I'm putting together a productivity PC on a budget of $500, using a Ryzen 5700X. My setup will include a 512GB SSD and 32GB of dual-channel RAM, powered by a 600 to 750W power supply. While I'm not a big gamer, I do enjoy playing occasionally, but my main focus is amazing performance for software development (VS Code, Android Studio), design tasks (Figma, Illustrator), some light video editing (DaVinci, Lightroom), and even some hobbyist 3D projects (Blender, Unity, and possibly 3D printing). The big question for me is about the GPU. I've found a few options within my budget of around $200, including an RX 580 for ~$110, GTX 1660 Ti or Super for ~$160, and RX 5500 XT for ~$160. I'd really appreciate any suggestions on which GPU would fit this build. Also, I'm considering a more ambitious idea: what if I went with an AM5 motherboard and got a Ryzen 7700, which has integrated graphics to get me through the next 6-12 months until I can afford a better GPU? What do you all think of that plan?
1 Answer
You might want to consider going with an AMD APU, like the Ryzen 7 8700G or 8600G. They offer better performance than the 5700X and come with integrated graphics for light gaming. You can always add a dedicated GPU later too!
Thanks! But I'm having a hard time seeing why I should go with an AM5 system. Any content or arguments to back that up? Also, the 8700G is quite a bit more expensive where I am, so the price difference makes it less attractive compared to getting a used GTX 1660 Ti instead.