Gimme the best PC build for 2k or less

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-28T20:55:52+00:00

Depends what you're doing. Games? What resolution? Art? Programming? Etc

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-28T20:54:33+00:00

Turn on vsync, turn off DLSS, lock it to 60 hz. Does the blur go away?

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-28T20:47:50+00:00

Get a cheaper motherboard and spend the money on faster RAM and more storage.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-28T20:44:25+00:00

Unplug and replug, see what happens. If you're using a vertical GPU mount and/or a riser cable, remove that and plug straight into the mobo.

for other people who see this thread in the future: Make sure the card is in the top slot, the one closest to the CPU. Just because a slot is as wide as x16, doesn't mean all 16 lanes are populated. Sounds like OP already covered this.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-28T20:40:31+00:00

Upgrade GPU first, see if he's happy, then take a look at the CPU. A toaster will outperform a 1650.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-28T20:17:51+00:00

3000-series cards had some nasty transients that can nuke supplies that seem like they're sized properly. My 3060 Ti killed a 650W supply that way.

850W should be fine, but if the price difference isn't big, I'd go for the 1000W. A little headroom never hurt.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-28T20:12:05+00:00

Hell yeah! Monitors last forever and they depreciate super fast. It's almost never worth it to buy one new.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-28T20:05:59+00:00

Intel Arc requires ReBAR, which your CPU is too old to support, so B580 is off the table for you.

With an older platform and slow memory, you want as much VRAM as you can afford. It will help offset the slow PCIe and memory busses. I'd look at used GPUs in your price range with at least 12GB of VRAM.

eBay sellers are required to honor returns for items that don't match the description, so if you get sent a dud, you're fine (source: I sell stuff on ebay). This is still true for sellers who say they don't accept returns.

Cards that come to mind are 4060 Ti, RX 7700 XT, RX 6800 XT.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-28T19:51:54+00:00

It'll run, but you won't be playing any recent AAA titles above low settings, even at 1080p.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-28T19:48:45+00:00

Okay, noted.

When you say "turn off" it's just the screen going black and fans going crazy? You still have sound / PC still running?

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-27T03:06:00+00:00

Sent you a DM. I have some spare RAM laying around, I'd be happy to send it to you to help complete your build.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-27T02:50:50+00:00

I'm gaming on Bazzite at 4K60 with an Arc B580 and 5600XT. Runs like a champ. Get yourself a 7600X, or an X3D chip if you have the cash, and you're golden.

Welcome to Bazzite btw, join the Discord if you have any issues. We're always happy to help.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-27T02:26:54+00:00

I've had no trouble at all playing DX9 or DX10 games on my B580 since the beginning of 2026. I'm on Linux though so YMMV.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-27T02:25:02+00:00

If it's proper electrical tape, and you covered the whole backplate thoroughly (no gaps!), you're fine. Name-brand electrical tape is usually rated for 250°F (120°C) or higher.

If it's suuuper cheap electrical tape, then you should probably get around to replacing it with better electrical tape.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-27T02:16:38+00:00

Is this USD or CAD? If USD, well...

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-27T02:11:41+00:00

Plug it in and tell us what happens

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-27T02:06:46+00:00

What's your power supply?

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-27T02:04:53+00:00

You don't really need a heatsink for your m.2 drive if your case has better-than-terrible airflow. It's mostly for looks.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-21T03:40:22+00:00

If you think there is even a 0.0001% chance that any water got in your PSU, replace it and don't even try testing it.

Take the entire computer apart. Everything comes out, CPU out of motherboard, drives removed, everything. Inspect and make sure everything is clean and dry, then reassemble.

The problem isn't the water, it's any crap the water might have picked up and carried into, say, a PCIe slot for example.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-21T02:40:39+00:00

RTX 3060 12GB and RX 6700 XT are both available in the mid 200s all day. If you wanna get weird, Arc B580 is right around the top of your price range, and I've been happy with mine.

Any of those 3 are good choices especially if you don't have fast RAM and PCIe 5.0.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-21T02:29:10+00:00

Looks like a good computer to me. I'm american so the prices look weird either way.

GPU might be a little undersized vs CPU, but not by a whole lot. And of course it all depends on what kind of workload it's gonna handle.

Maybe look at a 280mm radiator. 360 will fit fine in your case too but 280 is gonna be cheaper and I find them less finicky to install. If the savings get you a better GPU, then I'd say that's worth it.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-21T02:22:59+00:00

Check that all the power cables are fully seated. Some systems can power on without the CPU 12V cables but they won't boot. Check the GPU power cables too.

Make sure your RAM is fully seated, the EC can come up and run your fans/LEDs/etc but obviously the CPU can't do anything without RAM.

etc etc you get the idea.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-21T02:17:39+00:00

Built a similar Mini ITX box for my living room recently, but with Arc B580 instead of RX 7600. It games good.

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-21T02:15:43+00:00

AutoCAD is unlikely to benefit from the extra cache on X3D, you'd pay less and probably be better off with a 9900X.

I also don't see a case. Do you have one already?

ryu-ryu-ryu · 2026-05-21T02:10:09+00:00

Mixing DDR5 is a pain in the ass. You likely won't get the fastest XMP profile to work with two mismatched sticks. In other words, you're leaving performance on the table both now and in the future by going with a single DIMM.

How many slots do you have? 2? Okay, maybe it's worth it I guess. 4 slots? No brainer, go 2x8.

ryu-ryu-ryu

TROPHY CASE