>16gb ram instead of 64: $225 less

Actually 400$ less if you go for cheap ram, but fast ram has a big performance impact for my workload. I did try some cheap sticks from a friend but got 40% extra performance with this set.

> 650w psu instead of 1000w: $50 less

Fair, but I got it for 100$ so I am happy with it. Cheapest 650w PSU I can find in local market is 75$.

Normal case could have been as much as 150$ less, but space also has a price. I now have 4 easily accessible machines stacked in one cabinet with cable management built in.

Cheaping out on the cooler was an option, but cheap coolers usually have awkward mounting hardware when changing platforms. Only reason I didn't ziptie on my old cooler was because it wouldn't fit in the case. Most cheap high performance tower coolers are also too tall and this machine runs 24/7, so I went with a good one.

Here is the full budget for my build:

https://i.imgur.com/ZqsAGbK.png

I also have some network cards, nvme risers etc that aren't factored in because I have borrowed them from other stuff.

People have different needs, and this machine is a great fit for mine.