I'm in the UK and have around £1,200 to spend on a gaming PC. I'm deciding between building an AM4 system, moving to AM5, or buying a used prebuilt machine. The PC would mainly be used for single-player games and FPS titles. DDR5 memory is currently expensive, so I'm unsure whether the better value would be a higher-end AM4 build with more money available for the graphics card, or a cheaper AM5 setup with only 16GB of DDR5. I'd like a sensible balance of current gaming performance and future upgrade potential, and I'm also open to buying used parts or a prebuilt if that offers better value.
4 Answers
For pure price-to-performance at £1,200, a new AM4 build or a carefully chosen used AM5 build is likely to make the most sense. AM4 is not automatically a bad choice if you plan to keep the PC for several years and upgrade the entire platform later. AM5 is more attractive if you can find used parts cheaply enough to still afford 32GB of RAM and a capable graphics card.
AM4 can still be excellent value at this budget, especially if choosing a strong gaming CPU and putting the savings toward the graphics card. You’ll get more performance immediately, and 32GB of DDR4 is relatively affordable. The downside is that AM4 has very limited meaningful CPU upgrades left, so a future platform change would probably involve replacing the motherboard and memory too.
Definitely check used prebuilts and complete systems as well as individual parts. Good deals sometimes appear with a modern CPU and a much stronger graphics card than you could afford new. Before buying, verify the exact components, power supply model, storage health, temperatures, and whether the case has adequate airflow. Avoid systems with vague listings or generic unbranded PSUs.
I’ve seen some surprisingly good prices on used systems, so I’ll compare the full specifications and condition rather than only looking at the advertised CPU and GPU.
A used AM5 system could be a good compromise if you find reasonable prices on the motherboard, processor, and memory. AM5 gives you a much better upgrade path, but don’t sacrifice too much GPU performance just to get onto the newer platform. For gaming, a balanced AM4 build with 32GB of RAM and a better graphics card may outperform an entry-level AM5 build today.
That’s what makes the choice difficult. I could probably manage AM5 with 16GB of DDR5, but I’d prefer 32GB and still want enough budget for a good GPU.
That was my initial thought too, since I’d rather have a better GPU now. I’m just unsure whether starting with AM5 is worth accepting a weaker graphics card in the short term.