Pick a budget step
Three tiers, each with a complete parts list. Switching a tab swaps the whole table — there is no article feed on this page by design.
Ryzen 5 5600 or Core i5-12400F for a budget build? Platform cost decides it
The two chips trade blows within 5% in games, so the CPU price is not the deciding factor. The deciding factor is what the rest of the platform costs, and that changes completely depending on whether you are buying new or reusing DDR4.
| Slot | Part | Interface | Draw | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Option A: AMD Ryzen 5 5600 / Option B: Intel Core i5-12400F | AM4 / LGA1700 | 65 W | $105 |
| Motherboard | Option A: MSI B550M PRO-VDH WIFI / Option B: MSI PRO B760M-P DDR4 | AM4 / LGA1700 | — | $109 |
| Memory | Silicon Power DDR4-3200 CL16 2x8GB | DIMM | — | $32 |
| GPU | ASRock Challenger Radeon RX 6600 8GB | PCIe 4.0 x16 | 132 W | $199 |
| Storage | WD Blue SN580 1TB NVMe | M.2 2280 | 4 W | $62 |
| Cooler | Thermalright Assassin X 120 R SE | AM4 / LGA1700 | — | $25 |
| PSU | MSI MAG A550BN 80+ Bronze | ATX | — | $45 |
| Case | Montech AIR 100 ARGB | mATX | — | $55 |
| Total | 201 W | $632 | ||
Will a 360 mm radiator and a 340 mm GPU fit together? Measuring before you buy
Case specs quote radiator support and GPU length as separate maxima, but in a mid-tower they compete for the same 40 mm. Here is how to work out whether your specific combination fits before the parts arrive.
| Slot | Part | Interface | Draw | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 7700X | AM5 | 105 W | $279 |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX V2 | AM5 | — | $179 |
| Memory | G.Skill Flare X5 DDR5-6000 CL30 2x16GB | DIMM | — | $104 |
| GPU | ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5070 12GB (302 mm) | PCIe 5.0 x16 | 250 W | $599 |
| Storage | Samsung 990 PRO 2TB NVMe | M.2 2280 | 7 W | $149 |
| Cooler | Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360 (front mount) | AM5 | — | $109 |
| PSU | Corsair RM750e 80+ Gold | ATX | — | $99 |
| Case | Lian Li Lancool 216 (410 mm GPU clearance without radiator) | ATX | — | $99 |
| Total | 362 W | $1617 | ||
Threadripper or Core Ultra 9 for rendering? Where the money actually goes
The gap between a 32-core Threadripper and a 24-core Core Ultra 9 in a Blender render is smaller than the core count suggests, and the platform cost difference is larger than most people expect. Here is the break-even.
| Slot | Part | Interface | Draw | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Option A: AMD Threadripper 7970X (32C) / Option B: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (24C) | sTR5 / LGA1851 | 350 W | $2499 |
| Motherboard | Option A: ASUS Pro WS TRX50-SAGE WIFI / Option B: ASUS ProArt Z890-CREATOR | sTR5 / LGA1851 | — | $899 |
| Memory | Option A: 4x32GB DDR5-5600 RDIMM ECC / Option B: 2x48GB DDR5-6400 CUDIMM | DIMM | — | $649 |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 16GB | PCIe 5.0 x16 | 360 W | $999 |
| Storage | 2x Crucial T705 4TB NVMe Gen5 (scratch + output) | M.2 2280 | 22 W | $758 |
| Cooler | Option A: Arctic Liquid Freezer III 420 / Option B: Noctua NH-D15 G2 | sTR5 / LGA1851 | — | $149 |
| PSU | Seasonic PRIME TX-1300 80+ Titanium | ATX | — | $379 |
| Case | Fractal Design Meshify 2 XL | E-ATX | — | $199 |
| Total | 732 W | $6531 | ||
Compat Q quick answers
The compatibility questions people actually send us, newest first. Each one opens in place.
Does the Peerless Assassin 120 SE fit the AIR 100 with the side panel on?Stops the build
Yes with 5 mm to spare: the cooler is 155 mm tall and Montech lists 160 mm of CPU clearance. Check the front fan does not sit above the first DIMM — slide it up 3-4 mm if it does.
Read the full answer → 1080p esports starter: a $788 AM5 rig that holds 200 fps in Valorant and CS2
Can I build and test this without the graphics card?Stops the build
No. The 7500F has no integrated GPU and the B650M-P has no display output, so the machine will not post or show anything until a discrete card is fitted.
Read the full answer → 1080p esports starter: a $788 AM5 rig that holds 200 fps in Valorant and CS2
Is one 8-pin PCIe connector enough for the RX 7600?Costs a return
Yes. The PULSE RX 7600 is a 165 W card with a single 8-pin input, and the CX650 provides exactly one 8-pin (6+2) PCIe cable rated for 150 W plus slot power.
Read the full answer → 1080p esports starter: a $788 AM5 rig that holds 200 fps in Valorant and CS2
Is the second M.2 slot blocked by the graphics card?Costs a return
The second slot is below the PCIe x16 slot and sits under the card, but it is reachable with the card installed. The first slot, directly under the card, is not — fit storage before the GPU.
Read the full answer → 1080p esports starter: a $788 AM5 rig that holds 200 fps in Valorant and CS2
What if the machine will not post after enabling EXPO?Worth knowing
Clear CMOS with the two-pin jumper and re-enable EXPO manually, then drop the memory to DDR5-5600. Ryzen 7000 memory controllers occasionally reject 6000 CL30 on a two-DIMM board with an older AGESA.
Read the full answer → 1080p esports starter: a $788 AM5 rig that holds 200 fps in Valorant and CS2
Does the PULSE RX 9070 fit the 4000D with the front fans installed?Worth knowing
Yes. The card is 320 mm long and the 4000D takes 360 mm with front fans fitted, leaving 40 mm for the power cables.
Read the full answer → 1440p 165 Hz sweet spot: $1,412 with a 7800X3D and RX 9070
Does the Focus GX-750 include enough PCIe cables for a 220 W card?Costs a return
It ships with three 6+2 PCIe cables, one of which is a daisy-chained pair. Use two separate cables rather than the daisy chain for the 9070 to avoid transient-trip shutdowns.
Read the full answer → 1440p 165 Hz sweet spot: $1,412 with a 7800X3D and RX 9070
Will the B650 AORUS ELITE AX V2 boot a 7800X3D out of the box?Costs a return
Usually yes, but boards shipped before mid-2023 carry an AGESA that may not. Ask the seller for the BIOS revision, or use the Q-Flash Plus button to update from a USB stick without a CPU installed.
Read the full answer → 1440p 165 Hz sweet spot: $1,412 with a 7800X3D and RX 9070
What the three steps cover
Work, 1080p competitive play and first builds. Every part is chosen so the platform survives one upgrade.
1440p high refresh, single-PC streaming and the builds most people should actually buy.
4K 120, multi-GPU inference and workstations where the render time is the billable thing.