I have about $500 to spend on a gaming PC, with many parts available used or through local sellers. I'm currently considering a GTX 1080 Ti for $120, a Ryzen 5 5600 for $112, a basic aftermarket cooler for $12, a Soyo B450M motherboard for $54, 16GB of 3200MHz RAM for $50, a 512GB NVMe SSD for $50, a 500–650W power supply for $40, and a case with fans for $40. The estimated total is $478. I'd like to know whether these parts are compatible, whether any component is a poor value, and if there are better choices for playing modern games at 1080p. I can also potentially get an RX 6600 for about $40 more.
4 Answers
Do not assume the system can only handle older games. A 5600 paired with either of those graphics cards should run a wide range of modern games at 1080p, especially with sensible quality settings. The bigger limitations may be the 16GB of memory and 512GB SSD, so those are parts you can upgrade later if needed. Buying a complete used system could also be cheaper, but local prices vary a lot, so your current list is reasonable if individual components are overpriced in your area.
That combination should work well for 1080p gaming, and the Ryzen 5 5600 is a good match for the GTX 1080 Ti. The main thing I would not cheap out on is the power supply: make sure it is a reputable model with enough PCIe connectors, rather than choosing solely by the wattage printed on the box. A decent 550–650W unit is preferable. Also check that the motherboard BIOS supports the Ryzen 5 5600 before buying, since some B450 boards may need an update.
You could consider a Ryzen 5 5500 with its included cooler and put the savings toward a better motherboard, but I would not downgrade automatically. The Ryzen 5 5600 has twice the L3 cache and is generally the stronger gaming CPU, so keeping it is reasonable if the motherboard is reliable and the BIOS is compatible. A B550 board gives you PCIe 4.0 and usually better upgrade support, but it is not required for this build to perform well.
The motherboard upgrade is useful for features and reliability, but it will not transform gaming performance by itself. I would prioritize a trustworthy board and power supply over the chipset name.
The RX 6600 is worth serious consideration if it is only $40 more. It uses much less power, is newer, and has better modern feature support, while still delivering strong 1080p performance. The 1080 Ti can remain competitive in raw performance and has 11GB of VRAM, but it is older and may have more wear if bought used. Check the actual condition and warranty situation before choosing.
I was leaning toward the 1080 Ti because the price is so low, but the lower power draw and newer support are making the RX 6600 more appealing.
The processor is used and doesn’t include its original cooler, so I was planning to buy an inexpensive tower cooler. A better B550 board costs roughly $40 more where I live, which makes the decision harder.