I'm a high school junior diving into computer science and I'm putting together my first PC. My budget is under $1200, and I'm looking for a reliable setup that can handle code compilation and everyday tasks. I'm using Linux, so any advice specific to that would be appreciated. I'm willing to wait for good deals, so if you have suggestions on things to keep an eye out for, please let me know! Here's what I've got so far: I'm considering an ASUS B550-PLUS motherboard, AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT CPU, 16GB G.Skill Ripjaws V RAM, and an MSI 750W PSU, which I think is good for future upgrades. For the graphics card, I prefer AMD but I'm open to older NVIDIA models as well. I'm also looking for an SSD of at least 512GB since I haven't used much space on my current laptop. Any suggestions?
4 Answers
Since you're on Linux, the 9060XT could be a better fit than any NVIDIA card unless you need specific software that performs better with NVIDIA. If you can, consider getting 32GB of RAM for a smoother experience. And for cooling, check out something like the Peerless Assassin; it helped boost my CPU performance significantly!
The PSU you chose isn't overkill at all! Depending on your GPU budget, I suggest considering cards like the 7700XT or the 9060XT with 16GB. For the SSD, going for a 1TB as your boot drive is wise. HDDs are cheaper for extra storage if you need it later.
SSD prices are really high right now. I’d recommend looking for used options, as you might find a good deal. I recently got a 2TB Gen 3 NVMe SSD for just $120 on Facebook Marketplace. As for the graphics card, your Ryzen 7 5800XT is solid and won't bottleneck most GPUs. Just aim for whatever fits your budget best!
Good call! Pairing the 5800XT with a capable GPU like the 9070XT is a great idea, just be mindful of the PSU requirements!
I feel like your AM4 build shouldn't cost so much. There have been deals on pre-built systems that include a better CPU and more storage for a similar price. It's worth comparing for value.
That makes sense! I’m trying to stay as close to $1000 as I can because I don't plan on doing much gaming.