I'm putting together my first desktop since around 2013 and would appreciate some advice before buying. My current system is a gaming laptop with an RTX 2060, and I mainly play modded Skyrim and Fallout: New Vegas, The Long Dark, Counter-Strike, Helldivers, DayZ, and ARC Raiders. I'm happy with 1080p, though I may eventually try 1440p, and I'd like at least 16GB of VRAM. A consistent 60 FPS in my games matters more to me than maximum settings or 4K performance.
The current build is around $2,191, while my target is roughly $2,000. I'd prefer to keep the Ryzen 7 7800X3D unless there's a meaningfully cheaper CPU option. The main part I'm unsure about is the graphics card: the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB seems expensive for its performance, but cards such as the RX 9070 XT are also around $700 or more. Would buying used hardware or an older 4000-series card make more sense?
The rest of the proposed system includes a Gigabyte B650 AORUS Elite AX motherboard, 16GB of DDR5-6000 memory, a 1000W Gold power supply, a Thermalright Peerless Assassin cooler, a Thermaltake Versa H21 case, one 256GB SATA SSD for Windows, and two 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSDs. I'm especially wondering whether three drives are worthwhile, whether 16GB of RAM is enough, and if any components should be upgraded or downgraded without hurting real-world gaming performance.
5 Answers
For your stated games and 1080p target, this build is already overkill in CPU performance. I’d prioritize 32GB of RAM, one reliable 2TB M.2 SSD, good airflow, and the strongest graphics card that fits the remaining budget. If you’re willing to stay at 1080p, you don’t necessarily need a 9070 XT, but the 5060 Ti only makes sense if its price drops substantially.
The graphics card is the biggest issue. I would not spend close to $800 on an RTX 5060 Ti. At that price, an RX 9070 XT is a much stronger choice for 1440p and will give you considerably more headroom for newer games. If the 9070 XT is still too expensive, compare current prices for used higher-tier cards or previous-generation models rather than paying a premium for the 5060 Ti.
The case may restrict airflow, and the 1000W power supply is more capacity than this system needs unless you’re planning a much more powerful future GPU. A quality 750W or 850W Gold unit should be plenty for a 7800X3D paired with most cards in this range. Put some of the savings toward a better-ventilated case and extra case fans.
Definitely change the memory to a 2x16GB kit. 32GB is a much better baseline for a new AM5 gaming build, especially with heavily modded games. The 7800X3D is still a very capable gaming CPU, so upgrading to a newer X3D chip is optional and probably not the best place to spend money if it costs much more.
You probably don’t need three SSDs. A single good 2TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 drive can hold Windows, applications, and games, and you can add another drive later if necessary. The 256GB SATA boot drive will work, but it adds complexity and doesn’t offer much value when M.2 storage is already part of the plan. PCIe 5.0 storage also isn’t necessary for gaming.
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