I'm putting together a gaming PC for a friend with a budget of around £1,000–£1,200, although there is a little flexibility. The current parts list uses a Ryzen 7 5700X, 32GB of DDR4-3200 memory, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, and a Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB. I initially assumed DDR4 would offer better value at this budget, but I'd appreciate advice on whether the parts are well balanced or if there are better alternatives. In particular, I'm wondering whether the CPU, memory pricing, storage, and AM4 platform make sense for a new gaming build.
4 Answers
The build should work, but the Ryzen 7 5700X is not a major gaming upgrade over a cheaper Ryzen 5 5600X. If a reasonably priced X3D processor is available, that would be a stronger gaming choice, though the graphics card will still be the main performance factor in many games. The extra cores are useful for multitasking and longer-term general PC use.
The biggest issue is the memory price. £210 for 32GB of DDR4 is extremely high, especially when it costs more than the processor. Look for a cheaper 2x16GB DDR4-3200 or DDR4-3600 kit from another retailer, including reputable used-market options. The same applies to the £177 SSD: it is a good drive, but a less expensive 1TB NVMe model could free up money for the rest of the system.
Don’t rule out Intel systems just because the current list uses AMD. Some Intel processors and boards still support DDR4, so comparing the full CPU, motherboard, and memory cost could reveal a better-value option. Whichever platform you choose, the 650W power supply should be sufficient for this graphics card, assuming it is a genuine, healthy unit and the case has adequate airflow.
I would seriously consider an AM5 build instead. A Ryzen 5 7500F with an affordable AM5 motherboard and 16GB of DDR5 can fit near the same budget, especially if you reduce the SSD cost. It gives the system a newer upgrade path, while 16GB is still acceptable for gaming if the budget is tight and another matching kit can be added later. Be sure to confirm that the tray CPU includes an appropriate warranty and that the motherboard BIOS supports it.
It is worth comparing current prices rather than assuming DDR4 is automatically cheaper. Add up the CPU, motherboard, and memory together for this AM4 build, then compare that total with an AM5 and DDR5 combination.