Many PC builders have one or two components that they don't like to buy or recommend. I have quite a few, and there's a good chance you'll agree with me once you hear why.
Whether it's because the component in question is unreasonably expensive, pointless, or because it's a combination of both, here's a list of some parts you'll never see me buy.
Non-modular power supplies
When I built my new computer earlier this year, I had a fairly loose budget. At the same time, I like to maximize performance per dollar as much as possible.
When it came to choosing a power supply, I did some research and settled on a non-modular option. Cooler Master MWE 700 White V2 (this is a European 230V model designed for our sockets).
This is a great power supply for the money, except for the non-modular part. Inability to disconnect excess cables and the need to remove them added a few hours to my buildand adding a drive or replacing a component is much more difficult than it should be.
I could have avoided this problem entirely by spending a little more to get Cooler Master MWE Gold 850W V2 Fully Modular Power Supplywhich is a higher level power supply anyway.
- Brand
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Cooler Master
- Exit
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850 W
The Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V2 Full Modular Power Supply delivers a reliable 850W of power with 80+ Gold efficiency and fully modular cables for a clean, flexible build. Its 120mm HDB fan is quiet and its dual EPS connectors make it compatible with today's high-end motherboards.
AIO coolers
As cool as AIO coolers look, the likelihood of me ever including them in my build is slim to none for a few good reasons. First of all, AIO coolers tend to cost a little more than air coolers, but don't necessarily offer better heat output, especially at the lower end. Few people really need a high-end CPU coolerAnyway.
Other reasons are related to reliability. AIO coolers use water pumps that will fail at some point, and there is always a non-zero chance of the cooler leaking as the fittings become loose from thousands of heat cycles.
The possibility of both, especially during the little time off I have on the weekends, is reason enough for me to stay away.
Dear fans
Dear Noctua, I love your fantastically boring but iconic brown and beige fans. I really think so. Unfortunately, they cost too much to justify.
Even one of the cheapest Noctua fans, Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWMis still $17. Fancy gaming fans with sophisticated RGB lighting are also prohibitively expensive.
For me it's too much money to spend when the five pack is amazing ARCTIC P12 Pro PST fans cost less than $30.
Full disclosure: I had three Thermaltake ARGB fans in my relatively cheap case, but my gut tells me that the two fans doing the real heavy lifting are my trusty Arctic P12 (non-professional) fans up top. I don't have any cooling issues right now, but if I did I would just buy the P12 Pro.
Budget and high-end motherboards.
Cheap motherboards cut too many corners. They often have limited I/O, few fan headers, RGB or internal USB headers, and in extreme cases low quality or underpowered VRMs with poor cooling of both the VRM and the chipset. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
On the other hand, high-end motherboards offer too many features. Personally, I don't need built-in Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (which can be dealt with with a dongle in a pinch), nor do I need more than two M.2 slots, super-fast USB4 and Thunderbolt, or all the other bells and whistles.
The sweet spot is a decent B650/B850 or preferably a B650M/B850M motherboard.
After years of struggling with one of the cheapest B450M boards on the market, I finally upgraded to ASRock B650M PG Riptide this year and it's great. Lots of connectivity, features and expansion options without the outrageous price tag that X870 motherboards have.
Expensive PC cases.
Fractal design North (coal) is one of my most beautiful projects of all time, but I don't think I could ever spend that kind of money on it.
NZXT H9 RGB+ Stream It's even more expensive at $300, although at least it comes with a fan control hub and seven ARGB fans, so the value proposition isn't as terrible as it might seem on paper.
While I can appreciate the design and craftsmanship of these cases, at the end of the day it's just a box that holds components. You could argue that aside from needing enough room for airflow and all your equipment, the role of the enclosure ends there.
I'll admit, I still care about aesthetics and wouldn't mind spending a little money on a nice case. For example, the recently released ASUS Prime AP202 looks so good I'm thinking about it I restore my computer using it. Plus, it includes three ARGB fans for its price.
- Brand
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Asus
- Motherboard size (max)
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mATX
The ASUS Prime AP202 ARGB Black mATX case features a fully curved tempered glass panel that extends from front to back. It features three built-in ARGB fans and a built-in ARGB light band that is Aura Sync compatible. It supports graphics cards up to 420mm in length, 360mm radiators, a 200mm bottom-mount PSU, and includes an easy-to-remove rail and a patented bottom vent for optimal cooling.
There are parts of a PC build where you can cut corners, and others where it's not worth it. I shared a few personal reasons why I wouldn't spend money on certain components or, in the case of the power supply, why I'd like to splurge a little.
At the end of the day, the CPU and especially the GPU are the parts that I think are worth putting all the effort into.
