$1000 Build Guide
With $1000 to spend, that will allow you to build a more “future-proofed” PC by getting on the latest AM5 platform, the motherboard can be a full ATX sized board for more ports and IO, and the GPU will get a small boost compared to the $750 Creator Build.
Although I would have preferred an 8 core/16 thread option for Creators, the Ryzen 5 7600 is a still a great option for this price range. This is on the latest AM5 platform which means it can use the faster DDR5 RAM, and the CPU can be upgraded over time very easily without having to swap the motherboard. The 7600 is certainly fast enough for video editing, live streaming, and other creative workflow tasks.
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I do not really consider any Intel CPUs at this point in time. Not all of them are affected by the current instability issues, but Ryzen simply has too many better options for me to consider Intel right now. That will more than likely change in the future.
The Vetroo V5 is usually priced between $20-$30 and is still a safe bet for some of the lower end to mid-ranged AM5 CPUs. The 7600 doesn’t require a huge amount of cooling to begin with because of its 65W TDP, so feel free to go with my other budget favorites such as the ID-Cooling FROZN A410, or the Thermaltake UX200 ARGB.
The main thing we are looking for here is an ATX sized B650, and most people want built-in WiFi. With that as the search criteria, the MSI Pro B650-S WiFi has consistently been the least expensive and most reliable option for a long time. We’ve used dozens of these boards for various builds and they’ve worked great. Bonus points because it has a front USB C header and a rear USB C port which creators will often use for fast external drives and accessories.
Any 2x16GB DDR5 kit clocked at 6000MHz or higher will work. I would recommend trying to find one with a CL rating of 30 if possible, but not required. 32GB has become the new standard for DDR5, so there’s no real point in trying to find a slightly cheaper 16GB kit. All different types of creators will be able to utilize the extra amount of RAM in their workflow. I usually find that the SP Zenith Gaming 32GB kit and the G.Skill Ripjaws Flare X5 32GB kit to be the least expensive and very reliable.
I’d recommend starting with at least a PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD with 1TB. If you have more money to spend then feel free to creep your way up to a “High-Level NVMe” or even a 2TB model, but sticking with a mid ranged SSD at this build price is perfectly fine. The Teamgroup MP44L has consistently been one of the most available and least expensive mid ranged drives, so it’s getting my top pick. Video editors will definitely notice the difference of a faster drive compared to a budget alternative.
I will almost always recommend an Nvidia graphics card for creators, especially for live-streamers with one PC. Nvidia includes many software and even hardware features specifically for creators, and I think the extra price compared to an AMD competitor card is worth it (NVENC encoder and Nvidia Broadcast to name a few). For a $1000 build price, the best Nvidia card that will fit is an RTX 4060 Ti 8GB. I’d recommend getting whichever model you find a good deal on, or one that matches the aesthetics of your build. A safe bet is always the MSI Ventus RTX 4060 Ti model. Lately I also like the PNY Verto Dual Fan model as well.
For a Ryzen 5 7600 and RTX 4060 Ti build, my search filter will be any Tier C, B, or A 550W+ unit. If you can find a Tier B model that would be ideal. If not, then the MSI MAG A550BN has been consistently available for $50-$60, and I’ve personally used this probably close to 50 times in the last year.
The case selection is always personal preference, but one of the best models for this price range is the Sama Neview 4361 Black. It comes preinstalled with 3 ARGB fans, and it’s one of the cheapest ATX cases available that’s full of fans. For bonus aesthetics, you can buy an additional 3 pack of Sama YF1202I ARGB Case Fans to fill it out. These are the fans that come with the case, and they have a budget “knock-off” look of the Lian Li Uni Fans which are incredibly popular. An alternative option is the Sama SV02 which has a very minor difference but accomplishes the same thing.
Last updated: September 19, 2024