PC builds based on the RTX 4060 can be pretty cheap (Image via Nvidia)

5 best PC builds for RTX 4060

Modified Jun 30, 2023 17:29 GMT

The RTX 4060 is now available for $299 at leading retail stores like Newegg and Amazon. The graphics card is the RTX 3060 12 GB spiritual successor, albeit with lesser VRAM. The card has also gotten cheaper than the last-gen equivalent, which is not what we saw with the remainder of the Ada Lovelace-based RTX 40 series lineup.

The new graphics card isn't a huge leap over the last-gen 3060. Instead, Nvidia primarily targets the cards as an upgrade for gamers using the GTX 1060, 1650, and RTX 2060 — all of which rank among the most popular graphics cards ever.

Given how much tech has evolved in the last four years, those planning to upgrade their older systems are better off building a new PC. This article will list the best build combinations for the latest 60-class video card from Nvidia.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinions.

Budget-focused RTX 4060 PC builds can be very affordable

1) Budget build within $800

The Lian Li Lancool 205M Mesh is a high-quality M-ATX case (Image via Lian Li)

Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5600
Motherboard: ASRock B550M Phantom Gaming 4 M-ATX motherboard
RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2x 8 GB) DDR4 3000
Cooler: Deepcool AK400 high-performance air cooler
PSU: Corsair CX650M 650W 80+ Bronze semi-modular power supply
Storage: Crucial BX500 1 TB SATA SSD
Video card: MSI Geforce RTX 4060 8 GB Ventus 2x
Case: Lian Li Lancool 205M Mesh MicroATX mini-tower

The Lian Li Lancool 205M Mesh is a superb mid-range offering from the company. It comes with every necessary feature one could ask for support for the latest graphics cards (that can get pretty long), a full mesh front, and comprehensive clearing for a solid cooler.

We paired the RTX 4060 and this case with the last-gen Ryzen 5 5600, which is selling for dirt cheap these days. The motherboard everything sits on is the ASRock B550M Phantom Gaming 4: it supports PCIe Gen 4 and is plenty for a budget build around the 4060.

Other than this, we have cut costs on cooling and the SSD. Although the stock cooler bundled with the 5600 would have sufficed, we upgraded it to a DeepCool AK400. The power delivery is handled by a decent Corsair CX650M 80+ Bronze unit — plenty for the system.

2) High-end DDR4-based build within $1000

The Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital (Image via Gamers Nexus/YouTube)

Processor: Intel Core i5 12600KF
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A ATX motherboard
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200
Cooler: DeepCool AK620 dual-tower air cooler
PSU: EVGA 850 BQ 80+ Bronze semi-modular power supply
Storage: Crucial MX500 1 TB SATA III SSD
Video card: MSI Geforce RTX 4060 8 GB Ventus 2x
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital

Gamers who want better performance might consider opting for an Alder Lake chip. In the next slightly costlier build, we paired the RTX 4060 with a Core i5 12600KF, which is plenty powerful to handle the latest 60-class graphics card without any bottlenecks. Since Z690 motherboard prices are plummeting, we opted for the MSI PRO Z690-A full-sized SKU for this build. It will allow gamers to overclock their K-series CPU.

Other than this, we upgraded the cooler to the dual-tower AK620, which will help while overclocking the 12600K. The power supply and SSD have also been upgraded slightly to facilitate a longer life span and potential for future upgrades.

The build sits inside the Phanteks P400A Digital, a fantastic high-airflow design that will further help keep the CPU and GPU cool.

4) Gaming-focused build within $1,300

The Hyte Y60 is an excellent showcase chassis (Image via Newegg)

Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Steel Legend ATX motherboard
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200
Cooler: Deepcool LS720 high-performance 360 mm AIO cooler
PSU: EVGA 850 BQ 80+ Bronze semi-modular power supply
Storage: Samsung 980 PRO Heatsink NVMe M.2 2280 1 TB PCIe Gen 4
Video card: MSI Geforce RTX 4060 8 GB Ventus 2x
Case: Hyte Y60

The Ryzen 7 5800X3D continues to be a great processor for gaming, even following the introduction of its Zen 4 counterpart. The chip has been massively discounted lately, which makes it a decent pair for a mid-range gaming system. Many might argue that a 5800X3D is overkill for the RTX 4060, but we recommend it if you have the cash.

For this case, we have opted for the Hyte Y60, a superb minimalist option offering a panoramic view of the components inside. The point is one of the best options for PC builders in 2023.

Other than these primary components, we have opted for a B550 motherboard to ensure support for the PCIe Gen 4 standard. The storage has been upgraded to a Samsung Gen 4 drive to facilitate faster game load times, and the cooler has also been bumped to a 360mm radiator to keep the 5800X3D chilled even under full load.

4) High-end content creation build within $1,600

The Fractal Design Meshify C (Image via Amazon)

Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
Motherboard: MSI MPG X570 Gaming Plus ATX motherboard
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance RGB Pro SL 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3600
Cooler: Deepcool LT720 high-performance 360 mm AIO cooler
PSU: EVGA 850 BQ 80+ Bronze semi-modular power supply
Storage: Samsung 980 PRO Heatsink NVMe M.2 2280 2 TB PCIe Gen 4
Video card: MSI Geforce RTX 4060 8 GB Ventus 2x
Case: Fractal Design Meshify C

The RTX 4060 isn't built to be paired with a Ryzen 9 or Core i9 processor. However, the prices of the last-gen Ryzen 5000 chips are continuously declining, making them hard to miss while building a new PC in 2023. It is worth noting that with the Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the 4060, gamers may hardly get 1-2 extra frames in the latest titles.

But, if your gaming rig doubles up as a workstation (if you do video editing, 3D modeling, or rendering work), the 5900X can be a boon. It is built for multi-threaded workloads. The RTX 4060 also packs enough horsepower to easily let video editors work with 3-4 streams of 4K video, making it an ideal choice for a sub-$2,000 workstation-cum-gaming setup.

5) No compromises build with the RTX 4070 ($2500+)

The Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic Evo (Image via Lian Li)

Processor: Intel Core i9 13900KS
Motherboard: MSI Z790 ACE E-ATX motherboard
RAM: Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan 64 GB (2x 32 GB) DDR5-5200
Cooler: Deepcool LT720 high-performance 360 mm AIO cooler
PSU: MSI A1000G PCIe 5 1000 W fully modular power supply
Storage: Samsung 980 PRO Heatsink NVMe M.2 2280 2 TB PCIe Gen 4
Video card: MSI Geforce RTX 4060 8 GB Ventus 2x
Case: Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic Evo White

Some gamers might want the absolute best for their RTX 4060 GPUs. Do note that this build with the Core i9 13900KS and the Lian Li O11 Evo is impractical, and we don't recommend gamers buy it.

However, if you want to build an RTX 4080 or 4090-based PC and don't have the cash to dump on the high-end graphics cards just yet, this build can be a decent placeholder for the time being. We have paired the fastest processor available in the market with a high-end MSI Z790 ACE motherboard. The build also features a 1000W power supply to handle up to an RTX 4090, and the DeepCool LT720 360mm radiator handles cooling.

Overall, this build features some of the best components money can buy today. The capabilities of this rig will blow away gamers with this system. But gaming performance still won't be top-notch because of the RTX 4060 GPU.

Edited by
Arkaprovo Roy