PC Build Cost Calculator - Parts Total and Cost to Own

Calculator Type

One line per part, at the price you can actually buy it for. Leave anything at zero if you already own it or the build has none of it.

Processor ($) *

Motherboard ($)

Memory ($)

The whole kit, not one stick.

Graphics Card ($)

Zero for integrated graphics.

Storage ($)

Every drive added together.

Power Supply ($)

Case ($)

CPU Cooler ($)

Zero if you are using the one in the processor box.

Extra Fans and Lighting ($)

Operating System Licence ($)

Zero for Linux, or if you are moving a licence across from an old machine.

Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse and Headset ($)

Kept separate from the tower below, because these usually outlive several builds.

Sales or Value Added Tax (%)

Applied to the parts total. Leave at zero if the prices you entered already include it, which they usually do outside the United States.

Shipping ($)

Added after tax.

Discounts and Rebates ($)

Mail-in rebates and coupons, taken off at the end because tax is normally charged before them.

Budget ($)

Optional. Leave at zero to skip the comparison.

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The purchase price spread over the years you will keep it, less what the parts are worth at the end, plus the electricity it draws in between.

What the Build Cost ($) *

The total from the other tab, or whatever you actually paid.

Years You Expect to Keep It *

What the Parts Will Be Worth at the End ($)

PC parts are not worthless at the end of a build. A graphics card and a well-regarded case and supply hold value; a motherboard on a dead socket does not.

Draw Under Load (watts) *

At the wall, not the supply rating. The PSU wattage calculator converts a component load into the figure at the wall using the efficiency rating.

Draw at Idle (watts)

A modern desktop sitting at a desktop, screen on, doing nothing much.

Hours a Day Under Load *

Hours a Day Idle but On

Electricity Rate ($ per kWh)

Off the bill, including the delivery charges rather than just the energy line. 17 cents is a placeholder, not a figure for your address.

Other Running Costs per Year ($)

Replacement fans, thermal paste, a mid-life drive, anything you expect to buy while you own it.

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