I'm putting together my first proper gaming PC and would like some advice on whether my current configuration makes sense. My main games will be Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 and X-Plane 12, and I'm buying the parts in Portugal, so the prices are in euros. The current build costs roughly €1,700, but I'd prefer to keep the total between €1,500 and €1,600 without sacrificing too much performance. I'd also prefer to use the AM5 platform for the upgrade path. What parts could I change or cut back on while keeping the system well suited for flight simulators?
4 Answers
There should be room to reduce the cost of the cooler, power supply, and motherboard. Those components don’t necessarily need to be premium models as long as they still meet the system’s requirements and have sensible quality and features.
The easiest savings would probably come from replacing the liquid cooler with a good air cooler. You could also consider a less expensive processor, such as the Ryzen 5 7600X, although Microsoft Flight Simulator can be particularly CPU-heavy, so keeping the stronger CPU may be worthwhile if the budget allows.
A Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with DDR4 memory and a Radeon RX 9070 XT would offer excellent performance for these simulators, especially at 1440p. However, that would mean using the older AM4 platform, so it may not fit your preference for building on AM5.
I’d really prefer to build on AM5, so I’ll probably stick with that platform even if it means keeping the original configuration.
You can save around €100 while keeping nearly the same performance by adjusting the parts selection. The revised configuration focuses on trimming unnecessary cost rather than reducing the graphics performance.
Do you have any specific recommendations for cheaper replacements in those areas?