I'm in the process of upgrading from an old Asus prebuilt system with an Intel i5 6400 and a GTX 1060. It's been over 10 years since I last built a PC, and I need some advice on my options. I have a few components gathered, and I'm torn between:
1. Intel i5 12600K with 32GB of DDR4 (which I've had for a while and never used),
2. AMD 7500 X3D with 16GB of DDR5 (I picked this up in a Microcenter deal for around $330, and I could add another stick for about $130), or
3. Possibly even an AMD 8500G (or 7600X) with 16GB of DDR5 (which I could strip from a prebuilt I got for my little brother and give him something else).
Additionally, I have a choice between using my RTX 3080 10GB or a 4060. I'm leaning towards the 3080, but I know it consumes more power. It's been a while since I gamed on PC, but I definitely want to be able to do so.
1 Answer
I'd recommend going for the AMD 7500X3D with 16GB of RAM. For gaming at 1080p and 1440p, 16GB is generally the sweet spot, and the X3D series is specifically optimized for that. Plus, DDR5 is the latest tech, giving you a better future-proofing angle compared to the older 12600K. It's ultimately what fits your gaming needs, but this setup sounds great!

Thanks for the input! I guess I can always add another stick of RAM in the future if I find a deal.