My husband wants a desktop after gaming on laptops for years. His current 2022 Dell G15 has a Ryzen 7, 16 GB of RAM, a 512 GB drive and an RTX 3050 Ti laptop GPU. He mostly plays lighter games such as League of Legends.
This would be my first PC build. I was hoping to spend around $800, but could stretch to $1,200 or even $1,400 if needed. How should I choose parts that are an upgrade? I also need to budget for a monitor, though I'm building the keyboard separately.
For mostly lighter games, I wouldn't start by spending the full $1,400. A midrange desktop CPU and GPU should be plenty to consider, but check benchmarks for the actual games and resolution he wants to play before picking the graphics card.
The laptop's RTX 3050 Ti is a laptop GPU, so don't compare it to desktop cards by name alone. Look for benchmarks that specifically include the laptop version, and remember that laptop performance can vary with its power limits.
At $800, new parts can be a squeeze, especially once Windows and a monitor enter the picture. A used graphics card is one way to get more performance for the tower budget, while keeping the rest of the build new.
Check the seller's return policy and compare the total price against a new card with a warranty. Used prices and availability vary, so I wouldn't lock in a specific model until you're ready to shop.
Since there's a Micro Center nearby, check its CPU, motherboard and RAM bundles before choosing those parts separately. A bundle can change which platform makes the most sense for the money.
AMD is a fine starting point, but I'd compare the complete bundle prices with Intel options too. Make sure the motherboard, memory and CPU are compatible, then leave room for a suitable power supply, case and storage.
Pick the monitor alongside the graphics card, not as an afterthought. Its resolution and refresh rate help determine how much GPU performance is useful. For the games mentioned, an expensive high-resolution display and a big GPU upgrade might not be the best use of the budget.
Also check whether a Windows license is included in your costs. Licensing and transfer rights depend on the type of license, so check the terms before assuming an existing key can move to the new PC.
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Pevlin-4z:
Is the $800 just for the tower? A monitor can take a noticeable chunk out of it if everything has to fit under the same cap.