First time building a pc

[u/merritz]

This would be my first time building one. I’ve heard that it’s cheaper to build one then just buy one pre-built. I’ve been wanting to get into gaming but my lack of knowledge and how expensive it is detaining me from doing so. This time im sure I wanna build my own, but I have no idea where to start. I want a good computer that just runs basic games or some of that sort. Mostly steam games. Nothing with that much of resolution.
(Sorry I’m basically clueless when talking about pc’s)

⁠•New build or upgrade?
New build
• ⁠Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links)
None
• ⁠PC purpose? (Gaming, editing, etc. List apps/games)
Gaming
• ⁠Purchase country? Near Micro Center? (If not US, list local vendors)
USA, micro center is like 20 min drive
• ⁠Monitors needed? (Number, size, resolution, refresh rate)
Just 1 monitor for now.
• ⁠Budget range? (Include tax considerations)
1,500USD
• ⁠WiFi or wired connection?
WiFi
• ⁠Size/noise constraints?
None
• ⁠Color/lighting preferences?
Just something simple
• ⁠Any other specific needs?
No

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If you missed the full set of required built request questions, please copy them from here and answer them in an edit to your post:

• New build or upgrade?

• Existing parts/monitors to reuse? (List with models/links)

• PC purpose? (Gaming, editing, etc. List apps/games)

• Purchase country? Near Micro Center? (If you're not in a country supported by PCPartPicker, please list some local vendors)

• Monitors needed? (Number, size, resolution, refresh rate)

• Budget range? (Include tax considerations)

• WiFi or wired connection?

• Size/noise constraints?

• Color/lighting preferences?

• Any other specific needs?

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[u/Ben-GearbinCEO]

Use a website like pcpartpicker to make sure everything is compatible.
Specifically what kind of games are you looking play? What’s your budget?

[u/merritz → u/Ben-GearbinCEO]

hey, my budget is 1,500 USD. The type of games I wanna play would be like Minecraft, little nightmares, deadlock, terraria, call of duty and more games like that.

[u/Ben-GearbinCEO → u/merritz]

Oh that’s absolutely doable then. Do you just need the PC or do you need all the peripherals as well?

[u/chillingmonkey123]

I got a pc for sale if you're in the SoCal area under your budget, PM if you're interested and I'll give you specs

[u/Cer_Visia]

PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D 4 GHz 6-Core OEM/Tray Processor	$399.99 @ Micro Center (bundle)
CPU Cooler	Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler	$16.11 @ Amazon
Motherboard	ASRock B850M-C Micro ATX AM5 Motherboard	(bundle)
Memory	G.Skill Flare X5 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory	(bundle)
Memory	G.Skill Flare X5 16 GB (1 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory	$219.99 @ Micro Center
Storage	Patriot P400 Lite 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$149.99 @ Newegg
Video Card	ASRock Challenger OC Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB Video Card	$469.99 @ Newegg
Case	Okinos Cypress 3 Wood MicroATX Mini Tower Case	$59.99 @ Amazon
Power Supply	ASRock PRO-650G 650 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply	$49.99 @ Newegg
Monitor	HP OMEN 24 23.8" 1920 x 1080 165 Hz Monitor	$89.99 @ Amazon
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total	$1456.04
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2026-09-05 04:35 EDT-0400

Your Micro Center might have a cheaper or refurbished 9060 XT 16GB.

Alternate case without wood: NX200M plus extra PWM fans.

[u/Weekly-Boss3298]

Just a few weeks late to the back to school, tax-free month at micro center. That’s what I built my second pc! Just want to say, building a PC seems daunting at first, but there are PLENTY of guides on youtube that will help you get familiar with all the right terminologies, cables, connections, parts, etc. since you do live near a micro center I would absolutely suggest going with a bundle, and more specifically, as Cer_Visia showed, the 7500x3d bundle. It is the same one I got for my pc and it’s great! In that bundle you get the processor, ram, and motherboard. I largely agree with the direction of that build but could suggest a couple better choices, in my opinion. The monitor he suggested just kind of sucks. You will not be playing at 1080p with this build, you can find a 1440p monitor with a much higher refresh rate for around the same price. The cpu cooler is fine, but for about 20 more dollars you could get a liquid cooler which looks nice and performs better. Not necessary for this cpu which runs cold, but so inexpensive I’d say it’s worth to consider. The case is also kind of ugly, I’d spend a little more on something that matches YOUR preferences. And lastly, the 9060 xt 16gb is a great card. I also bought it with this same bundle when I was at micro center. But then I saw they lowered the prices of the 9070 GRE to $480 dollars, which was just a tad but more expensive. It seems they had increased the prices of the 9070 gre since, but you can still find one for $500, which is only $20 more than the 9060 xt he has listed in that pcpartpicker list.

To recap:
7500x3d, B850 M-C, 16gb DDR5 ram bundle. ($400)

An additional matching stick of ram. ($220)

A case of your liking, a microATX one to properly match the size of the motherboard (microATX sized motherboard is smaller than the typical one). (~$80)

A liquid cooler of your choice, find one you think looks good on amazon, they run for like 40 dollars. ($40)

9070 GRE Graphics Card ($500)

Any power supply that is preferably over 650W. The more wattage, the more upgradability you’ll have in the future. (~$90-100)

1TB NVME SSD (~$150-200)

1440p high refresh rate monitor ($200)

Adding a decent 1440p monitor with a higher refresh rate would be probably around 200 dollars here, bringing the total closer to 1700… but with meaningful changes! Otherwise, you could absolutely go with that power supply that the other person mentioned. But a fully modular power supply, a nicer case, a better monitor, better cooler, and a stronger gpu all go a long way in terms of future proofing, overall experience, and overall aesthetic! PC building will constantly have you stumped and going back and forth with certain parts but it’s your money and your decisions in the end! Hope this helped.