Build Report - #68 (~$476 profit)
| Type | Part | Source | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Ryzen 5 5600X | Family | $50 |
| CPU Cooler | Thermalright Assassin King 120 SE ARGB White | Amazon | $20 |
| Motherboard | ASUS B550M PLUS (Wi‑Fi) | Craigslist | $40 |
| RAM | Corsair Vengeance White 16GB 3600MHz | $20 | |
| GPU | MSI Radeon RX 6650 XT MECH 2X 8G OC | $100 | |
| PSU | EVGA Supernova 850 P6 | $15 | |
| Storage (SSD) | Western Digital SN550 1TB NVMe | $20 | |
| Storage (HDD) | 1TB Western Digital HDD | Ebay | $9 |
| Fans | Thermalright TL-C14CW-S X2 140mm ARGB | Amazon | $13 |
| Fans | Thermalright TL-C12CW-S X3 120mm ARGB | Amazon | $12 |
| Case | ASUS Prime AP201 | $25 | |
| Total | $324 |
Build Notes
I went into this build with the intention of building something more premium since I had come into possession of some higher end parts, in particular a Ryzen 5 5600X that I bought from my girlfriend’s brother, as well as the RX 6650 XT, ASUS B550M PLUS (Wi-Fi), and Corsair RGB RAM from prior hauls. The ASUS Prime AP201 was super nice to build in. Plenty of room for cable management, tool-less magnetic side panels, and a solid cooling setup with rear + bottom intakes and top exhaust. I paired everything with 140mm ARGB fans where possible to minimize noise and filled in the rest with 120mm fans. This also had the benefit of maintaining positive air pressure in the case to minimize dust.
Pretty much the only unexpected thing about this build was that the secondhand AP201 I bought didn’t include the panel that hides the PSU.
Since it had a non-glass mesh side panel, this normally wouldn’t be such a big deal but I noticed the panel also serves as structural reinforcement as the case was a bit wobbly on the corners. After considering my options, I discovered that PCIe slot covers are about the right length to bridge the corners. I was able to drill holes in two spare PCIe slot covers and use them as reinforcements, which solved the wobbliness.
Performance-wise, this PC was great. 300+FPS on Overwatch 2, 144 average FPS on Marvel Rivals, and an Excellent score in the Monster Hunter Wilds benchmark.
Sale Notes
I listed this build on 8/21 for $800. Somebody reached out on Facebook Marketplace that day saying she was super interested but that she was out of town until Monday and asking if I could hold it for the weekend. I’ve learned through experience that buyers who ask me to hold a build for them often end up flaking, but I hadn’t had any other serious offers so I agreed. The hold duration was also fairly short and I had a little more hope after I was able to set up a time and place to meet on Monday. I was able to confirm on Sunday evening that we were still on for the next day, and the transaction went smoothly. I actually forgot my mouse dongle in the PC from testing but the buyer was nice enough to meet up again later in the week to return it.