I'm ready to build my first PC and have about $700 to spend. I'd like good image quality and high frame rates in most games, ideally around 1080p with settings near high. I'm new to choosing PC parts, so I'd appreciate advice on whether to build new or buy used, plus any recommendations for a balanced parts list.
3 Answers
For roughly the same money, I’d consider buying several components used. A Ryzen 5 5500, 32GB of DDR4, a 1TB NVMe drive, and a used RX 6600 XT can make a much better gaming-focused system than buying every part new. Keep the power supply new or choose a reputable, well-reviewed model, since that’s not a part worth taking a major risk on.
Your location matters because prices and used-market deals vary a lot. Also remember that the $700 may need to cover Windows, Wi-Fi, peripherals, and possibly a monitor. If you already have those, put as much of the budget as possible into the graphics card. For 1080p gaming, a good midrange GPU paired with a Ryzen 5 processor is usually the best balance.
A new build is possible, but you’ll need to make compromises. An AM4 setup with a Ryzen 5 5500 or 5600, an inexpensive B550 or A520 motherboard, 16GB of DDR4, a 500GB SSD, and a graphics card such as an RTX 5050 or RX 7600 can fit close to the budget. Make sure the RAM is two sticks rather than one when possible, since dual-channel memory helps performance. A 500GB drive will fill quickly, so plan to add more storage later.
Related Questions
Lenovo Thinkpad Stuck In Update Loop Install FilterDriverU2_Reload