Hey everyone! I'm in the UK and I'm looking to get back into gaming. I'm not trying to go hardcore here, just want to be able to play games like LastChaos, World of Warcraft, and Final Fantasy smoothly. I want to build a PC from the ground up without breaking the bank. Any recommendations for a budget-friendly build?
3 Answers
Throwing in some extra GPU suggestions: consider the 5700XT or the 3060 Ti 8GB version. The 3060 Ti is a bit more expensive but worth it for its DLSS capabilities. You can also find some older RX 5700s at a discount if you're on a tight budget. For CPUs, the 2700 or 2900 should fit your use case fine, and you might even find a 3700 or 5500 in that price range. A tip: looking for ‘fixer-upper’ AM4 builds can save you a lot. Keep an eye out for listings that are a bit outdated on CPU or GPU; you can usually get the case, motherboard, RAM, PSU, and fans while upgrading the old parts.
Let's figure this out! You didn't mention your budget, so I'll suggest a solid setup with great value based on UK prices. If you aim for a good 1080p build, here's what I recommend:
**Platform:** DDR4 is your best bet.
- **CPU:** Ryzen 5 3600 (around £50–70 used) or 5500 (around £80–100 new).
- **GPU:** RX 6600, GTX 1660, or RTX 2060 (around £120–220 used).
- **RAM:** 16GB (2x8GB) 3200 MHz (around £30–45).
- **Motherboard (B550, new):** £70–100;
- **SSD (1TB):** £40–60.
- **PSU (550–750W Bronze, new):** Look for options around £45–60.
- **Case:** A decent one for about £50–60.
Total cost should be around £400–550 based on whether you buy used or new. Best to get a used GPU and CPU to save cash, while opting for a new PSU and SSD for reliability.
The games you want to play are pretty light on requirements, so you don't need anything too fancy. I'd recommend going with an AM4 setup to avoid the high costs associated with DDR5 RAM. For your CPU, grab the best AM4 processor you can find, since those games can be CPU-intensive. A used GPU like the RTX 3060 would be great, or something similar. At least 16GB of DDR4 RAM should do, though if you're worried about Windows being resource-hungry, 32GB could be safer. Also, a power supply in the range of 600-650W would be ideal.

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