I'm in the US and have a budget of about $800 for a gaming PC. I know the basics but could use guidance choosing compatible parts. Ideally, I'd like to play games such as Six Days in Fallujah and Red Dead Redemption 2 at 1080p with medium-to-high settings. Should I build new, shop for used components, or consider a prebuilt?
4 Answers
An $800 build is possible for 1080p, but medium-to-high settings are more realistic than expecting every game to run at high settings. A Ryzen 5 5600 paired with a sensible graphics card and 16GB or 32GB of RAM should handle the games you mentioned, though you may need to adjust settings in Red Dead Redemption 2. Don’t forget that a 1TB SSD may push the total closer to $850.
For this budget, I’d seriously consider the used market. A used AM4 system with a Ryzen 5 5600 or better, 32GB of DDR4, and a Radeon RX 6000- or 7000-series card could offer very good 1080p performance. Cards such as the RX 6700 XT, 6750 XT, 6800 XT, or 7600 XT are worth checking locally, depending on prices. I’d avoid buying a used power supply or storage drive, though.
Building entirely new can be difficult right now because RAM, storage, and graphics card prices take up a large part of the budget. A prebuilt system is worth checking as well, since sales can sometimes cost less than buying every component separately. Just verify the exact power supply, motherboard, RAM configuration, and graphics card before purchasing.
I was considering a prebuilt, so I’ll compare the included parts instead of judging it only by the advertised graphics card.
If you want the best performance per dollar, prioritize the CPU, graphics card, and a reliable power supply. You can save money with an inexpensive case and start with a 512GB NVMe SSD, then add more storage later. A used AM4 platform is older, but it’s still a practical choice for an $800 gaming build.
Thanks for the advice. I’ll compare local used prices and make sure to budget for a new PSU and SSD.