I've wanted to build a gaming PC for a long time, but I'm completely new to choosing parts and don't even have a case yet. I'd like to play Persona 5 Royal and Cyberpunk 2077 with comfortable settings and good graphics. My budget is around $3,000, although I'd prefer not to spend all of it so I can upgrade individual parts later. A standard-sized case is fine. What components would make sense for this kind of build, and what should I pay attention to when checking compatibility?
4 Answers
Before finalizing parts, decide what resolution and refresh rate you want. For 1080p, you can spend much less than $3,000. For 1440p with high settings and ray tracing, prioritize the GPU and consider a card with strong ray-tracing performance and enough VRAM. Persona 5 Royal is relatively easy to run, while Cyberpunk is the demanding game that should guide the build. A parts compatibility checker can help confirm socket, memory, case, and power requirements.
A few general rules will save you trouble: don’t buy a bargain-bin power supply, make sure the case has good airflow, and check that the CPU cooler fits the case and motherboard. You can start with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, then add more storage later. You also don’t need an expensive overclocking setup; a balanced CPU and GPU will give you better value than paying extra for small performance gains.
Prices for memory and SSDs can change a lot, so it’s worth checking current prices before buying everything at once. If you aren’t in a hurry, waiting for a sale could let you keep more of the budget. Also remember to reserve money for Windows, a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and possibly extra case fans if those aren’t already included.
With that budget, you can build a very powerful system without spending the entire amount. A sensible starting point would be a modern Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 processor, a quality air cooler, 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory, a 2TB NVMe SSD, and a strong graphics card such as a Radeon RX 9070 XT or comparable current-generation card. Put those parts in a well-ventilated ATX mid-tower case and use a reliable 750W or higher 80+ Gold power supply. That will handle both games comfortably, especially at 1440p, while leaving room in the budget for a monitor and peripherals if you need them. Don’t overspend on the motherboard or CPU if gaming is the main goal—the graphics card matters more for Cyberpunk.

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