This is my first time building a high-end gaming PC, and I'd appreciate some feedback before ordering the parts. My budget is roughly $2,000–$2,500, and I'm located in Hawaii, so shipping availability and costs may affect the choices. Gaming is the priority, with some occasional photo editing. I want excellent frame rates at high settings and expect this system to handle 1440p easily. Is targeting 4K gaming worthwhile with these parts, or would 1440p be the better choice? I came up with this list using a parts-planning website. The build includes a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Peerless Assassin cooler, MSI B650 Gaming Plus WiFi motherboard, 32GB of DDR5-6000 CL30 memory, a 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, an RX 9070 XT, an ATX case, an 850W Gold modular power supply, Windows 11, and five extra case fans. The listed total is about $2,242. I'm especially unsure about the unusually expensive memory and SSD listings, cooling, and whether any components should be swapped for better value or reliability.
4 Answers
The overall performance target makes sense, and 32GB is a good amount for modern gaming plus photo editing. I wouldn’t drop to 16GB just to save money, especially if you keep lots of browser tabs, Discord, and music running. However, that memory price looks wildly inflated—32GB of DDR5-6000 CL30 should normally cost far less. Shop around and verify that the listing isn’t for a bundled or incorrect product.
I’d change several parts. The UD90 can vary between revisions and may not consistently use the same type of flash memory; some versions slow down significantly once their cache fills. It’s better suited as a secondary game drive than the primary boot drive, so choose a more consistent TLC-based SSD. The graphics card model you selected has received a number of complaints as well, so compare reviews for alternatives from other manufacturers. You can also use a cheaper airflow-focused case if you’re adding five fans anyway, and there are quality 850W Gold power supplies available for less.
You probably don’t need the extra tube of thermal paste because the CPU cooler normally includes paste. The cooler itself is a solid choice. Also, the Windows option in the list is a DVD version, which isn’t useful unless you have an optical drive. You can install Windows from a USB flash drive and activate it later; the unactivated installation still receives updates, though some customization features are restricted.
For this hardware, 1440p high-refresh gaming is the sweet spot. It should provide excellent frame rates in practically any game, while 4K will put much more pressure on the GPU and may require lowering settings or using upscaling. I’d prioritize a good 1440p monitor with a high refresh rate unless you specifically want a large 4K display for slower single-player games or editing.
That makes sense. I’ve noticed 16GB getting tight with all my usual apps open, so I’ll keep 32GB but look for a more reasonable listing.