I'm putting together a small-form-factor gaming PC after several years of using an aging laptop. I've built PCs before, but it has been more than a decade, so I could use a second opinion on compatibility, value, and future-proofing. I plan to run Linux and would like to play most modern games at around 60 FPS without building an unnecessarily powerful system. My total budget is roughly 12,000 SEK, with a little flexibility.
I already bought these parts second-hand for about €150 total:
- Louqe Ghost S1 MK3 case
- Corsair SF600 80+ Gold power supply
- Noctua NH-L12 Ghost Edition cooler
For the remaining components, I'm considering a Ryzen 5 8400F for about €115 or a Ryzen 5 9600X for about €160. The 9600X seems like a strong deal and offers better long-term CPU performance, although the motherboard I'm considering would not provide PCIe 5.0 for the graphics card. The Ryzen 5 8400F seems more closely matched to the graphics card.
For the motherboard, the main options are a Gigabyte A620I AX for around €150 and a Gigabyte B650I AX for around €180. The Mini-ITX choices are limited, and more premium boards cost over €230. Is the B650 board worth the extra money for upgrade flexibility, power delivery, and features?
The graphics card would be a Gigabyte Radeon RX 9060 XT Gaming 16GB OC for about €475. It costs more than I'd prefer, but the extra VRAM appears useful for current and future games, and the card should fit the case.
Memory is currently a Crucial Pro 16GB DDR5-6000 CL36 module for around €200. Is running one 16GB stick a serious performance problem, or should I wait and add a matching second stick later? Storage would be a 1TB WD Black SN7100 NVMe drive for about €145, with the possibility of adding more storage later.
Does this look balanced and compatible, or are there any major issues I should address before buying the remaining parts?
5 Answers
I'd lean toward the Ryzen 5 9600X if the price difference really is only about €45. It has considerably better CPU performance and gives the system more breathing room for future graphics-card upgrades. PCIe 5.0 is not important for this graphics card, though; the extra CPU performance and the stronger upgrade path are the real reasons to choose it. Just confirm that the board's firmware supports the chip before assembly.
The SSD is fine for a gaming build, although 1TB can fill surprisingly quickly once several large games are installed. Adding another NVMe or SATA drive later is perfectly reasonable. Before buying, compare the total price of the 9600X, B650 board, and a 2x16GB memory kit against slightly cheaper alternatives; a balanced system with dual-channel RAM is better than spending heavily on the CPU while leaving the memory at 16GB single-channel.
The graphics card and SF600 should be a sensible pairing, assuming the card's physical dimensions and power connectors fit the specific Ghost S1 configuration. Check its length, thickness, and cable-bend clearance carefully because cramped SFF builds can have problems even when the card technically fits. The 16GB of VRAM is a reasonable choice for keeping the system useful longer, but I'd prioritize getting 32GB of system RAM whenever the budget allows.
The biggest issue is the single 16GB memory stick. On a Ryzen system, one DIMM disables dual-channel operation and can noticeably hurt minimum FPS, so two matched sticks are strongly preferable. Ideally use a 2x16GB DDR5-6000 kit, even if that means buying the second module later. Also check the motherboard's memory compatibility list and enable the advertised memory profile in firmware.
The B650I board is probably the better buy for a small price premium. A620 is fine for a budget build, but B650 generally gives you more useful connectivity, better upgrade flexibility, and fewer compromises around CPU power limits. In a compact case, also verify the board's M.2 heatsink, rear I/O, and cooler clearance against the Ghost S1 rather than relying only on generic compatibility lists.
That makes sense. I may start with one stick because of the current prices, but I'll make sure the second module is the same model and specifications rather than mixing kits randomly.