Build a PC / office & everyday

$1,500 office PC, part by part

An Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus with the ASRock Intel Arc B580 Challenger 12GB OC, and the 6 parts around them that fit it: $1,626 all in.

A desk that never stutters: browser, documents, calls and 1080p video, on two or three screens. Every part here was checked against every other for fit, and picked for snappy single-core speed, quiet running, and a card that drives two or three screens without fuss. 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 has headroom to spare. The ASRock Intel Arc B580 Challenger 12GB OC sets the frame rate at 1080p, so a faster card is the upgrade that shows.

Change the budget or the job

Fit for the job

Sweet spot

$1,626 of $1,500

The ASRock B860 Challenger WiFi White goes onto the NZXT H7 Flow (2024) White's tray: ATX, B860, nine standoffs.

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus drops into the LGA1851 socket, lever down: 24 cores, up to 5.5 GHz.

The Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360's block sits on the chip and its 360 mm radiator bolts to the roof; rated 330 W against 250 W.

Two sticks of Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 click into the second and fourth slots: 16 GB at 6000 MT/s.

The WD Black SN850X 1TB screws into the first M.2 slot under the card.

The ASRock Intel Arc B580 Challenger 12GB OC slides into the x16 slot and latches: 310 mm in a case that takes 410 mm, 12 GB of memory.

The be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 750W goes into the basement, 750 W for a build that draws about 600 W flat out.

Side panel on, three case fans spinning. Fit for the job: 74 of 100.

Build order

Eight steps, the way a builder works through the case. $1,500 all in.

ASRock B860 Challenger WiFi White on the tray
Core Ultra 7 270K Plus in the socket
Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 on top
2 sticks of memory
WD Black SN850X 1TB on the board
ASRock Intel Arc B580 Challenger 12GB OC in the x16 slot
750 W supply in the basement
Panel on, power on

Illustration built from this build's parts: the case's card and cooler clearances, the board's size, the card's length, the cooler, the memory sticks, the supply. Shapes are generic, not the products' own.

PartScore for the jobPrice

ProcessorIntel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus

Highest office & everyday 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, -6 ptsBuy on Amazon
Intel Core Ultra 7 265K-$41, -6 ptsBuy on Amazon

$386Amazon US, Oct 25

Buy on Amazon

MotherboardASRock B860 Challenger WiFi White

B860 board for the LGA1851 socket, DDR5, 3 M.2 slots, Wi-Fi.

$120Amazon US, Oct 25

Buy on Amazon

MemoryCorsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR5-6000 CL36

16 GB DDR5 at 6000 MT/s CL36; 16 GB or more is the floor for office & everyday.

$309Amazon US, Oct 25

Buy on Amazon

Graphics cardASRock Intel Arc B580 Challenger 12GB OC

12 GB of video memory, index 35 at 1080p; tuned for snappy single-core speed, quiet running, and a card that drives two or three screens without fuss.

$330Amazon US, Oct 25

Buy on Amazon

CPU coolerArctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360

Rated 330 W for a chip that turbos to 250 W.

2 swaps that still fit