I'm brand new to building PCs and used PCPartPicker to create what I hope is a solid gaming rig. My budget is about $2000, and I'd love some feedback on my build to see if it's any good. Here are the specs I chose:
- **CPU:** Intel Core i7-14700K 3.4 GHz 20-Core Processor
- **Cooler:** Thermalright Peerless Assassin 90 SE 32.77 CFM CPU Cooler
- **Motherboard:** MSI B760M GAMING PLUS WIFI Micro ATX LGA1700
- **RAM:** Corsair Vengeance RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36
- **Storage:** Samsung 990 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
- **GPU:** MSI VENTUS 2X BLACK OC GeForce RTX 4060 8 GB
- **Case:** Phanteks XT PRO ATX Mid Tower
- **Power Supply:** MSI MAG A750GL PCIE5 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular
- **OS:** Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit
- **Monitor:** KOORUI 24E3 24.0" 1920 x 1080 165 Hz
3 Answers
Your build looks decent for a first attempt, but I think you could optimize it a bit more for performance. That i7-14700K is a bit overkill if you're mainly gaming, and the RTX 4060 is really not the best choice for a budget around $2000. For gaming, consider looking at an AMD RX 7900 or an NVIDIA 4070 – those would give you much better value!
Overall, I like the foundation you have, but based on your budget, you might want to switch to an AMD setup. The 7800X3D is excellent for high FPS gaming, and you could get a solid motherboard to support future upgrades. Also, increasing your RAM to 64GB would help with modern games taking up a lot of resources!
Thanks for the tips! I definitely want to keep it future-proofed. I'll need all the RAM I can get for multitasking!
Since you mentioned you're in Canada, make sure you adjust for local pricing. Also, I'd recommend checking if you could get a 4070 with an i5-14600K – that combo might bring you better performance for gaming without breaking the bank. Just something to consider!
Agreed! Balancing the CPU and GPU is key, especially if you're gaming at 1080p. Might also want to consider a 1440p monitor in the future.
Yeah, I see what you mean. It might be better to balance the budget between the CPU and GPU, especially since high-end GPUs really maximize gaming performance.