PC gaming can be an expensive pursuit, and building your own rig even more so. We can't count the number of times we've set out to build a budget rig, only to have the part list balloon out of hand. We're not building on a budget here though. This is a build for high-end gaming.Often there's not a large price difference between one component and a step up, but applying that logic across an entire build can really add up.
A $700 or $800 PC is head and shoulders above any console you can buy. Sure, you can go cheaper with a PC, but racing to the bottom isn’t what PC gaming is about. And once you start dipping below $600 it’s hard to see the advantage of the PC anyway.
Not everybody can afford a high-end gaming PC. PC Gamer’s high-end PC build guide is aimed at a price tier of $2,000 / £2,000.That’s partly because PC parts generally aren’t cheap, but it can also be the result of differing ideas on what “high-end” actually means.In our latest build, we've updated the GPU to the GTX 1080 Ti. It pushes the price closer to $2,200, but if you're building a PC north of $2,000, it should be equipped with the best gaming-focused GPU possible. Availability for the 1080 Ti is now quite good, with many custom cards including liquid cooled models. And with indications that Vega will be on par with the 1080, the 1080 Ti remains untouchable.The price point also doesn't account for the operating system or any peripherals. Check out our buying guides to the best mouse, keyboard, and gaming monitor for our favorite picks to pair with your new rig.
