Don't know where to start on building an up-to-date PC
Heyo, the last time I've upgraded my PC was in 2018, based on my really weird pre-built Acer Predator G3 from 2013-ish. As such, these are my current specs;

Parts retained from G3:
i7-4770
12GB DDR3 (3*4GB, what was Acer smoking)
No-name Acer inhouse motherboard

Later upgrades:
PSU Corsair RM850
GTX 1080 Gaming X 8GB
1TB SSD
2x1TB HDD
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Rebuilt in a full ATX Tower

Now this clearly isn't enough to play anything modern, but I haven't had the time to play over the past few years, and the AAA titles that were coming out really weren't worth upgrading for. However, now there are some titles out I'd like to sink some time into, such as Battlefield 6, Hellblade 2 and Escape From Tarkov's new updates. Right now, these games just lag out my PC and freeze it up.

Thing is, I haven't been following the developments on the Hardware market at all. I don't even know what generation of GTX / RTX we are on. There are tons of new gimmicks such as Frame Generation, DLSS and Raytracing, I don't know what's considered essential here and what's just a trend that already died out.

What's a good starting point for building PCs, how much money (€) am I looking at for something that will run newly releasing games on nice graphics smoothly a few years into the future? Is there anything from my current setup (1080, PSU) worth retaining or should I start from scratch?

I could just start playing around on PC configurators, but I don't really have a concept of what current games have in terms of hardware requirements and recommendations. I don't want to go the pre-built route again, even though there's better options now than there were back in the day, I prefer to know what's in my PC and having it built for me is probably still an unncessary waste of money.

So yeah, any pointers on how to start anew in building a PCs with no up-to-date knowledge would be much appreciated.
Last edited by Migel; 4 hours ago
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Showing 1-15 of 34 comments
your rig is still capable but is showing its age . The PSU looks good . it depends on your budget . Ryzen 7800X3D is a good CPU . RTX 5070ti is not bad either . here s a 1000 euro pc
PCPartPicker Part List: https://de.pcpartpicker.com/list/HVgVxg

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7500F 3.7 GHz 6-Core OEM/Tray Processor (€130.30 @ Proshop)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Burst Assassin 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (€21.59 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B650M S2H Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard (€88.03 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Memory: Crucial Pro Overclocking 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory (€97.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Storage: Crucial T500 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€146.99 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Video Card: Asus DUAL OC GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB Video Card (€428.90 @ Alza)
Case: Montech AIR 100 ARGB MicroATX Mid Tower Case (€58.90 @ Alza)
Power Supply: MSI MAG A650BN 650 W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (€54.72 @ Amazon Deutschland)
Total: €1027.42
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-10-22 15:18 CEST+0200
Last edited by smallcat; 4 hours ago
the only parts you can or should keep are the PSU, 1TB ssd and that ATX case if it has room for modern gpus.

you may want to google some reviews on the current generation of GPUs and CPUs.
but you may want to get a gpu that has at least 12GB VRAM and a cpu with at least 6 cores 12 threads but i suggest that you get the Ryzen 7 7700 which is only around €/$40 more
Last edited by ChickenBalls; 4 hours ago
You deserve an award for hanging onto that stuff so long. I salute you, sir! :theathlete:
how much money depends on what you want to spend....

if you want a complete build.. so including monitor and keyboard and such.. I'd say 1200 euro is a good minim.. if you need only the case.. 900 likely will do.

if you want more bang for buck aka a midend system.. you are wanting to have a budget of 2400 to 3000 euro with perifials.. and 1800 to 2250 without..

however given what you got.. just buying a 300-500 euro secondhand pc would already be a massive upgrade for you..
there are nice second had pc's for sale with like a 3070 or 2080ti at that pricepoint.
that would already be a nice step up for you..

but most importantly calculate the price per month
**calculate how often do you want to replace your pc..
**how much are you willing to spend per month on hardware
**that basicly gives you your budget.. it's not what you have in savings now.. but if you can maintain that level of gaming..

if you buy a 4k pc now but can only afford 30 euro a month.. than you'd be better off being something less powerfull and cheaper.. like it is better to buy every 4 year a 1200 euro pc. than once every 12 year a 4000 euro one.. or better every 4 year a 1200 euro one..

the right time to start saving for your next pc is when you just bought your current one..
_I_ 3 hours ago 
budget?
country/location and currency?

main uses?

ignore the first guy, he pick s a junk board, and just stop from there
any tower cooler on a board without vrm heatsinks is pointless, as it will not get hot enough to need the tower cooler

you could reuse the psu and case,
but if looking at an entire new build, might as well keep those to keep the old build running as is
^ I'll second pc part picker. Fantastic tool for planning out a new build.

I'd suggest you first start with figuring out what you are comfortable with in regards to budget; (vs the other way around asking how much you'd expect to spend for an unknown hardware level/spec).

Bare minimum things to consider would be to look at the minimum system requirements for all of the software you definitely know you will be running. For example, you'll likely be looking at upgrading to Windows 11 and so you'd want to make sure you are looking at an 8th gen Intel Core series or equivalent AMD Ryzen CPU or newer; with either a TPM2.0 module or fTPM (firmware TPM built into the CPU). You should be fine if you are buying new parts as they should all be within the last few generations.

Most of your rig wouldn't be worth moving over to a new build; other than your PSU and disks would likely be sufficient, Your case would probably also be fine (hard to know without the actual model if it'd fit whatever parts so either provide the model or make sure you are verifying sizes / support for things like your GPU size & CPU cooler sizes, etc. Your audio interface would also work fine on a new system.

I would however suggest it might be worth considering backing up your data, wiping the current system and installing something like Bazzite on it to use as a "legacy" gaming system, and then selling it as-is (or donate it) and using that money to help offset a completely new build. You'll get next to nothing trying to part that system out as individual parts but you could probably get a couple hundred dollars for it as a complete system for retro gaming.

So in summary to start with:
- Figure out at least a target range for a budget (also include the general region your in (such as country, don't need to be super specific) so people know what currency and market to look in for parts. Assuming somewhere in Europe considering the euro symbol in your OP.
- Describe your use case as best as possible; e.g. primarily just for gaming, wanting to do some live streaming, primarily for X type of work with some gaming, etc. Listing the types of, or specific examples of, software and/or games you know you will want to use (like your BF6, tarkov, etc.) is also helpful to understand your usecase.
Originally posted by _I_:
budget?
country/location and currency?

main uses?

ignore the first guy, he pick s a junk board, and just stop from there
any tower cooler on a board without vrm heatsinks is pointless, as it will not get hot enough to need the tower cooler

you could reuse the psu and case,
but if looking at an entire new build, might as well keep those to keep the old build running as is
it s an air cooler it s not liquid
Originally posted by smallcat:
Originally posted by _I_:
budget?
country/location and currency?

main uses?

ignore the first guy, he pick s a junk board, and just stop from there
any tower cooler on a board without vrm heatsinks is pointless, as it will not get hot enough to need the tower cooler

you could reuse the psu and case,
but if looking at an entire new build, might as well keep those to keep the old build running as is
it s an air cooler it s not liquid
They didn't say anything about a liquid cooler in the post you quoted?
Originally posted by PopinFRESH:
Originally posted by smallcat:
it s an air cooler it s not liquid
They didn't say anything about a liquid cooler in the post you quoted?
air coolers are better than liquid because cool the other PC parts not only the CPU . i t s no issue to pick 200 euro mobo . seeing hatred as usual . Ryzen 7500F draws little power , VRM wont heat so much as with Intel rig
Last edited by smallcat; 3 hours ago
Originally posted by smallcat:
Originally posted by PopinFRESH:
They didn't say anything about a liquid cooler in the post you quoted?
air coolers are better than liquid because cool the other PC parts not only the CPU . i t s no issue to pick 200 euro mobo . see hatred as usual
What are you even on about? No one said anything about an Air cooler vs a liquid cooler. No one but you has mentioned anything about a liquid cooler.
Originally posted by PopinFRESH:
Originally posted by smallcat:
air coolers are better than liquid because cool the other PC parts not only the CPU . i t s no issue to pick 200 euro mobo . see hatred as usual
What are you even on about? No one said anything about an Air cooler vs a liquid cooler. No one but you has mentioned anything about a liquid cooler.
Some guys even think VRM heatsinks are only for aesthetics . cant agree with this though
Originally posted by PopinFRESH:
Originally posted by smallcat:
air coolers are better than liquid because cool the other PC parts not only the CPU . i t s no issue to pick 200 euro mobo . see hatred as usual
What are you even on about? No one said anything about an Air cooler vs a liquid cooler. No one but you has mentioned anything about a liquid cooler.

I'm not exactly sure but he might be saying that _I_ was knocking air coolers if he meant them when he said "tower cooler". If that was the case then I guess he would be implying that a liquid/aio cooler should be considered?.

That's if he meant air cooler when he said tower cooler. I don't know, I'm just guessing here.
x 3 hours ago 
You can go a bit cheaper with a ryzen 7 5800x or similar, but that would keep you in the AM4 architecture that is now going out the door. Nothing particularly bad about it, but not much room to upgrade in the future if you want to. But at present, I think AM4 still gives you the best bang for the buck for low to midrange PCs. But again, upgrading will be limited.
I am right now putting together a ryzen 5 5500, 16gb, 1TB m.2 and (maybe, not yet settled) and Intel Arc A750. Will be about 400/450 euros. Overall it's a bit less because I'm using the 32GB I am buying on my current pc and moving the old RAM to the new build. I could have gotten it cheaper, but I'm getting a decent Asus Prime B450, 3200MHz RAM, fast m.2, 80+ PSU. This should play quite a lot of games at decent spec. However, I currently have a better PC, so this will be the kid's computer. MB, RAM, CPU and GPU are used. But I could have gone for a cheaper MB, slower RAM, smaller or slower (or less reliable) m.2 and get cheaper. But overall I prefer to get more reliable gear as opposed to more better performance from meehh brands.
Depending where you live, 500-800 euros can get you a pretty decent used PC for the next few years or around 1000 to 1200 for a new one. Might not be able to play all games at top graphs, but you would need some 3 or 4k for that... that mostly is up to you. I managed to play Cyberpunk on a Ryzen 3400G with no dedicated GPU. It ran... lol
I mostly agree with the choices of smallcat up there. I might chose differently, but then again everyone will have different ideas. Just don't get the cheapest of everything. Get a decent PSU and motherboard too, most people cheap on those and they are the heart and engine of the build.
Also, there might be some decent online retailers of used gaming PCs where you live. If you are in the EU (you mentioned €), the warranty for used gear (if not private deals) is actually pretty decent. Just chose a good used parts retailer. But still, look up prices for new stuff. Some places sell used components and PCs at higher price than the new stuff.
Last edited by x; 3 hours ago
Originally posted by smallcat:
Originally posted by PopinFRESH:
What are you even on about? No one said anything about an Air cooler vs a liquid cooler. No one but you has mentioned anything about a liquid cooler.
Some guys even think VRM heatsinks are only for aesthetics . cant agree with this though
Bro wtf are you on about? You are arguing with a ghost make believe imaginary person. No one has made any mention of a liquid cooler other than you and no one has made any statements suggesting VRM heatsinks are only for aesthetics.

You are just posting random nonsensical drivel and derailing the OP's thread.
a sensible pc right now that will last you many years... and is not too expensive..

would be an radeon 9070xt.. paired with an 7800x3d

-> currently the 7800x3d (last gens best gaming cpu) is just 320 euro.. way cheaper than the 450 eurp an 9800x3d cost (this gen best gaming cpu)

so I say the bang for buck sensible option is a 9070xt paired with an 7800x3d.. you likely want to also add a 4tb gen 4 m.2 (230 euro)... and a kit of 64gb ddr5 6000mhz latency 10.. (240 euro)

a good motherboard costs 300 euro.. I would say
Gigabyte X870E AORUS ELITE WIFI7 is a solid pick

but if you want to save some money...
ASRock X870 PRO RS WiFi can be had for 210 euro.. and is fine too (it lacks a few options due having the cheaper chipset.. but it still has all the essentials

than a psu, you will want to make sure it has TWO 6+2 connectors, is atx 3.1, and has gold, platinum or titanium rating.. and finally that it is fully modulair.. and given the other parts 750W or higher..
-> these start at 80 euro.. but to have a bit chooise between models (which mostly will be about which is more silent/durable/looks nicer) 100 euro for the psu is reasonable


just use a good aircooler for your cpu.. those can be had for 50 euro.

a cheap case with plenty airflow will cost around 60 euro.. including 3 casefans..
but given you have to look at it.. lets factor in a bit more 120 euro plus 30 euro for more/better casefans..


so

Gigabyte X870E AORUS ELITE WIFI7 : 300 euro
9070xt : 650 euro
7800x3d : 320 euro
4tb gen 4 m.2 : 230 euro
64gb 2x32gb ddr5 6000mhz true latency 10ms : 240 euro
psu : 100 euro
pc case & casefans : 150 euro
cpu cooler : 50 euro
= 2040 euro..

which nicely sits in the middle of the 1800-2250 for a midend build.
**if you want to shave something off.. without sacrifice too much
**you could pick an 5070 instead (that has less vram and will thus sooner be outdated but performs the same.. go for 32 or 48gb ram.. pick the 90 euro cheaper motherboard, go for a 2tb m.2 or go for a cheaper case..

while if you want to spend a bit more going for a gen 5 m.2, or an 9800x3d are still sensible upgrades.. (and ofcourse picking an AIO for your cpu would also add cost.. but that adds no function.. just looks.. but well if you like that look it can't hurt to spend an extra 50 on that..


for monitor.. I would just buy an 1440p 27 or 32 inch ips with <1ms responcetime, and freesync.. those cost 150-200 euro now.. and is likely leagues above what you have now.


and a basic mechanical keyboard + mouse kit.. can be had for 50 euro... sure you can go expensive here but just buying a smart pick thats just a bit better than the default trash already gives a lot of gain..


speakers.. a good 2+1 set costs around 60 euro.. and if you need a headphone about the same..


so with perifials.. that brings you too about 2300 euro..
and should last you many many years of fun.
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