PC DED - Build vs Buy

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txag2k
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1:06p, 11/14/25
AG
Howdy!

99% of the time, the answer is build. Also, I've only ever built my own PCs. That said, I'm an old now and am considering looking for a Black Friday deal to jump on and just buy.

I've love to get the Nerdery's opinions/thoughts!

To date myself, last build was i7 6700K, GTX 1080 Ti founders, 32G DDR4, 512GB M.2, Samsung 850 Evo 1T x 2.

Champ lasted 10 years. RIP to a real one. It was not TPM 2.0 compliant anyway so I was planning on putting something together in the Spring but timing may be good with Black Friday upon us.

Thanks in advance!
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FatZilla
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1:46p, 11/14/25
AG
Build with amd on AM5 platform. Youll still save money on black friday deals with alot starting next week. You can use your boot drive, storage drive, gfx card, and power supply still from old unit most likely.
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Lathspell
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2:19p, 11/14/25
AG
Budget? Or what game (including resolution and FPS) are you looking to experience?

Assembling a PC is no more work than getting furniture from IKEA and will allow you to put your budget to better use. As FatZilla said, you can reuse some of that equipment. Instead of rebuying that stuff, use the Black Friday/CyberMonday deals to pick up a nice CPU, GPU, Mobo, and RAM.

When I bought my new machine, back in March, I opted for a Laptop because I want to be able to move about with my PC and then connect it to my TV. I know I am getting a fraction of the power I would get from the desktop version of my GPU, but I still prefer the mobility of a laptop.
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txag2k
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2:37p, 11/14/25
AG
Sorry, I didn't clarify. Budget would be around $2-3k max. I've build dozens of PCs but nothing with liquid cooling. I would like a newer video card to future proof at least 2 years out.

Luckily I've got a decent laptop, acer nitro 5 w RTX 4060 that's filling in now.

I'd love to be able to play games at max display settings but I figure that would be a 4-5K machine lol.
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Lathspell
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In reply to txag2k • 3:16p, 11/14/25
AG
Well, my Gigabyte laptop is a 5090 with the best CPU I could get in a laptop, when I bought it. I think the total was around $4,500. So I would assume you could reuse some of those older components and then spend at or under $2,000 for a VERY nice CPU, MOBO, and GPU.

I haven't stayed up on the 5 series of NVIDIA GPU's, but I remember when I bought mine the benchmarks weren't that much higher than the 4 series. For budget purposes, I would look very closely at the Tom's Hardware GPU hierarchy chart to see how much more you are getting for your money to jump to the 5 series.

I HATE low FPS or mid-graphics, if I'm going to spend any decent amount of money on a PC. My stance has always been, if you are spending over $1,500 on a PC, then save a few more months and expand that budget to $2,000-$2,500 and buy some higher level components. But, again, that's due to my personal preference on performance. Everyone is different with what they find acceptable.

You do not need liquid cooling unless you are someone who loves playing with overclocking your own hardware. The baseline OC of standard GPU's and CPU's will not heat up that much with decent air flow. They are not designed to require liquid cooling for their programmed OC.

Your SSD's are perfectly fine. You didn't post your PSU's specs, but I'm assuming it's a decent PSU that can be reused. I would go with at least 32GB of DDR5 RAM. I'm assuming your chassis is also good enough to reuse, unless you just want a new one.
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FatZilla
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In reply to txag2k • 3:17p, 11/14/25
AG
txag2k said:
Sorry, I didn't clarify. Budget would be around $2-3k max. I've build dozens of PCs but nothing with liquid cooling. I would like a newer video card to future proof at least 2 years out.

Luckily I've got a decent laptop, acer nitro 5 w RTX 4060 that's filling in now.

I'd love to be able to play games at max display settings but I figure that would be a 4-5K machine lol.


  • AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D cpu
  • AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT gfx for fsr4 future proofing (Radeon RX 7900 XTX if you do lots of rendering as the 24gb ram is much more preferable)
  • 32gb/64gb of 6000 CL30 ram
  • You really don't need water cooling on the amd platform. Go for a NH-D15 G2 or a Peerless Assassin 120 SE. Both are top notch and will keep the cpu perfectly cool with no leakage chances.
  • Mobo is a personal pick, find any am5 board with the specs you want.
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Lathspell
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3:21p, 11/14/25
AG
If you've assembled PC's in the past, I'm assuming you're very familiar with Tom's Hardware. If it were me, I would be looking at this article from October: https://www.tomshardware.com/features/amd-vs-intel-cpus

For GPU's, I go straight to the Heirarchy chart: https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388.html

I go to the section for my budget, and see what has the best performance. Then I YouTube reviews of specific manufacturers. We all have our personal preferences on manufacturer. I've had good experience with Gigabyte, so I currently stick with them until I something pisses me off.
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Lathspell
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In reply to FatZilla • 3:23p, 11/14/25
AG
The AMD vs NVIDIA is also one of those personal choices. I've always used NVIDIA, so it's my comfort zone. Based on the OP having an NVIDIA card currently, I figured to stay with that. I know nothing about the AMD GPU's.
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FatZilla
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In reply to Lathspell • 3:44p, 11/14/25
AG
Lathspell said:
The AMD vs NVIDIA is also one of those personal choices. I've always used NVIDIA, so it's my comfort zone. Based on the OP having an NVIDIA card currently, I figured to stay with that. I know nothing about the AMD GPU's.


The Nvidia 5k series is extremely lackluster and fsr4 is great compared to similar dlss. They are the better bang for your buck this gen. The 5090 is more powerful but not for the price it demands imo. The 5080/5070ti is more comparable in performance but its still priced quite a bit more than amd.
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pnut02
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3:57p, 11/19/25
AG
If you're near a Microcenter, keep an eye on their bundles.
For example - https://slickdeals.net/f/18826339-amd-ryzen-7-7800x3d-asus-b650e-e-tuf-gaming-wifi-am5-cpu-motherboard-bundle-399-99
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Jason_Roofer
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8:02p, 11/19/25
Two years ago someone here suggested PCPARTPICKER.COM.

I built 4 computers based on a few builds there. Super easy, and my kids are now gaming with the builds. LOL. They also do school work but they were very cost effective and easy to do.

These builds were under your budget but with black friday, lots of deals. Even now, they still spec out at almost as much as I paid for them.

I'd build, personally. It's fun. I bought some Windows License online for 5 bucks for 4 computers and it's been great with no issue. Even got Office standalone for a few bucks. No problem at all.
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txag2k
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9:13p, 11/24/25
AG
Thanks all. Gonna get what I can this week/Black Friday and build it.
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mickeyrig06sq3
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In reply to pnut02 • 8:34p, 11/25/25
AG
pnut02 said:
If you're near a Microcenter, keep an eye on their bundles.
For example - https://slickdeals.net/f/18826339-amd-ryzen-7-7800x3d-asus-b650e-e-tuf-gaming-wifi-am5-cpu-motherboard-bundle-399-99

Their pre-builts are pretty good too. I ended up getting one during the chip shortage where you couldn't get a 3080 without overpaying or without checking websites every 30 seconds. I think when I broke down pricing it was basically a few hundred on top of retail for the parts inside. Was a good deal all things considered.
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Caliber
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In reply to mickeyrig06sq3 • 12:03p, 11/26/25
AG
mickeyrig06sq3 said:
pnut02 said:
If you're near a Microcenter, keep an eye on their bundles.
For example - https://slickdeals.net/f/18826339-amd-ryzen-7-7800x3d-asus-b650e-e-tuf-gaming-wifi-am5-cpu-motherboard-bundle-399-99

Their pre-builts are pretty good too. I ended up getting one during the chip shortage where you couldn't get a 3080 without overpaying or without checking websites every 30 seconds. I think when I broke down pricing it was basically a few hundred on top of retail for the parts inside. Was a good deal all things considered.

You can have them build your specifications for something like $250 over component price if you really didn't want to put it together yourself and can't find something close enough.
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agdoc2001
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3:26p, 11/26/25
AG
Just bought components for his birthday and walked my 13 year old through building his first PC. You can definitely do it. I'll list components below if you're interested.

His build:
Corsair Frame 4500X RGB
MSI MAG B850 Tomahawk
AMD 9800X3D
MSI Gaming RTX 5070 TI
Samsung 990 Pro 2TB
Corsair iCue Link Titan 360
Corsair Dominator Titanium 32gb
Corsair RM850x Shift
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
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txag2k
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2:27p, 11/29/25
AG
It was not a matter of if I thought I could do it I've built every PC I've ever owned since I was like 15... waaaay back in the day. Just turned 51, so I've put together countless builds. I was questioning if I WANTED to build lol.

I'm thinking I go with this (salvaging HDDs, periphs, etc.)

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/NLwxnp

  • CPU: AMD RYZEN 7 9800X3D
  • GPU: MSI RTX 5070 Ti GAMING TRIO OC
  • Motherboard: MSI B850 GAMING PRO WIFI6E
  • RAM: Crucial Pro 32GB DDR5-6000 (2x16 GB)
  • Storage: Samsung 990 PRO 2TB NVMe SSD
  • CPU cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE
  • Case: Corsair FRAME 4000D RS ARGB ATX Mid Tower Case
  • Power Supply: Corsair RM850e 850W
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    mickeyrig06sq3
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    In reply to txag2k • 5:22p, 11/30/25
    AG
    You might want to bump that power supply up. Maybe 1000W or 1100W
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    txag2k
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    In reply to mickeyrig06sq3 • 6:09p, 11/30/25
    AG
    Thanks for the suggestion. I'll go with a 1000W.
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    All I do is Nguyen
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    7:42p, 11/30/25
    The three components I never skimp on jus because they're a PIAN to replace:

    Motherboard
    Power supply
    Case
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    FatZilla
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    8:15p, 11/30/25
    AG
    Whatever you end buy buying, buy your RAM ASAP to get as close to msrp as you can. The prices for them are skyrocketing. Some stores even went to a no prices posted, market rate pricing. Even prebuilt manufacturers are jacking up prices due to this.
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    txag2k
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    10:47p, 12/1/25
    AG
    Everything ordered. Should be building this Sunday.

    https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kvdXgn

    only things i will salvage will be my SSDs and 1 NVMe which ran my old OS. Won't be short on storage

    I'll likely troubleshoot to see if I can bring it back to life before removing all memory.
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    aezmvp
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    In reply to txag2k • 9:26a, 12/2/25
    txag2k said:
    Everything ordered. Should be building this Sunday.

    https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kvdXgn

    only things i will salvage will be my SSDs and 1 NVMe which ran my old OS. Won't be short on storage

    I'll likely troubleshoot to see if I can bring it back to life before removing all memory.

    Good luck! That's shockingly close to the build I'm making. I got a 9070XT for under MSRP at MicroCenter yesterday. I was planning on going 5080 but $400 less... well hopefully the prices will be better after this AI insanity and I can move it to my current rig and replace with whatever the next gen is.
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    EastSideAg2002
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    1:00a, 12/3/25
    Memory crisis and sky-high DRAM prices could run past 2028 as Samsung and SK Hynix opt to 'minimize the risk of oversupply'
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    aezmvp
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    8:36a, 12/3/25
    https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/processors/amd-is-reportedly-raising-the-prices-of-its-cpus-just-months-after-admitting-it-charges-more-than-its-competitors/

    Looks like they're going to hit everything. I'm hitting the panic button this weekend and getting the MB, CPU, RAM for my build. Was going to wait but not anymore.
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    txag2k
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    11:59a, 12/3/25
    AG
    dang I guess my timing was not bad.
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    boy09
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    In reply to EastSideAg2002 • 4:24p, 12/3/25
    AG
    EastSideAg2002 said:
    Memory crisis and sky-high DRAM prices could run past 2028 as Samsung and SK Hynix opt to 'minimize the risk of oversupply'

    This seems not great...
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    Morbo the Annihilator
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    5:05p, 12/3/25
    AG
    I think this might be the way to go right now - the RAM alone is $400.
    New Egg
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    aezmvp
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    In reply to Morbo the Annihilator • 7:46p, 12/3/25
    Morbo the Annihilator said:
    I think this might be the way to go right now - the RAM alone is $400.
    New Egg

    Yeah microcenter is offering add ons to their CPU/Mobo combos.
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    El_duderino
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    In reply to boy09 • 9:43p, 12/3/25
    AI can **** all the way off.

    NVDA is apparently telling their board partners to source their own memory now too.
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    aezmvp
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    In reply to El_duderino • 10:10p, 12/3/25
    Maybe the board partners will be able to add enough memory to the cards.
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    El_duderino
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    In reply to aezmvp • 10:18p, 12/3/25
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    kb2001
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    In reply to txag2k • 11:01p, 12/3/25
    AG
    txag2k said:
    Everything ordered. Should be building this Sunday.

    https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kvdXgn

    only things i will salvage will be my SSDs and 1 NVMe which ran my old OS. Won't be short on storage

    I'll likely troubleshoot to see if I can bring it back to life before removing all memory.

    Looks solid, the only thing I would change is to get 64GB RAM instead of 32GB

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    txag2k
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    In reply to kb2001 • 12:46a, 12/4/25
    AG
    kb2001 said:
    txag2k said:
    Everything ordered. Should be building this Sunday.

    https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kvdXgn

    only things i will salvage will be my SSDs and 1 NVMe which ran my old OS. Won't be short on storage

    I'll likely troubleshoot to see if I can bring it back to life before removing all memory.

    Looks solid, the only thing I would change is to get 64GB RAM instead of 32GB


    that will be my first upgrade just after the new year unless prices really take a leap.
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    aezmvp
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    In reply to txag2k • 9:21a, 12/4/25
    With Crucial exiting the market that probably isn't happening. That's 15% of the consumer market gone. Insane.
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    Morbo the Annihilator
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    In reply to aezmvp • 9:55a, 12/4/25
    AG
    Yeah that's my thought as well. $350 right now for 32gb of good RAM (DDR 6000 CL36). 32gb CL30 is hard to find, but it might be the recent sales coupled with panic buying.

    I bet it's $450 in 3 months (or less).

    Might buy some and just stick it in my year-old build for some insurance with my next build. I'm not much of a gambler though.
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