I'm building a PC in Canada with a total budget of roughly $1,800–$2,000 CAD, ideally including tax. I already own a Lian Li Lancool 207 case, three 120 mm Thermalright fans, a Thermalright Assassin X Refined SE cooler, a Corsair RM750e 750 W power supply, and a 1 TB Lexar ARES NVMe SSD. That leaves me about $1,000 CAD for the CPU, graphics card, motherboard, and 16 or 32 GB of RAM.
The system will be used for Minecraft, Fortnite, Roblox, GTA V Enhanced, future GTA VI, Stormworks: Build & Rescue, Farming Simulator 25, other simulation games, DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and schoolwork. CPU performance matters particularly for Stormworks and other physics-heavy games, but I also want near-max graphics settings in modern games.
I've been considering a Ryzen 7 7800X3D paired with an RTX 5070 or possibly an RTX 5060 Ti, although I'm open to an AMD graphics card if it provides better value. Is the 7800X3D worth prioritizing for Stormworks, or would a less expensive processor and a stronger GPU provide a better overall experience? I'm also wondering whether AM5 with DDR5 is a sensible platform to keep for the next five or six years. Canadian pricing and realistic part combinations would be especially helpful.
4 Answers
Be careful when comparing Canadian part lists: tax, shipping, and regional pricing can change the total substantially. Some online lists also show suspiciously inflated component prices, so verify each item at several Canadian retailers. A realistic plan is to buy a discounted AM5 bundle with a midrange Ryzen processor, B650-class motherboard, and 32 GB DDR5, then put the remaining money toward the best GPU available.
A graphics card around the RTX 5070’s price can already approach $1,000 CAD, leaving too little for the processor, board, and RAM. Consider an AMD card in the same performance range if ray tracing and specific editing features are not priorities. For Resolve, Premiere, and Photoshop, check the software’s hardware-acceleration support before choosing, since NVIDIA can be preferable for some workloads even when AMD offers more gaming performance per dollar.
Your remaining budget is the main limitation. A 7800X3D and RTX 5070 can consume most or all of the remaining $1,000 CAD before adding a motherboard and memory. Check CPU, motherboard, and RAM bundle deals from Canadian retailers, but expect to choose between the high-end CPU and a stronger GPU unless you find unusually good sales. AM5 and DDR5 are still a sensible long-term platform, so I would stay with them rather than move to an older socket.
For Stormworks, a strong CPU does matter, but the 7800X3D may not be the best use of this entire budget if it forces you into a weaker graphics card. A less expensive Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 5 X3D chip paired with a stronger GPU could give you a better balance for near-max settings across your game list. Start with 32 GB of DDR5-6000 if possible; 16 GB works temporarily, but newer games and video-editing software make 32 GB a much more comfortable choice.
The 750 W power supply should be adequate for a sensible mid-to-upper-range GPU, so there’s no need to replace it. Keeping the case, cooler, SSD, and PSU is what makes the budget workable.