I was gifted 32 GB of DDR4 memory and want to build an AM4 gaming PC for sim racing. My target is roughly 120 FPS at medium-to-high settings in games such as Assetto Corsa, F1 25, and similar titles, using a 3440×1440 ultrawide monitor for better immersion. I'd like to keep the rest of the build under $2,000 CAD, not counting the RAM. Performance matters more than appearance, although I'd prefer something that doesn't look completely plain. What parts would make sense for this budget?
1 Answer
For an AM4 build, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D is the obvious gaming-focused choice, assuming you can find it at a reasonable price. Pair it with a decent B550 motherboard, a quality 750W power supply, and put as much of the remaining budget as possible into the graphics card. At 3440×1440, the GPU will usually matter more than the CPU, so something around an RX 7900 GRE, RX 7800 XT, or RTX 4070 Super would be a good target depending on Canadian pricing. A solid air cooler and a 1–2 TB NVMe SSD should still fit comfortably under the budget. Keep in mind that maintaining 120 FPS in every demanding racing game may require some settings adjustments, especially with ray tracing enabled.
It has largely been replaced by newer platforms, so availability can be inconsistent and pricing is sometimes inflated. If the 5800X3D is overpriced, a Ryzen 7 5700X3D is usually the better AM4 value and offers very similar gaming performance. If both are expensive, compare the total cost against moving to AM5 rather than forcing an AM4 build.
Is the 5800X3D still being manufactured? I haven’t followed the CPU market lately, so I’m not sure whether it’s still easy to buy.