I'm in the UK and want to build my husband a PC before Christmas. He'll mainly use it for gaming, watching YouTube, and general everyday use. My budget is around £600–£750, and because we have a young child and other household expenses, I'll probably buy the parts gradually each month. I already have an MSI MAG FORGE 320R Airflow case, which includes the panels, two pre-installed 120mm PWM fans, cable-routing features, the motherboard I/O shield, mounting screws, and its manual. It does not include the power supply, motherboard, processor, memory, graphics card, storage, or the necessary cables. What parts would you recommend, and which reliable UK retailers should I use?
3 Answers
For this budget, look at a modern six-core processor such as a Ryzen 5 5600 or Ryzen 5 7600, depending on current prices and whether you want a newer upgrade path. Pair it with 16GB of RAM at minimum, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and a graphics card such as an RX 7600 or RTX 4060 if you can find one at a good price. A decent 550–650W 80+ Bronze or Gold PSU from Corsair, be quiet!, Seasonic, or MSI is important—don’t cut costs there. A B550 board is suitable for the Ryzen 5 5600, while a B650 board is needed for the Ryzen 5 7600. Prices change frequently, so it’s worth building a parts list and checking the total before buying anything.
The most useful details are the budget and what the PC will be used for, so gaming and a £600–£750 limit help a lot. With that budget, I’d focus on a sensible 1080p gaming build rather than spending heavily on looks or extra features. You’ll need a motherboard, CPU, CPU cooler if one isn’t included, 16GB or 32GB of RAM, a graphics card, an NVMe SSD, a reliable power supply, and possibly an operating-system licence. The case already covers the chassis and some fans, but check whether the included fans need a hub or motherboard fan headers. UK retailers such as Scan, Overclockers UK, AWD-IT, Amazon, and Currys can be useful, but compare prices and check reviews and return policies.
He’ll mainly be gaming and watching YouTube, and I’m hoping to keep the total between £600 and £750. I’m planning to buy a few parts at a time rather than everything in one go.
Buying gradually is fine, but I’d avoid spreading the purchases over too many months because return periods may expire and prices can change. Buy the case-compatible parts only after checking the motherboard size, graphics-card length, cooler height, and power-supply clearance. Also, don’t forget storage and an operating system—those are easy to overlook. If choosing parts feels overwhelming, a reputable prebuilt from a UK system builder could be easier and may include a warranty, though reusing the case and assembling it yourself can provide better value if you’re comfortable doing it.
The Ryzen 5 5600 platform may leave more money for the graphics card, while the Ryzen 5 7600 platform costs more initially but gives a better future upgrade path. Either can work, depending on sales.