Gaming PC build around $2,200 budget

The leftover value for the CPU and GPU is roughly $1000... Though without knowing the exact motherboard or power supply specs, I'm betting the drives aren't anything high-end either

Kimberly Gomez34 said:The leftover value for the CPU and GPU is roughly $1000... Though without knowing the exact motherboard or power supply specs, I'm betting the drives aren't anything high-end either

How much of a Bottleneck would an R7 2700X and an RTX 3070 cause in modern games?

Alexander Moore67 said:How much of a Bottleneck would an R7 2700X and an RTX 3070 cause in modern games?

The 3070 performs right around where a 2080Ti did, so those old benchmarks are still pretty much spot on. A 5600X is a step up from what people were running back then—mostly 8700Ks.
The Bottleneck would be roughly 10-20%, though it really depends on which game you're playing. If you're just sticking to AAA titles at 1440p on max settings, the difference is probably only a few percent. It’s nothing crazy. If budget or timing won't allow for anything else, it's a decent move.

wiredotter14 said:The 3070 performs right around where a 2080Ti did, so those old benchmarks are still pretty much spot on. A 5600X is a step up from what people were running back then—mostly 8700Ks.
The Bottleneck would be roughly 10-20%, though it really depends on which game you're playing. If you're just sticking to AAA titles at 1440p on max settings, the difference is probably only a few percent. It’s nothing crazy. If budget or timing won't allow for anything else, it's a decent move.

Honestly, I don't see how anyone can justify that price gap for an R7 2700X. $392 An R5 5600X. $950.

Alexander Moore67 said:Honestly, I don't see how anyone can justify that price gap for an R7 2700X. $392 An R5 5600X. $950.

Pretty sure wiredotter14 got his numbers mixed up; he probably meant the 5600x...

Alexander Moore67 said:Honestly, I don't see how anyone can justify that price gap for an R7 2700X. $392 An R5 5600X. $950.

That’s exactly why I say you should just wait until prices hit something reasonable. You can't expect top-tier price-to-performance when you're aiming for a high-end build. If that's your only metric, nothing makes sense except the 1600AF.

analogtiger19 said:Pretty sure wiredotter14 got his numbers mixed up; he probably meant the 5600x...

Didn't miss anything. What are you talking about?

Right now, you can't even find the 1600AF in the US, and since it's priced at about $67, it's actually cheaper than the 2700X, so the 1600AF just doesn't stand a chance in this market.

Also, just a heads-up: you’d see some bottlenecking with a 2700X, though it wouldn't be massive at 1440p. This is essentially a review of the 2700X since they paired it with a 2080Ti, which performs almost identically to a GeForce RTX 3070.

Look, let's be real—you can't put "price-to-performance" and "high-end gaming" in the same sentence. That's just how the math works.

Alexander Moore67 said:Right now, you can't even find the 1600AF in the US, and since it's priced at about $67, it's actually cheaper than the 2700X, so the 1600AF just doesn't stand a chance in this market.

Availability isn't the point; those parts come and go. And honestly, back when they were around, nobody suggested pairing one with a 2080Ti because of the massive bottleneck.
On the flip side, if someone actually plans on upgrading down the road, grabbing a 1600AF for $300 or a 2700X for $383 is a solid move. But I wouldn't build a $2,000 rig where the CPU is destined to be a bottleneck unless I'm planning an upgrade—and most people don't.

Usually, people swap out their GPUs before touching the CPU. It's just a weird outlier right now where picking up an older chip actually makes sense, while picking up an old GPU absolutely does not.

https://www.amazon.com/geforce-rtx-3070/
I'd love to get some thoughts on this one! It’s definitely pushing my budget a little too hard, but hey, whatever happens, happens... I think I'm gonna go grab a burger first.

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coastalsurfer51 said:https://www.amazon.com/geforce-rtx-3070/
I'd love to get some thoughts on this one! It’s definitely pushing my budget a little too hard, but hey, whatever happens, happens... I think I'm gonna go grab a burger first.

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And yeah, it looks pretty similar to that Confor build with the GeForce RTX 3070.
You're paying a premium regardless; there's no other way to source parts like this. Plus, if I were working with this much cash, I’d probably opt for a more reliable motherboard and power supply (no clue what they used here).

That said, this is basically peak performance. You aren't getting much better than this.

Thanks! I mean, it definitely looks like a solid deal to me, but I figured I’d check in here to see what the experts think. I guess my main priorities are just making sure it’s fast, stays quiet, and actually lasts a long time—plus, I really want something that gives me room to upgrade later on if I need to.

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If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't skimp on the monitor just to afford that build. I’d rather go with the one featuring the GeForce RTX 3070 and a decent display (around 2000-$1000 for 144Hz at 1440p)

wiredotter14 said:If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't skimp on the monitor just to afford that build. I’d rather go with the one featuring the GeForce RTX 3070 and a decent display (around 2000-$1000 for 144Hz at 1440p)

Gotta stretch my legs for a second, haha

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Look, even without knowing every single spec, buying a pre-built is really the only way to snag this hardware. From what I can tell, you aren't overpaying much compared to the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. If you tried to hunt down these parts individually, you’d actually end up spending more than the total cost here.

My only real concern is whether the cooling can handle it. That GPU pulls over 300W, and since the case isn't exactly top-tier, the internal temps are going to climb fast, affecting everything else inside. It might be worth investing a bit extra in an aftermarket CPU cooler—like a Cooler Master Hyper 212, for instance—and maybe adding a couple of extra case fans to help things breathe.

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Look, even without knowing every single spec, buying a pre-built is really the only way to snag this hardware. From what I can tell, you aren't overpaying much compared to the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price. If you tried to hunt down these parts individually, you’d actually end up spending more than the total cost here.

My only real concern is whether the cooling can handle it. That GPU pulls over 300W, and since the case isn't exactly top-tier, the internal temps are going to climb fast, affecting everything else inside. It might be worth investing a bit extra in an aftermarket CPU cooler—like a Cooler Master Hyper 212, for instance—and maybe adding a couple of extra case fans to help things breathe.

So, I guess you think the build is actually decent and the price is fair too? (I can tell you're really keeping an eye on how the global market is moving, which is cool)

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Yeah, the price point makes sense given the current market. We don't know the exact specs for the PSU or the drives yet, but they aren't rookies; if there's a 750W Gold unit in there, it should be high enough quality to handle that hard drive reliably.

My only real hesitation is the cooling setup. Check with them to see what kind of CPU cooler is installed—is it just the stock one, or did they upgrade it? If it’s just the factory cooler, suggest they toss in something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/arctic-cooling-fr...67423/product/
https://www.amazon.com/fortron-windale-6...67696/product/

Also, keep in mind that the case usually ships with just a single 12cm rear fan. Unless they've already added an intake fan in the front, you're going to have zero airflow. Make sure they add at least one front fan. I'm only bringing this up because I'm worried that GPU is going to bake every other component in the rig. Don't get me wrong, an RTX 3080 has a solid cooler and the core itself will stay chilly, but we're talking about TDP here—that heat has to go somewhere. It's going to bleed out into the case, so you absolutely need some airflow to move it along.

Like Kimberly Gomez34 said, it’s a solid build, you just need to sort out the cooling.
I'd say the Freezer 34 is plenty—more than enough for a Ryzen 5 5600X. It's a 65W chip and there's zero reason to overclock it for gaming. Honestly, the Freezer 34 beats basically any stock cooler, let alone the Wraith Stealth that comes with the 5600X.

Throw in a couple of extra fans. It's not a huge investment. If you can afford this rig, you've got enough $100 to beef up the cooling.

...a perfect example of what happens when you join a forum and end up overspending by $3,000 more than you actually planned 😬

Kimberly Gomez34 said:Yeah, the price point makes sense given the current market. We don't know the exact specs for the PSU or the drives yet, but they aren't rookies; if there's a 750W Gold unit in there, it should be high enough quality to handle that hard drive reliably.

My only real hesitation is the cooling setup. Check with them to see what kind of CPU cooler is installed—is it just the stock one, or did they upgrade it? If it’s just the factory cooler, suggest they toss in something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/arctic-cooling-fr...67423/product/
https://www.amazon.com/fortron-windale-6...67696/product/

Also, keep in mind that the case usually ships with just a single 12cm rear fan. Unless they've already added an intake fan in the front, you're going to have zero airflow. Make sure they add at least one front fan. I'm only bringing this up because I'm worried that GPU is going to bake every other component in the rig. Don't get me wrong, an RTX 3080 has a solid cooler and the core itself will stay chilly, but we're talking about TDP here—that heat has to go somewhere. It's going to bleed out into the case, so you absolutely need some airflow to move it along.

That is honestly such great advice, seriously worth its weight in gold. thanks so much, man, I honestly wouldn't have even thought about those little details myself!

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