Hey everyone! I'm just starting out in the world of PC building and was initially leaning toward buying a prebuilt system. However, after doing some research, I feel like they might not be worth the cost. I'd love to get your feedback on my current setup, which I've linked here: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RD77Jn. I'm also open to suggestions for upgrades if needed, as long as they won't blow up my budget too much. Thanks for any help!
8 Answers
Looks good! Just curious, what's the primary use for your build?
Just a heads up, if you’re looking at new video cards, Newegg has some for about $299. You might use some of those savings to upgrade to a 9700.
Performance-wise, the 7600/x or 9600/x are pretty much the same but cheaper. AIO isn’t necessary, though at least you picked a budget one. Try to get CL30 RAM—it's faster. The SSD you chose isn't the best bang for your buck either, but overall, consider my suggestions: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/WQLgcx
The P3 Plus is generally considered a lower-end NVMe drive. If you're looking for better options, definitely explore alternatives. Also, the difference between CL30 and CL36 RAM in gaming is minuscule—don’t stress too much about it.
Appreciate the advice; thanks!
I built a similar rig last year with the same CPU and motherboard, plus 32 GB of DDR5 RAM and a 750W Gold PSU. My biggest change was going with an RTX 3060 and air cooling. It's performed exactly as I was hoping!
If you can swing it, there are better GPUs out there for about $100 more by compromising on some looks. Here's my suggested build: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/jdM7Jn. You might want to switch to a B850 motherboard instead of B650 and consider the Ryzen 5 9600x for similar gaming performance at a lower price. And don’t forget to get 32GB 2x16 6000MHz CL30 RAM instead of CL36. The PSU in my list is more reliable too. Let me know if you have any questions!
Will do, thanks for your insights!
The case choice might need a rethink. If you're in the USA, check out the Montech 903 Air Max; it's around $75 on Newegg and Amazon as of now. Everything else seems solid, though!
Thanks for the tip!
Your setup looks solid! I’d suggest going for CL30 RAM instead. You can skip the AIO cooler to save a few bucks unless you just want it for aesthetics—it does look good! Overall, it’s a powerful build for 1080p gaming and can handle some 1440p as well. Enjoy building!
Quick question! For programming and AI work, would you recommend AMD or Intel CPUs?
Mostly for 1080p gaming, and I might upgrade to 1440p if I can budget a new monitor later.