I'm planning my first gaming PC and have a budget of roughly $1,200–$1,800. I put together a parts list using Micro Center's custom PC builder and would like feedback on whether it will handle 1440p gaming and modern titles such as Spider-Man, Elden Ring, Call of Duty, God of War, Phantom Blade Zero, Marvel Rivals, and Lies of P. I'm hoping to play most current games smoothly and would appreciate suggestions for better component choices or ways to reduce the cost. The build was made through the Micro Center in Brentwood, Missouri.
2 Answers
The current CPU and GPU combination looks reasonably balanced, but for the games you listed, I’d put more of the budget toward graphics performance. Consider stepping down to a Ryzen 5 9600X and using the savings on a Radeon RX 9070 XT. Most of those titles are likely to benefit more from the stronger GPU, especially at 1440p.
I wouldn’t necessarily buy every component from Micro Center, since some individual parts can be priced higher there. It can be a good place to get a CPU bundle and check open-box deals, but compare the remaining components with other retailers before finalizing the build. Knowing that this is the Brentwood, Missouri location may also help when checking local bundle and open-box availability.
Thanks, that makes sense. I’ll compare the standalone part prices and look into the CPU bundles and open-box options before deciding.