Building AdviceHelp with a top-tier 5060 TI 16GB PC setup – anyone from or in California?
Building AdviceHelp with a top-tier 5060 TI 16GB PC setup – anyone from or in California?
Hi everyone, my friend always had just a laptop, trying to have her have at least a 5060 ti 16gb since it's only 429.99 msrp and the next best 16gb is the 5070 ti with a 750 msrp. Want her to just be able to stick the next 60 or 70 series in it if she wants more power rather than build another every yr or so.
So, everything else idr want her to cheap out on to an extent.
She's in california, she mentioned prices are higher there, so idk. She has technically 2 locations, one in Sacramento and the other near the Berkeley University. She says there's a microcenter 2 hrs away from her in San Fransico, idk how far is one from the berkeley school. Also, don't know if microcenter is the best spot for her to shop or if there is something better. Is here shipping from microcenter worth it? Amazon worth it? Lmk.
Her budget is $1800+, but obviously she doesn't need to spend that much.
What do you guys recommend?
Thank you in advance.
Edit:
Primary uses:
Gaming, sims with mods, film stuff eventually since that's what she's going to school for, for school, etc.
Edit 2: And editing, using microsoft word a lot too (her words not mine lol)
Edit 3: She doesn't have a monitor, was thinking 1080p or 1440p. I added windows 11 pro. Which hdd should she get since she'll need a lot of storage. Not sure on what size but was thinking 23"-32" and 120-144hz+, 1ms or less.
The sole Microcenter in California is situated in LA (Tustin), requiring approximately a six-hour drive from her current location.
PCPartPicker Parts List
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 4.5 GHz 8-Core Processor (($248.99 @ Amazon))
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (($34.90 @ Amazon))
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX V2 ATX AM5 Motherboard (($169.99 @ Newegg))
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory (($93.99 @ Amazon))
Storage: Samsung 990 EVO Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 5.0 X2 NVME SSD (($119.99 @ Abt))
Video Card: Asus PRIME GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Video Card (($429.99 @ ASUS))
Case: Lian Li Lancool 207 ATX Mid Tower Case (($81.99 @ Amazon))
Power Supply: Montech CENTURY II 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (($89.90 @ Newegg))
Total: $1269.74
Includes shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
Generated by PCPartPicker
2025-08-26 19:16 EDT-0400
I was aiming for something future-proof, but both options seemed similar enough for her to decide on the details. She’d probably want a monitor, an AIO CPU fan, Windows 11 Pro, and an SSD. It’s fine if it exceeds 1800, she’s okay with upgrading later—just plan to replace the GPU and power supply in about 1-8 years. She also has Windows 365 for free. I think she should consider Adobe at a discounted or free price. Plus, she already has Amazon Prime since she’s in school.
Visit the Best Buy website.
Select laptops. Decide whether you prefer an ultraportable model for frequent conference visits or a bulkier option that stays in one room.
In the graphics card menu, pick 5060, 5070, or 5070Ti and check the video RAM capacity.
Select the processor type, and if upgradable, consider RAM—upgrading later is cheaper.
Pick your screen size; 16" is ideal for games and videos, though 17" is also available. OLED screens offer better color but may develop burn-in over time. An external monitor or a high-quality 4K TV with Game Mode works well with any laptop.
Choose your budget.
For storage options, consider external hard drives or SSDs.
You might opt for an extended warranty, at least one year, which is included by default.
(OpenBox is recommended for extra savings if you choose.)
(You can also apply for a credit card discount before September 1 if eligible and you save 15% more.)
PCPartPicker List of Components CPU: * AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 3.8 GHz 8-Core Processor ($294.00 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: * ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 77 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ Amazon) Motherboard: * ASRock B850 Pro-A WiFi ATX AM5 Motherboard ($179.99 @ Amazon) Memory: * Patriot Venom 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory ($157.99 @ Newegg) Storage: * MSI SPATIUM M480 PRO 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD ($119.99 @ MSI) Storage: * TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 4 TB 2.5" SSD ($189.99 @ Amazon) Video Card: * Asus PRIME GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Video Card ($429.99 @ ASUS) Case: * Antec FLUX SE ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Newegg) Power Supply: * be quiet! Pure Power 13 M 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX PSU ($98.90 @ Amazon) Monitor: * Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS 27.0" 2560 x 1440 180 Hz Monitor ($219.00 @ Amazon) Overall Cost: $1864.83 Prices encompass shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts *Selected lowest-priced items based on specified criteria* Created by PCPartPicker 2025-08-26 20:08 EDT-0400
PCPartPicker List of Components
CPU:
*
Intel Core Ultra 7 265K 3.9 GHz 20-Core Processor
($259.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler:
*
ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 77 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler
($84.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard:
*
Gigabyte Z890 AORUS ELITE WIFI7 ATX LGA1851 Motherboard
($199.99 @ Amazon)
Memory:
*
Patriot Viper Venom 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory
($157.99 @ Newegg)
Storage:
*
MSI SPATIUM M480 PRO 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
($119.99 @ MSI)
Storage:
*
TEAMGROUP T-Force Vulcan Z 4 TB 2.5" SSD
($189.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card:
*
Asus PRIME GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Video Card
($429.99 @ ASUS)
Case:
*
Antec FLUX SE ATX Mid Tower Case
($89.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply:
*
be quiet! Pure Power 13 M 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($98.90 @ Amazon)
Monitor:
*
Asus ROG Strix XG27ACS 27.0" 2560 x 1440 180 Hz Monitor
($219.00 @ Amazon)
Overall Cost: $1849.83
Prices encompass shipping, taxes, and applicable discounts
*Selected lowest-priced items based on specified parameters*
Created by
PCPartPicker
2025-08-26 20:12 EDT-0400
This looks great, but I actually meant an actual hard drive since she’s going to be rewriting a lot with the Sims mods because that’s her favorite game or something. I own a Seagate 14TB HDD and put some games on, most are fine, but it’s strange—loading takes a long time for one, and it makes noises, lol. I was hoping for something better, but with plenty of space for games, videos, etc., and also being internal. She isn’t very tech-savvy.
Edit: For the monitor, 24-27 curved... I thought, bruh, she probably knew about curved monitors lol.
Edit 2: This is the one I have
https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Expansion...MBTXH?th=1
I don’t really recommend it.