I'm trying to help a friend with a PC build, but it's turning out to be too expensive for him. He currently has a ROG Strix G15 laptop featuring a Ryzen 7 and a 3060 (possibly a TI version) with 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and he's looking to upgrade. Here's the list I've put together along with prices from Amazon:
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D - €480.70
- Motherboard: MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI - €269.33
- Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE - €40.90
- RAM: Patriot Viper Venom DDR5 32GB (2 x 16GB) 6000MT/s - €192.99
- SSD: Acer Predator GM7000 SSD Gaming 1TB - €99.99
- GPU: XFX Speedster QICK319 RX 7700 XT - €399.00
- Case: Fractal Design Epoch Black Solid - €119.99
- 850W PSU Gold: MSI MPG A850G PCIE5 - €139.43
Total: €1742
I think I could save about €40 on the RAM and €50 on the case, but I'm unsure about what else to cut without losing too much performance. The GPU is meant to be a temporary solution, with plans to upgrade to a better card like a 4070 TI in a year or two. For now, the aim is to achieve stable 165 FPS at 2K resolution primarily for mid-range gaming, and potentially some rendering in the future.
1 Answer
The CPU you picked is really pricey for gaming, especially paired with the RX 7700 XT. You could consider dropping down to something like the 9600X or even the 7800X3D—depends on what games your friend plays. For the motherboard, any decent B650 board would work, and you can save money with RAM sticks that have 6000MHz speed. If you swap the GPU for a top-tier option later, you'll notice a better gaming experience without spending so much now. Check out this build I threw together, it might save you around $300 and will definitely deliver better performance for gaming!
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ll take a look at that build later. Just to clarify, we want to invest in the motherboard and CPU first, then plan to upgrade the GPU once prices drop. Would swapping the RX 7700 XT for a 4070 TI make sense in that scenario?