Reviewing your low-budget gaming setup? Let me help you refine it.
Reviewing your low-budget gaming setup? Let me help you refine it.
I'm planning to assemble a gaming setup. My current laptop is no longer up to the task, lol. I'm not a dedicated gamer, but I need my games to run smoothly. Mostly I play RPGs with open-world elements and high graphics quality. I want to keep costs low so my partner isn't upset. I'm considering whether an 8GB or 12GB graphics card would be better for me. I prefer NVIDIA products because of the positive reviews. Regarding power, I have an 850W PSU but might it work with a 750W one? Any other suggestions would be great too.
Case:
SAMA Sama-M2-BK Black USB3.0 Steel ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case with 4 x 120mm Autoflow Rainbow LED Fans (Pre-Installed)
Processor:
Intel Core i5-13400F Desktop Processor – 10 cores (6 P-cores + 4 E-cores), 20MB cache, up to 4.6 GHz – Box
Motherboard:
ASRock B760M-HDV/M.2 LGA 1700 DDR4 Micro ATX Motherboard
Graphics card:
ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 Twin Edge OC Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Inspired Graphics Card Bundle, ZT-D40700H-10SMP
Memory:
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series – 32GB (2 x 16GB), 288-Pin PC RAM DDR4 3200 (PC4 25600) – Desktop Model F4-3200C16D-32GVK
Storage:
SAMSUNG 970 EVO PLUS M.2 2280 1TB PCIe Gen 3.0 x4, NVMe 1.3 V-NAND Internal SSD (MZ-V7S1T0B/AM)
Power Supply:
SAMA 850W Power Supply – 80 Plus Gold, full voltage, modular design, silent fan, suitable for all graphics cards (black)
Monitor:
Acer 27" 100 Hz IPS FHD gaming monitor with 1ms FreeSync (AMD Adaptive Sync), 1920 x 1080 resolution, 99% sRGB, VGA, HDMIx2, QG271 Ebii
It would be useful to understand your background since this involves a premium setup rather than a budget option.
The RTX 4070 at 1080p should perform well for some time.
I’m not used to PSU brands, but with 40 series cards I usually prefer power supplies that come with the standard 12-pin cable. The Corsair RM750e tends to offer good value and decent build quality.
The monitor seems unsuitable; it would be better if it supports DisplayPort for G-Sync compatibility with an Nvidia card, or you should opt for an AMD model.
For today’s build, I’d consider DDR5 memory. It may cost a bit more upfront but could pay off later.
It’s always wise to use an aftermarket CPU cooler, even for high-end chips—they tend to be quieter and allow better CPU performance under stress.
A possible starting point could be:
PCPartPicker Part List
CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor ($192.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X Refined SE ARGB V2 (66.17 CFM) ($18.59 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A WIFI ATX LGA1700 ($154.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws S5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 ($84.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Evo Plus 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME SSD ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Zotac Twin Edge OC GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB ($599.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian Li Lancool II Mesh C RGB ATX Mid Tower ($106.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair RM750e (2023) 750 W, Gold Certified, Modular ATX ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VG279Q1A 27.0" 1920 x 1080, 165 Hz ($184.99 @ Amazon)
Overall cost: $1531.53 (includes shipping, taxes, and available discounts)
Created by
PCPartPicker
2023-09-05 14:33 EDT-0400
Are you considering purchasing a CPU cooler? I'm not very experienced with Intel's latest stock coolers, but most of them tend to get a bit noisy when under stress. If I were you, I'd opt for an affordable tower cooler (like Deepcool AK400, Vetroo V5, and Thermalright Assassin). A 750W would be sufficient for this setup. Apart from that, the overall build quality seems impressive!
The case, power supply, and monitor selections aren't ideal. The RX 7800 XT will be available for 500 USD in a short time. I plan to check reviews and choose between the 4070 and the 7800XT. Some affordable options are listed below:
PCPartPicker Part List
Motherboard:
MSI MAG B760 TOMAHAWK WIFI DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
($169.99 @ Amazon)
Case:
Montech AIR 903 MAX ATX Mid Tower Case
($74.98 @ Amazon)
Power Supply:
Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 TT Premium 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply
($89.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor:
Gigabyte G27F 2 27.0" 1920 x 1080 170 Hz Monitor
($169.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $504.95
Includes shipping, taxes, and available discounts
Generated by PCPartPicker
2023-09-06 04:16 EDT-0400