Objective

Building a mid-to-high-range gaming PC on a budget by using a cheaper AM4 platform to replace the recent $800 gaming PC, thereby following community suggestions to save even more money.

Background

• Previously built an $800 gaming PC using Ryzen 5 7600 on the AM5 platform.
• Received suggestions to consider using AM4 platform for cost-effectiveness.

Current Build Objective

• Construct a gaming PC for less than $800 with stronger performance.
• Focus on using second-hand components and cheaper alternatives.

Sponsor

• Partnership with VIP SCDkey offering affordable Windows licenses.

Hardware Components

CPU

• Ryzen 5 5600: Chosen for the AM4 platform with a stock cooler selling for $15.73.

Motherboard

• Asus Prime B450M: MicroATX B450 chipset at $89.99.
• Alternative: Asrock B450M Pro 4 for around $100.

Memory

• GSkill RipJaw: 16GB kit, previously owned.
• Alternatives:
  • Corsair Vengeance LPX at $39.99, recommended over GSkill due to reliability concerns.

SSD

• Silicon Power 1TB NVMe: Budget-friendly Gen 3 SSD at $49.97.

Case

• Antec NX200M: Used from previous build, priced roughly at $52.96.
  • Non-RGB model preferred over RGB due to non-addressable RGB fans.

Power Supply

• Thermaltake Smart 700W: Priced at $54.99, commonly used in office systems.
• Alternative: EVGA 700W at $69.99 for better assurance.

Graphics Card

• EVGA 3070 XC3: Purchased second-hand on eBay for $298 (new costs $600), significant in reducing overall system cost.

Total Cost

• Entire system priced at $694.63.

Benchmarks

Evaluation included performance testing against previous builds, with a focus on frames-per-second (FPS) across various games:

Games Tested

1. Black Mesa: Performance capped due to game engine limits; AM5 slightly performed better.
2. Counter-Strike 2: Higher average FPS but lower 1% and .1% lows on AM4 system.
3. Cyberpunk: Over 55% improvement in all metrics on AM4 system claiming across-the-board victory.
4. Red Dead Redemption 2: AM4 system led with higher averages, except for .1% lows.
5. Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Significant improvement on AM4 system.

Analysis

• The AM4 system won primarily due to the superior GPU.
• AM5 system has future upgrade potential; AM4 is a dead platform with little upgrade path.
• Each tested game remains within a modder refresh rate, making systems similar during gameplay.

Conclusion

• Achieved building a cost-effective, high-performance gaming system. GPU choice significantly impacted performance.
• Decisions should factor potential future upgrades and current gaming needs.
• Ultimately, choice between AM4 and AM5 systems depends on priorities: immediate cost savings vs. future upgrade potential.