Luxia Le

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The truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all average price to build a computer unless you assume intent and use case, which is a great way to make an ass out of me and you. However, I can give you an expected price for different tiers and use cases. So, buckle up, we’re going numbers hunting.

Light Use

Computers designed for light use aren’t very expensive to buy or build. If you have the ability to build your own computer for light use only, you can probably do it for $300–500 depending on the components you use in the build.

Light-use computers won’t get you very far in most technically advanced sectors. You’ll mostly want to use this type of computer for browsing the internet, checking emails, and maybe watching media or reading the news. Anything more than that and you’ll need to start looking at a more expensive computer that has hardware to support the tasks properly.

With light-use computers, you can build a computer with the bare minimum components needed to run it without worrying about not being able to complete all the tasks on your plate. These are excellent for low-processing power remote workers, such as those who only really need to use Microsoft 365 and the messaging app their company uses.

Mid-Range

Mid-range computers support mid-range tasks like all of the above and some light gaming. You won’t be able to play AAA titles at the highest settings with this type of computer, but you may be able to get them running at low settings. Low-processing power games without mods will run just fine. You should be able to do most tasks to some degree, with slowdown or reduced settings on some stuff.

Mid-range computers will run you between $800–$1,400 on average. These builds typically include low-to-mid-range discrete graphics cards, like the NVIDIA RTX -70 series cards, which typically absorbs most of the cost of the computer.

Mid-range computers can use older high-range parts that have depreciated in value. For instance, some users may purchase previous-generation NVIDIA -80 series cards that have depreciated in value to give themselves a bit of a power boost without breaking the bank.

High-Range

The highest range of computers is for people who do intensive tasks. In these builds, the builder prioritizes the processing power of the computer in either central processing, graphics processing, or both. This range of computer doesn’t have a high point. The sky is the limit with high-range computers. Users of these computers want to be able to program, game, and watch media in ultra-high resolutions. These builds typically include discrete graphics cards that support high-settings.

These computers are perfect for users who are performing high-processing power tasks, such as gaming at high settings, video production, photo manipulation, digital art, and programming.

A high-range computer typically starts around $2,000 and can only go up from there depending on what specifications the user needs.