I'm building my first PC and would mainly use it for gaming at 1080p and 144Hz. The planned parts are an Intel B580 graphics card, Ryzen 5 5500, 16GB of DDR4-3200 memory, a 1TB Crucial PCIe 4.0 SSD, an ASUS B550M motherboard, a 750W power supply, and a Lian Li case. I'm also budgeting for an MSI 1080p monitor and a mechanical keyboard. The total comes to roughly $936, including a component bundle. Does this seem like a balanced build for the price, or are there parts I should change to save money or improve performance? I'm especially unsure whether the B580 is excessive for 1080p or whether upgrading the monitor would make more sense.
2 Answers
The parts list looks solid overall, especially for a first build. The main thing I’d reconsider is the monitor. A 27-inch 1440p display with a higher refresh rate can sometimes be found for under $200, and it would give you more room to enjoy the graphics card in single-player games. Even if the system doesn’t reach 240 FPS at 1440p, you could still use the high refresh rate for competitive games at 1080p.
The build is generally reasonable, but it may be worth checking whether there’s a nearby computer parts retailer with bundle deals. I’d also consider a current midrange card such as an RTX 5060 if the pricing is close. The B580 offers more VRAM, which is useful for longevity, but 8GB is usually sufficient for 1080p gaming right now, so the alternative could provide better overall compatibility or performance depending on the games you play.
The closest store with those bundle deals is more than 30 miles away, so ordering online is probably easier. I’m leaning toward the B580 because of its price-to-performance value and the 12GB of VRAM, which seems appealing for keeping the card useful longer.
I’ve thought about that, but my desk is only about four feet wide and the case may already take up most of the available space. I agree that 144Hz is a good baseline, while 240Hz would be more of a luxury, but I’ll keep a higher-resolution monitor in mind.