Looking to build something to target 1440p, would prefer to stay AM5 for future upgrades. Have gone micro ATX because of space constraints. Only really tied to the CPU/GPU combo, so if I’ve missed the mark on case, mobo, etc I’m open to suggestions. My big question is picking a suitable 1440p monitor, would like to keep it under $250 and not sure which direction to go.
Looks fine to me. Only thing I'd make sure is that the GPU will fit into the case. MicroATX might be a bit constrained.
As for monitors I'd check out a channel like PC Builder on YouTube. He does monitor comparisons regularly and always comes up with good recommendations for different price points.
Man, I can't believe how quickly DDR5 became affordable. I paid $500 for the same amount of RAM just a few years ago. That's pretty rad! Same for the NVMe drives.
I'd go with a more powerful PSU or you'll need a new one if you ever want to upgrade your GPU.
Have been looking at building a rig since I got my launch Steam Deck and things seem to have come together at the right time to build something nice. I’ll be looking at beefier PSUs. Thanks!
For the monitor, I recently got the MSI G272QPF and have been really happy with it. It's 1440p, 165hz (over displayport, 144hz on hdmi and it can be overclocked to 170hz in the monitor settings panel, and I haven't noticed any issues), has a 1ms response time and HDR all while costing about $200-220 (I got it for $200 at microcenter). It also looks great!
As far as your SSD, you can get this gen4 drive a couple bucks cheaper than the gen 3 drive you've spec'd out.
If you're interested in a larger case alternative, you could go with the Air 903 Base from Montech. I've not used it personally but if you're worried about fitting components I'd say it will resolve any possible issues there.
Don't have a moment to review your full build, but as far as 1440p monitors go, I've been loving my HP Omen 27q.
MSRP is $300, but it's pretty regularly marked down to about $250. Amazon has it at $247 right now.
Handles HDR, up to 165 fps, fast response time, has variable refresh rate so no screen tearing when fps dips happen.
My only issue with it is that it's "eye safe certified" which effectively means that it has a warm color tint forced. My eyes adjusted very quickly, and I use software to reduce eye strain on my other devices, but as far as I know there isn't a good solution if you're mixing monitor types. Using Window's "night light" mode or Flux would make the Omen too orange to adapt to when my other monitor would be too "blue" at night without the software color adjustment. I ended up just buying another Omen in the end for dual monitors.
If you’re looking to save a few bucks the 7600 non x has a stock cooler which is more than sufficient. The 7600 can also be lightly overclocked with PBO to reach the performance of the 7600x.
My original plan was the 7600 non X but they seem to be about the same as the 7600x with a thermal assassin. Unless I’m just failing to find the better deal.
*not an expert by any means so take with a grain of salt
If you’re concerned about future proofing a higher wattage PSU may be worth a look. Yours appears to be A rated on the tier list so that is good.
For monitors (and all components, really) I like to keep an eye out for deals - I use Slickdeals, personally - you can find 1440p/144hz+ monitors in the $200-$250 range.
Always worthwhile to check the cpu cooler is satisfactory to handle the TDP of your cpu.
You can also look into a PCIe4.0x4 M.2 drive if your motherboard supports it - it does cost a bit more though.
As an aside, personally I don’t support HP on principal but that is less to do with their products and more to do with their business tactics. Price sensitivity can dictate whether that’s a factor to consider.
Appreciate the comments. Good call on slickdeals for the monitor. I’ll look at PSU options with higher wattage. I think the cooler should be sufficient, I’ve seen mention of people using it with the CPU, but like the PSU could be a point of future proofing.