My decade-old gaming PC is finally reaching the end of its life, and I'd like to replace it without overspending. I already have monitors and other peripherals, plus two SSDs and a hard drive that I'd like to reuse. I'm open to replacing everything else and would even consider DDR4 if it helps keep the cost down.
I mainly play RPGs and FPS games, and I'm aiming for high settings at 1080p and around 60 FPS for the next few years. My ideal budget is roughly $750–800, with an absolute ceiling of $1,000 before tax. I'm buying in the US and would be willing to travel to a Micro Center for a particularly good bundle or deal. What parts or prebuilt systems should I consider?
3 Answers
It may be worth checking local used listings for a complete system. Something built around an AM4 processor and an RTX 3070 could offer strong 1080p performance for the money, although you should verify the power supply, temperatures, and component condition before buying.
A Micro Center bundle could help a lot. One option is the Ryzen 5 5600X3D bundle with the processor, motherboard, and memory for around $299. Add a decent 650W power supply for about $60 and an Intel Arc B580 for roughly $310, putting the core parts near $670 before tax. If your store has one, an RTX 5060 Ti around $380 or a Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB around $450 would give you more graphics performance, though the total would get close to your $1,000 limit.
A PS5 is another option if you only care about gaming and want to avoid building a PC, but it doesn’t offer upgradeability or access to a PC game library. You’ll also need a subscription for online multiplayer, so it may not be the best value if you already own PC games or want flexibility.
That doesn’t really solve the upgradeability and PC library concerns, so I’m still leaning toward building a computer.
Even with the higher-end graphics card, that comes out close to $950 before tax. Hardware prices are definitely making the budget harder to hit right now.