I'm building my first PC and honestly still learning how to choose compatible parts and get good value. I currently have a parts list costing around $1,235, including a Ryzen 5 5600X, Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE cooler, Gigabyte A520M K V2 motherboard, 16GB of DDR4-3600 memory, a 1TB Silicon Power UD90 NVMe SSD, an ASRock Intel Arc 10GB graphics card, a Montech mid-tower case, a 750W Gold-rated power supply, and a 1080p 180Hz IPS monitor. I mainly play Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft, but I'd like to try more games later. Are these parts a good value, and would I be better off choosing a different graphics card or changing anything else?
4 Answers
For a first-time build, this is reasonably balanced, but the graphics card is the part I’d reconsider. The Arc card can be fine if the games you play are known to run well on it, but a 6600-series or 6700-series Radeon card usually offers a more predictable experience at 1080p. The 750W power supply is also more wattage than this system needs, although keeping it is fine if it’s a reliable model.
The parts should work together, but check the motherboard BIOS version because some A520 boards may need an update before recognizing a Ryzen 5 5600X. Also make sure the memory is installed as two sticks with the advertised XMP/DOCP profile enabled. Used graphics cards can sometimes improve the budget, but only buy one if you can verify that it works and inspect it carefully first.
The cooler, SSD, case, and 16GB of RAM are all reasonable starting choices. If the total budget allows it, 32GB would be a nice upgrade for multitasking and newer games, but 16GB is still enough for the games you listed. At 1080p and 180Hz, prioritize the graphics card over spending extra on the CPU cooler.
The build is generally usable, but I’d be cautious with the Arc card for a first build. Intel’s drivers have improved a lot, but performance can vary more from game to game, especially with older titles. A Radeon RX 6600 XT or RX 6650 XT would be a simpler choice for 1080p gaming. If you find one at a good price, an RX 6700 or 6700 XT would give you more room for newer games.
I mostly play Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft right now, but I do want to expand into other games. I’ll compare those Radeon cards and see what fits the budget.
I looked at used parts, but I’m worried about paying for something faulty. I’ll probably stick with new components unless I can test a used card beforehand.