Trying to trim my build down to $1200 — also looking for monitor and case recs
Posted by Jealous-Dealer8181@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 11 comments
Hey r/buildapc,
Putting together my PC and the total crept just over budget. Sitting at \~$1,308 and want to get it closer to $1,200. Here's the list:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/46FRkD
- CPU: Ryzen 5 9600X — $468-combo
- Cooler: Thermalright Assassin Spirit 120 EVO White ARGB — $23
- Mobo: Asus B850 MAX GAMING WIFI W (combo)
- RAM: TEAMGROUP T-Force DELTAα RGB 16GB DDR5-6000 CL38 (combo)
- Storage: Patriot P400 Lite 1TB NVMe — $150
- GPU: XFX Swift OC RX 9060 XT 16GB — $460
- Case: NZXT H5 Flow (2024) — $70
- PSU: SAMA G750 750W 80+ Gold — $72
- Keyboard: EPOMAKER x Aula F75 — $65
Total: \~$1,308
GPU and CPU are staying, mobo and RAM were part of the $468 combo, so AM5/DDR5 is locked in. Looking to cut \~$100 somewhere reasonable without killing the build.
Main questions: PSU seems fine but open to opinions — is the SAMA G750 trustworthy?Keyboard is a bit of a luxury, worth delaying for now?
Also need a 1080p monitor — 144hz minimum, nothing fancy. What are you guys running and what would you grab right now in the $100–150 range?
Also if you had this budget how would you have done it? I would appreciate any feedback that I can get.
Open to case swaps too if there's something with decent airflow for less than the H5 Flow. Thanks
Jealous-Dealer8181@reddit (OP)
Ok update, I dropped the all white build and found a new combo. Thanks for all the feedback you guys have given me. Here is my build:
[PCPartPicker Part List](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/cz3rV4)
Type|Item|Price
:----|:----|:----
**CPU** | [AMD Ryzen 5 9600X 3.9 GHz 6-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/4r4Zxr/amd-ryzen-5-9600x-39-ghz-6-core-processor-100-100001405wof) | $459.00
**CPU Cooler** | [Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE V3 70.84 CFM CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/vZfV3C/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se-v3-7084-cfm-cpu-cooler-pa120se-v3) | $34.90 @ Amazon
**Motherboard** | [MSI PRO B850-S WIFI6E ATX AM5 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/GP7MnQ/msi-pro-b850-s-wifi6e-atx-am5-motherboard-pro-b850-s-wifi6e) | $0.00
**Memory** | [G.Skill Ripjaws M5 Neo RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BsHqqs/gskill-ripjaws-m5-neo-rgb-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr5-6000-cl36-memory-f5-6000j3636f16gx2-rm5nrk) | $0.00
**Storage** | [Patriot P320 512 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/ckjv6h/patriot-p320-512-gb-m2-2280-pcie-30-x4-nvme-solid-state-drive-p320p512gm28) | $89.99 @ Newegg
**Storage** | [Samsung 840 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/9nYXsY/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz7te1t0bw) |-
**Video Card** | [ASRock Challenger OC Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BxRnTW/asrock-challenger-oc-radeon-rx-9060-xt-16-gb-video-card-rx9060xt-cl-16go) | $448.99 @ Newegg
**Case** | [Lian Li Lancool 207 ATX Mid Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/zysV3C/lian-li-lancool-207-atx-mid-tower-case-lan207rx) | $72.99 @ Newegg
**Power Supply** | [SAMA G750 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/t6VfrH/sama-g750-750-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-g0750-bkgff001-us) | $71.99 @ Newegg
| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |
| **Total** | **$1177.86**
| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2026-04-27 11:41 EDT-0400 |
I am quite happy with how it all turned out. I guess the only thing I need is a monitor. Should I go with a 1080p or 1440p monitor?. Thanks again for all the help.
STRYED0R@reddit
1440p 27" !!!! Will be so much more versatile. 1440p would be fine with that rig and you can play around with VSR for fake 4K on some titles 😄
I got the aoc q27g3xmn which does have nice blacks and proper HDR for this price range. Paid 250eu or something. Definitely worth the upgrade from 1080p normal IPS.
Accomplished_Trade23@reddit
9060xt 16gb = scam , for 640$ buy 9070 , 50% more perf. also get more ram
Moosepls@reddit
They're trying to cut costs, not spend another $400
Legendramon@reddit
Cut the keyboard. It’s a pretty mediocre keyboard. Use whatever keyboard you have now and upgrade to a much better keyboard later.
Bichaelcycle@reddit
Get this bundle: https://www.microcenter.com/product/5007089/amd-ryzen-5-9600x,-asus-b650e-max-gaming-wifi-am5,-gskill-flare-x5-series-16gb-ddr5-6000,-computer-build-bundle
PCPartPicker Part List
BaronB@reddit
The G750 is the cheapest A tier PSU on the market. Going less expensive than that means going with a C or D tier PSU which I would not recommend.
Really, of the parts you're willing to change, you're only looking at maybe $50 total if you chop $10\~$20 off of a few of them to go with much worse options for the SSD, case, and PSU. And that and killing off the keyboard and going with some $10 cheapo thing is about all you can do.
If I was limited to that strict budget, I'd go with a 5600 and give up on an all white build.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/QL3yRV
Or I'd go with an 8GB 9060 XT.
But really, I'd just pay the extra $100 because you're giving up a lot in that $100 any way you go.
...
For a monitor, A Pixio PX248 Wave is a good option.
https://pcpartpicker.com/product/n3hv6h/pixio-px248-wave-238-1920-x-1080-200-hz-monitor-px248wave
Comes in White too, though that's $160 rather than $130.
TokageLife@reddit
Don't buy epomaker.
Hard to trim $100 but you can definitely trim $20-$30 picking a different case and again for a cheaper variant 9060XT 16GB. Maybe you can min/max on the PSU and SSD a bit shopping around.
Forward_Drop303@reddit
You can do slightly better on case and keyboard. save about $40
SAMA 3509 is also on sale now for $55
and this keyboard
https://sellout.woot.com/offers/ollyn-durgod-k710-wireless-mechanical-keyboard-10?ref=w_cnt_lnd_cat_pc_9_5
syunz@reddit
Nothing really without compromises. Areas that you could save without sacrificing performance would be to use some old case from a thrift store. Cut storage to 500gb. Use a cheap membrane keyboard and not get the aula f75.
aragorn18@reddit
Honestly, without changing the things you say can't be changed, I don't see $100 to cut.