2-7GB, and when you have a collection of them plus various add-ons, storage fills up faster than you’d expect. Having all-SSD storage means load times stay fast across the board regardless of which drive something lives on.
If you’re building a gaming-only machine, 1-2TB NVMe is plenty. The extra storage is specific to my workload.
What I’d Change
Honestly not much. If I was building from scratch today I’d look hard at the newer AM5 platform — the upgrade path is better and newer memory prices have come down significantly. But for a build that’s already running well, the platform I’m on still holds up. The threshold for “worth rebuilding everything” is high when the current setup does the job.
The one thing I’m actively planning to upgrade is the GPU in my home server — that’s a separate machine from this gaming build, but it handles the AI generation workloads and the current card is showing its age. That’s part of what the affiliate earnings from this site go toward.
Full parts list with current pricing is on the My Rig page — everything links directly to Amazon. If you’re copying any part of this build, that’s the best way to support the site.