first pc build

[mellowgamer]

Budget (including currency): $1600 usd

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: mostly streaming(1080,60fps), video editing

I'm currently on a laptop-AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD. it runs everything ok if the settings are on the lower side. i got the laptop because i needed something that didn't take up too much space and didn't realize how much performance the "same" parts would lose between a laptop and desktop. now i basically use it as a normal desktop(connected to an ultrawide monitor and i have a mouse and keyboard) and i got a mid second pc for gaming and other things while i stream. trust me i know its a scuffed setup. this is what i am hoping to upgrade to and i just wanted to make sure everything looks good and if I'm cheaping out anywhere that i shouldn't be.  

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qKfLWc

 

[mellowgamer]

i just found this bundle on jawa which is basically exactly what im looking for. so if the parts are a good combo then ill probably buy it

AMD Ryzen 5 9600x, Asus Prime B650M-A AX II, 32GB flarex5 DDR5 Ram

$650.00

[Cringe_Master245]

2 hours ago, mellowgamer said:

Budget (including currency): $1600 usd

Games, programs or workloads that it will be used for: mostly streaming(1080,60fps), video editing

I'm currently on a laptop-AMD Ryzen 7 5800H CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD. it runs everything ok if the settings are on the lower side. i got the laptop because i needed something that didn't take up too much space and didn't realize how much performance the "same" parts would lose between a laptop and desktop. now i basically use it as a normal desktop(connected to an ultrawide monitor and i have a mouse and keyboard) and i got a mid second pc for gaming and other things while i stream. trust me i know its a scuffed setup. this is what i am hoping to upgrade to and i just wanted to make sure everything looks good and if I'm cheaping out anywhere that i shouldn't be.  

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/qKfLWc

 

I would avoid that psu.

I know it isn't listed on SPL's psu tier list, but based on all the other Apevia unit ratings, it doesn't look good at all(you do not want to gamble with PSUs). 

Id recommend the MSI MAG A650BE(A650BN if you for some reason dont want it to be semi modular) for a solid C tier unit

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/yc26Mp/msi-mag-a650be-650-w-80-bronze-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-mag-a650be 

 

For the bundle, do you need 3 x16 PCIe slots?(vs 2 on the MSI board). You are paying more for the bundle, so unless the Asus board has some feature other you need that the MSI board doesn't, stick with the original Mobo CPU RAM combo(you can also look for Mobo Ram bundles on Newegg to see if there is anything you like for less). 

[dark_globe]

apart from the power supply this bundle looks OK(ish)
you also don´t have to pay 140 bucks for a copy of windows 11 for home usage .
other than that if the price is good (what is it by the way?) you can take the bundle and replace the power supply .

[mellowgamer]

5 hours ago, Cringe_Master245 said:

I would avoid that psu.

I know it isn't listed on SPL's psu tier list, but based on all the other Apevia unit ratings, it doesn't look good at all(you do not want to gamble with PSUs). 

Id recommend the MSI MAG A650BE(A650BN if you for some reason dont want it to be semi modular) for a solid C tier unit

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/yc26Mp/msi-mag-a650be-650-w-80-bronze-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-mag-a650be 

 

For the bundle, do you need 3 x16 PCIe slots?(vs 2 on the MSI board). You are paying more for the bundle, so unless the Asus board has some feature other you need that the MSI board doesn't, stick with the original Mobo CPU RAM combo(you can also look for Mobo Ram bundles on Newegg to see if there is anything you like for less). 

Yeah, to be honest, I knew finding a psu with a little rgb for that cheap was probably too good to be true. I think that psu you recommend might have been what I originally had selected, but then I found the other one. That’s why I came here though, because now I know that is a definite mistake 

[mellowgamer]

4 hours ago, dark_globe said:

apart from the power supply this bundle looks OK(ish)
you also don´t have to pay 140 bucks for a copy of windows 11 for home usage .
other than that if the price is good (what is it by the way?) you can take the bundle and replace the power supply .

When you say bund;e, do you mean my parts list or the bundle I found on Jawa? The bundle on Jawa only comes with the motherboard, cpu, and ram for $650. I can make an offer to see if the seller will come down on price though, which is probably what I’ll do. If the parts list is what you meant, it would help to know why it is only ok? Is there anything specific, besides the psu, you recommend I change? Any parts I could probably find a better version of or a bit cheaper I chose for aesthetic purposes. I’m glad I don’t have to buy windows though. That’ll save a good bit of money.

[dark_globe]

i´m sorry i read it wrong -
so when it comes to individual part list :
here are some adjustments :
 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 4.5 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($249.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE 58 CFM CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI PRO B850-S WIFI6E ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($149.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Patriot Viper Elite 5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  ($314.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate FireCuda 530R w/Heatsink 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($179.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Asus PRIME GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB Video Card  ($549.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case  ($65.00 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: ASRock Steel Legend SL-850G 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1629.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-01-02 11:36 EST-0500


that bundle that you have listed (cpu+mobo+ram) is a bit overpriced for what it is and the motherboard is on the lower end . 
(for 550 it would be a decent deal)

[mellowgamer]

5 hours ago, dark_globe said:

i´m sorry i read it wrong -
so when it comes to individual part list :
here are some adjustments :
 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X 4.5 GHz 8-Core Processor  ($249.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler: ID-COOLING FROZN A620 PRO SE 58 CFM CPU Cooler  ($29.99 @ Amazon) 
Motherboard: MSI PRO B850-S WIFI6E ATX AM5 Motherboard  ($149.99 @ Amazon) 
Memory: Patriot Viper Elite 5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory  ($314.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage: Seagate FireCuda 530R w/Heatsink 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive  ($179.99 @ Amazon) 
Video Card: Asus PRIME GeForce RTX 5070 12 GB Video Card  ($549.99 @ Amazon) 
Case: Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case  ($65.00 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply: ASRock Steel Legend SL-850G 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($89.99 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1629.93
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-01-02 11:36 EST-0500


that bundle that you have listed (cpu+mobo+ram) is a bit overpriced for what it is and the motherboard is on the lower end . 
(for 550 it would be a decent deal)

so you completely redid the parts list but that doesn't help me understand why the parts i chose where only ok. I guess i should mention that this doesn't need to be a pure performance build. thats why i said some parts i know i could have found a bit cheaper but i picked them for aesthetic purposes like the gpu, cpu cooler, and case. i also have some more specific questions. you picked the ryzen 7 7700x, which i was actually changed my mind on because the 5 9600x appeared to beat it on most benchmark test and its nice that its a little cheaper. what is the reason going with the 7 over the 5? i also looked at the ram and, unless i missed something, the specs on the one you chose barely beat the one i picked. i would also be paying a good chunk more for what seems like slightly better ram. the ssd actually looked pretty good if they had 1tb available because i can always buy more later.

[dark_globe]

purely for gaming ? yes 9600x is a tiny bit faster (insignificant difference really)
but 7700x is better for basically everything else , especially if you will be doing streaming and video editing (as you mentioned)
the extra 2c/4t of 7700x will be useful and the price difference is minimal - so that is the logic behind it .

motherboard that i have listed has newer chipset and is also cheaper while maintaining good VRM quality as well .

liquid cooling is not necessary for low power consumtion chips like 9600x/7700x and frozn A620 has a terrific price/performance ratio
and will keep either of those cpus very cool (and will be sufficient even if you upgrade your cpu later on) .
(this is the easiest 25 bucks that you can save on your build)

when it comes to case - "fish tank" cases just don´t have good airflow by default 
thats why i choose a more practical approach  

m.2 model that i have selected has DRAM cache which helps with overall performance 
(but if you want to go cheaper and also 1tb instead of 2tb for now it is perfectly justified if saving money is the objective ,
but keep in mind ssd and m.2 prices will probably keep rising over the next few months
so it may be a good idea to get yourself a 2tb drive from the start untill the price is still somewhat reasonable)

memory kit that i have selected has a bit lower latency which helps to improve performance (even if just a little) 
but if you go for 6000MHz cl36 instead of 6000MHz cl30 to save some money it is not such a big deal 

the most important thing by far is the better quality power supply 
(if you leave everything else as it was and just change the power supply it would be great)

[mellowgamer]

On 1/3/2026 at 1:43 AM, dark_globe said:

purely for gaming ? yes 9600x is a tiny bit faster (insignificant difference really)
but 7700x is better for basically everything else , especially if you will be doing streaming and video editing (as you mentioned)
the extra 2c/4t of 7700x will be useful and the price difference is minimal - so that is the logic behind it .

motherboard that i have listed has newer chipset and is also cheaper while maintaining good VRM quality as well .

liquid cooling is not necessary for low power consumtion chips like 9600x/7700x and frozn A620 has a terrific price/performance ratio
and will keep either of those cpus very cool (and will be sufficient even if you upgrade your cpu later on) .
(this is the easiest 25 bucks that you can save on your build)

when it comes to case - "fish tank" cases just don´t have good airflow by default 
thats why i choose a more practical approach  

m.2 model that i have selected has DRAM cache which helps with overall performance 
(but if you want to go cheaper and also 1tb instead of 2tb for now it is perfectly justified if saving money is the objective ,
but keep in mind ssd and m.2 prices will probably keep rising over the next few months
so it may be a good idea to get yourself a 2tb drive from the start untill the price is still somewhat reasonable)

memory kit that i have selected has a bit lower latency which helps to improve performance (even if just a little) 
but if you go for 6000MHz cl36 instead of 6000MHz cl30 to save some money it is not such a big deal 

the most important thing by far is the better quality power supply 
(if you leave everything else as it was and just change the power supply it would be great)

I appreciate you explaining everything. It really helps me understand and also learn a little bit more. I decided to switch back to the 7700x and found another bundle on jawa that was a significantly better deal than the bundle with the 9600x. the motherboard board it comes with is still on the lower end, but it still comes with 32gb of ram that right now costs $400 if i bought it new. I still really like my case and cooler though and I figure if fish tank cases have poor air flow then a better cooler is better anyway. i will definitely getting a better psu though.