The Desktop We Built: Parts, Prices, and GNU/Linux
We have written about why a repairable desktop matters. This post is the practical side of that argument: the machine this very post was typed on. We bought the parts from a local shop in Pune in April 2026, assembled it ourselves, and installed Debian GNU/Linux on it.
No secrets here. Below is every part and every rupee, straight from the tax invoice.
This is a high-end build, at the top of the “Power Student/SMB” tier from our earlier post. It is far more machine than a school lab needs. Further down we show what the same build costs without the graphics card.
The Configuration
| Component | Part |
|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 7600 (6 cores, 12 threads, AM5) |
| Motherboard | MSI B650M Bomber WiFi (micro-ATX) |
| Memory | 16 GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 1 TB NVMe SSD (XPG Gammix S60) |
| Graphics | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, 8 GB |
| Power supply | 650 W SMPS |
| Cabinet | Standard ATX/mATX cabinet |
| Monitor | LG 24” 24MS550-B |
| UPS | Artis 1 kVA |
| Mouse | Wired USB mouse |
| OS | Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm) |
Everything inside the cabinet is a standard PC part. Any of it can be swapped with a screwdriver, and the AM5 socket leaves room for a CPU upgrade later without changing the board, memory, power supply, or cabinet.
The Bill
All prices are in Indian Rupees, as invoiced on 25 April 2026. Component prices have moved since then, so read these as a snapshot, not a quote. GST is 18% on every item (9% CGST + 9% SGST).
| Item | Rate (₹) | With GST (₹) |
|---|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen 5 7600 | 16,500.00 | 19,470.00 |
| MSI B650M Bomber WiFi | 8,300.00 | 9,794.00 |
| 16 GB DDR5 RAM | 15,500.00 | 18,290.00 |
| 1 TB NVMe SSD | 12,800.00 | 15,104.00 |
| RTX 5060 8 GB | 26,500.00 | 31,270.00 |
| Cabinet | 2,200.00 | 2,596.00 |
| 650 W SMPS | 3,650.00 | 4,307.00 |
| Bare machine subtotal | 85,450.00 | 1,00,831.00 |
| LG 24” Monitor | 6,610.00 | 7,799.80 |
| Artis 1 kVA UPS | 3,560.00 | 4,200.80 |
| Mouse | 550.00 | 649.00 |
| Total | 96,170.00 | 1,13,480.60 |
Tax on the full bill: CGST ₹8,655.30 + SGST ₹8,655.30 = ₹17,310.60.
A few honest notes on the numbers:
- Memory and storage were expensive. DDR5 and SSD prices were high in 2026; 16 GB of RAM cost almost as much as the CPU.
- The graphics card is the biggest single cost. We wanted it for our own work. For a school lab, office, or most development work, the Ryzen 5 7600’s built-in graphics are enough.
- The NVIDIA card runs on NVIDIA’s proprietary driver. The free
nouveaudriver does not yet fully support this generation. If you want a fully free software stack, skip the discrete card and use the integrated AMD graphics, which work with free drivers out of the box.
Without the graphics card
The same build using the Ryzen’s integrated graphics, with only free drivers:
| Rate (₹) | With GST (₹) | |
|---|---|---|
| Bare machine (no GPU) | 58,950.00 | 69,561.00 |
| With monitor, UPS, mouse | 69,670.00 | 82,210.60 |
That is ₹31,270 less than the full build.
We Can Build One for You
We can assemble a machine like this for you, running GNU/Linux, for 15% of the cost of the bare machine.
The bare machine is everything inside the cabinet: CPU, motherboard, memory, storage, graphics (if you want it), power supply, and the cabinet itself. The 15% is calculated on the parts’ price before GST, and our fee is billed with 18% GST on top.
| Build | Parts before GST (₹) | Our fee, 15% (₹) | Fee with GST (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full build (with GPU) | 85,450.00 | 12,817.50 | 15,124.65 |
| Without graphics card | 58,950.00 | 8,842.50 | 10,434.15 |
For that you get:
- Parts chosen with you for your actual needs and budget.
- Assembly, testing, and a clean Debian GNU/Linux installation.
- A machine built from standard parts that any local technician can repair or upgrade.
Write to us at doublefreein@gmail.com with what you plan to use the machine for, and we will put together a parts list.
This blog post is licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0. Feel free to share, remix, and build upon it.
