r/pcbuilding

Hello, I am trying to build my first pc and have just about 0 idea what I am doing. I was looking for parts and it came to my attention that AM4 is not good anymore, or something like that. Now like I said I have no idea what anything is or stands for and have no idea what is a good motherboard or how it affects my cpu or gpu (whatever that is).

Hi all, first-time builder here. I’m trying to understand the compatibility and scalability side before I commit to parts.

Use: Gaming (mostly single-player titles like RDR2, God of War, Cyberpunk, Dark Souls) and programming.

Budget: Roughly $900-1000 USD total. I don’t have a monitor yet, but I already own a keyboard, mouse and headset.

Background and issue: I originally planned a DDR4-based build that would comfortably cover my gaming and programming needs on a tight budget. But the more I’ve read, the more I’ve realized how much goes into this: compatibility, bottlenecks, upgrade paths. Now I’m worried about locking myself into older tech that becomes a dead end in a couple of years, so I’m considering a newer, more scalable platform. The issue is that going newer means paying more for the base of the system, which leaves less for everything else, and I don’t have a monitor yet either. On top of that, I live in a remote area with no trustable PC shops nearby, and I can only buy parts once, on a single trip home, so I can’t easily return or swap anything if I get it wrong. My local market also has limited selection and higher prices than typical US listings, so PCPartPicker prices won’t match what I’ll actually pay. I’m stuck between spending less now on something that works but ages faster, and stretching my budget for room to upgrade, without knowing if the extra cost is worth it at this level.

Questions:

1. At a budget of around $900-1000, is paying more for a newer platform worth it for upgradability, or is a cheaper, older setup the smarter choice for my needs?
2. If I go newer, what should I cut or downgrade to afford it, and what should I never skimp on?
3. How do I avoid bottlenecks between parts now, and what upgrades could I realistically make later without replacing half the system?
4. Since I can only buy once and can’t easily return anything, what compatibility checks should I do beforehand (BIOS support, power connectors, cooler and case clearance, etc.)?
5. Any common first-time mistakes I should watch out for, especially when buying in a market with limited selection and higher prices?

Thanks in advance!

This is my first build. Can you just point out any glaring issues? I know it won't display, but I'm thinking of getting a used GPU later (suggestions welcome). Please help; I've always wanted a pc i have a keyboard, am getting an IPS 240Hz monitor, and a mouse. Please help; I'm new to pc building. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/8V3sV4. My budget for all the parts except the GPU was 500. I'm near a Micro Center in NY. I'm going to use this mostly for Minecraft, but likely with heavy shader packs once I get the GPU. I want to play at 1080p. I just trusted what pc part picker said the prices were.

I just finished a build with a r5 5500 and rtx 3060ti but my cpu is maxxed out and i can't reach 144hz on high settings. I was wondering if ocing the cpu would fix the problem or if iv hit a solid brick wall on cache. I really don't wanna go through the hassle of buying a new cpu. I'm open to all ideas!

its always been my dream to build a pc but im in egypt and prices here are so bad so i all this time i was trying to make a affordable build so i want yall to tell me if its a good or bad build

motherboard: ASUS PRIME B550M-A

RAM: 16gb 3200hz (2x8 CL18)

SSD: 2242 Samsung OEM 512gb gen 4

GPU: dual fan rtx 5050 8gb

case: xander hulk mesh

PSU: xander xp II 700W 80 plus white

I know that this build isnt all that good but im also trying to get a 1tb nvme atleast and also get a CL16 3600HZ RAM but i dont think this will happen because ram prices are just crazy and i also want to get a more reliable PSU like a bronze maybe but i want to see what you all think of this build.

Im looking to build my first pc I dont want to have to upgrade it in a couple years time and want to be able to game, video editing, coding and then stuff with ai like video generating will these pc be good enough.
•RTX 5070 Ti 16GB
•Ryzen 9 9900X
•MSI B850 Tomahawk MAX
•64GB DDR5-6000 RAM
•WD Black SN850X 2TB
•Corsair RM850e 850W
•Montech AIR 903 MAX
•Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE

I am gonna build pc for my college and gaming purposes the specs are

Parts that i have right now

Cpu i5 13500

Ram ddr5 8gb 4800mhz

Ssd nvme m.2 gen 4 256 2230

Hdd 1tb

Parts are going to be purchase

Motherboard asrock steel legend b760m ddr5 wifi

Cooler Thermalright Assassin X120 se refined

Case something cheaper under 2k

Psu CORSAIR CX Series CX750 80 Plus Bronze ATX Power Supply/ Cooler Master MWE 750 V3 Bronze ATX 3.1 Power Supply/ MSI MAG A750GN PCIE5 750W 80 plus gold (quite expensive than the other 2)

GPU 5060 8gb / 3060 12gb / 9060xt 16gb/ 7600xt

Country india

Currency rupees₹

I want maximum performance at lower cost budget for gpu is under 65k and feel free to give your suggestions on other parts too . Kindly help me guy this is my last chance to build one please share your insights

So I’m looking at getting a set of Corsair Vengance DDR5 5600MT/z CL40 32gig for my AMD Build just as an upgrade. It’s at $300 on marketplace. Is it worth the upgrade at that price or should I get a brand new set at 6000MT/Z CL30 since I plan on doing a full system upgrade over time.

Hi everyone,

My current PC is really starting to struggle and lag behind in modern gaming, so I'm looking to make an upgrade. I use this system primarily for gaming, and I want to figure out what the smartest upgrade path would be.

Here are my current system specifications:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-7700K (Overclocked to 4.5 GHz)
• CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 4
• Motherboard: MSI Z170-A Pro (MS-7971)
• RAM: 32GB (4x8GB) Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 @ 3200MHz
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti (ASUS ROG Strix)
• Power Supply: be quiet! Straight Power 11 Platinum

Budget: Roughly €350 – €450 for the initial upgrade step.

My Initial Thoughts: From my own research, I came up with starting by upgrading the CPU and Motherboard first (I was looking at a Ryzen 7 5700X + B550 board) so I can keep my existing DDR4 RAM, CPU cooler, and PSU, with plans to upgrade the GPU later down the line.

I’d love to get your thoughts on what the most necessary upgrade is for a system like this and whether starting with a CPU and motherboard swap is the right first step or if another approach makes more sense. If upgrading the platform first is the best move, does sticking with AM4 (like a 5700X or 5600X with a B550 board) make sense for my budget, or would you recommend saving up more to jump straight to AM5 with DDR5 or a newer Intel platform? Also, if I do upgrade the platform first, what tier of GPU should I realistically aim for down the road that won't be held back?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

I bought this UPS 1 and a half years ago, and back then this UPS used to give me around 25–30 minutes of backup on my system and 5 minutes if I was playing high-end games. But now, suddenly, it cannot even give me backup for 30 seconds, even when I am not doing anything on the PC.

Before, I used to notice that it took 3–4 hours to charge, but now it stops charging after 30 minutes too. Also, all the lights still show green, so why is it happening if battery is fine?

My system specs are:

Ryzen 5 5600X

RX 7600

32GB RAM

Corsair 550W PSU

MSI 180Hz monitor, 1080p