Advice for mid range build?
Posted by deathmetalrot@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 10 comments
I’m new to the world of building a PC, and was wondering if there was any list or general pointers for what parts are best for a mid range build as of now. I’d also like any tips on building a PC for the first time.
aminy23@reddit
It really depends on budget.
Typically I recommend allocating about 40% of the budget to the graphics card. It's debatable, but my take:
30-50 SKU = generally low end
60-70 SKU = mid-range * 80-90 SKU = High End
In this range the best cards currently would be: * 8GB 9060XT - Rock Bottom * 16GB 9060XT - Gaming Value Champ * 16GB 5060 Ti - Better than a 9060XT, especially outside of gaming. But not a better value for just gaming. * 12GB 5070 - Popular, much better than a 16GB 5060 Ti for gaming performance * 16GB 9070 - Solid choice * 16GB 9070XT - Higher-mid rangeaming value choice * 16GB 5070 Ti - Basically high end if we avoid whale-tier.
AMD AM5 is a premium and high end choice. If someone had a 4090/5080/5090 - the immediate CPUs that would come to mind is the 9800X3D, 9850X3D, 9950X3D2, etc.
Typically for mid-range I would lean Intel.
16GB 9060XT Example
Here $440 is 40% of $1,100 - a great budget for this card.
PCPartPicker Part List
9070XT Example
Here $700 is 40% of $1,750; a great budget for this card. It has about 50+% better performance than the 9060XT, but the build also costs 50+% more.
PCPartPicker Part List
deathmetalrot@reddit (OP)
Thank you so much, this is really helpful! I think I may use what you listed to help me pick what I want.
aminy23@reddit
Here's a good benchmark to put it in perspective.
For example at 1440P Medium with a 9060XT on average - the difference between a 16GB 9060XT with a $150 CPU/DDR4 and $450 CPU/DDR5 is 3 FPS:
https://www.techspot.com/articles-info/3021/bench/Average-1440-p.webp
Many people will rush to spend hundreds extra here and there, but they can get zero performance improvement as long as the CPU is better than a 5+ year old 5600.
On the other hand, about $200 extra for a better GPU would give the PC 50% more FPS.
The biggest amateur mistake is making a $500 mistake worrying too much about $50 things.
kokosgt@reddit
Thank you, Chat GPT.
aminy23@reddit
I'm a human, not AI.
ChatGPT cannot create working PC Parts Lists which is a separate site and also doesn't have knowledge of the 250KF which is newer than it's cutoff date. It's not even aware of current RAM prices.
You can see my post history, I've been on PC building subreddits for years providing builds before ChatGPT existed.
0_Artistic_Thoughts@reddit
Intel arc cards are a good entry level card and supporting competition is always good for the market. The b580 is usually around 300ish, people complain about stability but I believe that has been fixed for newer games and creative programs.
At 12gb vram it’s solid enough for several years to come.
crazyjerryyy@reddit
For a mid range build in 2026, I'd start with PCPartPicker to check compatibility and pricing. The Logical Increments guide is also really solid for understanding what tier you're looking at.
For current mid range, a Ryzen 5 7600 with an RX 7800 XT or RTX 4060 Ti is a sweet spot for 1080p/1440p gaming. Pair it with 32GB DDR5 and a 1TB NVMe.
First build tips: watch a full build video on YouTube before you start so you know the flow, and don't forget the motherboard standoffs — people always miss those. Take your time with cable management, it doesn't need to be perfect on your first go.
prodbynxck@reddit
5600 or 5600x and a 5060
ChatnNaked@reddit
Build what you can afford
jumbospoiler@reddit
That's true but useless. Check pcpartpicker.com, sort by price, read reviews on the specific models. Don't just grab whatever's cheapest.