Help! I'm trying to build a PC but it's pretty overwhelming as a girl
Posted by Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 37 comments
So, I've done SOME research but it really hasn't lessened the load of being overwhelmed... A lot of the items below were chosen due to what I saw was available. But honestly... I'm not that big of a gamer yet, I just like playing during down times. I don't wanna go on an extremely crazy splurge either. I just want some validation lol and maybe suggestions
I realize a lot of people say this build is overkill if all I play is valorant lol. I started to like FPS games, not really into the whole RPG thing yet since I saw how frustrated my man got playing Elden Ring. But I might wanna play Cyberpunk... SO:
Monitor: ASUS ROG Strix XG7ACMES-W 27” 255Hz QHD Fast IPS Gaming Monitor
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700x
Motherboard: ASUS ROG Strix B850-A Gaming WiFi (White)
GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Gaming Trio OC White 16GB. This isn't final, as much as possible I want one that's not too noisy, but not crazy expensive either :')
RAM: TeamGroup T-Force Delta RGB Eco 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6000MHz CL30-36-36-76
Storage: Samsung 990 PRO 1TB NVMe SSD
PSU: Seasonic Focus GX-750 750W 80+ Gold ATX 3.1 White
CPU Cooler: ASUS ROG Strix LC II 360 ARGB White AIO
SeparatistSenna@reddit
Holy cow I can't believe the amount of people that got triggered because you wrote girl in your title... People watch all the available male pc gurus online and can't fathom the fact that this can indeed be harder for girls lol seriously
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
Right? I got called SEXIST… towards myself 😭 impressive mental gymnastics imo
What really gets me is people jumping to ‘you just put girl for attention’.... like they’ve already decided I’m some e-girl farming attention ON REDDIT of all places. They're acting like I posted a thirst trap or something LOL
But iff anything, the way people immediately got defensive and made assumptions kinda proved my point better than I did.
Krion64@reddit
Uh, what does being a girl have to do with anything in your post? Am I missing something?
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
i said it’s overwhelming and somehow that turned into a group discussion about the word ‘girl’… reading is optional here i guess
Krion64@reddit
The way you said it sounded super sexist though.
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
Yeah suuuper sexist towards myself XD
Adventurous_Pin_2243@reddit
They think they'll get more replies if they say that.
SeparatistSenna@reddit
It sure got you to reply
Krion64@reddit
...sounds legit.
Hungry_Reception_724@reddit
I literally came here to post this.
MonkeySkulls@reddit
me too.
Adorable_Tangelo_964@reddit
That bugged me too.
nzmetalhead@reddit
For games like Cyberpunk you'll definitely want the 16GB version of any graphics card you buy, at minimum. When are you looking to buy this PC? Can you wait a few months or are you building it asap? Chances are some parts like RAM and the GPU might soon become a little cheaper now that AI data centres are starting to be cancelled or scaled back, and RAM is not so obscenely high in demand.
For casual games like Valorant, LoL and Rocket League, you'd never need more than 16GB of (system) RAM. Those games are optimised to be able to be run on an electric toothbrush (I'm kidding, of course, but you get the idea). You'd be hard pressed to find cases where you go above 16GB in utilisation right now, but future games may well need it.
I'd also recommend to consider going with a cheaper gaming monitor and cooler if you're looking to keep costs lower. A 255Hz (is that really the refresh rate?) monitor would require a high end graphics card to hit close to the limits of that kind of monitor, and that's while using DLSS or FSR - you will struggle to hit that level natively.
By saving on those costs, you might be in a better position to get a higher spec CPU or GPU, which will help keep your rig relevant further into the future. If you're getting an AMD chip, look for an X3D variant if you can, as those have significantly better gaming performance in a lot of games (not all, but in many titles the difference is decent). If you'd consider Intel..... yeah don't. There is no easy upgrade path with their products, you need a different motherboard every time you change the generation of CPU you're using.
I'd consider getting a 144Hz monitor, especially if the difference in price is significant. The difference from 60Hz to 144Hz is noticeable, but from 144Hz to 255Hz... I'm not sure you'd notice anything there. Super high refresh rates are a bit of a gimmick. Get a cheaper AIO cooler for your CPU, and maybe upgrade to an X3D variant. Either that or see if a 5070Ti is affordable once you factor in the savings from the cooler and monitor.
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
This is super helpful, thank you for actually reading through everything and giving detailed suggestions, I really appreciate it!
i’m not in a rush to build right away since i still have a gaming laptop, so i can def wait a bit if prices might improve. I mainly chose that build because it was all available in one store, but i’m open to sourcing parts from different places if it means getting better value. I don't really have a budget, but I'd say $2,500 is the most I'd spend? If I could go lower, I probably would.
Annnd your point about the monitor and cooler makes a lot of sense too, i might’ve gone a bit overboard there 😭 I just thought it was the best looking monitor for my room in terms of color lol
If you were to optimize my build based on what you mentioned (like adjusting the monitor, cooler, maybe going for an X3D CPU or better GPU), how would you personally tweak it?
Sorry, if I'm asking way too much BUT I realize how there could def be a mismatch with the parts i buy... for example, I wanted to get an AMD Ryzen 7 8700G, but someone told me it'd be completely useless since I'd be buying a pretty decent GPU anyway. So this is where... my knowledge is really tested and I realize I could make a bunch of mistakes. I just don't want to buy the wrong parts and have to have it replaced.
would love to hear what you’d prioritize first!
nzmetalhead@reddit
It can be a tricky thing to offer suggestions, sometimes, haha. It largely comes down to "how much are you willing to research the best price/performance for a cooler, for RAM, etc" and "if the X3D CPU is available at a price not drastically higher than an alternative you're considering, it could be worth your while."
With the X3D CPUs, you'll typically notice your 1% lows will be a lot better than with the non-X3D CPU. If you're trying to hit high frame rates, you'll want both an X3D CPU and a really strong GPU. Nvidia have things like multi-frame gen, which creates up to (iirc) 5 synthetic frames per 1 legitimate frame, which aims to give you a smoother output for cases where maybe you're not hitting good framerates to begin with. AMD are supposed to be bringing out similar applications for their GPUs but Nvidia are ahead of them by at least 18 months on that front at the moment.
Easy answer is to spend as much as you can on getting both the X3D CPU, AND a really good GPU, but right now prices are obscene for GPUs. If you're capable of waiting until late next year, AMD's next GPUs will be out and they're supposed to bring a substantial increase in ray tracing performance over their current level. With PCs, you'll always hear that the next generation of something is just months away, which could be the CPU, the GPU, SSDs or something else. For gaming, though, any reasonably priced PCIe Gen4 SSD is more than ideal - games can't take advantage of the higher speeds beyond that.
You might want to research what the likely frame rate would be for your GPU and the types of games you enjoy playing, and perhaps get a monitor that isn't significantly above that - I.e if you're likely to be playing games at 4K, or maybe 1440p and your GPU can't go above say 110fps on most of your games, then a 120-144Hz monitor is likely to be all you need. Don't spend more money on a higher spec screen if your GPU can't feed it. Look to make some kind of savings there if you can, and remember: you can always splash out on a much nicer screen in say 2-3 years.
TLDR: go for an AMD X3D CPU, the best GPU you can afford, and then a monitor that isn't overkill for your PC. Go a little cheaper on the SSD and ignore the absolute top-end there, as games can only load so fast and SSD speeds are bonkers nowadays.
down_init@reddit
Don't do the girl thing. Building a PC has nothing to do with gender. Just ask for help when you need it. There are plenty of people willing.
What's you budget and location? Folks around here will be more than willing to help out but that info is a good jumping off point.
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
I wasn’t making it a ‘girl thing’ 😭 if you actually read the whole title instead of nitpicking, the point was that it’s overwhelming and i’m asking for help. I literally have a whole body worth of a post if no one bothered reading it
down_init@reddit
I read it. Don't go making your own assumptions. That being said, being a girl doesn't make pc building more or less overwhelming if you haven't done it before. My point stands. Moving on, the rest of my reply is still relevant.
SeparatistSenna@reddit
I mean there are people here already assuming "girl" here is for attention lol, PCs had generally targeted the male audience so "girl" here for context actually makes sense
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
yeah, i’m not making assumptions. i just don’t get why some of you are so pressed that you even need to comment on it… didn’t think ‘it’s overwhelming as a girl’ would be this deep.
i wasn’t assuming anything about who’d reply — i was just giving context while asking for help so people wouldn’t judge the build too harshly.
and yeah, it is overwhelming when you’re new. parts aren’t cheap, and it’s easy to mess up compatibility. i could’ve easily picked mismatched components thinking they were better — like choosing a 7700X when apparently a 9600X might make more sense depending on the build.
just because you know what you’re doing doesn’t mean it’s not overwhelming for someone else. not everyone starts in the same place
down_init@reddit
You made it a priority. Enough so to include it in post title. I clearly stated it could be overwhelming regardless of gender for a first time builder. Seek your drama elsewhere. Good luck with the build.
PropPounder@reddit
Why doesn’t you man help you? You shouldn’t have to make this post….
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
Honestly don't think he can.... He uses the PS5 more than the PC and he bought his set-up already built at $6k without a thought just bc he can. So there's that...
Trust me, I tried, and if he was helpful I wouldn't be on here
PropPounder@reddit
Haha fair enough. Just thought I’d throw it out there lol ur parts list is pretty good tho.
aragorn18@reddit
This isn't a bad system that you've put together. But, it could perhaps be optimized.
What is your budget and location?
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
I'm based in Asia! $2,500 and below, I'm actually open to hearing your optimized version. Most of what I picked out were available from 1 store to save me from the hassle, but if I have to source for better value, I don't mind either
aragorn18@reddit
Asia is a big place. Can you be more specific?
Cer_Visia@reddit
Country? Budget? What (kind of) case do you want? White, or something special like this or that?
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
I'm based in Asia, roughly $2,500 or below.
Yeah... about the case, I wasn't really sure about that yet since I read you have to consider air circulation inside and everything. I was going to go for the XYZ neutron for... aesthetic purposes. Pls don't judge me like everyone else in this thread, I really chose pretty > functional, but I'm very open to suggestions and whatever won't burn my set-up down to the ground
Cer_Visia@reddit
The Ryzen 9600X is slightly faster in games than the 7700X at a lower price. For gaming performance, the GPU is much more important than the CPU, so upgrading to an X3D CPU would be measurable but probably not noticeable.
There are no performance difference between most motherboards; consider the Asus B850 Max Gaming WiFi W or Gigabyte B850 Eagle WiFi7 ICE if they are available at a better price.
There are almost no performance differences between GPUs with the same chip, and the RTX 5060 Ti and RX 9060 XT (with 16 GB) have about the same performance; get whichever card is the cheapest.
Differences between RAM kits are very small; get any with a transfer rate of 5600 or 6000 and CL between 30 and 36.
The 990 Pro is very good, but overkill. Good and cheap SSD would be, e.g., the Patriot P400 Lite/VP4300 Lite, Biwin Black Opal NV7400, Adata XPG Gammix S70 (only under a heatsink), Klevv CRAS C910, or TeamGroup G50; get whichever is cheapest.
felicityeuphoria@reddit
Honestly the fact that people fixated on ‘girl’ instead of just helping kinda proves your point about it being overwhelming.
Pretty decent build, but could do with some adjustments if you want cheaper with about the same performance. If you still need help, my DMs are open.
LiveRocket@reddit
The noise can be covered up by game sounds. I thought running 9 fans on full speed was going to be loud but it's not I hear my ceiling fan or stand fan over my pc fans 😁
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
Ok, I needed this! That's actually relieving... 😂
I hear the fans on my gaming laptop (it used to be my brothers') and it drives me insane when I don't have headphones on.
Hawk7117@reddit
I would personally drop the Strix cooler, those are wildly expensive for zero benefit over something like this Thermalright AIO.
Outside of that this is a pretty solid system, if mostly only gaming I might drop the 7700x down to a 9600x to save a bit of money, but thats a pretty minor change.
I would advise using pcpartpicker.com to help organize the list a bit and make it easier to modify and check pricing on parts.
Head-Adeptness-7595@reddit (OP)
I got the same comments about that cooler 🥹
Thanks for the advice, I'll try out this site!
metamorfozaa@reddit
Omg, you're a genius, I hadn't thought of that about the woman!"
Born_Bad_1294@reddit
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/DXH27w
This is more than enough for your use case