I built my first gaming PC in 2019 with a Ryzen 7 2700X, RTX 2060, and 16GB of DDR4 for about $950. It eventually failed, and after replacing the motherboard, memory, and power supply, the graphics card has now died too. The system was also struggling with newer games, even at low settings.
I'm now planning a replacement, but prices in my country are rising quickly and I'm working with a strict budget. The build I'm considering costs around $1,700 USD:
- Ryzen 5 7500F
- Gigabyte B650M Gaming WiFi
- Kingston Fury Beast 32GB DDR5-5600
- Galax RTX 5070 EX Gamer 12GB
- SAMA G750 750W 80+ Gold PCIe 5.0
- TeamGroup MP33 Pro Gen3 NVMe SSD
For now, I'll continue using my two 1080p monitors because I can't afford a 1440p upgrade yet. Is this a balanced build for gaming, or should I change some parts? I'm especially unsure whether the RTX 5070 is the right choice compared with AMD cards, although features such as DLSS are appealing.
4 Answers
The parts are generally sensible, and the AM5 platform gives you a good upgrade path later. The Ryzen 5 7500F should be more than enough for dual 1080p gaming, while the RTX 5070 will handle modern games easily. You could consider an AMD Radeon 9070 or 9070 XT if they’re similarly priced in your area; they generally offer more VRAM and stronger raw performance. Nvidia still has advantages with DLSS, ray tracing, frame generation, and some productivity software, so your preference for those features is reasonable.
Compare the local prices of the Radeon 9070, 9070 GRE, and 9070 XT against the RTX 5070. If the 9070 XT is only a little more expensive—or even cheaper—it offers a lot more raw performance and VRAM, making it the stronger choice for high-quality 1440p gaming later. At 1080p, either card will work well, although the RTX 5070 may be preferable if you specifically value DLSS, ray tracing, or frame-generation features.
In some markets the AMD cards are around $30–$50 cheaper. The 9070 is roughly comparable to the 5070 in standard rendering, while the 9070 XT is considerably faster. Nvidia’s feature set can still matter if you use those features often.
Before buying everything, it may be worth checking whether the old PC can be repaired cheaply. However, since the motherboard, RAM, and PSU have already failed and you’re unhappy with its performance, replacing it is understandable. For the new build, I’d look for DDR5-6000 if the price difference is small, and make sure the power supply is a reliable model rather than choosing only by wattage. A future CPU upgrade on AM5 should extend the system’s lifespan.
Is there a particular concern with the TeamGroup SSD brand? I’m considering it because it’s one of the cheapest options available here.
The graphics card is overkill for many 1080p games, but that isn’t necessarily bad if you plan to move to 1440p later. The bigger things I’d verify are the exact SSD and PSU models, since budget components can vary significantly in quality. If possible, prioritize a better-known power supply and a 1TB or larger SSD with good endurance. The CPU, motherboard platform, and 32GB of memory are otherwise a solid foundation.
I’m still using my old dual-1080p setup for now, and my brother keeps recommending DLSS. That’s the main reason I’m leaning toward Nvidia instead of switching to AMD.