Alan Wake 2 Build Guide: A Budget-Friendly Build for a AAA Release

MicroCenterOfficial

Written by Sean Mekinda

In a month jam-packed with launches, Alan Wake 2 is looking to be the game that pushes computers to their limits - and with good reason. Remedy's return to Bright Falls already looks stellar, with gorgeous environments and textures, all backed by incredible, ray-traced lighting. As a result, however, the specs to get Alan Wake up and running are a bit steep.

If you've been looking forward to slaying monsters and saving writers but find your PC a bit underpowered, worry not! We've pulled together a build that will get you ready to revisit Cauldron Lake for under $1,500 - and will keep you ready for AAA titles for years to come!

Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X Raphael AM5 4.5GHz 8-Core Boxed Processor

AMD's Ryzen 7 7700X is at the center of AMD's latest generation of CPUs, making it not only a great processor that well exceeds the requirements for Alan Wake, but one that will keep your computer future proof for years. The 7700X comes ready to game with a 8 core, 16 thread architecture, ensuring your new build can crush both single- and multi-threaded tasks. It's also DDR5 ready, so you can be positive you're getting the fastest speed available - prefect for keeping moody games like Alan Wake moving along without getting stuck at loading screens.

And speaking of DDR5 RAM, the Ryzen 7 7700X is part of a bundle which we'll be using to save an extra $231, allowing our build to be on the cutting edge without cutting a hole in our budget!

Motherboard: MSI B650-P PRO WiFi AMD AM5 ATX Motherboard

The MSI B650-P PRO, also included in our bundle, is a fantastic backbone for any system. Ready for whatever you throw at it, this board is a great choice whether you're planning on stalking the streets of Bright Falls or knocking out some work so you can get back to gaming. The B650-P PRO is equipped with some of the latest technology, like Wi-Fi 6E for stable, fast wireless connections and PCIe 5.0 for the quickest data transfers available. It uses a minimalist, sleek black design, making it a perfect fit for just about any case and aesthetic. Especially when you're aesthetic is mirroring the dark Cauldron Lake.

Ram: G.Skill Flare X5 Series 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6000 PC5-48000 CL36 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit

Lastly - but certainly not least - in our bundle is 32 gigs of DDR5 RAM from G.Skill. This absolutely crushes the recommended 16GB of RAM, and will keep you ahead of the curve for at least a few more years. And, at DDR5-6000 speeds, you've got the bandwidth to do some serious work when you're not busy escaping Cauldron Lake. Or, if you're streaming your Alan Wake experience, do both at the same time! Plus, the Flare X5 comes in a simple, clean black, complimenting the motherboard perfectly.

GPU: Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Windforce Overclocked Triple Fan 12GB GDDR6X PCIe 4.0 Graphics Card

What's better than building a PC designed to handle an upcoming launch? Building a PC designed to handle an upcoming launch then getting that game for free. Right now, if you buy select NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series cards, you get a copy of Alan Wake 2 for free! And luck for this build, the GeForce RTX 4070 Windforce from Gigabyte is on that list.

The GeForce RTX 4070 will, according to Remedy's requirements, get your game running at a buttery smooth 60 FPS at 4K. Or, if you want to dig deep into ray tracing, you can expect solid performance at medium settings. And, if you've played a Remedy game in the past, you know that their medium settings still looks absolutely incredible. Don't lose your immersion with stuttering from a sub-par GPU!

SSD: Samsung 980 Pro SSD 2TB M.2 NVMe

SSDs are becoming more and more common as a requirement, and Alan Wake 2 is no exception. SSDs enable some incredible speeds, both while gaming and just booting your PC. The recent PC launch of Ratchet &Clank: Rift Apart showcased the power of SSD gaming with hidden loading for seamless transitions between worlds. What Alan Wake 2 can do with it is yet to be seen, but it promises to be fast and impressive.

Alan Wake 2 is going to take up 90 gigs of your SSD. While that's not the biggest game out there, it's still a decent chunk of space. So, we've opted for a 2TB SSD to ensure that you have the space to get your OS as well as a few extra games going. And don't forget, you can always expand with additional SSDs or even HDDs!

Case: Fractal Design Meshify 2 Black ATX Flexible Light Tinted Tempered Glass Window Mid Tower Computer Case

Fractal's Design Meshify 2 is a stellar case. It has great airflow and is easy to build in. But it also fits the Alan Wake theme well. With an all black design, our motherboard and RAM will fade into the background of the case, giving it the impression of dark, inky depths like a certain Cauldron Lake. And the textured front gives the whole thing a subtly uneasy look, with a design that looks to be buckling under the weight of reality. Don't just play Alan Wake 2, do it in style!

Power Supply: PowerSpec 850 Watt 80 Plus Gold ATX Fully Modular Power Supply

When you've got a build designed to evoke the imagery of depth and darkness, the last thing you want to do is clutter the whole thing up with a bunch of unnecessary cables. This 850W power supply from PowerSpec is plenty of power to keep your build running and is fully modular, so you don't have to leave all the HDD power cables attached - especially when you're not using an HDD! Plus, its got a bit of extra headroom, so if you do decide to upgrade, you can do so without needing to rewire your whole system for a new power supply.

Cooler: DeepCool LT520 Premium 240mm Water Cooling Kit

Our champion @Rye_Bread gushed at length about the DeepCool LT720 AIO a few months back. However, for this build, we're opting for it's smaller sibling, the LT520. The LT520 is a two-fan cooler, but no less competent or stylish than the LT720. It's one of the best looking AIOs on the market and will add just a bit of light to our build - just enough to make the shadows in the Meshify look a bit darker. But its not all about the style. The LT520 has more than enough cooling capabilities to keep our Ryzen 7 7700X running at optimal temperatures. No need to fret about an overheating CPU as you're walking through the gorgeously rendered Bright Falls!

See the full build here: https://www.microcenter.com/site/content/custom-pc-builder-amd.aspx?load=59b0ba2f-5337-49fd-bc69-baad6f4fc50e

Bundle discount not shown

Vaganza

Have put several systems together in the last month with many of the same components

RedOctober

Drop the AIO and $200 case then maybe it will be a "budget build".

ChaosDTV

Alan wake 2 is gonna be a heavy intensive game and for whats reports are saying this game will make most pcs run for there money

tbarggs

4070 is just a sweet spot between performance and price honestly.

BenjaminLaRocque125

Fractal cases always catch my eye. This build is sweet.

ronwoodson

Nice touch incorporating a reference to a previous article... Cooler: DeepCool LT520 Premium 240mm Water Cooling Kit

Our champion @Rye_Bread gushed at length about the DeepCool LT720 AIO a few months back.

ricardo_ortega

Never played any Alan awake games but i know for the specs they’re asking are right there. 

w8deywins

The Meshify 2 is one of the best cases to build in! Definitely worth considering 2+ terabytes for these data hungry games!