Build Advice First Build - mid-range (?) gaming build advice

[ty_my_guy]

Edit: updated the parts list after looking into options provided in the thread
Edit 2: I have purchased everything except for the motherboard and GPU now
Edit 3: I got a really good deal on a RX 6950 XT! So now all that’s left is the motherboard, and I feel pretty good about the one I picked out.

After mulling it over for the past year or so, I finally decided that I would like to get in on the cool-looking games that I simply don't get to play (as someone who only owns a Nintendo Switch and a small laptop). I've been spending time asking all my uninformed questions to ChatGPT; I then put together an initial parts list from those conversations. From there, I've gone through a couple rounds of feedback (as well as reading lots of articles, watching several videos, etc.) to arrive at the list below. However, the pool of people that have provided feedback has been relatively small, so I was directed here to get some other opinions. I'm definitely not married to any of the parts that I've listed, so please feel free to tell me that I need to make significant overhauls.

Parts List
On PCPartPicker (in case the word spaghetti below is illegible)

• CPU: Ryzen 5 7600X 4.7 GHz 6-Core Processor (purchased for $200)
• CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (purchased for $21 (I had a gift card))
• Mobo: Gigabyte B650 GAMING X AX ATX AM5 Motherboard
• RAM: OLOy Blade 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL32 Memory (purchased for $88)
• SSD: Intel 670p 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (purchased for $65)
• GPU: XFX]https://a.co/d/7geUA0V']XFX Speedster MERC 319 Radeon RX 6950 XT 16 GB Video Card [/URL](purchased for $560)
• Case: RAIJINTEK PONOS MS ATX Mid Tower Case (purchased for $60)
• PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 TT Premium 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (purchased for $90 (after rebate))
• Case Fans: ARCTIC P12 PST 56.3 CFM 120 mm Fans 5-Pack (purchased for $31)

Total: $1305.71 (before taxes)

Approximate Purchase Date: as soon as this week, but probably over the course of the next couple weeks (while monitoring price changes)

Budget Range: ideally no more than $1200-1300, but I could probably go up to $1500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, watching movies, internet browsing

Are you buying a monitor: no

Parts to Upgrade: new build

Do you need to buy OS: yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: no preference, just whatever has the parts at a good price

Location: Raleigh, NC

Parts Preferences: none (since I haven't worked with anything before)

Overclocking: maybe, but probably not initially

SLI or Crossfire: maybe, but probably not initially

Your Monitor Resolution: 2560 x 1440

Additional Comments:

• I don't care about RGB lighting; in fact, I would prefer to not have any, but it's not a big deal if I have some on the build (which might be unavoidable).
• Since I have only been gaming on my Switch for the past few years, some of the newer and cooler graphics advancements will probably be less apparent to me. So, if the choice is between "great $$$" and "pretty good $$", I probably won't even be able to tell the difference.
• I'm a binge-gamer, so I will rarely have more than a couple games installed at a time (so the 1 TB SSD might be overkill, not to mention the 2 TB HDD).
• In case it matters, I'm not really into competitive games, so getting max performance for that purpose isn't a priority. I'm more into single player, large-world types of games.
  • On Switch, that would be Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Xenoblade Chronicles, etc.
  • On PC, I want to play Baldur's Gate 3, Eldin Ring, The Witcher 3, etc.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I have been but a lowly Switch gamer for the past few years, but now that I have a big boy salary, I want a big boy gaming device.

PS: Thank you for taking the time to read through this (and maybe provide feedback). It's only thanks to the help and feedback from other people that I've gotten to this point in learning about building a PC, so I'm really grateful for all you knowledgeable people that are willing to share your insights with me.

 

[thestryker]

The changes I'd make:
Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X 120 V2
Alternate Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE (while your CPU doesn't need this level of cooling it may allow you to keep fan speeds lower)
Video card: MSI Gaming Radeon RX 6750 XT 12GB
Instead of HDD: Intel 670p Series M.2 2280 2TB
DRAM: OLOy Blade 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL32 Memory

 

[Lucky_SLS]

so you have 400 left to spend.

the gigabyte gaming ax mobo for 190 USD is a good buy. that leaves about 210 USD for the GPU. and its not enough for 2k gaming unfortunately. the 6750XT is not ideal but a very good budget choice, so save up and get it.

 

[ty_my_guy]

so you have 400 left to spend.

I’m not sure where that number comes from. I’ve spent ~$550 of my budget so far, so even with that lowball total of my current parts list, that puts me at $560 remaining. So, realistically, I have anywhere from $560 to $750 left between the motherboard and the GPU ($750 coming from my preferred upper budget of $1300).

 

[Lucky_SLS]

I’m not sure where that number comes from. I’ve spent ~$550 of my budget so far, so even with that lowball total of my current parts list, that puts me at $560 remaining. So, realistically, I have anywhere from $560 to $750 left between the motherboard and the GPU ($750 coming from my preferred upper budget of $1300).

my bad, i was looking at the pcpp list above and saw the total and assumed wrong.

but yeah, a 4070 as a minimum from nvidia or 6800XT from AMD ideally.

if you stretch a bit, for the performance this 6950XT is a good buy at the current price of 640 USD: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BM...gb-speedster-merc-319-video-card-rx-695xatbd9

 

[ty_my_guy]

but yeah, a 4070 as a minimum from nvidia or 6800XT from AMD ideally.

if you stretch a bit, for the performance this 6950XT is a good buy at the current price of 640 USD: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BM...gb-speedster-merc-319-video-card-rx-695xatbd9

Thanks, I really appreciate the recommendations! The GPU will be the last part that I buy so that as much extra budget as possible can be put into it, so I definitely think that some of those are in the realm of possibilities.