$1250 Nvidia Gaming PC Template

For almost any $1250 gaming PC I’d recommend going with an AM5 option in 2025. This gets you on the latest Ryzen socket, which means there will be a lot of upgradeability options for the future. The Ryzen 5 9600X has 6 powerful cores and 12 threads which do really well in gaming, and this CPU can pair with an even better GPU without worrying about a bottleneck.

I do not really consider any Intel CPUs at this point in time. Ryzen simply has too many better options for me to consider Intel right now.

Although an AIO isn’t 100% necessary for a 9600X, the $1250 budget allows for one and it’s not a whole lot more expensive compared to an air cooler. We’ve been using the Thermalright Aqua Elite ARGB V4 360 at the office for a while now, but keep in mind that Thermalright makes a ton of different versions such as this one. As far as I know, all of them are perfectly valid options. Any 360mm AIO should fit inside the case that’s listed below, so you have flexibility here.

There are several B650 models available, and you can go with whichever ATX sized one that you want. Keep an eye out for the ports and features that you like, as well as if it has built-in WiFi. The MSI Pro B650-S WiFi has typically been available for less than $150, and we’ve used this dozens of times without any issues. If you’re looking for an alternative, I’d also consider the MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi and the MSI Pro B650-P WiFi. I’ve also used the Gigabyte B650 Eagle AX a bunch of times.

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 (lower is better), but not required. (You can use this Amazon Search to help) For DDR5, 32GB has become the standard, and I would not recommend trying to buy a 16GB kit. More and more games are starting to use more than 16GB by themselves, so having the extra headroom for other applications like a web browser and Discord is a good option. If the listed RAM kit isn’t in stock, then I also like the GSkill Flare X5 and the Teamgroup Delta RGB kits as well.

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” (Consult the SSD List), but sticking with a low/mid ranged SSD at this build price is perfectly fine. The Silicon Power UD90 has consistently been one of the most available and least expensive mid ranged drives, so it’s getting my top pick. If that’s not in stock, then the Teamgroup T-Force G50 probably is.

Even compared to the current AMD options, the RTX 5070 is one of the best price to performance valued GPUs right now. It’s continuing to drop a little lower than MSRP, while AMD’s RX 9070 is staying higher. I really like this GPU for true 1440p gaming, and if you can’t find the model listed then I also like the ASUS Prime RTX 5070 as well.

For a Ryzen 5 9600X and RTX 5070 build, my search filter will be any Tier B or A 650W+ unit. (Consult the PSU Tier List) The MSI MAG A650GLS has been recently available for $80-$90, and I’ve personally used this dozens of times without an issue. If you can’t find that in stock, then look for a MSI MAG A650GL which is very similar and also rated Tier B.

The case selection is always personal preference, but for the Nvidia Gaming Build Templates I’m sticking with the Montech XR. This is a fish tank style of case that holds an ATX motherboard at a crazy good price under $70. It doesn’t pack all of the bells and whistles, but it’s still a high quality case that’s easy to build with. By spending this low amount of our budget on the case, it allows us to fill it with higher quality components. If you don’t like the Montech XR then feel free to go with any ATX compatible case that you personally like. Some of my other favorites are the Fractal Design Pop Air RGB, Okinos Oak Wood, Corsair 4000D Airflow, and the Fractal Design North.