Contrary to popular belief, building a new PC is a fairly simple task. Yes, there is a lot that goes into building one, but it's not as complicated or overwhelming as it may seem. Similarly, it doesn't have to be overtly expensive either, as there are plenty of deals out there on various components. It is very easy to overspend on PC components in 2023, though. I say that because there are plenty of components out there that may seem very tempting to buy, but they don't add much value to your PC build or are completely unnecessary.

4 Case fans with LCD

RGB LEDs weren't enough

I stumbled upon Lian Li's UNI FAN TL LCD lineup earlier this week and my first thought was, "why?". These fans were a no-brainer for this particular list, because there is absolutely no need to add case fans with an LCD to your PC case. Each of these fans comes with a 1.6-inch LCD that can be programmed to show your PC's stats or images and videos in a loop. It definitely adds to the overall aesthetics of your case, but there are plenty of other ways to display those stats. You can display those on your AIO or even have a simple in-game overlay that can tell you more than just CPU and GPU temperature.

The fact that these fans have an LCD also means you can't flip them to blow out warm air out instead of bringing cool air into the case. That's something you don't have to worry about with a regular fan if you're trying to adjust the airflow in your case. I like the fact that you can magnetically connect a bunch of these together without having to worry about wires, but you can enjoy that feature on the non-LCD version of these TL fans too, which costs up to $16 cheaper.

3 PC case with screens

Just another screen to stare at

You certainly don't have to pay a premium to get a PC case with a display either. A lot of these cases have started showing up on the market lately, and they definitely don't add much value to your build over, say, a regular case. I am not talking about the ones like the 'Deepcool CH510 MESH DIGITAL' case that only comes with a fairly simple-looking and minimal case. I am referring to the likes of 'Jonsbo D41' and the 'HYTE Y70' Touch case that come with massive panels on the facia.

Some of these cases are more sophisticated than others, but they all promise to deliver an additional screen to display your PC stats, media files, widgets with glanceable info, and more. It's definitely one of those nice-to-have features that'll make your PC stand out among the sea of other builds, but anything over a simple LCD is overkill in my books. Not to mention, these cases often burn a huge hole in your wallet compared to their regular counterparts.

2 Ridiculously high refresh rate monitors

Anything over 240Hz is overkill for an average user

A 144Hz or a 240Hz refresh rate display is more than enough even for a competitive gamer or those who play fast-paced first-person shooters. The jump from a 240Hz or even a 144Hz to, say, a 360Hz panel isn't as significant as the jump from a 60Hz screen. Esports players who play with massive rewards on the line may find value in splurging on one of the super-high refresh rate monitors, but I believe an average gamer doesn't have much to gain from these monitors that carry relatively higher price tags compared to regular 144Hz and 240Hz monitors.

A 144Hz refresh rate monitor is all you need for casual gaming, but I won't shy away from recommending a 240Hz panel considering how readily available they are on the market, and that too at discounted prices. A gaming monitor with support for 360Hz or higher is definitely overkill, and I doubt they'll become affordable and hit the mainstream market anytime soon.

1 High-end GPUs with AIO cooling

Expensive and pointless

Graphics cards like the ROG Matrix Platinum GeForce RTX 4090 with things like a 360mm radiator in a closed loop and liquid metal compound for cooling exist on the market in 2023. In fact, it's not the only high-end GPU with a closed loop AIO cooler out there, and there are plenty of options available that don't necessarily give you a huge boost in performance. That's not to say they are completely pointless in a build, but they're definitely overkill for most PC builds. Water cooling an RTX 40-series graphics card itself is a bit of a stretch, in my opinion, as the operating temperatures are already quite low with AIB parts that are air cooled. Water cooling is only going to make them more expensive for marginally low benefits, so you're better off sticking with one of the regular RTX 4090 models instead of spending $3,200.

Closing thoughts

There are plenty of other components and peripherals you can buy that'll cost you an arm and a leg for marginal benefits. A lot of this comes down to personal preference and how much you are willing to spend on your PC to make it stand out. It is, however, very easy to overspend while putting together a PC, and it's parts like these that can easily eat into your budget.