I currently use a laptop with an RTX 3050, Ryzen 5 6600H, and only 8GB of DDR5 memory. It struggles with many of the games I want to play, so I'm considering building or buying a desktop instead. I mainly play first-person shooters and story-driven games, and I'd like to target around 120 FPS at 1440p on my 1440p monitor. However, current component prices—especially for DDR5 memory—seem extremely high. I'm in Ireland and don't have access to a nearby Micro Center. Should I upgrade the laptop's RAM first, wait for prices to fall, build an AM4 system with DDR4, or just buy a prebuilt or used desktop?
5 Answers
Your target of 120 FPS at 1440p is important here. The best choice depends on the specific games, since competitive shooters are much easier to run than newer story games. For a desktop, prioritize the graphics card and consider a used RTX 3060 12GB, RTX 2070, or RX 6600/6700-class card. Those would be a significant step up from a laptop RTX 3050, although 120 FPS at 1440p in demanding games may still require reduced settings.
You don’t necessarily need DDR5 for a good gaming PC. A Ryzen 5 5600 with a B550 board and 16GB of DDR4 can still provide a solid budget platform, and the money saved can go toward a better GPU. A used graphics card and a basic new power supply and case could make a capable system for roughly the mid-hundreds, depending on local Irish prices and what parts you can reuse.
The first thing to check is whether the laptop has an accessible SO-DIMM slot. If it does, adding another 8GB stick to reach 16GB could noticeably reduce stuttering and improve overall performance. Just make sure the new module matches the laptop’s memory type and supported speed. The RTX 3050 Laptop GPU is still a limiting factor, though, especially at 1440p, so lowering settings or using upscaling may still be necessary.
I wouldn’t make the decision based entirely on waiting for RAM prices to fall. Nobody can reliably predict when prices will improve, and waiting could take a long time. If you’re on a tight budget, save up and watch local used listings or reputable prebuilts. If you can afford the purchase now, building yourself usually gives better control over which components are worth spending on and where to cut costs.
A used complete system could be worth considering in Ireland, especially if you find one with a Ryzen 5 5600 or similar processor, 16GB of RAM, and a decent dedicated GPU. Test it before buying, verify the exact parts, check temperatures and storage health, and avoid systems with generic or questionable power supplies. A carefully chosen used PC may offer better value than buying every component new.
I’ll check the laptop’s manual and BIOS information to see whether the RAM is upgradeable. I wasn’t sure if adding memory was possible in a laptop.