Just moved from laptop to a desktop. Should I be contempt with my current build?
Posted by KnowingMyself94@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 32 comments
I was gaming on a HP Victus until I sold it last week and bought myself a PC
pretty okay(?) build me thinks.
My spec is as follow ;-
-GIGABYTE RTX 4070 Windforce OC 12GB
-Ryzen 5 5600X
-Apacer NOX 8GB 3200mhz DDR4 x2
-Samsung SSD 980 PCIe 3.0 NVME 500GB (Already 60% full due to Crimson Desert)
-1TB Seagate HDD ( Only store my sales related stuff and clients docs)
-NZXT Kraken Aio
If I want to even touch about upgrading ram, I need to sell my kidney. Same goes to the SSD and CPU. Should I just accept it that I can never upgrade until the stupid AI bubble pop? Im from a third world hell hole so yeah...
kingp43x@reddit
I hold your current build in contempt.
RedLimes@reddit
Nah that's for Radeon users
Character_Stable_487@reddit
Have you looked at external SSDs for the meantime? They aren't great for all games, but I use mine for about half of my gaming library.
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
I'm thinking of getting a sata SSD but looking at the write speed compared to my current 500gb nvme. Man I'm not even sure if they are worth it. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention my mobo.
It's rog strix b550f gaming wifi. So I do have an empty pcie 4.0 slot empty but their price range is absurd
VoraciousGorak@reddit
They're not worth it compared to an NVMe drive. However, if you can get one cheaper than a PCI-E SSD, they are still multiple orders of magnitude faster than a hard drive for the types of operations that affect gaming. In most gaming tasks you'd be hard pressed to find a difference between a good SATA drive and a decent NVMe drive.
If you do get a SATA SSD though be on the lookout for models that have onboard DRAM cache. SATA is much more sensitive to onboard cache than NVMe due to lack of Host Memory Buffer tech that exists only on NVMe drives.
Ill_Difference_4039@reddit
it's a pretty good for 1080p and even 1440p, you already know what you need to upgrade but honestly it should be good enough, you won't be able to download a lot of games at the same time but it's not a big deal, 16gb ram should also be good enough if you are just discord + game + browser will be very comfortable, don't worry about it
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
I guess the main issue right now is the low storage. I'm thinking of getting a Sata SSD, do you think they are worth it for gaming in 2026?
Ill_Difference_4039@reddit
if you can then definitely go for it, a Sata SSD is galaxies better than a HDD and would be a couple of seconds slower than an NVMe, barely noticeable
Awfulfange@reddit
It's a good build!
Only upgrades I'd consider is a ram upgrade to 16 or 32gb 3200mhz or 3600mhz.
If needed, you can also consider a 5800xt but that is not necessary.
Everything else is great!
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
Is it adviseable to purchase a used ram? Or it's a bad thing. Honestly at this point, I'd take anything
RivenYeet@reddit
Ram is one of the safest components to buy used and manufacturers usually offer limited lifetime warranty.
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
Alright! Now that I know it's safe to buy a used ram, should I look for two more same ram and use all the 4 slots or buy a x2 16gb instead? I'm very new to desktop, I don't even know that you don't need to turn off the psu switch everytime I shutdown my PC until a friend of mine told me about it
Awfulfange@reddit
I'd look for a 2 stick ram kit. This way the speed and timings are guaranteed within that kit.
Combining kits can work, but 2 sticks are always more reliable than 4 sticks as there are fewer variables.
LimeGuyTheSlimeGuy@reddit
DO NOT use all 4 slots. Lots of AMD Ryzen processors’ memory controllers can’t run RAM at maximum speeds when all 4 slots are in use. 2x16GB is your best bet if you insist on 32GB of RAM.
Gutter_Flies@reddit
Ive gotten all but like two of my ram kits used over the years. Not a single issue thus far, even after overclocking some of it beyond xmp. Very safe in my experience, just always check the labels on the ram to make sure it’s the same kit.
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
Noted! and thank you! I'm off the fb marketplace scouring for used ddr4s now!
Nstorm24@reddit
Contempt in what sense? It seems like a good PC. 16gb in total is enough for most games. And 32 would be better, but if you cant get it dont worry about it. The only issue i see is the SSD, 500gb is really not enough nowadays, as you said, with only one game is already at 60%, having at least a 1tb ssd would be better, just dont fail for the scam of the pcie5 nvme, stick to pcie 3 or 4. Also, did you take the drive out of your old laptop? It would help to add it to your pc.
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
My laptop has nothing other than a 32gb ddr5 sodimm ram which I purchased for like $100 back in 2024. I already took them out and just waiting for a buyer but it's been days since I list it on FB marketplace
Nstorm24@reddit
Ok, in that case, yeah just get another 1tb ssd and if you can buy another pair of 8gb ram it would be a great addition for your pc. I build a pc for my parents with almost the same specs but i used mostly 2nd hand parts (except for the mobo and psu). Got 1 pairs of 8gb 3200 ram for about $40. The ssd was an old 2.5 inch sata from an old laptop.
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
Is it okay to use a pre-owned/used ram and ssd? I mean they are not cheap but at least they are affordable enough compared to a brand new one.
Nstorm24@reddit
Yeah, its totally ok. They dont really have moving parts. The only issue i see would be someone trying to scam you. So either test the ram first before buying or buy in places with user protections like ebay.
5kyl3r@reddit
lol?
jokes and grammar aside, you're the only one that should be answering this question. why do you care what others think? you won't enjoy life if you have to seek acceptance from others in order to enjoy something you personally like. just enjoy it!
you can still be proud and show it off, but your post is asking specifically if you should be content with it
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
Moving from a laptop, it's like night and day difference but yet it felt lacking. Like something missing. Sure, I can play games in 1440p but I'm not sure how long this rig would last until I need to go for a am5 upgrade
5kyl3r@reddit
what monitor? that's a place people cheap out on without realizing that it's the single most important peripheral on a PC. i'd get a nice monitor and just wait out the crazy prices
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
I bought a used asus tuf vg34wqml5a. The 32 inch ultrawide thingy
5kyl3r@reddit
that's a solid monitor for fps gamers!
hdr400 is basically no hdr, so you could get a huge jump in quality going to a mini-led or oled monitor, so you've got room for improvement in the future. it's one of those things where you don't quite know what you're missing until you've experienced it
yours is VA panel and those have pretty good static contrast compared to IPS (usually 4-5x higher), but are still nowhere near what mini-led or oled can do as far as HDR goes, so that's a good future upgrade for you
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
I'll keep your suggestion in mind. You reckon how long would this monitor last until I need an upgrade? So far, I'm having a blast with it compared to my 1080p experience
5kyl3r@reddit
it'll last forever if you're happy with it. since it's VA panel yours will already have better contrast the most monitors so you're already in a good position. if you were on tn panel i'd be in more of a rush to upgrade, but VA is pretty good for static contrast. that said it won't compare to mini-led or OLED, but those monitors are usually $600+ so that's up to you to decide what you upgrade next
either way, contrast on the new rig!
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
I'm absolutely happy with my monitor, even though it's a used monitor, it looks like brand new. A few scratch here and there but I don't see any defect that could turns me off.
I think I'll listen to you. I'll stick with this monitor until it gave itself up or I gave myself up first.
Oh and thank you, I appreciates it!
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
Forgot to mention my Mobo.
It's ROG Strix b550-f Gaming Wifi
sandwich800@reddit
Contempt or content?
KnowingMyself94@reddit (OP)
Honestly at this point, probably both