I'm planning to build a new PC with these parts: Ryzen 5 8500G, Gigabyte B850M Force WiFi 6E motherboard, 16GB DDR5-5600 CL40 memory, 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, a case with four 120mm ARGB fans, and a 550W Gigabyte power supply. There is no dedicated graphics card at the moment, and the quoted price is around 90,000. For now I'll mainly browse the web and watch movies, but I'd like to play demanding games later. Can I add a graphics card in the future, and are there any parts I should change before buying?
3 Answers
Yes, you can install a dedicated graphics card later as long as the case has enough clearance and the power supply has the required connectors. However, a 550W unit will limit your future GPU choices, so you may need to replace it when upgrading. For a powerful gaming card, a good-quality 650W–750W supply would be a safer long-term choice.
The 8500G will work as a temporary solution, but its integrated graphics are mainly suited to basic use and light gaming. G-series processors also have less cache than comparable non-G chips, so they aren’t the best choice if high-end gaming is the eventual goal. If you can afford it, consider a regular Ryzen 5 processor with a dedicated GPU later, or choose a stronger APU only if you specifically need to use integrated graphics for a while.
I’d also check whether the 16GB kit is one 16GB stick or two 8GB sticks. Two matching modules are preferable because they enable dual-channel memory, which is especially important when using integrated graphics. For a new gaming-oriented build, 32GB as 2×16GB would be a more comfortable target. Also compare the total price with a build that includes a dedicated graphics card, since 90,000 may be high for a system with entry-level integrated graphics.
Would a different Ryzen processor be a better fit with this motherboard if I plan to add a graphics card later?