I'm planning my first gaming PC and would appreciate feedback on the parts list. The total comes to roughly $2,300–$2,500 before peripherals, and I'll be buying from a local store rather than ordering online. I'm mainly wondering whether any component should be changed for better performance, reliability, or value.
Case: darkFlash DY470 ATX Mid Tower White with tempered-glass side panel
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Motherboard: MSI B850 Gaming Plus WiFi 6E AM5 DDR5 ATX
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 5070 12GB Ventus 2X OC White
Memory: Corsair Vengeance RGB 32GB (2×16GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 White
CPU cooler: DeepCool AG620 Air ARGB White
Storage: WD Green SN350 2TB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
Power supply: ASUS Prime AP-850G White/Black, 850W, fully modular, 80+ Gold
Case fans: darkFlash INF34 ARGB PWM 120mm White 3-pack
I'm also considering a 24–25-inch 1080p 240Hz MSI monitor, plus an Attack Shark keyboard and mouse. Are those sensible choices, or would a different monitor or peripheral setup make more sense?
3 Answers
A 1080p 240Hz display will work well for competitive games, but it may not be the best match for this level of hardware. Consider a 1440p 240Hz monitor, or at least a good 1440p 165–180Hz model, if the price is reasonable. You’ll get a sharper image and make better use of the GPU in most games. A 1080p 240Hz screen is still fine if you mainly play esports titles and want the highest possible frame rates. Attack Shark peripherals can be decent for the price, but check reviews for the exact models rather than choosing the brand alone.
Whether this is a good build depends heavily on the exact prices and what you want to play. The CPU, GPU, memory speed, cooler, and power supply are all sensible choices. I would replace the WD Green SN350, though—it’s an entry-level PCIe 3.0 drive. Look for a good TLC NVMe SSD instead, such as a quality PCIe 4.0 model. You don’t need an expensive PCIe 5.0 drive for gaming; the real-world difference is usually small, so only buy one if the price is close to a PCIe 4.0 alternative.
The core parts are compatible and should make a strong gaming system, especially with the 7800X3D. The main question is value: for a build in the $2,300–$2,500 range, compare the local prices carefully because the RTX 5070 may not be the best performance-per-dollar option. A Radeon card such as the RX 9070 XT could offer considerably more performance for the money if you’re willing to consider it. If you strongly prefer Nvidia, the 5070 is still a reasonable choice, just make sure the price is competitive.
I generally prefer Nvidia, but I’ll check whether the Radeon option is available at the store I’m using.
I found a faster 2TB PCIe 5.0 drive that costs about $100 more. My overall budget is close to $3,000 including peripherals, so I may consider it, but I’ll compare it with less expensive TLC drives first.