I'm building my first PC in the United States and have spent about $920 so far. I picked up a Ryzen 7 9800X3D with an MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK motherboard bundle for $550, including an MSI MAG A13 240 liquid cooler. I already have a case and a 1TB SSD, and my total budget is around $1,700.
I'm aiming to play at 1440p and was considering an RTX 5070 Founders Edition because I like its design, but the prices I'm seeing are over $800. I'm not sure whether it offers good value at that price. I also want 32GB of RAM, though current prices seem extremely high—around $500 for some kits. Used RAM is cheaper, but I'm concerned about reliability when buying through local listings.
What GPU and RAM combination would make the most sense for the rest of this build?
4 Answers
Used RAM can be a reasonable way to save money because memory usually has a low failure rate, but test it as soon as you buy it. Look for a reputable seller and a DDR5-6000 CL30 32GB kit if possible. New kits may still cost roughly $400 in the current market, while used ones can sometimes be found closer to $250–$300, although finding a good deal may take some patience.
For a gaming-focused system, I’d look at the Radeon RX 9070 or 9070 XT instead of an RTX 5070 at those prices. They generally offer more VRAM and better rasterized gaming performance. The 9070 is roughly 10–15% faster, while the 9070 XT can be around 20–25% faster, depending on the game. The main reason to choose the 5070 would be needing Nvidia-specific features or CUDA for productivity work.
The RX 9070 XT is probably the strongest choice here if you can fit it into the budget. The regular 9070 is also a good option and may leave more room for RAM and a power supply. I wouldn’t pay an $800-plus premium for a 5070 when faster alternatives are available around that price.
If you have access to a nearby major PC retailer, compare the cost of returning your current bundle and buying a processor bundle that includes 32GB of RAM. That could free up several hundred dollars for the graphics card. If you keep your current parts, a lower-cost option such as an RX 9060 XT 16GB may be easier to fit alongside RAM and a quality 750–850W power supply, but it will be a more entry-level 1440p choice.
That makes sense. I’ll probably prioritize a 32GB DDR5-6000 kit and check that it passes a memory test before keeping it.