I'm planning to build or buy my first gaming PC, but I'm not familiar with PC parts yet. I need a system that can handle gaming, livestreaming, Unity development and animation, and PC VR. I'd like guidance on how much RAM, VRAM, storage, and power supply capacity I should look for, which components are compatible, and which retailers are trustworthy. I'm located in Indiana and would prefer used parts or a used system to keep the cost down. My starting budget is around $1,000, although I'm willing to adjust it if that isn't enough for a reliable system that I'll use heavily.
4 Answers
Micro Center may be worth checking if there’s one within driving distance in Indiana. Their motherboard, processor, and RAM bundles can reduce the cost and usually leave you with a good upgrade path. AMD and Intel are the two major CPU manufacturers; either can work, but a current AMD platform is often attractive for productivity and future upgrades. Some bundles must be purchased in person, so check the store’s current terms before planning around one.
If you’re comfortable buying used, look for a Radeon RX 6700 XT or an RTX 3070 in the $250–$300 range. They can provide solid gaming and VR performance, though the 6700 XT’s 12GB of VRAM is more comfortable for Unity and newer games. Test used parts carefully, confirm the card works under load, and avoid unknown power supplies or systems with no upgrade information.
Don’t choose individual parts until you set a firm budget and decide whether the monitor, keyboard, headset, and VR equipment are included. For the tower alone, $1,000 can work if you buy some parts used, but animation and Unity make 32GB of RAM a better starting point than 16GB. Prioritize the graphics card and memory, use a 1TB NVMe SSD for storage, and make sure the motherboard, processor socket, RAM type, case size, and power supply connectors all match before buying.
What you can build depends heavily on the total budget, but around $1,200–$1,300 is more realistic for a well-balanced system that supports VR, streaming, Unity, and future upgrades. For this kind of workload, aim for 32GB of RAM, a modern 6- or 8-core processor, an SSD, and a graphics card with at least 12GB of VRAM if possible. A quality 650–750W power supply from a reputable brand is a good target.
I’m completely new to this, so I didn’t know what AMD, Intel, or Micro Center meant. I’ll need to compare the bundle prices with the cost of buying used parts.