I've been gaming on consoles my whole life and I'm curious about moving to PC. My main game would be ARK: Survival Ascended, although I know it's demanding and not especially well optimized. I have about €1,500 to spend and would like performance somewhere around a PS5 Pro if possible.
There are so many component choices that I'm not sure how much I can trust an automatically generated build. Are there parts where I have several good alternatives, or are certain specifications worth sticking to? I'm based in Ireland, so local pricing matters.
The proposed build is a Ryzen 5 7600, Thermalright Assassin X 120 cooler, MSI PRO B650-P WiFi motherboard, 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30 memory, a 1TB or 2TB Kingston KC3000 NVMe SSD, RTX 4070 Super 12GB, Corsair 4000D Airflow case, and a Corsair RM750e 750W Gold power supply. The listed RAM price is outdated, and I'd need to verify all current prices. Is this a sensible build for ARK, or would the budget be better spent on different components?
4 Answers
At this budget, I’d compare current prices rather than build around older recommendations. A Ryzen 5 7600 is still a solid gaming CPU, and 32GB of DDR5-6000 is a good target, but the RTX 4070 Super may no longer offer the best value. If similarly priced, a newer or faster Radeon card such as an RX 9070 XT could provide more raw performance, while NVIDIA remains attractive if you specifically want DLSS and ray-tracing features. For ARK, the GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a fast SSD matter a lot, but no hardware completely fixes the game’s optimization issues.
The parts list is generally sensible, but current Irish prices are important because memory, graphics cards, and other components have risen. Check several local retailers and price-comparison sites before committing. You could save money with a less expensive B650 board, a 1TB SSD to start, or a cheaper airflow case, then put those savings toward the graphics card. Also make sure the motherboard includes the features you actually need, such as Wi-Fi and enough storage expansion.
A €1,500 PC can be very capable, but matching a PS5 Pro is not a simple one-to-one comparison. Consoles benefit from fixed hardware and game-specific optimization, while a PC gives you higher flexibility, upgrades, emulation, mods, and access to a much larger software library. If you need the monitor, keyboard, and mouse included in the budget, expectations will need to be lowered. If the budget is only for the tower, the target is much more realistic.
That makes sense. Just remember that a PS5 Pro usually includes the console but not a complete PC setup, so compare the total cost honestly. If you already own a suitable display and peripherals, the PC becomes much easier to justify.
Don’t buy immediately without checking the exact current prices. The proposed CPU, cooler, RAM capacity, SSD, case, and 750W Gold PSU are all reasonable choices, but the graphics card should be selected last after comparing the best deals available in Ireland. A 2TB SSD is convenient for ARK and its large maps, though 1TB is enough to begin with if storage prices are high. A 750W quality power supply is appropriate for this class of build.
That’s part of why I’m interested in PC. I already use a PS5 and a handheld console, but each one is missing something I enjoy on the others. PC would add upgrades, emulation, mods, and general-purpose use. I’m not trying to waste money, but I’m happy to save gradually for something I’ll use a lot. My current 4K television is several years old and probably wouldn’t show the full benefit of a PS5 Pro anyway.