Every quarter, our technicians update the components we're actually putting in customer builds — gaming PCs, workstations, and home office machines. This list reflects current pricing, performance-per-dollar, and long-term value. Components change; we'll keep this updated. Here's what we're recommending for Q2 2026.

CPUs: Processors

The CPU landscape in 2026 is healthily competitive between Intel and AMD, with clear winners at different price points.

Best Budget CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600 (~$180)

The Ryzen 5 7600 on the AM5 platform is remarkable value. Six cores, twelve threads, a 5.1GHz boost clock, and exceptional gaming performance. Most importantly, the AM5 socket will receive CPU support through at least 2027, meaning this platform has upgrade longevity. Pair it with a B650 motherboard for a solid budget gaming foundation.

Best Mid-Range CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (~$280) or Intel Core i5-14600K (~$250)

Both are excellent choices. The 7700X offers better multi-threaded performance for workloads like video rendering and streaming simultaneously with gaming. The i5-14600K edges it out in some gaming benchmarks and costs less, but is on the LGA 1700 socket which Intel is retiring — AM5 has better longevity.

Best High-End CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (~$450)

For content creators, streamers, and power users who need both gaming performance and heavy multi-threaded workloads, the Ryzen 9 9900X on AM5 is exceptional. Twelve cores at high clock speeds handle 4K video editing, 3D rendering, and gaming simultaneously without breaking a sweat.

GPUs: Graphics Cards

The GPU market has settled considerably after years of supply constraints and inflated prices.

Best Budget GPU: AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (~$240)

16GB of VRAM at a sub-$250 price point makes the RX 7600 XT exceptional value for 1080p gaming and entry-level 1440p. The 16GB VRAM is especially important for AI workloads and future game memory requirements.

Best Mid-Range GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super (~$550)

DLSS 3 Frame Generation, excellent 1440p performance, efficient power consumption, and NVIDIA's mature driver ecosystem make the 4070 Super the technician's choice for most gaming builds in 2026. It handles every modern game at 1440p/high with framerates well above 60fps.

Best High-End GPU: NVIDIA RTX 5080 (~$1,000)

The RTX 5080 represents excellent value at the high end — 4K gaming, AI-accelerated rendering, and future-proofing. The RTX 5090 exists for those who need maximum performance regardless of cost, but the 5080 hits a far better performance-per-dollar point.

RAM: Memory

DDR5 is now standard for AM5 platforms, and pricing has dropped to near parity with DDR4. Our recommendations:

Enable XMP/EXPO in your BIOS to ensure your RAM runs at its rated speed — it ships clocked lower by default.

Storage: SSDs

PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs are the practical standard for OS drives in 2026. PCIe 5.0 drives exist but cost more and generate more heat than the performance difference justifies for most users.

Motherboards

Don't overspend on a motherboard unless you need specific features. For an AM5 Ryzen build, a mid-range B650 board from ASUS (B650-PLUS), MSI (B650 TOMAHAWK), or Gigabyte (B650 AORUS Elite) at $150–$200 provides everything most users need: PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, multiple M.2 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, and solid VRMs for overclocking. X670 boards make sense only if you need PCIe 5.0 on M.2 storage or have specific connectivity needs.

Power Supply

The PSU is the most under-spec'd component in budget builds and the most likely to cause system instability. Our minimum recommendation: 80+ Gold efficiency rating, at least 750W for mid-range builds, 850W for high-end GPU systems. Corsair RM750e (~$100) and Seasonic Focus GX-850 (~$130) are proven reliable units. Do not use no-name or deeply discounted PSUs — a failed PSU can take other components with it.

Cooling

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Tell us your budget, use case, and games — we'll put together a parts list and build it for you, with testing and a local warranty. Serving Tennessee and North Alabama.

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Published by Ray's Custom Computers — serving Fayetteville, TN, Huntsville, AL, and McKinleyville, CA since 1996. Questions? Contact us or call (931) 557-6104.