I'm building my first desktop after spending years gaming on a laptop. It's a birthday gift, and I have about $2,500 CAD to spend, although I can contribute a little more if necessary. My mom works with a computer-parts retailer, so I may be able to buy some components at the store's cost. The system will mainly be used for gaming and video editing. I already have a parts list prepared and would appreciate suggestions on improving the component choices, value, cooling, and case.
2 Answers
You can save quite a bit by choosing a Ryzen 5 7600X3D bundle with a B650 motherboard and 32 GB of DDR5-6000 CL30 memory. That combination should be excellent for gaming and gives you better-value memory than the current selection. The expensive 360 mm liquid cooler is also unnecessary; a more affordable Thermalright 360 mm cooler should perform similarly. I’d also avoid a full tower unless you specifically need the extra space. A good ATX mid-tower will be easier to place, cheaper, and still provide plenty of room for the build.
Since gaming is one of the main uses, it may be worth reducing spending on the case and liquid cooler and putting that money toward a stronger gaming CPU, such as the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. A 32 GB DDR5 kit, a 1 TB NVMe SSD, and a Radeon RX 9070 XT would make a powerful gaming system, while the extra CPU cores would also help with video editing. Just make sure the final parts list stays close to your CAD budget—some of the listed component prices appear unusually high, especially the memory and storage.
Gaming will be the main use, but I’ll also be doing video editing, so I’d like a good balance between gaming performance and productivity.
Thanks! The cooler was mostly chosen for its appearance—I had considered the less expensive model originally. For the case, I prefer the look of the Lian Li Vector V100. Would that be a suitable alternative?