I help friends pick parts pretty often and I keep running into the same gap with existing tools. Wondering if there's something I just haven't found yet.
What exists today, from what I can see:
- Retailer configurators give you a fixed build with no explanation. You don't know why those parts, can't really tweak intelligently.
- PCPartPicker is great if you already know what you're doing. Hard compatibility checks only, no guidance, no "here's why this combo makes sense for your use case."
- Custom GPTs and LLM-based builders sound smart but hallucinate hard. I tested several and got recommendations for EOL GPUs at outdated prices, builds that ignored real-world clearance issues, etc. Confident but wrong.
What I keep wishing existed: I describe what I actually want, say "1800€, dev work with Docker plus 1440p gaming, prefer quiet" and get back a sensible starting build with concrete reasons for each part. Then I can swap, say, the GPU or the case, and the tool tells me what actually improves, what breaks compatibility-wise, and what it would suggest instead given my goals. Not full manual builder, just guided refinement on the parts that matter.
Does this exist somewhere and I'm just missing it? Or do most of you also bounce between PCPartPicker, this subreddit, and YouTube reviews to triangulate every build?
Genuinely asking because if this doesn't exist I'm tempted to try building it, but I'd rather not reinvent the wheel.