I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to build my own PC. I initially thought it would be tough, but choosing the right parts is turning out to be much harder than I expected. My plan was to get an Intel i5 12400, but I found out that its integrated graphics aren't great, and I definitely need those since I won't be able to get a GPU immediately. I then considered the Ryzen 5 5600G, but it apparently doesn't perform as well with a GPU later on. After that, I looked into the Ryzen 5 8500G, which has fewer PCIe lanes, and finally thought about the Ryzen 5 8600G, which has enough lanes but is out of my budget. I'm really lost here. I want a CPU that will give me good performance in the meantime until I can add a GPU, without bottlenecking it when I do. I'm hoping to use this for light gaming and development as I'm majoring in Computer Science. Any advice would be really appreciated!
3 Answers
If you can, consider getting a decent CPU and a second-hand GPU for about $10. It's a smarter investment in the long run!
Which would be better, the i5 12400 or the Ryzen 5 5600X for this setup?
The 8500G has about 8 lanes of PCIe 4, which is pretty decent for most tasks. It should handle your needs adequately for now.
It actually has 10 usable lanes, but 4 go to NVMe, leaving you with 6 for other things. Just something to keep in mind.
Good point! I'm just worried about future-proofing.
Honestly, I think saving up for the 8600G might be worth it. It's really the best option for your situation. All the other choices seem to compromise something important, whether it's current or future graphics performance.
I'm fine with spending a bit more, but the 8600G is AM5, which means I need to get DDR5 RAM and a compatible motherboard, and that just pushes the cost too high for me.
That’s great advice! The 750ti is cheap and performs similarly to an Xbox One for older games.