discussion Budget Gaming Build (update: video card upgrade)

[great_big_abyss]

I was going to recommend the Vetroo V5 as a basic, reliable, cheap air cooler. But it looks like its gone up in price - $37.99 on Amazon.

My next recommendation would be the Thermalright Assassin X for $24.99. I put one in my son's computer to cool an i5 12600K, and it's doing an admirable job. It was easy to install, and quality seemed very good.

Thermalright Assassin X

 

[JD]

Thermalright Peerless Assassin is probably most people's go-to these days, prices tend to fluctuate on Amazon. It's a bit on the large side though as it's a dual-tower style.

That DeepCool unit should be fine though if you just want something you can pickup alongside the combo.

EDIT: I wouldn't be overly surprised if CC rebadged the Thermalright under their own "iCAN" branding too? https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/...n-noise-31dba-fan-airflow-73-5-np6-db120.html

 

[Bond007]

Thermalright Peerless Assassin is probably most people's go-to these days, prices tend to fluctuate on Amazon. It's a bit on the large side though as it's a dual-tower style.

That DeepCool unit should be fine though if you just want something you can pickup alongside the combo.

EDIT: I wouldn't be overly surprised if CC rebadged the Thermalright under their own "iCAN" branding too? https://www.canadacomputers.com/en/...n-noise-31dba-fan-airflow-73-5-np6-db120.html

Thermalright dual towers have a nice finish base…that one is direct contact heat pipes

I haven’t seen those before though…I wonder who the oem is

 

[McYar]

@great_big_abyss The Thermalright Assassin X is indeed a solid choice for budget air cooling. I've used it on a Ryzen 5 5600X build, and it performed admirably under load. Easy installation and quiet operation make it a great value at $24.99. Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[chrisk]

Ok an update here. Kid wants to upgrade this rig now lol. Figured I would post back in this thread.

Got the following message:

"
Hi Chris! Quick question — **** current games are Outer Wilds, Phasmophobia, Satisfactory, Tunic, Deep Rock Galactic and Minecraft.
I want to upgrade his GPU so it can last three years. Do you think the 7700 XT is a good choice for his 27" 2K/100Hz + Ryzen 5 7600X + 850W PSU setup? Thanks!"

Thoughts?

I asked him for a budget otherwise if an alternative is better. The budget is about $500.

Thanks!

 

[JD]

My only concern with the 7000 series cards would be the lack of FSR4 and that it's technically already 3 years old. Upscaling seems to be the way forwards these days.

I would probably lean towards the 5060 Ti for DLSS4 on that side, but you'd also be looking at the controversial 8GB VRAM to stay around the $500 price point.

 

[moocow]

12GB is not bad, still faster than 5060Ti in some case but kind of sad that none of the cards could hit 60fps at 1080p ultra / epic. If you get 5060ti 16GB, get the Zotac one from BB, it is the cheapest one at $610 before tax. Last time I checked, there were only 8 left. For sure it won't last 5 years with the 7700XT unless you start at high then move to mid eventually.