Budget builds: What can I get for $2,200?

Hey there,

I'm looking to pick up a new tower—just the rig itself, no peripherals or extra bells and whistles included. I want an Intel Core i5 13th Gen paired with an AMD graphics card (my monitor is a Samsung 34", and it only supports G-Sync for AMD, nothing from Nvidia)
I'm thinking about heading over to Micro Center since they offer a 10% discount if you pay in cash.

I don't need an SSD or an HDD because I've already got some fresh ones ready to go.

The quick version:
Intel Core i5 13th Gen
AMD GPU (I've heard XFX and PowerColor are solid brands, but honestly, I have no clue if that's actually true).
No HDD or SSD needed!
I see DDR5 is available for $400 16GB, so why not? If I can squeeze it into the budget, let's do it.
My total budget is $2,100 cash.

Thanks,
LP P.

P. S. Fl@Tron tried reaching out to them, but it feels like they're stuck in Mexico sipping a Mojito somewhere.😁

Jack Reed said:Hey there,

I'm looking to pick up a new desktop tower—just the rig, no peripherals or extra fluff—built with an Intel Core i5 13th Gen and an AMD graphics card (my monitor only supports G-Sync for AMD, nothing from Nvidia—it's a Samsung 34").
I'm thinking about hitting up Micro Center since they offer a 10% discount if I pay cash.

I don't need an SSD or an HDD because I've already got some new ones lying around.

The gist:
Intel Core i5 13th Gen
An AMD GPU (I've heard XFX and PowerColor are solid, but who knows, I'm not an expert).
No storage needed!
I see DDR5 is available for $400 16GB, so why not try to squeeze that in if the budget allows!
I've got $2,100 cash ready to go.

Thanks,
LP

P. S. Fl@Tron... tried reaching out to them, but it feels like they're stuck in Mexico sipping a Mojito.😁

Quick question:
Why Intel?
Just hang tight for two weeks; the AMD RX 7000 series cards are about to drop.

Sam Diaz2 said:Can I ask something?
Why go with Intel?
Just hang on two weeks, and we’ll see the RX 7000 series graphics cards from AMD hitting the market.

Thanks a lot for the input. Look, I don't identify as an Intel fan or an AMD fan; I just need things to work. For my workflow—running XAMPP, Photoshop, and Affinity—Intel runs like a Swiss watch.
And honestly, I don't have any intention of changing that setup.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I've got it all twisted... who knows, that's why I'm here asking.

Are those RX 7000 prices going to be "brutal"?

I'd be willing to drop $2,400 if it actually meant something for my performance!

Thanks

Jack Reed said:Thanks for the reply. Honestly, I’m not really an Intel fan or an AMD fan; it’s just that for stuff like XAMPP, Photoshop, and Affinity... Intel runs like a Swiss watch.
I don't really plan on changing that.

Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm tripping... who knows, that's why I'm asking.

Are those RX 7000 prices going to be "ugly"?

I’d go as high as $2,200 if it actually meant something!

Thanks

I wasn't really a die-hard Intel fan or an AMD fan either. When I finally sat down to build my rig after all these years, I wanted a Ryzen 5 3600X, but prices here in the States were absolutely insane at the time—it was a killer chip, just priced irrationally. So, I decided to go with an Intel Core i3-10100F and a B460 board (which was a solid entry-level choice back then $206). Got the board from Germany (ASUS TUF gaming for about $225). Then, a little while ago, seeing prices drop, I thought about upgrading to an Intel Core i7-11700, only to realize the board with the same socket (LGA 1200) doesn't even support it. Total headache. Ended up selling the board and CPU, and it cost me barely more than if I had just bought an Intel Core i7-10700 that worked with my current board, then grabbed a TUF gaming B550 + Ryzen 7 5800X.

My takeaway from all this is that we shouldn't let manufacturers screw us over. I'm not telling you to buy Intel or AMD because one is objectively "better," but because AMD is promising longevity with the AM5 platform through 2025. There's a good chance that if things go sideways in 2025, you could swap out a Ryzen 5 7600X for something like a Ryzen 9 XXXYYYZ via a simple BIOS update. And that chip will probably smoke today's 13th Gen because the Ryzen 7000 series is a bit weaker right now.

Intel's LGA 1700 platform, which handles the 13th Gen, likely won't support the next generation. By 2025, LGA 1700 will basically be a dead end.
AMD dropped prices on the 5000 and 7000 series during Black Friday, and honestly, enough said—Newegg in Germany sold five times more AM4 platforms than everything else combined. Just two months ago, AM5 wasn't worth it because DDR5 and B650/670 boards were ridiculously expensive. That's not the case anymore.

Right now, the price of a Ryzen 7 7700X is hovering around the same range as an i5 13600KF. B650 boards are starting around $250, and 32GB of Corsair memory is sitting near $180. Intel boards are cheaper, but they usually rely on DDR4, which makes the platform look better value-wise. With DDR5, Intel boards are maybe 10-20% cheaper.

As for graphics, the RX 7900 XTX MSRP in the US will be $999, and the RX 7900 XT will be $899 (just factor in roughly 20% extra for US retail vs EU pricing). It's expected to take down the RTX 4080. We'll know pretty soon.
Think about it—it's your money, so decide how you want to invest it. Looking at the used market listings, please, please don't blow that much cash on some bottom-tier X10 or X20 board (like a 410, 520, or 610 series).
If I were dropping that kind of cash, I'd definitely go with the AM5 platform and wait for the new RX 7000 generation GPUs. But that's just me. Good luck with the purchase. 👍

Sam Diaz2 said:I wasn't really an Intel fan or an AMD fan myself, but after years of waiting, when I finally sat down to build my own rig, I wanted a Ryzen 5 3600X. Only problem was, prices in the States were absolutely insane at the time—it was a stellar chip, but the markup was ridiculous. So, I decided to play it safe and went with an Intel Core i3-10100F paired with a B460 board (which was a solid entry-level setup back then $206). I ordered the ASUS TUF gaming board from overseas and it arrived eventually. Fast forward to recently: prices start dropping, and I’m thinking about upgrading to an Intel Core i7-11700, only to realize my current socket (LGA 1200) won't support it. It was infuriating. I ended up selling the board and CPU, and honestly, I didn't save much more than if I had just stuck with an Intel Core i7-10700 on my existing board or jumped straight to a B550 + Ryzen 7 5800X combo.

My takeaway here is simple: as consumers, we can't let manufacturers walk all over us. I’m not telling you to pick Intel or AMD because one is objectively "better," but rather because AMD is promising longevity with the AM5 platform through 2025. There's a very high probability that if things go sideways in 2025, you could swap out a Ryzen 5 7600X for something like a Ryzen 9 XXXYYYZ just by updating the BIOS. And that chip would likely smoke today's 13th Gen stuff since the Ryzen 7000 series is currently trailing slightly behind.

Intel’s LGA 1700 platform, which supports the 13th Gen, probably won't support the next generation. By 2025, LGA 1700 will basically be a relic.
During Black Friday, AMD slashed prices on both the 5000 and 7000 series, and it’s worth noting that Newegg in the US sold five times more AM4 platforms than everything else combined. Just two months ago, AM5 seemed like a bad deal because DDR5 and B650/670 boards were prohibitively expensive. That isn't the case anymore.

Right now, the price of a Ryzen 7 7700X is hovering around the same range as an i5 13600KF. B650 boards are sitting around $250, and 32GB of Corsair memory starts at $180. Intel boards are cheaper, but they usually rely on DDR4, which makes the platform more cost-effective. If you look at Intel boards with DDR5, they end up being about 10-20% cheaper.

Regarding GPUs, the RX 7900 XTX MSRP in the US will be $999, and the RX 7900 XT will be $899 (just factor in an extra 20% if you're looking at international pricing). It's expected to take down the RTX 4080. We'll find out pretty soon.
Think about it—it's your money. Decide how you want to invest it. Looking at the used market, please, for the love of god, don't drop that kind of cash on some bottom-tier X10 or X20 budget board (like a 410, 520, or 610).
If I were in your shoes with that kind of budget, I’d definitely go with the AM5 platform and wait for the new RX 7000 generation of graphics cards. But hey, that's just me. Good luck with the build. 👍

Thanks.
I came here specifically for people like you who actually know their stuff and can give solid recommendations.
I’ve heard rumors—though I can't vouch for their accuracy—that BIOS updates for Ryzen can sometimes be problematic or even "brick" systems. I'm just repeating what I read and hear; I don't want to look like an idiot by claiming to know things I don't. If Ryzen is the better option for $2200, then obviously I'd pull the trigger. To me, it doesn't matter if the PC glows like Bethlehem at Christmas or if it has an Intel or Ryzen sticker on it. All I care about is that Photoshop, Affinity, and XAMPP run fast and without any headaches.

Jack Reed said:Thanks,
I basically joined this place because of people like you who actually know their stuff and can give solid advice.
I've heard some rumors—not sure how much truth there is to them, honestly—that those specific updates are a headache for Ryzen users, like they might actually "kill" the chip or something. I'm just repeating what I've read and heard; I don't want to look like an idiot by pretending I know everything when I really don't. If Ryzen ends up being the better deal for $2,200, then obviously I'm going with that. Why wouldn't I? At the end of the day, I just need a machine that does its job. I don't care if it glows like Bethlehem at Christmas or if it has an Intel or Ryzen sticker on it. As long as Photoshop, Affinity, and XAMPP run fast and without any issues, I'm happy.

The CPU you get from a shop comes with a 36-month warranty. As long as you aren't pushing it with overclocking and you have decent cooling, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. It's been pretty popular lately to "undervolt" processors to drop power consumption and help them last longer. You can even cap the clock speeds in the BIOS. I saw some guy on YouTube who managed to cut power by 40% and temperatures by 30%, only losing about 5% performance (on a Ryzen 5000 series).

Definitely grab a motherboard with a BIOS flashback button—the kind where you can just hit a button and flash via USB. It’s your only insurance policy against bricking the board if an update goes sideways.

It’s especially important for AMD builds since you can swap in several generations of CPUs on the same board. With Intel, there isn't much of an upgrade path anyway.

On another note, I actually own that Samsung Galaxy Tab 34" ultrawide, and as far as I recall from when I bought it and did my research, G-Sync works fine with Nvidia cards.

All things considered, I’d probably hold off until late January for an upgrade. By then, we might see a new generation of GPUs (either AMD or Nvidia) or maybe some new AMD chips (either those X3D versions or just cheaper versions of what's out now).

Or even something like an Intel non-K, say a 13700.