First PC....build or prebuilt??
Posted by Wild-Caregiver-6800@reddit | buildapc | View on Reddit | 35 comments
So I have a budget of 2000$ and am going to get my first PC....have no idea what to really get so was just thinking of getting a prebuilt. Can someone give me some ideas of what to get with 2000$ or should I just get a prebuilt??? Mainly gonna play LOL and first person shooters probably and already have a 4k 240hz monitor.
Intelligent-Lack-785@reddit
best value would be buying a 2nd hand pc locally.
2nd best is buying used parts locally.
then prebuilt, then building your own.
TetePepeF@reddit
you mixed up prebuilt and building your own. with ram prices by themselves, yeah they suck. but when you pair it with bundles, it’s a hell of a lot better, and even if you don’t live near a microcenter (like i don’t), you can get bundles off newegg that are significantly cheaper than separate parts and can save you hundreds
JoshLineberry@reddit
You can't beat pre-built prices.
AGentlemensBastard@reddit
Build yourself is so much cheaper
MagicPistol@reddit
Sometimes people get lucky and find crazy deals on open box prebuilts. But I haven't seen any posts like that in a while.
Ill_Passion_9290@reddit
Mid-tier prebuilts are definitely worth a look rn. I got a 9800x3d/9070xt/32gb ram/2tb ssd for $1.6k. At that price point its not worth sourcing and building myself when it such a competitive price in today's market.
JoshLineberry@reddit
No, no it isn't. This is may 2026.
AGentlemensBastard@reddit
Do you think builders aren't going to pass market prices into you then add labor on top?
JoshLineberry@reddit
You clearly don't seem to know how prices are today. You cannot buy the parts for cheaper than a pre-built anymore. I'm guessing they get the parts for much cheaper than your every day individuals can so they can sell them for cheaper.
Intelligent-Lack-785@reddit
you can typically get a 5070ti, 7800x3d, and 2tb system for $2000 or 9070xt for less. I realistically cant fathom building it for that price with retail parts even with bundles. The issue is most bundles either have mobo, ram and ssd or mobo, ram, and cpu, or something like that. In each scenario youre gonna be forced to waste so much money buying an individual part at retail that leaving enough for a 5070ti or 9070xt will be difficult.
MagicPistol@reddit
Put together a parts list on pcpartpicker.
Before buying anything, check out local stores like costco and bestbuy to see if there are any crazy deals for prebuilts and compare them to your parts list. Sometimes people get really lucky.
AnswerWise2525@reddit
If you just wanna play LOL and CS2 and similar games and want all parts new just get a prebuilt. Way less headache.
Ok_Attitude7966@reddit
Hi I’m looking to buy a pc.
What games specifically actually take a more expensive pc to run. I’m just curious
AnswerWise2525@reddit
Its not about what game is more expensive. Its about what your target resolution is like 1080p or 1440p or 4k. And what setting you want to play at. A fairly budget PC can run any game at 1080p low or medium preset.
Wild-Caregiver-6800@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the help and I do have a microcenter that is about 30 minutes away
JoshLineberry@reddit
You can't beat the price of a pre-built in 2026. If you're wanting the best bang for your buck, pre-built is the way. If you just want to build one just because, sure, but you won't get the same performance of a pc.
frogepon@reddit
Honestly, don't. Your budget is great and can match what you need, but I'd wait a couple years to build OR buy. I'd recommend this build if you really need one:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 4.5 GHz 8-Core Processor ($234.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler ($16.11 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: MSI MAG B850 TOMAHAWK MAX WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard ($199.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Crucial Pro 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL38 Memory ($399.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Kingston NV3 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($164.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte GAMING OC Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB Video Card ($459.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Phanteks XT PRO ATX Mid Tower Case ($52.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: MSI MAG A650BN 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1588.04
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
This build can handle any 4k you throw at it without compromise.
Ill_Passion_9290@reddit
1440p forsure, not 4k.
frogepon@reddit
idk what to say to yall atp i give up
TetePepeF@reddit
the 9060xt is a great card, but it’s not a 4k card. it can run 1440p in AAA titles and is a monster in 1080p, but 4k is something that can only be achieved without compromises in games like LoL, fortnite (probably), or rocket league
frogepon@reddit
WHITE FLAG
nissen1502@reddit
This build can absolutely not handle any 4k you throw at it. Are you really unaware of this? If so, stop trying to recommend stuff to other people. And if you are aware, stop lying to people that don't know any better.
AiryBaltic41@reddit
whered the comment go i wanna get in on this
nissen1502@reddit
All you need to know was that it had a 9060xt
AiryBaltic41@reddit
lol im not a pc pc'er idk what the heck a 9060xt is
frogepon@reddit
That's literally my build, and it works fine on a 22" curved 4K monitor. I play on low/medium and it works JUST FINE! Do you own that PC?
AiryBaltic41@reddit
whered the comment go i wanna get in on this
nissen1502@reddit
You said without compromise. You're literally making massive compromises in your settings.
frogepon@reddit
I'm not gonna keep arguing with you, white flag raised.
AiryBaltic41@reddit
L ending
Brandon0135@reddit
If you want to build your own you could get a very powerful pc for $2000.
Jump on the microcenter bundle deal asap. ryzen 7 7800x3d, motherboard, and 32gb ram combo for $600. Crazy good deal.
Then you just need:
a powersupply 850 watts recomended.
A cpu cooler
A case
And a graphics card on this budget you could probably get a 5070 or 5070ti. That puts you roughly at 2k.
Tr33_Frawg@reddit
Not everyone has access to Microcenter. Trust me, I wish I did.
half-ninja@reddit
This. If I hadn’t built a PC fairly recently I’d be purchasing that deal right now.
Tr33_Frawg@reddit
I've never bought a prebuilt in my life. Historically it was a better deal to build your own but now that the market is so fucked that may not be true anymore. I'd pick some parts for a prebuild and see what you can come up with and then compare it to prebuilts. A $2k budget is pretty good.
double_dipped_dude@reddit
Depends one which one are you comfortable with