First Build (Budget <$850) should I go for higher graphics card and CPU?

CPU- AMD RYZEN 5500

MOTHERBOARD- ASUS PRIME B550M-A WIFI II MicroATX AM4

MEMORY- CORSAIR VENGEANCE LPX 16 GB

STORAGE- WESTERN DIGITAL BLUE SN570 500 GB

VIDEO CARD- POWERCOLOR FIGHTER RADEON RX 6500XT 4 GB

CASE- LIAN LI LANCOOL 205M MESH MicroATX Mid Tower

POWER SUPPLY- THERMALTAKE SMART 500W 80+

OPERATING SYSTEM- MICROSOFT WINDOWS 10 HOME 64 BIT

(No monitors or KBM yet until I figure out the PC but I would probably pair this with a 1080p 144hz-170hz monitor)

Comments

  • A 5600X might have better long term value as a CPU over the 5500, but that's just my opinion. What kind of games are you trying to play?

  • I’m probably going to use it for small games like Minecraft, roblox, fortnite, nothin too crazy but when it comes to fortnite I want to have good FPS and make sure I have enough stuff to stream it. I’m not going for insane graphics or 0 ping and other fancy stuff, I just want a simple build that can last a good while. :)

  • magarity
    magarity ✭✭✭✭
    500 Comments Third Anniversary 25 Answers 25 Up Votes
    edited April 2

    OK so the 6500XT 4GB can play Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite just fine, but please get a CPU that is rated to PCIe 4.0 bus such as the 5600 or 5600X. This is because the 6500XT is a 4 lane card. Dropping to PCIe 3 speed really kills its performance, as much as 40% less. This article from Tom's Hardware explains: https://www.tomshardware.com/news/rx-6500-xt-pcie-gen3-gen4-tested So, definitely get a 5600 instead of a 5500 CPU. The 5600 (non-X) is the lowest cost AM4 CPU that supports PCIe 4. Also, keep that B550 chipset motherboard. The less expensive 520 and 450 do not support PCIe 4.

    Power supply: The Thermaltake Smart is a terrible power supply. Please choose from this list, anything rated C ("budget" but OK) or better: https://cultists.network/140/psu-tier-list/ Notice the Thermaltake Smart 80+ is graded 'F" ("Replace immediately")

    One last note about your list, is that 16GB a kit of 2x 8GB? Ryzen CPU needs dual channel for good performance. So only get a two module kit and make sure to install them in the correct slots for dual channel (see the motherboard manual).

  • Thank you so much, it’s been a while and I never even considered checking the power supply grade since I just saw the 80+ and went with it, I switched motherboards to the MSI B550 VC pro wifi, technically the same as the other one but I saw better reviews and more preference on it than my original choice. I also did decide to get a Ryzen 5600x after checking some bottleneck websites and seeing gameplay videos with it.

We love seeing what our customers build

Submit photos and a description of your PC to our build showcase

Submit Now
Looking for a little inspiration?

See other custom PC builds and get some ideas for what can be done

View Build Showcase

SAME DAY CUSTOM BUILD SERVICE

If You Can Dream it, We Can Build it.

Services starting at $149.99