Build a PC / content creation
$2,500 video editing PC, part by part
An Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus with the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB, and the 6 parts around them that fit it: $2,752 all in.
Video editing, photo work and motion graphics at 1440p. Every part here was checked against every other for fit, and picked for export times: many cores, a card with good encoders, lots of memory. A price marked Amazon US is ScoutPrices' reading of the listing its button opens, dated; the rest are typical prices. Not a checkout total: no operating system, shipping, tax, screen, keyboard or mouse.
The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB are well matched at 1440p.
Enthusiast
$2,752 of $2,500
Highest content creation score the budget allows next to this card: 24 cores, boosts to 5.5 GHz.
2 swaps that still fit
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF-$38, -10 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265K-$41, -10 ptsBuy on Amazon
B860 board for the LGA1851 socket, DDR5, 3 M.2 slots, Wi-Fi.
32 GB DDR5 at 6000 MT/s CL30; 32 GB or more is the floor for content creation.
1 swap that still fit
16 GB of video memory, index 70 at 1440p; tuned for export times: many cores, a card with good encoders, lots of memory.
4 swaps that still fit
- Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB-$371, -22 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Radeon RX 9070-$200, -6 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Radeon RX 9070 XT+$30, same scoreBuy on Amazon
- PowerColor Hellhound Spectral White Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB-$50, same scoreBuy on Amazon
Rated 330 W for a chip that turbos to 250 W.
3 swaps that still fit
- Thermalright Frozen Notte 360 White-$16, -18 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Thermalright Frozen Notte 360-$23, -18 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Corsair Nautilus 360 RS+$39, -12 ptsBuy on Amazon
750 W, 80 Plus gold; this build draws about 750 W at full tilt, native 12V-2x6 cable.
4 swaps that still fit
- Corsair CX750same price, -24 ptsBuy on Amazon
- MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5same price, same scoreBuy on Amazon
- Corsair RM750e+$10, -2 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Corsair RM750e White+$10, -2 ptsBuy on Amazon
7 fans in the box, 7 of them lit, 5 is the least 554 W of parts needs behind a closed front. Takes EATX/ATX/MATX/ITX boards and cards up to 422 mm.
4 swaps that still fit
- Lian Li Lancool 207-$169, -5 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Montech King 95 Pro White-$125, -5 ptsBuy on Amazon
- Lian Li O11 Dynamic Evo RGB White-$122, same scoreBuy on Amazon
- Fractal Design Torrent-$65, -1 ptsBuy on Amazon
2 TB PCIe 5.0 NVMe, 14,700 MB/s reads, with cache.
2 swaps that still fit
- Crucial T705 2TB-$18, -1 ptsBuy on Amazon
- WD Black SN8100 2TB+$74, same scoreBuy on Amazon
The same list, more or less money
$2,500 spent on a different job
The same money buys a different machine when the work changes.