Workload
Gaming
Games lean on the GPU for every frame and the CPU for world simulation. High-cache CPUs and modern cards with enough VRAM win.
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
The current gaming CPU to beat — extra cache, not extra cores.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
The no-compromise 4K / AI card. Power, heat, and price are the cost.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
The last-gen king. Still elite at 4K and local AI if you can find one.
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Still one of the best gaming CPUs you can buy used or new.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080
High-end 4K gaming without the 5090’s power bill.
AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX
AMD’s 4K raster hammer — 24 GB, great value when the price is right.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super
A proper 4K Ada card — 16 GB, strong raster, great NVENC.
Samsung 990 Pro 2 TB
A fast OS and game drive. 2 TB is the comfortable modern size.
WD Black SN850X 2 TB
Same job as a 990 Pro — flagship PCIe 4 games and scratch disk.
Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360
The AIO to beat on value — 360 mm of radiator for hot 16-core chips.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
The sweet 1440p/4K Ti — more VRAM than the 5070, less excess than the 5080.
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D
The last great AM4 gaming upgrade — stay on the old board.
Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 32 GB
The default AM5 kit. 32 GB at 6000 CL30 is the Ryzen sweet spot.
Corsair RM850x
An 850 W Gold unit that will feed a 4080-class GPU without drama.
Noctua NH-D15
The air cooler that still beats many 240 mm AIOs. Huge, quiet, beige.
Intel Core i5-14600K
The Intel all-rounder — games well, creates better than a 6-core Ryzen.
Intel Core i9-14900K
Peak LGA 1700 performance — and peak heat. A cooler is not optional.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070
The 1440p Blackwell card most people should actually buy.
G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6400 32 GB
Faster kit for Intel and tuned Ryzen. Diminishing returns above 6000 on AM5.
MSI MAG B650 Tomahawk WiFi
A favorite AM5 mid-board: solid VRM, Wi-Fi, and BIOS that people actually like.
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
Near-D15 cooling for a fraction of the money. The budget air king.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Super
The 1440p Ada sweet spot. The card a lot of people actually wanted.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600
The sensible AM5 gaming CPU if you are not chasing leaderboard FPS.
Intel Core i7-14700K
A strong creator CPU on a closed socket — buy it used, not as a new platform.
AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT
The 1440p AMD pick — 16 GB, strong raster, often cheaper than the 4070 Super.
ASUS TUF Gaming B650-Plus
A no-drama AM5 board — VRM and ports that will take a 9800X3D later.
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070
Efficient 1440p. Super is faster if the price gap is small.
Gigabyte X670E Aorus Elite AX
Extra lanes and USB for a 16-core / creator AM5 machine.
Seasonic Focus GX-750
A quiet 750 W Gold — enough for 4070 Super / 7800 XT class cards.
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
A creation and compile chip that still games well — not the gaming specialist.
Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4-3600 32 GB
The right kit if you are staying on AM4 or LGA 1700 DDR4 boards.
Intel Core Ultra 7 265K
A cooler, more efficient Intel — gaming is good, not the reason to buy it.
ASUS Prime Z790-P
A straightforward Z790 board for 12–14th gen Intel. End of that socket.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
The last-gen workstation Ryzen — still excellent for creators.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600
A still-fine 1080p and 1440p gaming CPU, especially used.
Samsung 980 1 TB
DRAM-less budget NVMe. Fine as a secondary game drive, not a 4K scratch disk.
MSI B550 Tomahawk
The AM4 board that made 5700X3D upgrades easy. Keep it if you have it.