I'm building my first PC on a tight budget and would appreciate some advice on whether these parts make sense together. I mainly want to play Minecraft, Genshin Impact, Warframe, Tiny Eden, and other lighter indie games. I'd also like the build to look attractive, but performance matters too. My current list includes a Ryzen 5 9600X, an ASRock B650M Pro RS motherboard, an RX 580 8GB graphics card, a case with six ARGB fans, a 360mm all-in-one cooler, a 2TB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD, and RGB cable extensions. I haven't selected memory or a power supply yet. Is this a good use of my budget, or should I change some parts?
2 Answers
The main problem is that the Ryzen 5 9600X is much newer and faster than the RX 580, which is an old graphics card. For the games you listed, the CPU is more than capable, but the GPU will determine your gaming performance. I’d use a less expensive air cooler instead of the 360mm liquid cooler and skip the RGB cable extensions, then put that money toward a newer graphics card. Also remember to budget for 16GB or 32GB of DDR5 memory and a good 550–650W power supply.
The build can work, but it isn’t well balanced for a tight budget. The motherboard and SSD are reasonable, while the case is mostly a matter of preference. A 360mm AIO is unnecessary for the 9600X; a reliable tower air cooler will be cheaper, simpler, and quieter enough. The RX 580 may handle those games at 1080p with adjusted settings, but check its price carefully because used or refurbished cards can have questionable condition. A newer budget GPU would make a much bigger difference than extra lighting.
The visual parts are fine if they’re important to you, but set a firm total budget first. Keep the decorative upgrades only after choosing the GPU, RAM, PSU, and storage.
I’d like the PC to look nice as well as run those games smoothly. I’m not planning to play demanding modern games, mostly Minecraft, Warframe, Genshin Impact, and cute indie games.