I'm in the UK and have a budget of around £1,500 for a new PC build. Video editing is my top priority, followed by gaming. I mostly edit 1080p footage from a Samsung S20, Canon G7 X, OBS, and GoPro, with occasional 4K clips. I'd also like to play modern games at 1440p using medium settings with high or maximum texture quality, without motion blur, and keep the system useful for at least four years if possible.
I'd prefer 32GB of RAM if the budget allows, but memory prices seem unusually high. Please specify whether the recommended memory is DDR4 or DDR5 rather than only listing the capacity. For the graphics card, I'd ideally like 16GB of VRAM for better longevity, although I understand that may be difficult within this budget.
The system should be reasonably quiet, efficient, and cool. I'm happy to use a good air cooler. I also need more than the 1TB SSD in my current Lenovo Legion laptop, though I could add storage later. If Lenovo lets me keep the laptop in exchange for a partial refund, would reusing its SSD in the new PC be sensible?
I'd also like to replace my Samsung P2450H with a larger, modern monitor that looks good for games and films. It doesn't need professional colour accuracy, but I want sensible pixel density so text and applications do not appear excessively small. Would it be better to keep the old display as a second monitor, or use one larger monitor instead?
Finally, is it better to build now, or are component prices likely to improve enough that waiting would be worthwhile?
2 Answers
32GB is realistic, especially if you compare prices carefully or consider reputable used memory. For this budget, a Radeon RX 9070 XT would be worth considering if you find one at a good price, since its larger VRAM capacity suits both newer games and longer-term use. Nvidia’s equivalent option may be limited by 12GB of VRAM, while the higher-end 16GB model could push the build well beyond budget.
A possible build can fit close to the budget with a 16-core Ryzen 9 5900XT, a Peerless Assassin air cooler, 32GB of DDR4-3200 CL16, a 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and a 16GB Radeon graphics card. A 750W Gold power supply would be suitable, and a 27-inch 1440p monitor would be a sensible replacement for the old display. The suggested total is slightly above £1,500, mainly because the monitor is included. You do not need a 240Hz display unless you regularly play games at extremely high frame rates, so a cheaper high-quality 1440p monitor may be better value.
I’m unsure about using the Ryzen 9 5900XT for a brand-new build. Since AM4 is an older platform with limited upgrade options, would a newer platform provide better performance and longevity for the money?
Would you recommend buying the 9070 XT new or used? Also, should I be looking for DDR4 or DDR5? I’m not sure how available used DDR5 kits are.