Price
The price rail is a real-dollar axis ($0 to $15,000+), so the spacing reflects actual cost, not even tier steps. The gap from Battleship up to Titan is wide because the dollars are.
"Starting at" is the base configuration for each class. Final price varies with the components, cooling, and aesthetics you choose; every tier is customizable to your budget.
Titan starts at $15,000 and requires a $5,000 minimum deposit to begin the build.
Raw Power
One capability score per build, blended from real component performance, compared to a baseline machine, with a flat CEC tuning uplift.
score = 0.60·GPU + 0.25·CPU + 0.08·RAM + 0.04·PSU + 0.03·Board (each part 0–100), then raw power = (score × 1.10 / baseline − 1) × 100%.
GPU-led because this is a gaming-capability metric. The ×1.10 is the CEC tuning uplift: our builds run ~10% above the class average for the same parts; the baseline is a stock machine and receives no uplift.
GPU (% of an RTX 5090, 4K-weighted):
| Part | Score | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 5090 | 100 | reference top |
| RTX 5080 | 68 | 5090 ~44% faster aggregate, ~50% at 4K |
| RTX 5070 Ti | 55 | ~18% under 5080 |
| RTX 5070 / RX 9070 | 48 | tier below 5070 Ti |
| RX 9060 XT / 5060 Ti | 35 | 5070 ~30% faster |
| RTX 5060 | 28 | ~93% over a 3050 6GB |
| Radeon 780M | 12 | raster ≈ 1060 6GB; modern features (FSR, shared VRAM, AV1) |
CPU (blended gaming + multicore, 9950X3D = 100): 9950X3D 100 · 9800X3D 77 · 7700X 64 · 9600X 61 · 8700G 57. RAM: 64GB DDR5 100 · 32GB-6000 78 · 32GB 75. PSU 1300W 100 → 650W 55. Board X870E 100 → B650M 55.
The three RTX 5090 builds share GPU + CPU + RAM, so raw power is effectively tied at the top; the small remaining spread is board tier and cooling headroom. A flagship 5090 + 9950X3D build lands at +580% over baseline.
Baseline. The 0% reference is a ~2017 entry build: Intel Core i5-7500 · GTX 1060 6GB · 16GB DDR4 · ~500W PSU. Every raw-power figure is measured against it. Component scores are editable in the tables at the top of cec-compare.js.
Resolution
Resolution is GPU-bound, so the tier is set by what the GPU drives at high/max settings. Nothing else moves it.
| Tier | Builds | GPU |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | Probe, Fighter | 780M iGPU; 5060 reaches into 1440p |
| 1440p | Corvette, Frigate, Destroyer | 9060 XT → 5070 → 5070 Ti |
| 4K | Cruiser, Battlecruiser | RTX 5080 |
| 8K-capable | Battleship, Dreadnaught, Titan | RTX 5090 (all three) |
The 5090 trio share the top because resolution is capped by the GPU and they carry the same one, which is why this rail flattens while price keeps climbing.
Cooling
Mostly preference. Through the AIO tier, the choice is the most affordable, compact cooler that handles the thermal load. The custom loop is a deliberate, high-diminishing-returns upgrade.
| Tier | Builds | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Stock | Probe | boxed cooler, fine for a ~65W APU |
| Air | Fighter | tower air: quiet, cheap |
| AIO 360 | Corvette → Battleship | best noise/thermal/cost for high-TDP parts |
| Custom loop | Dreadnaught, Titan | aesthetics + headroom, not raw speed |
The loop math. Over a good 360 AIO it buys ~2–3% sustained performance (lower temps lift GPU Boost; CPU gaming gain ≈ 0 since the X3D chips are cache-bound, not thermal). It runs parts ~15–25°C cooler: a real longevity margin, not a frame-rate number. Cost: Battleship → Dreadnaught is +$3,000 (~+33%) for ~2–3% performance. That ratio is the point: you're paying for craft and longevity, not frame rate.
Aesthetics
A ladder from a generic prebuilt (the Drab floor, which we don't offer) to fully bespoke. Each step is a build decision, not a side effect of the parts.
| Tier | Builds | What defines it |
|---|---|---|
| Cool | Probe, Fighter | Probe: compact, glass case on request. Fighter: RGB + glass mATX. |
| Refined | Corvette, Frigate | Corvette: our first ATX build. Frigate: a boosted Corvette. |
| Showcase | Destroyer → Battleship | Destroyer: new aesthetics tier. Cruiser: boosted Destroyer. Battlecruiser: aesthetics-focused. Battleship: first top-of-the-line 5090, components matched. |
| Artistry | Dreadnaught | a custom-looped Battleship; the loop is the centerpiece. |
| Bespoke | Titan | fully custom: whatever fits the budget. |
Numbers feel abstract? The Leaderboard has the tested 3DMark runs. Or skip the math entirely and talk to a human, who configures by conversation.