Can someone review my first $1,400 gaming PC build?
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MellowCedar42
This is my first time building a PC, and I'd appreciate a sanity check before buying the remaining parts. The system is for personal gaming, my total budget is around $1,400 USD, and I already own a Ryzen 5 9600X, which is the main component I'm building around. I chose many of the parts based on perceived value, but I'm not very experienced with hardware. Are there any poor choices, compatibility concerns, or worthwhile upgrades I should consider?
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The overall build isn’t terrible, but there are several unusual part choices worth reconsidering. Since you’re in the United States, it should be possible to adjust the parts for better value without exceeding your budget. The biggest concern is the storage configuration.
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One possible replacement build uses a different motherboard and storage setup while keeping the Ryzen 5 9600X. If you choose an MSI B850 board, be careful with models that include Wi-Fi 6E in the name. Those versions were released with reduced specifications compared with the Wi-Fi 7 models, including slower networking and a PCIe 4.0 graphics slot. Those differences may not matter for everyone, but they weaken one of the main reasons to choose B850. For only a small price increase, the MSI PRO B850-V EVO WiFi offers Wi-Fi 7, 5Gb Ethernet, and a PCIe 5.0 graphics slot.
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I’d strongly avoid using a hard drive for Windows. Modern games also load much more slowly from an HDD, and some newer titles expect an SSD because they stream assets while you play. A reasonably priced NVMe SSD would be best, but even a SATA SSD would be a major improvement if NVMe storage doesn’t fit the budget. You could keep the hard drive for older games or general file storage.
SilverMaple31: Even a 512GB SSD would give you enough room for Windows and a few modern games. The HDD can still be useful as secondary storage afterward.
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MellowCedar42: Thanks, that helps a lot. I picked the parts mainly by looking at prices, so I’m glad someone pointed out the differences between those motherboard models.