I'm a newbie at building PCs, and I'm considering going with second-hand parts. My goal is to play AAA games at 1440p, and I also need a monitor and peripherals. My current PC has a GT 530, which is failing beyond repair, so I'm looking for something that offers decent longevity and high performance. My budget is £600 (can stretch to £650) for the PC itself and around £160 (up to £210) for the monitor and peripherals. I'm really confused about what parts to choose, especially when it comes to second-hand pricing. Any advice would be super helpful!
3 Answers
This is possible, but hinges on finding great deals on used components. Look for a used RTX 3080 around £300, and an AM4 motherboard bundle with a 5600x and at least 16GB of RAM for about £200-250. This would leave you with sufficient budget for the case, PSU, and SSD—should be doable!
Your budget for 1440p AAA gaming is pretty tight, especially if you're looking for decent longevity. Second-hand parts can vary a lot in price based on local deals. A good strategy is to compare the price and performance of used parts against new ones to see if the savings are worth it. Make sure you’re buying from someone with proof that the parts work! You might find a whole AM4 or Intel 10-11th gen PC from someone upgrading to AM5, so keep an eye out for those.
Thanks for the tip about AM4! I meant to say 5600x earlier—typo. Any ideas on where to look for good deals?
Your budget is on the lower side for 1440p AAA gaming. I suggest checking out this build [link](https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/Td82cx) for better performance. It's also worth it to browse the used market for more affordable components.
Is there much difference in performance between a 5600x and other CPUs? Also, what case should I consider since I’m going with used parts?
I’m based in the UK, so I’ll check locally. Thanks for the advice!