I'm putting together my first desktop since around 2013 after mostly using a gaming laptop with an RTX 2060. The current parts list is about $2,200, while I'd prefer to stay closer to $2,000 if possible. I'm set on keeping the Ryzen 7 7800X3D unless there's a significantly cheaper option with similar gaming performance.
I mainly play older and modded games such as Skyrim and Fallout: New Vegas, along with The Long Dark, Counter-Strike, Helldivers, DayZ, and ARC Raiders. I'm perfectly happy at 1080p, though I may try 1440p later. I'd like at least 16GB of VRAM and good 60 FPS performance, with some future-proofing if possible.
The current list includes a 7800X3D, RTX 5060 Ti 16GB, Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX motherboard, 1000W Gold power supply, 16GB of DDR5-6000 memory as two 8GB sticks, a Peerless Assassin cooler, a Thermaltake Versa H21 case, one 256GB SATA SSD for Windows, and two 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSDs. Is the graphics card a poor value, and would a used or older high-end card make more sense? What parts should I upgrade or downgrade without hurting gaming performance? I'm also wondering whether using a small dedicated boot drive is worthwhile or if one larger M.2 drive would be better.
4 Answers
The 1000W power supply is more capacity than this system needs unless you’re planning a much more demanding future GPU. A quality 750W or 850W Gold unit should be plenty, while still leaving upgrade room. I’d also replace the Versa H21 with a case that has a ventilated front panel and included intake fans; poor airflow is a bigger concern than the cooler, since the Peerless Assassin is already a solid choice.
Definitely change the memory to 32GB, ideally 2x16GB DDR5-6000 with reasonable timings. Two 8GB sticks is a weak choice for a new AM5 build, especially with a $2,000 budget. The 7800X3D is already excellent, so moving to a 9800X3D only makes sense if the price difference is small and you specifically want the extra CPU performance.
The 5060 Ti would be the biggest concern if it’s priced anywhere near $800. At that level, look for a much faster card such as the RX 9070 XT, assuming you can find one near its normal pricing. It’s a substantially better fit for 1440p and still has 16GB of VRAM. A good used previous-generation card can also make sense, but compare actual benchmarks, warranty coverage, power requirements, and seller reputation rather than buying purely by model name.
You don’t need three SSDs just to separate Windows from games. Use one reliable 2TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 drive for the operating system and games, then add another drive later if you actually need more space. A PCIe 5.0 drive won’t noticeably improve normal gaming, and the small SATA boot drive adds cost and cable clutter without much benefit.
For the games listed, the 7800X3D should be more than sufficient. Put the money toward the graphics card and memory first.