Of course, always nice if it was cheaper, lol... but that's not going to happen today. One last build(s) (with work do lots building yet) was AMD 8700G and have to say was really surprised at how well it performed including gaming (was paired with RTX 4080 Super which performed well together). I've also switched to nearly all mITX builds which still can build higher end systems saving a few bucks compared to some of the highend ATX (and eATX) boards that are costly.

For any budget, it is the same advice from me. Choose any AM5 board & CPU with whatever GPU you can afford.

Pro tip:
Don't ever skimp on PSU, ever.
(Seasonic Prime if you can)

System^ will last you 7+ years

The "value" $1100 build is nonsense. First of all, spending over $100 on a case for a value-focused build is lunacy. It's literally just a box to put your components in, you can get a case that give you plenty of airflow for $60 and under (Thermaltake Versa H18, Fractal Design Pop Air, Antec NX500M, Be Quiet Pure Base 500, Silverstone FARA H1M, and multiple Montech models). That's an easy $50+ savings.

Then there's a lot of other smaller inefficiencies on top. For example, there's no reason to spend another $15 on a motherboard that gives you zero additional relevant features compared to the entry-level build, just use the same $135 Asrock one. You don't need a $45 cooler for a 65W processor, just get a $20 Thermalright Assassin. That's an additional $40 savings. You can then use those $90 you saved to step up to a RX 7700 XT, which will give you a vastly more tangible benefit than those components you chose.

There's also the SSD. Getting a 2 TB one is understandable with some games increasing in size, but not everybody needs that much storage. If you don't play giant install size games like Call of Duty/Warzone, 1 TB is enough to have a decent rotation of games installed. If 1 TB is enough for you, that's another $70 saved, which is just $10 short of stepping up again to a RX 7800 XT ($470 right now on PCPartPicker).

Recommending a cheaper (and arguably better) CPU cooler on the more expensive build instead of the more budget oriented ones doesn't make sense.

Use the same cooler on all builds and be done with it. It doesn't make you lazy or less knowledgeable. The PS is simply the best price to performance cooler at the moment.

...heck, you could even do the same on the drives recommendation.

oasked said:

I find it interesting that you've moved the "Utility Box" from AM4 to AM5. I'm just finishing off building the cheapest computer that I can for my kids using a mix of old parts that I have laying around, second hand items and a few items from Amazon Warehouse.

AM4 was massively cheaper and gave me the extra money to get a low end dedicated GPU (RX6600).

Click to expand...

This and other couple of comments about saving on other components vs. maximizing the dGPU. I agree if you're building a gaming-first build, especially for the Utility Box where AM4 savings literally can buy you the RX 6600 for the same cost.

But in general, if you're going for a balanced build, skimping on a better PSU, nicer case, or monitor, etc. is not worth it in the long run, because those are parts you can keep for several years on.

If you simply want to maximize FPS for gaming, the answer is obvious, buy the best GPU your budget allows and fill in the blanks with the rest of the remaining budget however you can... which doesn't make for a great build.

The Solidigm P44 Pro is a solid (sic) alternative to the SK Hynix P41 Platinum that you recommend in some of the builds. It's essentially the same drive (same controller and flash chips, slightly different and possibly better firmware), built by the former Intel SSD division (now owned by SK Hynix). And it's sometimes cheaper.

I am glad to see the SK Hynix SSDs in them, but the PSUs? Kudos....but.....PSUs?

Seasonic or Superflower are the best and worth the $30 extra cost, especially when you could have saved on some of the other parts that are not needed.

You cant please everyone, but if your spending a decent chunk of change, the PSU is the heart of any PC and can make a build turn into a dumpster fire, not worth the $30 you save!

Why is it that the cheapest Asrock X670E Pro RS in the UK is at Amazon for £222 and that equates to $291 but you guys in the US can buy it for $210? Makes my blood boil

oasked said:

I find it interesting that you've moved the "Utility Box" from AM4 to AM5.

I'm just finishing off building the cheapest computer that I can for my kids using a mix of old parts that I have laying around, second hand items and a few items from Amazon Warehouse.

AM4 was massively cheaper and gave me the extra money to get a low end dedicated GPU (RX6600).

I found that there was a 60%+ price premium across the board for AM5. I could find a reasonable AM5 motherboard for £100, but the equivalent AM4 board was £78 (refurb). Likewise with memory, a new 32 Gb set could be had for £59 vs. £88. The biggest difference was the CPU - I ended up overpaying £89 for a second-hand 5600X. A 7600 (albeit new) was £179.

Click to expand...

Well, I can stand behind that thinking, AM5 is the way to go for the more utilitarian and future friendly systems, AM4 is being phased out, may be better cost wise on the short run and somewhat modern platform still, but aint here to stay for long, 7 out of 10 times I would go to the 8600G if the budget allows it.

Q Wales said:

Why is it that the cheapest Asrock X670E Pro RS in the UK is at Amazon for £222 and that equates to $291 but you guys in the US can buy it for $210? Makes my blood boil

Click to expand...

The £222 UK price includes 20% VAT, so that's what gets charged to your card when you buy.

the $210 US price does NOT include sales tax.

US sales tax varies depending on where you are (and in some cases 500 meters depending on city/county/state boundary lines can cover multiple rates) but are typically around 8-10% but can be less. As I live in what is called an unincorporated part of the US county I call home, I don't have a city adding to the state sales tax, so my rate is about 4.2%. If I bought that motherboard I'd get change from $220 but it could cost $235 if you have a 12% sales tax rate which isn't common but not unheard of.

So...
£222/1.2 = £185 ex-VAT. Converted is $241.30. Or $50 less than you think.

Obviously the pre-tax UK price is still $20 higher than the US price but it's not the $70 higher that you think. And once you add logistics and customs charges a $20 variation between prices isn't unreasonable.

Question: Why recommend a 45$ Be Quiet! Pure Rock 2 for the lower builds and a 35$ Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE for the most expensive rig?

That makes no pricing sense. Why is the cheaper and better PS 120 air cooler not all over the place?

For the lower rigs one could even lead with an even cheaper Arctic Freezer 36 or Assassin Evo. Investing the saved bucks into other parts, I.e. a slightly better PSU or a better case would be a good idea imho.

Why buy a TR Smart PSU (like recommended for a rig in this article) when you are a couple of bucks away from a better PSU? And a Freezer 36 (which ist not only cheaper, but also much better for AM5 than the Pure Rock 2 - even sufficient for a 7800x3d) will help you with future updates in the next years (you don't need to throw it out). And so will a better PSU.
Just my 2 Cents.