Skip to main content
Find your build

Which PC is right for you?

These are the questions we'd ask you across the counter. Answer what you know — every answer sharpens our ★ recommendations — and skip what you don't. When you're ready, we'll carry the whole conversation into the configurator and walk your build part by part. No wrong answers, and no obligation.

What will this computer be doing most days?

Rather browse than answer questions? The set-price prebuilts and the ready-today Shuttle DH610 skip the whole conversation.

Match the machine to the work

The fastest way to a build you'll be happy with is to start from what you'll actually do with it. Here's what matters for each, and where we'd point you first.

Gaming

The graphics card does the heavy lifting, with a CPU and fast memory to keep it fed. We size the GPU to your resolution and the games you play — 1080p, 1440p, or 4K.

Start a gaming build →

Live streaming

A streaming rig runs two workloads at once — the game and the broadcast — so it rewards extra cores, 32GB of memory, and a card with a strong encoder. The guided build stars encoder-friendly parts, clean onboard audio, and room for the VOD archive.

Start a streaming build →

Creative work

Video, photo, 3D, and CAD reward CPU cores, plenty of memory, and often a strong GPU. We match the parts to the software you run, so nothing's wasted and nothing bottlenecks. Streaming or making content? See our creator builds.

Start a workstation build →

AI & machine learning

Local LLMs, image and video generation, training runs. VRAM decides which models fit, so we build around the RTX PRO Blackwell cards — up to 96GB on a single card, with multi-GPU room to grow.

Start an AI build →

Work & business

Office machines, point-of-sale, and signage. Reliability and footprint matter more than raw power, and we build for years of daily use.

Start a business build →

Everyday & family

Web, streaming, schoolwork, and the home office. A clean, quiet machine with a fast SSD and no bloatware does the job — and lasts longer than the big-box equivalent.

Start an everyday build →

Custom, prebuilt, or bundle?

Same shop, same standards, same 3-year warranty on all of them — the difference is how much you want to decide yourself. Still torn between the first two? Here's the full custom vs prebuilt breakdown.

Custom

Pick every part and watch it come together on a live diagram, with compatibility checked as you go. Best when you want exactly the right machine or a clear upgrade path.

Open the configurator →

Prebuilt

Three proven tiers at set prices, hand-built and stress-tested, with a faster turnaround. Best when you'd rather have the decisions made for you.

See the tiers →

Bundle or compact

Already have a case? A board bundle ships assembled and tested. Want something tiny? Spec a Shuttle DH610 — built to order.

Configure a bundle →

How much should you spend?

Rough starting points. A custom build can sit below or above these — we size the parts to the job, not to a price tag.

Sensible
~$1,000–1,200

Solid parts, no frills — 1080p gaming and everyday use. This is where the Starter prebuilt lives (from $1,049).

The sweet spot
~$1,700–2,000

High-FPS 1440p, streaming, and most creative work. Our Performance tier and do-everything builds sit here (from $1,749).

High end
$2,800+

4K gaming, heavy rendering, and AI work. The Elite tier and multi-GPU workstations start here (from $2,899).

Common questions

Should I build a custom PC or buy a prebuilt?
Go custom when you want exactly the right parts, an upgrade path, or something a fixed model doesn't cover — the configurator lets you pick every part and checks compatibility as you go. Choose a prebuilt when you'd rather have it decided for you: three set-price tiers, hand-built and tested, with a faster turnaround. Both come with the same 3-year warranty and lifetime support.
Should I get a desktop or a gaming laptop?
If the machine will live on a desk, a desktop gives you more performance per dollar, full-power parts that don't throttle, and a real upgrade path. A laptop's one big edge is that you can carry it. Here's the full custom PC vs gaming laptop breakdown.
How much should a custom gaming PC cost?
A solid 1080p gaming build starts around $1,000–$1,200. High-FPS 1440p and light creative work land near $1,700–$2,000. For 4K, heavy rendering, or AI work, plan on $2,800 and up. A custom build can sit below or above those bands — we size the parts to the job.
Do you build for work and business, not just gaming?
Yes. We build office machines, point-of-sale and signage systems, business workstations, and fleets of identical PCs. For compact office use, the prebuilt Shuttle DH610 mounts behind a monitor; for anything specific, the business configurator sizes a machine to the work.
I want something small — what are my options?
The Shuttle DH610 is a 1.3-liter mini PC we build to your spec — small enough to mount behind a monitor. If you'd rather pick the parts, we can build a compact custom machine in a small-form case too.
Do you ship nationwide, and what about support?
We ship hand-built PCs across the US from our shop in Fairport, NY. Every build includes a 3-year warranty and lifetime tech support, and you talk to the person who actually built your machine — by phone, email, chat, or a scheduled call.
What if I still don't know what I need?
Use the guided build: it asks the same questions we'd ask you across the counter and walks you through every part with our recommendations. Or just tell us what you're after at sales@jncs.com or (585) 388-8780 and we'll put a quote together. No obligation.

Still not sure? Let's figure it out together.

The guided build asks the questions we'd ask you across the counter — including the one you just answered — and walks the whole build with a starred pick in every slot. Or reach out and a real person will help you spec it — free, and no obligation.