I'm looking to replace my old gaming PC that's about 7 years old. It has an i7 and a GTX 1660 Ti, but it's really struggling to keep up with current games. I want to build my own rig this time, since I usually just go for prebuilt systems. I primarily play games and occasionally dabble in AI image stuff, and I do a fair bit of web browsing too. I want to make sure I can connect three monitors (I have an S2419HGF with 144Hz Vsync, and two other lesser monitors). I'm a bit of an Intel fan because that's what I'm used to, and I'd like a powerful GPU and a solid overall system that I can upgrade in the future. Here are the things I really want in my build: a fast boot drive, at least a 1TB SSD for games, 32GB of RAM, plenty of USB ports, a white color scheme (RGB is fine even if it's not necessary), air cooling instead of liquid cooling, and maybe another i7 processor? I have around $2000 to spend and I'm a bit lost on where to start with choosing the right parts. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
2 Answers
For a high-end build, you're looking at some great Intel options, but it’s worth noting that the current i7 line has evolved a lot. You could go for something like the Intel Core i7-12700KF and pair it with an RTX 5070 Ti for solid gaming performance. If you're willing to stretch your budget, I'd suggest a 2TB PCIe SSD and shoot for 48GB of RAM if you're planning to do some AI stuff too. I put together a full build list that should keep you right around your budget! You can check it out here: [PCPartPicker Build](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/7Vh2fd)
Honestly, if you're thinking about future upgrades, consider going with an AMD setup. The AM5 platform is more upgrade-friendly in the long run. I even made a list that fits your budget, and it includes a really nice OLED 1440p monitor, which is a massive upgrade. You might also want to consider the AMD 7900XT for better performance among AMD GPUs, but Nvidia cards are great for AI tasks thanks to their DLSS features and CUDA cores. Check this out: [PCPartPicker Build](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/mmqwFZ).
If I keep the old monitor, will I still need to upgrade it soon to keep up with gaming? I also have a pretty basic understanding of all the specs you mentioned.
Thanks for the pointers! The part list looks solid. I didn’t realize GPUs were getting so hard to find; any tips on where to snag one?