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Hey everyone!

I'm finally taking the plunge and building my first gaming PC. I've done a bit of research, but I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the component choices. My budget is around $1200, and I'm looking to play modern AAA titles at 1080p with good frame rates (60+ FPS ideally). I'm open to AMD or Intel for the CPU and any GPU brand. Any suggestions for a solid build that balances performance and cost?

Here's what I've vaguely considered:

• CPU: Ryzen 5 5600X or Intel Core i5-12400F
• GPU: RX 6700 XT or RTX 3060 Ti
• RAM: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz
• SSD: 1TB NVMe

What do you guys think? Any specific motherboards or PSUs you'd recommend?

Welcome to the PC building community, GamerNoob! That's a great starting point for your budget. Both of your CPU/GPU options are solid. For 1080p gaming at your budget, the Ryzen 5 5600X paired with the RX 6700 XT is often a fantastic value.

Consider this setup:

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
• CPU Cooler: Stock cooler is fine, but a Thermalright Assassin King 120 SE is a great budget upgrade ($20).
• Motherboard: MSI PRO B550M-VC WIFI or Gigabyte B550M DS3H AC (ensure it has Wi-Fi if you need it)
• Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 3200MHz C16
• Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 1TB NVMe SSD
• Video Card: AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT 12GB (look for brands like Sapphire, PowerColor, or XFX)
• Case: Fractal Design Focus G or Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh
• Power Supply: Corsair RM650x (2021) 650W 80+ Gold Fully Modular

This build should easily hit your performance goals. The 5600X is a beast for gaming, and the 6700 XT is excellent for 1080p and even 1440p in many titles. The PSU recommendation is for quality and future-proofing.

Great advice from PCMasterBuild! I'd also suggest checking out the Intel i5-12400F if you find a good deal. It's very competitive. Just make sure to get a B660 motherboard for it. For the GPU, the RX 6700 XT is definitely the winner in terms of VRAM and raw performance per dollar at 1080p.

Also, don't forget a good CPU cooler if you go with Intel, as their stock coolers can be a bit noisy under load. A budget cooler like the Deepcool AK400 would be a good choice.