PC

Nobody quite understands the extent to which the PC gaming hardware market will be impacted by the "RAMageddon" shock to the system we're currently experiencing. Memory prices are through the roof, storage prices have increased and all eyes are on the availability and prices of graphics cards - particularly those with 16GB of memory. The impact will start on higher end systems with more demanding specs, but where does that leave the budget PC? Right now, I'd still say it's possible to build a perfectly fine gaming computer that matches or outstrips console performance - but it is going to demand the use of available, but older parts.

Looking at the state of the memory market yesterday while browsing Amazon was a pretty depressing experience, but there was one small glimpse of positivity. It is possible to buy 16GB of Teamgroup 3200MHz DDR4 for under £85, while general prices for similar RAM lurk in the £100 category. Of course, that's on the high side, and I recall buying similar Corsair memory from Amazon a couple of years back for £40 - but the point is that the "price premium" for a budget build rises by a relatively manageable amount. Most gaming builds specify 32GB of memory now, but 16GB is still fine for the vast majority of games.

It's bizarre to start a build around the choice of memory, but I then moved on to PC Part Picker to see what kind of system I could build around that RAM. Perhaps contrary to accepted internet wisdom, I went for an Intel build. First up, the CPU, where I chose the Core i5 12400F - a processor I know well having built a system around it. Looking at the US version of PC Part Picker I was amazed to see that the Core i5 12600K was much the same price as the 12400F. A cooler doesn't come with the package so PC Part Picker flagged the Thermalright Assassin X Refined cooler (it did seem to miss other Thermalright options on Amazon, however.)

Why choose Intel? That's down to the feature set of the very cheapest motherboards. A key requirement for me in the budget range was m.2 storage support (amazing, some budget boards don't have it) and support for PCIe 4.0 for graphics (3.0 won't cut it with lower-end GPUs that don't have the full x16 lanes). I ended up with the Gigabyte H610M K, which ticked all the boxes, though the lack of WiFi support was a touch annoying. Storage? There has been some inflation here, but a Lexar NM620 1TB SSD looked like a relatively reasonable £80.

Next up, graphics, where I'd say that a Acer Intro OC version of the Intel Arc B570 offers unassailable value at £180 - and it has 10GB of framebuffer memory! I'd have preferred a 12GB B580, but it's not worth paying the current circa £280 price for it. The truth is, it's hard to recommend anything else until we get to the circa £520 RTX 5070 12GB and Radeon competitors as it seems that the 16GB versions of the RTX 5060 Ti and the RX 9060 XT are frustratingly overpriced.

Rounding off the build, I chose a Fractal Design Core 1100 and a Corsair CX 750W power supply, giving us a grand total cost of £665.04. If we did want to step up to the next level graphics-wise, an MSI Ventus OC RTX 5070 would take us to £1000.04. Whichever GPU you choose, I'd call that good value. Pick up a WiFi adaptor and an inexpensive Windows license and you're good to go.

But now, for the downsides. A build like this is fine for now, but your upgrade options are limited. The LGA1700 socket on this motherboard can take anything up to a Core i9 14900K - a big increase in gaming and productivity performance over the 12400F. However, higher-end CPUs draw too much power for the boards using the H610M chipset - you really need a Z690 or Z790 board. If some level of upgradability is required, you're best off buying an AMD-based system. I'd recommend the Ryzen 5 5600, 5600XT or 5600T for your main processor, backed by a B550 motherboard. This gives you an upgrade path to the much more capable Ryzen 5 5500X3D, 5700X3D or 5800X3D - but the B550 boards are more expensive than the cheaper A520 line which don't support PCIe 4.0.

However, going AMD with upgradability in mind comes with further costs. The prices for X3D processors are going through the roof. I paid £130 for a Ryzen 7 5700X3D from AliExpress. That same CPU seems to start at £300 now, whether from AliExpress or as a used purchase on eBay in the UK.

The other downside? The whole build I've outlined here is based around the fact that DDR4 memory - entry-level stuff, at that - is relatively affordable right now. All bets are off when it comes to component pricing, especially DRAM. The volatility in the marketplace is frankly extraordinary. We'll be following the situation closely over the coming weeks and months.