I'm planning to build my first gaming PC on a budget of around 400€. My main focus is playing older or niche games, particularly ones with mods like Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, The Elder Scrolls Series, and the Crusader Kings series. I already have a PS5 for newer and more demanding titles, but I'm mostly interested in sandbox games with mods that aren't too demanding on hardware. I'm looking for smooth gameplay without worrying about maxing out the graphics; a target of 30fps is good for me.
Here's what I'm considering for my build:
- **Processor**: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
- **Motherboard**: I'm thinking of Asus Prime B450M-A II, but I need to know if it's compatible with the Ryzen chip.
- **Graphics Card**: Maybe an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB.
- **SSD**: I want at least 1TB, but I'm unsure which one to choose.
- **RAM**: I'm looking at DDR4 with 16GB, possibly even 32GB if within budget, but I don't know which brand to go for.
I'd love to hear any suggestions on what else I might need, recommendations for SSD and RAM, and confirmation if my motherboard is compatible with my chosen CPU!
1 Answer
I wouldn't recommend buying a new GTX 1060 or Ryzen 5 3600X. For RAM, the brand doesn't really matter, but aim for 3200 or 3600 speeds with low latency if you can. When it comes to SSDs, any reliable brand will do as long as you avoid the cheaper Chinese brands. For your power supply, check a tier list and aim for something between 500-600W that fits your budget. You can also find some good airflow cases for around 40-50€. By the way, try using PCPartPicker to play around with different builds and get an idea of costs!
Definitely look at used components! For cooling, one or two fans should be fine unless you're planning on heavy overclocking or intense gaming sessions. Water cooling can be nice, but for most gaming, a good air cooler with a couple of fans is enough!
Thanks for all the tips! I was actually planning to grab the GPU and CPU used. Should I also look for a used motherboard? Also, how many fans should I consider for cooling? One or two and maybe water cooling? I'm also considering a GTX 1080 8GB if it’s worth the extra cost!