I'm looking to get into PC gaming and want to keep the cost as low as possible. I've put together this build for roughly £1700 using new parts, although I'm also planning to buy some components second-hand if I can find good deals. I'd appreciate advice on compatibility, value, and cheaper alternatives—especially if there are places where I'm spending more than necessary.
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
CPU cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
Motherboard: Asus TUF Gaming B650-Plus WiFi
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5-6000 CL36
Storage: Samsung 990 Pro 1TB NVMe SSD
Graphics card: Gigabyte Windforce OC GeForce RTX 5060 8GB
Power supply: MSI MAG A850GL PCIe 5, 850W, 80+ Gold
Case: Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini V2 Flow
Operating system: Windows 11 Home
My main priority is getting the best gaming performance for the money, so I'm open to changing the case, storage, power supply, or other parts if that would free up money for a stronger graphics card.
2 Answers
One alternative is to prioritize the graphics card and choose a cheaper platform around it. A build using an X3D processor, 2TB of storage, and a significantly stronger GPU can come in close to the same overall budget as your current parts list. That would provide a much bigger improvement in gaming performance than spending extra on a flagship SSD or an expensive showcase case.
You don’t necessarily need to buy everything at once, either. Compare new and second-hand prices for the case, cooler, memory, and previous-generation GPUs, but be more cautious with used power supplies and storage. If the budget is difficult to stretch, a sensible mid-range GPU now with an upgrade later may be better than overspending on cosmetic features.
The biggest issue is that the build spends a large portion of the budget on the case, motherboard, premium SSD, and oversized power supply while using an RTX 5060 8GB. For a roughly £1700 system, the graphics card should be much stronger, particularly if you want to play at 1440p. Look for a 16GB-class card such as an RX 7800 XT, RX 7900 XT, RTX 4070 Ti Super, or RTX 5070, depending on current prices.
The 990 Pro is also unnecessary for gaming; a WD SN770, Lexar NM790, or Kingston KC3000 should feel essentially the same in games while costing less. A quality 650W or 750W supply is enough for the 9600X and RTX 5060, though keeping 750W–850W makes sense if you move to a higher-end GPU. For memory, DDR5-6000 CL30 with AMD EXPO would be preferable if it costs about the same. You could also use a less expensive B650 board and a case that includes several fans. Those changes could either reduce the total substantially or put the savings toward a much faster GPU.
The general direction makes sense, but the suggested final prices depend heavily on current UK deals and whether parts are bought used. It’s worth checking actual listings rather than assuming the whole build can reach £1100–£1200.
Thanks for the suggestions. I’m actually trying to lower the cost if possible, since everything is so expensive. I wish I’d been able to build a PC a few years ago when prices were better.