A custom PC has two costs: the parts and the labor to build it. The parts are most of the money, and they depend almost entirely on what you want the computer to do. The labor is small and predictable.

Labor: what you pay us

We charge by the hour, and you see the rate before you book:

Gaming PC builds: from $60 per hour
Creator and workstation builds: from $75 per hour

Most builds take 2–4 hours from opening the first box to running benchmarks. At the base rate, that puts labor at roughly $120–$240 for a gaming build and $150–$300 for a workstation. That time includes assembly, the Windows install, drivers and updates, BIOS settings, and a stress test, all done at your desk.

There is no travel fee inside Madison, and nearby towns like Middleton, Fitchburg, Verona, Sun Prairie, and Waunakee are included on standard build appointments.

Parts: where the real money goes

Part prices change every week, so we don’t publish a fixed price list. You get an itemized list with the current price of each part and the reason it was picked. You approve the list before anything is ordered, and you can change anything on it.

Here is how to think about where the budget goes:

Graphics card (gaming)

For gaming, the graphics card decides how well games run, so it usually gets the largest share of the budget. The right card depends on your monitor:

1080p high-refresh - the most affordable target, and still great for competitive games.
1440p - the sweet spot for most people. It needs a noticeably stronger card.
4K - the most expensive by far. Only worth it if you already own a 4K monitor or TV you want to play on.

Matching the card to the monitor you own is the easiest way to avoid overspending.

Processor (CPU)

For most games, a mid-range processor is plenty. For video editing, 3D rendering, compiling code, or big spreadsheets, the processor matters much more, and that’s where workstation budgets go.

Memory and storage

Memory (RAM) and a fast NVMe SSD are where we see people save money in the wrong place. Too little RAM causes stutters with many apps open, and a slow or small drive makes everything feel sluggish. Neither costs much to get right.

Power supply, case, and cooling

These don’t add frames per second, but they decide how quiet the machine is, how long it lasts, and whether you can drop in a bigger graphics card later. We don’t cut corners on the power supply.

How to set a budget

Start with what you’ll do. List the games or software, and the monitor you’ll use.
Decide what “good enough” means. High settings at 1440p? Smooth 4K timeline playback? That target sets the budget better than a dollar number.
Leave room to upgrade. A good power supply and case let you swap the graphics card in a few years instead of buying a whole new PC.
Ask for a quote. Tell us the target and a rough budget, and you’ll get a written parts list, usually within one business day.

Why build at your desk instead of buying prebuilt?

A prebuilt PC often saves money on parts you can’t see: a weak power supply, slow memory, or a motherboard with no room to grow. When we build at your home, you see every part, the computer is set up where it will actually live, and we don’t leave until it’s running the games or software you bought it for.

Ready to price yours? Request a free quote or read more about custom gaming PC builds and workstation builds.

How much does a custom PC build cost in Madison?