I'm planning a gaming PC with a total budget of about $1,500 and would appreciate feedback on the parts. I'm considering a Ryzen 5 7600X3D, a Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX V2 motherboard, and a single 16GB DDR5-6000 stick from a bundle deal. For the graphics card, I'm comparing a PNY RTX 5060 Ti 16GB for around $599, an open-box RTX 5070, or an ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT for about $670. I'm also looking at a 1TB Inland NVMe SSD, an MSI MAG A750GL 750W Gold modular power supply, a Lian Li Vector V100 RGB case, and an air cooler. The main goal is gaming, likely at 1440p, and I need a monitor recommendation around $150. I'm also unsure whether I should use Windows 11 or Linux.
5 Answers
Definitely avoid running just one 16GB memory stick. Use a matched 32GB kit, ideally 2x16GB DDR5-6000 with reasonable timings, because dual-channel memory improves performance and avoids a major bottleneck. A 1TB SSD is also a much better starting point than 512GB, especially since modern games can take up well over 100GB each. Try to keep the drive from getting nearly full.
The Radeon RX 9070 XT looks like the strongest value if it is only about $70 more than the 5060 Ti. It is much better suited for 1440p gaming, while the 5060 Ti makes more sense mainly for a 1080p-focused build. If the RTX 5070 is close in price, compare actual game benchmarks and whether you care about features like DLSS and ray tracing. Also, make sure the exact GPU model is the 9070 XT, since that is different from the regular RX 9070.
The current prices I found are roughly $599 for the 5060 Ti, $670 for the RX 9070 XT, and $680–$700 for new RTX 5070 cards. I’m leaning toward the 9070 XT but still need help choosing a monitor.
The Ryzen 5 7600X3D is fairly efficient, but I would skip the Hyper 212 at this price. A Thermalright Peerless Assassin or Phantom Spirit, or a comparable Arctic cooler, usually offers better cooling for similar or less money. The Lian Li case should be fine as long as it includes adequate airflow and you install enough intake and exhaust fans.
I initially assumed the 7600X3D ran cool enough that the cooler would not matter much, but I’ll compare those better-performing air coolers instead.
If you are targeting 1440p, it may be worth choosing a slightly cheaper X3D bundle, such as a Ryzen 5 7500X3D if available, and putting the savings toward the graphics card or additional storage. For 1080p, a 16GB RX 9060 XT could be enough and would leave more room in the budget for a larger SSD or a better monitor.
For a $150 monitor, look for a 24-inch 1080p IPS display with a 144Hz or 165Hz refresh rate, FreeSync or Adaptive-Sync, and a DisplayPort connection. If you can find a discounted 27-inch 1440p 144Hz monitor near that price, it would pair much better with the RX 9070 XT, but do not sacrifice panel quality or reliability just to reach 1440p. Windows 11 is the easier choice for gaming because of broad driver and game compatibility. Linux can work well with an AMD graphics card, but some multiplayer games and anti-cheat systems may not support it properly.
I changed the storage choice to a 1TB NVMe drive and will switch the memory to a 2x16GB kit.