A recent thunderstorm destroyed my computer, and I expect to receive about $1,800 from my power company claim to replace it. I'm in the United States and don't know much about building PCs, so I'm looking for guidance before buying anything. I mainly play Final Fantasy XIV, but I'd also like a system that can handle modern games at 1440p with decent settings. I'm open to either AMD or Nvidia graphics, and I'm wondering whether an older AM4 build makes sense or if I should move to AM5.
4 Answers
I wouldn’t choose AM4 for a brand-new system unless you find an unusually good deal. AM5 costs more upfront because of DDR5, but it gives you a newer platform and more upgrade options later. Also, make sure the replacement power supply is a reputable 750W–850W model and use a surge protector or UPS, since the previous system was damaged during a storm.
A higher-end build with a Radeon RX 9070 XT and a Ryzen 7 7800X3D can exceed the budget once you include the motherboard, memory, storage, power supply, cooler, and case. To get under $1,800, drop to a standard RX 9070 or RX 9060 XT, start with a 1TB SSD, or choose a less expensive CPU. I’d avoid buying just one 16GB memory stick, though—32GB in a matched two-stick kit is preferable for modern games.
With that budget, I’d strongly consider an AM5 system so you have a better upgrade path. A Ryzen 5 7600X3D, 32GB of DDR5-6000, a B650 or B850 motherboard, a 1TB or 2TB NVMe SSD, and a Radeon RX 9070 would make a very capable 1440p gaming setup. Use a reasonably priced dual-tower air cooler, an 850W quality power supply, and an airflow-focused case. You can usually keep that around $1,800 if you shop carefully.
If you can get to a Micro Center, check their AMD processor bundles first. A bundle can include the CPU, motherboard, and memory for much less than buying each part separately. One example configuration would be a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 32GB of DDR5, a 1TB SSD, an 850W PSU, and an RTX 5070 in a decent case. Retailers such as Costco and other major stores are also worth checking for a good prebuilt deal if you don’t feel comfortable assembling the PC.
I’m unfortunately not close to a Micro Center, but I’ll still look for bundle pricing and compare it with prebuilts.