I'm putting together my first PC and my budget is around $1,650, but the current parts list comes to about $1,827. I'd like to save roughly $180 without changing the main components if possible, though I'm open to substitutions if necessary. The build uses a Ryzen 5 9600X, RX 9070 XT, B850M motherboard, 16GB of DDR5-6000 memory, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, a 360mm liquid cooler, the Lian Li A3 case, an 850W power supply, and three additional case fans. What would be the best ways to reduce the cost, and are there any compatibility concerns I should know about as a first-time builder?
2 Answers
If you have a Micro Center nearby, check their bundle deals. A bundle with a Ryzen 5 7500X3D, motherboard, and memory can significantly reduce the total cost while providing excellent gaming performance. Combined with a cheaper air cooler, SSD, and PSU, a similar build can come in around $1,515. If you stay with the 9600X, swapping the cooler, SSD, motherboard, and power supply should still get you close to the target.
The easiest savings are the cooler, SSD, motherboard, and power supply. A Thermalright Phantom Spirit air cooler is much cheaper and more than sufficient for the Ryzen 5 9600X. The 360mm liquid cooler is overkill and may be a tight fit in the A3, especially with a full-size ATX power supply and a large three-fan graphics card. You can also use a less expensive 1TB NVMe drive without noticing a difference in normal gaming, and a quality 850W PSU can often be found for less. Those changes bring the build close to $1,690 while keeping the CPU and graphics card.
The original SSD is particularly hard to justify for a gaming system. A drive around $150 should perform practically the same unless you have demanding storage-intensive work. Also, 16GB is usable, but 32GB would be a better long-term target; if the budget is tight, a single 16GB stick can be used temporarily, although two sticks are preferable for performance.
The Lian Li A3 does accept standard-sized components, so the case itself does not necessarily create a major price penalty. However, it has limited internal room, and a 360mm AIO makes assembly and component clearance more difficult. An air cooler would be simpler and safer for a first build.