I'm building my first PC after using a prebuilt system I bought in 2024. I want something that looks good, performs well, and should remain useful for several years. I mostly play less demanding games, but I'd still like some extra longevity. My budget is under $2,000, I'm buying all parts in the U.S., and I'd prefer an NVIDIA graphics card if possible. Here's my current list: Ryzen 5 7600X, Corsair Nautilus 360mm liquid cooler, ASRock B650M Pro RS WiFi motherboard, 32GB DDR5-5600 CL40 memory, 1TB Silicon Power UD90 NVMe SSD, MSI RTX 5060 Ti 8GB, Lian Li Vector V100R case, MSI MAG A650GL 650W power supply, and Windows 11 Home. The total comes to about $1,748. What would you change to improve the performance, value, and upgrade potential?
4 Answers
The biggest issue is that too much of the budget is going toward the 360mm liquid cooler while the graphics card is relatively modest. A Ryzen 5 7600X doesn’t need an AIO; a $20–$40 air cooler should handle it well. Put that money toward a stronger GPU, such as an RTX 5070, or consider a higher-VRAM card if you’re open to alternatives. For a gaming build, the GPU will have a much larger effect than moving to a more expensive processor. I’d also look at a better-priced SSD and a 750W power supply for extra upgrade headroom.
The 650W supply should be adequate for the original graphics card, but 750W is a better long-term choice if you might upgrade later. I wouldn’t worry too much about the motherboard for this build; the 7600X is relatively easy to run, and current firmware updates have addressed many earlier platform concerns. Also keep an eye on upcoming sales before buying everything, since processor, memory, and graphics card prices can change quickly.
The 8GB of VRAM on the RTX 5060 Ti is the part I’d be most concerned about for long-term use. If you stay with NVIDIA, try to find a 16GB model or move up to an RTX 5070 if the budget allows. Cards with more VRAM should age better as newer games become more demanding. You could also consider a Radeon card such as the RX 9070 or RX 9070 XT, which offer substantially more performance and memory for the money if you don’t specifically need NVIDIA features. The motherboard and case are reasonable, and the 7600X itself is perfectly capable for this kind of system.
You may be able to reuse the SSD from your prebuilt if it’s still in good condition, which would free up some money. I’d also replace the 360mm cooler with something like a Peerless Assassin or another capable tower cooler. The memory choice works, but DDR5-6000 CL30 is generally a nicer match for AM5 if the price difference is reasonable. If you can find a good deal, an X3D processor can improve gaming performance, although I’d prioritize the graphics card first.
I ended up replacing the AIO with an air cooler, changing the processor to a Ryzen 7 7700X, and upgrading the GPU to a Radeon RX 9070 XT with 16GB of VRAM. I also moved to a 750W power supply and reused the SSD from my prebuilt. The updated build is around $1,900, so it seems like I’m getting considerably more graphics performance and better upgrade headroom for roughly the same budget.