I'm looking to build a gaming PC for my 13-year-old nephew with a budget of about $750. We're hoping to grab some good deals on Black Friday and want a setup that will last him around 5-7 years. He plays games, but we aren't aiming for high-end specs right now. I've considered going for a newer i5, like the 13400 or 14400, but I wonder if it's worth investing in an i7, like the 13700 or 14700, if I find a good deal. Is there a better route we should take for longevity and performance, especially considering that he can upgrade the GPU and memory later?
1 Answer
Honestly, for that budget, you might struggle to get a gaming PC that will last. With RAM prices rising, it becomes tricky. I wouldn't recommend the Intel 13th or 14th generation CPUs since they've had issues with performance degradation. Right now, AMD's AM5 platform is where it's at with Zen 4. You could start with a Ryzen 5 9600X and a budget-friendly AM5 motherboard, plus go for 32GB of DDR5 RAM. But you'll definitely need a robust GPU for gaming. Just a heads up, including a monitor and other components, you might find this budget a bit tight!
Good to know about the Intel issues! I plan to use this budget just for the tower itself. So, I’m not including costs for the RAM or GPU right now. Sounds like a Ryzen build is the way to go!