Get recommendations for building AdvicePC?
Get recommendations for building AdvicePC?
Can't be too much of an Intel fan without any upgrade options; AM4 isn't great and AM5 might push you over your budget.
B650 and a 7700 non x would also make a solid upgrade.
I agree, I'll wait to see what AMD offers in terms of card prices, and don't forget about Intel's B580 and B770.
Personally, an AM5 7700 non x is a big upgrade and leaves plenty of options for later.
Consider adding a 9800x3d and upgrading the GPU afterward.
If you have any ideas, I'm willing to adjust the budget slightly.
Additional case and storage options are available at the provided links.
A decent AMD B650 should have a PCIe X16 5.0 (some boards are still Gen 4). Most new GPUs will be Gen 5.0 x16 going forward. A 7700 non-X CPU offers solid performance and is easy to cool. The Arctic Freezer III 280mm AIO will provide good cooling. The DDR5 CL30 6000 is AMD's ideal choice for Zen 5. The Intel B580 is around the 250 USD range. My reasoning for choosing the B580 is it’s a decent card overall; I’m not 100% sure without proper benchmarks between the 7700XT GPU and the B580, but I believe the B580 is slightly behind. Platform changes are significant, and what you save on your GPU might let you upgrade to a better platform later.
or that maybe switch to a b650e for improved VRMs and better chipset capabilities I prefer the Gen PCIe X16 5.0, though I'm not sure about the 620s!
PCI-E x16 gen 5 isn't a major concern for GPUs just yet. The 5090 is gen 5, but it's not necessary. The 4090 only slightly exceeds a 3.0 x16 slot. I'd focus more on ensuring your board has strong VRM to support higher core CPUs. The PCI-E version of your slot doesn't matter much if the CPU is being throttled by weak VRM. Hardware Unboxed has a guide for B650 buyers, which could be useful before purchasing an AM5 setup. They haven't managed to release B850 boards yet.