📖 Story Time: Why a Grown Man Needed a Gaming PC Again

Let’s be honest: I’m a PC addict. If I see a computer, I have to touch it. (Sorry, not sorry.) I blame Pokemon Fire Red, GTA Vice City, and Counter Strike 1.6 for my glasses. 🤓 I played so much as a kid that I’d get dizzy—almost threw up once 🤢—but my mom had no clue. She’d just drag me to the study desk right after, while I was basically seeing stars. “Time for homework!” she’d say. Sigh.

Fast forward a decade (or two… who’s counting?): I switched to laptops. HP, LG Gram, Macbook M1—you name it, I tried it. But honestly, laptops never brought the same sparkle ✨. Sometimes, I’d go days without even opening my laptop (unless work forced me). That’s when I realized: maybe I was losing my tech passion.

The urge to build a PC and relive my childhood started a couple of years ago, but it never became a real plan because:

• My laptop was still working (kind of).
• I was waiting for my company to liquidate old computers (Spoiler: Still waiting. Maybe they’re antiques now? 🤔).
• A good PC costs a pretty penny, and my wallet was giving me the silent treatment just thinking about it. 🥶

But then, one day, I ran out of excuses:

• No side projects, no new blog posts… I was just being lazy!
• AI trend:
  • Everyone is running local LLMs, but my laptop is so slow, it takes forever to get an answer.
  • Stable Diffusion looked fun, but you need a strong GPU to join the AI art party. 🎨
• Back pain:
  • I started feeling back pain for the first time. Not sure if it’s from my wife’s loving elbow jabs or hunching over the laptop, but something had to change.

So, yeah. The universe (and my back) told me it was time to build my own PC. 💪

🛒 Building the Beast: The Great Shopee Quest

With my mind made up and my wallet hiding in the corner, it was time to start the Shopee hunt! 🕵️‍♂️

Buying all the parts from Shopee felt risky—if one part fails, the whole dream is gone. 😱 But hey, fortune favors the bold (and people who love discounts). Plus, I had a secret weapon: my wife. She has small hands (great for tight spaces!) and is a master PC builder—can build a PC in 30 minutes, fix any problem, even build one blindfolded. (Okay, maybe just in my dreams, but she did cheer me on!)

Here’s how I survived the wild world of Shopee, hunted for parts like a pro (while secretly knowing very little), and tried to balance price with performance without selling a kidney.

I used TinHocNgoiSao to check compatibility. (Highly recommend if you want to avoid the “does this part even fit?!” panic.)

🧩 The Chosen Components: A Breakdown

🧠 CPU: The Brains of the Operation

Shopee Link: Intel Core i5-14400F
Price: 2,895,200 VND

Intel or AMD?
AMD is great for gaming, but Intel is safe and easy to find parts for. I picked Intel because it’s reliable.

I dreamed about the new Intel Core Ultra (15th Gen), but my wallet said “no.” That chip needs a new (and expensive) motherboard anyway.
Core i7? Do I really need that much power? Not really. Core i5 is enough, and I can use the extra money for a better GPU.

Suffixes explained:

• F: No built-in graphics (need a GPU)
• K: Can be overclocked
• KF: Both of the above
• (No suffix): Just a regular CPU

Since I’m getting a GPU anyway, I picked the F version. Cheaper, and I don’t plan to overclock.

Tray or Box?

• Tray: Just the CPU, no cooler, no box
• Box: Comes with a cooler, box, and longer warranty

I went with Tray. I don’t need the extra stuff.

Motherboard: The Central Nervous System

Shopee Link: Mainboard MSI B760M Gaming Plus WiFi DDR5
Price: 3,493,600 VND

• My CPU uses the LGA 1700 socket, so the motherboard must match.
• I want WiFi and Bluetooth built in (no more USB dongles!).
• DDR5 RAM support and 4 slots for future upgrades.

I filtered the options, then asked Grok (AI buddy) to help me pick the best one.

RAM: The Short-Term Memory

Shopee Link: Ram DDR5 Crucial Pro 32GB (16×2) 6000MHz
Price: 2,094,400 VND

CL 32/36 or XMP/EXPO? Sounds like marketing to me.
I just need DDR5, 32GB is plenty. No RGB lights—I’m not a teenager anymore—so I picked the plain version.

SSD: The Need for Speed

Shopee Link: SSD NVMe KIOXIA 1TB EXCERIA PLUS G3 NVMe Gen 4
Price: 1,347,630 VND

1TB is the minimum for me—enough for games on Windows and work on Linux.
Of course, I picked an M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD for speed. Life’s too short for slow loading times. Why wait?

CPU Air Cooler & Thermal Paste

Shopee Link: CPU Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
Price: 699,600 VND

• Air cooler: Cheaper, easier to install, and reliable (unless you want to overclock).
• Water cooler: More expensive, harder to install, and riskier (but good for overclocking).

I don’t plan to overclock, so air cooling is perfect for me.

Tip: If you have big RAM (especially with RGB), check the cooler height so it doesn’t block your RAM slots.
Most coolers come with thermal paste included.

Fan Case

Shopee Link: Fan Case Cooler Master SickleFlow 120 V2 ARGB
Price: 375,000 VND

Some people skip extra fans, but I want my PC to stay cool and last long.
I got 3 fans: 2 in the front (pulling air in), 1 in the back (pushing air out).
Look for fans with 2000RPM+ and low noise. No RGB for me!

PSU: The Heart of the Build

Shopee Link: PSU Thermalright TR-KG750 750W Full Modular 80 Plus Gold
Price: 1,443,200 VND

The PSU is the heart of your PC. Don’t go cheap here!

• 80 Plus Gold: More efficient, less wasted power.
• Full Modular: Easier cable management.
• Wattage: Add up all your parts’ power needs, then add 20% for safety. You can use this calculator.

More wattage is fine—better safe than sorry.

GPU: The Graphics Powerhouse

Shopee Link: VGA Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070 WINDFORCE OC V2 12G (GV-N4070WF3OCV2-12GD)
Price: 15,488,000 VND

TThe star of the show, the “brain” of the PC and the thing you’ll stare at through your case window. And yes, the part that hurts the wallet the most.

I was stuck between the 4060ti and 4070. The 4070 is more expensive, but the 4060ti 16GB didn’t get good reviews. After watching a lot of YouTube, I went for the 4070—especially since I found a big discount!

Case Cover

Shopee Link: Case Centaur Odyssey C09
Price: 440,000 VND

I’m not picky about the case. I just want something that fits all my parts and has lots of mesh for good airflow.

Want to see how I picked? Here’s how Grok (AI) helped me:

Monitor

Shopee Link: Samsung Odyssey 34 Ultra WQHD 165Hz 1ms
Price: 6,147,900 VND

What’s the point of a powerful GPU if you’re staring at a tiny, low-res monitor? It’s like having a Ferrari stuck in first gear. I wanted at least 2K resolution, 27 inches or bigger (144Hz is nice, but not a must).

I compared over 20 monitors, then asked GPT to help me calculate price per inch, per pixel, and refresh rate.
Here’s my result:

After that, I just waited for a sale and bought it.

Check out the unboxing excitement (or mild panic?):

Keyboard, Mouse, Speakers

Not much drama here. I reused my old keyboard and mouse, and grabbed some basic speakers from Shopee. The focus (and budget) was on the PC tower itself. You can find lots of options on Shopee to suit your own taste and budget!

🎉 Final Result: Did It Post?!?

Okay, the moment of truth. All the boxes were opened, all the parts unwrapped, and everything was carefully put together. Cables were managed (kind of), screws were tightened, and the side panel was closed.

Of course, things never go perfectly the first time, right? I plugged everything in, pressed the power button… and… nothing. 😱 Just silence. My heart sank. Did I break something? Was a part dead on arrival (DOA)? Was this Shopee adventure a mistake?

Panic started. I checked the power supply switch (yes, it was on). I reseated the RAM sticks (click!). I made sure the GPU was in its slot. I checked the tiny front panel connectors. Still nothing.
I had to beg for help from a friend. As a true master, he knew right away it was probably a RAM issue after some clever deduction. He was correct! Thanks, master—if you’re reading this post, you saved my day!

A quick fix, another deep breath, and another press of the power button. This time… SUCCESS! The fans started spinning and the BIOS screen appeared on my new ultrawide monitor. Mission accomplished! 🙌

Windows installation went smoothly, drivers were updated, and soon enough, I was staring at a fully working, brand-new PC, built entirely from Shopee parts.

🤔 Final Thoughts: Was the Shopee Gamble Worth It?

Building a PC yourself, especially buying parts from Shopee, can feel scary. There’s always a risk of parts not working together, dead-on-arrival (DOA) components, or warranty problems. But honestly? It was also super fun and really rewarding.

I learned a lot, saved money compared to buying a pre-built PC, and now I get to enjoy a machine that mixes nostalgia with great modern performance. It handles everything I throw at it—from gaming to coding to (finally!) running local AI models without waiting forever.

If you’re thinking about building your own PC, especially if you want to save some money—just go for it! Do your research, double-check compatibility, read buyers’ reviews, and be ready for a little troubleshooting. You might have a few problems like I did, but the feeling of turning on a computer you built yourself is totally worth it.