I'm putting together my first PC build and would love some feedback on what to upgrade or improve. Here's what I currently have in mind: CPU is an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, a Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE cooler, an Asus PRIME X870-P motherboard, 32 GB of Patriot Viper Venom DDR5 memory, a 2 TB Western Digital Black SN770 NVME SSD, a Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5070 for graphics, an NZXT H6 Flow case, an 850W Thermaltake power supply, a 27" MSI 2560x1440 monitor, and a RK61 keyboard. The total comes to about $1697.80. What do you think?
5 Answers
If you're looking to improve cooling, I suggest the Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120. It's just a tad pricier than the Peerless Assassin but offers better performance. Just thought you might want to consider it for optimum thermal management!
Check out this alternative setup: [My Parts List](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/4pLMrM). It features a slightly cheaper case and motherboard, but you'll gain more CPU power since it has a 9700X instead of a 9600X. Overall, it's tough to suggest a GPU upgrade with prices being so high right now, but if you could snatch up a 9700X, that might be the best balance for your build.
Honestly, I would recommend upgrading to a faster CPU. Since you have a pretty beefy build overall, going with a Ryzen 7 7700X would give you a nice boost. Just keep in mind your budget—if sticking around $1650 is crucial, this might need some tweaks.
That SSD is a great choice if you're aiming for speed and storage capacity, but there are cheaper options available if you're really trying to cut costs without sacrificing much performance.
Overall, your build looks pretty solid! But for the motherboard, you don't really need the X870 since it doesn’t significantly boost performance. You could save some cash by going for a cheaper SSD and a more budget-friendly case. And I'd steer clear of the Thermaltake GF1 2024 power supply—it's not the best option. Try looking at a Vetroo model instead; it's cheaper and performs well.
Yeah, I've always had good luck with Thermaltake too, but I heard the Vetroo is a great alternative if you want to save some coins!
I’m really trying to stick to that budget, but I’d love the extra power!