I'm planning to build a PC soon and have put together these specs:
- $60 for an AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
- $220 for a GIGABYTE GTX 1080 Ti OC (11GB with three fans, good for overclocking)
- $110 for a stylish ATX white panoramic glass case with 9 ARGB fans
- $120 for an Aorus Elite B450 motherboard
- $60 for a Corsair iCUE H115i 280mm AIO cooler
- $65 for an EVGA 650 GQ PSU
The rest of the budget goes to miscellaneous parts (like a GPU sag bracket and cable ties). I already have two 8GB DDR4 RAM sticks at 2133MHz (I know they're slow but I'm not buying new RAM right now) and a 500GB Samsung 970 EVO SSD, along with another generic 500GB SATA SSD.
I'm unsure if I'm overspending on some components while being frugal on others. I've chosen to go for a nicer case since looks matter to me, even if it means spending a little extra. Everything except the case and some small items is used. What do you think about this build?
3 Answers
You're spending quite a bit of your budget on aesthetics. If you’re after performance, I suggest looking at other options. You might find a used OptiPlex 7080 with a 10500 for about $300, and then grab a used 3080 for around $350. You’d get a much stronger system that’ll last longer. Don't put aesthetics above performance, especially with a limited budget.
Have you considered how much time you'll spend actually looking at your PC versus staring at the screen? Investing heavily in aesthetics can be a bit much, especially on a tight budget. The graphics card should work fine, but the CPU might lag behind in gaming. I suggest going for a cheaper case and swapping the AIO cooler for an air cooler. This could save you around $100, freeing up some funds for a better CPU or more RAM. You can always upgrade the visuals later when you’ve got a better budget.
Yeah, that sounds like a great upgrade for a slight price increase! The 3700X is definitely better!
In terms of performance, your build isn't hitting the mark. Spending around $150 on aesthetics when you could get a more powerful setup seems like a poor deal. The 2700X is pretty dated and isn’t officially Windows 11 compatible. What's your primary use case for the machine? It helps to clarify priority.
That’s a good point! After switching to an air cooler, I could get a Ryzen 7 3700X for just $5 more. Can you guys confirm if that CPU is a solid choice?