Developer PC Builder
Fast compiles, room for containers and virtual machines, and an editor that never lags.
What's it for?
Budget$1,500
Writing code is limited by processor cores, memory, and storage speed, not by graphics. We spend your budget on those three and keep the graphics card modest.
That means builds that finish sooner, room to run containers and virtual machines, and an editor that stays responsive. Every part fits, and each one links to Amazon.
What you get
- Lots of cores, so builds and test runs finish sooner
- 32GB of memory or more, so containers and your editor coexist
- Fast storage for large repositories, quick searches, and builds
- Every part checked, so it all fits together
Example developer builds
What the builder recommends today at a few budgets. Every part links to Amazon; customize a build to change the budget or swap parts.
Example build at $1,200 Software / data
Customize this buildComponentSelectionPrice
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 5 245K14-core · 14 threads · LGA1851$190Buy on AmazonCoolerThermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SEAir · 155mm tall$40Buy on AmazonMotherboard
ASUS Prime B860-PLUS WiFiB860 · ATX · DDR5$245Buy on AmazonMemoryCorsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8) DDR5-560016GB · DDR5-5600 · 2 sticks$50Buy on AmazonStorageCrucial P3 Plus 1TB NVMe (Gen4)1000GB · NVMe$65Buy on AmazonGraphics Card
AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT 12GB12GB VRAM · 267mm$420Buy on AmazonCase
Montech AIR 903 MAXATX/mATX/ITX · GPU ≤ 400mm$80Buy on AmazonPower Supply
Corsair RM750e 750W750W · 80+ Gold · Full modular$102Buy on Amazon8 parts · about 494W peak · all parts compatibleTotal$1,192
Prices are approximate, from Amazon as of 2026-09-03. Each link opens the live Amazon price.
Example build at $2,000 Software / data
Customize this buildComponentSelectionPrice
Processor
Intel Core Ultra 7 265K20-core · 20 threads · LGA1851$350Buy on AmazonCooler
NZXT Kraken 360AIO · 360mm radiator$100Buy on AmazonMotherboard
MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFiZ890 · ATX · DDR5$254Buy on AmazonMemoryG.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 64GB (2x32) DDR5-600064GB · DDR5-6000 · 2 sticks$200Buy on AmazonStorage
WD Black SN850X 2TB NVMe2000GB · NVMe$270Buy on AmazonGraphics Card
AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT 16GB16GB VRAM · 267mm$500Buy on AmazonCase
Fractal Design Meshify 2ATX/mATX/ITX · GPU ≤ 460mm$160Buy on AmazonPower Supply
Corsair RM850e 850W850W · 80+ Gold · Full modular$135Buy on Amazon8 parts · about 603W peak · all parts compatibleTotal$1,969
Prices are approximate, from Amazon as of 2026-09-03. Each link opens the live Amazon price.
Frequently asked questions
How many CPU cores do I need for programming?
More cores speed up parallel compiles, test runs, and containerized services. 6 to 8 cores is comfortable for most work; large monorepos and heavy virtualization benefit from 12 to 16.
How much RAM does a developer PC need?
32GB is the sweet spot for a developer PC today. Go to 64GB if you run several VMs, large local databases, or memory-hungry data work.
Do I need a graphics card for coding?
Not for coding itself. A modest GPU drives multiple high-resolution monitors and handles occasional GPU tasks. If you work with machine learning, use the AI and machine learning builder instead.
Windows or Linux?
Either. Every part here works on both, and the Linux PC builder page explains the few components worth choosing carefully for Linux.
Ready-made builds
See all 8Complete parts lists at popular budgets. Open one and buy the parts, or change it first.
Budget Gaming PC$869
1080p gaming at high refresh rates for about $800
See the parts list1440p Gaming PC$1,414
The sweet spot: high settings at 1440p for about $1,500
See the parts list4K Gaming PC$2,479
Maxed-out detail at 4K for about $2,500
See the parts listStreaming PC$1,798
Play and broadcast at once, no dropped frames, for about $1,800
See the parts listOther builds
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