I'm new to building PCs and want an affordable system that can handle a bit of everything, including gaming, without needing high-end performance. I'm also open to buying a prebuilt if it offers better value. My current parts list is: Ryzen 5 5600 CPU ($142), ASUS TUF B550 WiFi II motherboard ($150), 16GB (2×8GB) DDR4-3200 RAM bought used ($85), used ASUS RX 5500 XT 8GB graphics card ($150), Kingston NV3 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD ($156), Phanteks XT Pro case ($80), and MSI MAG A650BN 650W power supply ($61), for a total of $824. Are these reasonable prices, and where could I improve the value?
3 Answers
You can probably bring the total well below $800 by shopping around for the motherboard, case, and SSD. A fully modular power supply may also be available for about the same price, which makes cable management easier. Consider buying the GPU and possibly the Ryzen 5 5600 used as well; the CPU often sells for around $100, while a 5600X may be roughly $125. Make sure the used parts come from a reliable seller and are tested.
The Ryzen 5 5600 and B550 pairing is solid, but the used RX 5500 XT is overpriced at $150. I’d try to keep that card closer to $100, or look for a used RX 6600 or RX 6600 XT around the same $150 range. That would give you noticeably better gaming performance.
Several parts seem expensive for a budget build, especially the SSD and motherboard. $156 is far too much for a 1TB Kingston NV3, so compare other NVMe drives and retailers before buying. You could also choose a less expensive B550 board and put the savings toward a better GPU. Sixteen gigabytes of DDR4-3200 is fine, although $85 for used RAM isn’t a particularly good deal if new RAM is only slightly more.
Thanks! I’m currently checking eBay and Newegg, and that was the best price I found for a new 1TB SSD. I’m open to other stores if there are better places to compare.