I'm helping a friend find a good gaming and streaming PC build with a budget of $1000 to $1500. They're open to spending a bit more if it means getting better performance. Since it's been a while since I built a PC and I don't have experience with streaming, I'd really appreciate some extra opinions to ensure we don't waste money on the wrong components.
Here's the proposed build:
- **CPU**: AMD Ryzen 5 9600x 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor - $178
- **Cooler**: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE ARGB - $30.52
- **Motherboard**: Gigabyte B850 Eagle Wifi6E ATX AM5 - $150
- **RAM**: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16) DDR5-6200 CL36 - $300
- **Storage**: Crucial P310 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 NVME SSD - $230
- **GPU**: ONIX LUMI OC Arc B580 12 GB - $280
- **Case**: Montech XR ATX Mid Tower Case - $72
- **OS**: Windows 11 Home 64 bit - $110
He already has a monitor (an LG 34 Inch Curved UltraGear™ QHD 1440P HDR 10 160Hz), so I want to make sure this build will run well at ultrawide 1440p resolutions too.
The total comes to around $1433 before tax, but I'm not sure about current market prices or if there are better alternatives for this setup. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
3 Answers
You might want to check if there’s a Micro Center nearby. They often have great deals on hardware bundles that could save you some cash. If you can’t find one close by, Newegg also has some solid combo deals that could work for your build, especially for the motherboard and RAM.
Adding a more powerful CPU like the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X could be worthwhile if you're aiming for high performance in streaming and gaming. I've seen it at a decent price on sites like Woot and Amazon lately, which might help you snag a good deal while it lasts.
It seems like you might want to consider a better GPU if your friend is playing at 1440p. The Arc B580 could struggle with more demanding games, especially if he’s not willing to lower the settings significantly. Look into something like the RTX 3060 or even the RX 6700 XT if it fits in the budget. This would really help with higher frame rates.
Yeah, I've been looking at the 7900xt series as well. They definitely perform better for 1440p, but it can stretch the budget a bit. Just be sure to check if the prices are favorable right now!