I'm planning my first PC build and would appreciate advice on compatibility, value, and gaming performance. I'd like to keep the total cost as low as possible while still getting good-quality parts, with an absolute budget around $1,750. A white-themed build is important to me, but I'm willing to reconsider parts that are severely overpriced.
My current parts list is:
- Case: HYTE Y70 Snow White, around $204
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600, around $159.99
- CPU cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE White ARGB, around $54.90
- Motherboard: B650 or B650E board, around $170.99
- Memory: I'm undecided. One option is a 32GB white DDR5-6000 kit, but the listed price is around $448.99, which seems extremely high.
- GPU: Used ASRock Radeon RX 7600 8GB, around $269.99
- SSD: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe drive, around $179.99
- Power supply: Used Corsair RM750e ATX 3.1 750W unit, around $85.49
For a monitor, I'm considering either a 34-inch 3440×1440 165Hz ultrawide display or a 24-inch 1080p 200Hz IPS display. I'm also looking at a store bundle containing a Ryzen 5 7600X, an AM5 motherboard, and 16GB of DDR5-6000 memory.
Since this is my first build, could you explain what should be changed, which parts are poor values, and what combination would make the most sense for gaming? I'd especially like to know whether the RX 7600 is suitable for the monitor choices, whether the bundle is worthwhile, and how to preserve the white aesthetic without wasting most of the budget on appearance.
2 Answers
The biggest issue is that the parts are not balanced for gaming. A 24-inch 1080p monitor and a 34-inch 3440×1440 ultrawide require very different levels of GPU performance, so choose the monitor based on the games and resolution you actually want to use. The RX 7600 is reasonable for 1080p, but it is not a good match for demanding 3440×1440 gaming. For an ultrawide, you should move a much larger portion of the budget toward the graphics card.
The HYTE case is attractive, but it uses a large amount of the budget without improving performance. Keep it only if the look is especially important to you; otherwise, a less expensive white airflow case would leave more money for the GPU. Also, do not spend hundreds of dollars on 32GB of DDR5. A normal 2×16GB DDR5-6000 CL30 or CL36 kit with AMD EXPO support should cost far less and is a better fit for a Ryzen 7000 system.
The SSD also appears overpriced for a 1TB drive. A reputable PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD at a much lower price will perform similarly in games. The used power supply is another area where I would be cautious: a new, quality 650W–750W unit is preferable, especially for a first build.
This list is closer to an $800–$900 gaming PC than a well-optimized $1,750 build. The CPU is fine, but the RX 7600 is an entry-level card and the rest of the list contains several inflated prices. The case alone is expensive enough to noticeably reduce the performance you can afford.
For a value-focused build, use the Ryzen 5 7600, a reasonably priced B650 motherboard, 32GB of DDR5-6000 EXPO memory, a good 1TB NVMe SSD, and a new power supply. Then spend the remaining budget on a stronger GPU. That would give you substantially better gaming performance while still allowing a white case and some white components.
The bundle could be useful if its total price is genuinely lower than buying the CPU, motherboard, and RAM separately. However, 16GB is increasingly limiting for a new gaming build, so you would probably want to replace or add memory. Also verify the exact motherboard model, available features, and whether the included RAM is a matched 2×8GB kit.
A comparable budget build using more performance-focused parts can cost around $800–$900 before optional aesthetics, while offering more gaming performance than this list. The unused budget would be better spent on the GPU rather than an unusually expensive case, SSD, or memory kit.
That makes sense. I was mainly choosing the parts for the white appearance, but I’d rather not sacrifice a lot of gaming performance. Would switching to a cheaper case and putting the savings into the GPU be the best approach?