Many PC builders have one or two components they don’t like buying or recommending. I’ve got quite a few of them, and there’s a good chance you’ll agree with me once you hear why.
Whether it’s because the component in question is unjustifiably expensive, pointless, or a combination of both, here’s a list of some parts you’ll never see me buy.
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Non-modular PSUs
When I built my new PC earlier this year, I had a fairly open-ended budget. At the same time, I like to maximize performance-per-dollar as much as I can.
When it came to picking the power supply, I did some research and decided on a non-modular Cooler Master MWE 700 White V2 (it’s a European 230V model designed for our outlets).
It’s an excellent power supply for the money—except for the non-modular part. Not being able to unplug extra cables and having to tuck them away added several hours to my build, and adding a drive or swapping a component is significantly harder than it needed to be.
I could have avoided the issue entirely by spending just a bit more to get the Cooler Master MWE Gold 850W V2 Full Modular PSU, which is a higher-tier PSU anyway.
- Brand
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Cooler Master
- Output
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850W
The Cooler Master MWE Gold 850 V2 Full Modular PSU delivers 850W of reliable power with 80+ Gold efficiency and fully modular cables for a clean, flexible build. Its 120mm HDB fan runs quietly, and dual EPS connectors make it compatible with modern high-end motherboards.
AIO coolers
As cool as AIO coolers look, there’s zero chance I’m ever going to include one in my build for a few good reasons. First and foremost, AIO coolers tend to cost a fair bit more than air coolers without necessarily providing better thermals—especially on the lower end. Few people actually need a high-end CPU cooler, anyway.
The other reasons have to do with reliability. AIO coolers use water pumps that will fail at some point, and there’s always a non-zero chance that the cooler springs a leak as the fittings weaken from thousands of heat cycles.
The possibility of either happening, especially during the little relaxation time I have over the weekend, is enough reason for me to stay away.
This $30 cooler proves you don’t need liquid cooling for high-end chips
Who knew $30 could buy this much cooling power?
Expensive fans
Dear Noctua, I love your fantastically boring yet iconic brown-and-beige fans. I really do. Unfortunately, they just cost too much to justify.
Even one of the cheapest Noctua fans, the Noctua NF-P12 redux-1700 PWM, is still $17. Fancy gaming-centric fans with intricate RGB are also too expensive.
It’s just too much money for me to spend when a five-pack of the amazing ARCTIC P12 Pro PST fans costs less than $30.
Full disclosure: my relatively cheap case came with three ARGB Thermaltake fans, but my intuition tells me that the two fans doing the actual heavy lifting are my trusty Arctic P12 (non-pro) fans at the top. I don’t have cooling issues right now, but if I did, I’d just get the P12 Pros.
Low-end and high-end motherboards
Cheap motherboards cut too many corners. They often have limited I/O, few headers for fans, RGB, or internal USB connectors, and in extreme cases, low-quality or insufficient VRMs with poor cooling on both the VRMs and the chipset. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
On the other hand, high-end motherboards bring way too many features to the table. I don’t personally need built-in Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (which can be handled by a dongle in a pinch), nor do I need more than two M.2 slots, ultra-fast USB4 and Thunderbolt, or all the other bells and whistles.
The middle ground 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 the ASRock B650M PG Riptide this year, and it’s excellent. Plenty of connectivity, features, and expansion, without the outrageous price tag that X870 motherboards carry.
Expensive PC cases
The Fractal Design North (Charcoal) is one of my favorite-looking cases of all time, but I don’t think that I could ever spend that kind of money on a case.
The NZXT H9 Flow RGB+ is even more expensive with a price point of $300, though at least it comes with a fan control hub and seven ARGB fans, so the value proposition isn’t terrible as it might sound on paper.
While I can appreciate the design and craftsmanship that go into these cases, at the end of the day, it’s just a box that holds the components. You could argue that beyond needing enough room for airflow and all your hardware, the role of the case ends there.
Admittedly, I still care about aesthetics, and I wouldn’t mind spending a bit to get a nice-looking case. For instance, the recently released ASUS Prime AP202 looks so good that I’m thinking about rebuilding my PC with it. Plus, it includes three ARGB fans at its price point.
- 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 the front to the side. It comes with three built-in ARGB fans plus an integrated ARGB light band compatible with Aura Sync. It supports graphics cards up to 420mm long, 360mm radiators, a bottom-mounted 200mm PSU, and includes an easy-detach rail and patented bottom vent for optimal cooling.
There are parts of a PC build where you can cut corners, and others where it just isn’t worth it. I’ve shared a few personal reasons why I won’t spend money on certain components—or, in the case of the power supply, why I wish I had splurged a little.
At the end of the day, the CPU and, especially, the GPU are the parts I truly think are worth going all out for.
