re: Tell me about Starforge PCs

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I was looking for similar advice. I have been aDIYer but this ibuypower pc at Walmart looks like a great deal.

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Actually a pretty good example of why I have such a hard time recommending prebuilts: they almost never give all of the information needed to make an informed decision. Here is the list of specs:

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AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
NVIDIA RTX 5070 12GB
32GB DDR5 5200MHz RGB RAM
1TB NVMe SSD

Features
VR Ready
Brand
iBUYPOWER
Model
EPBA7N5701
Processor Brand
AMD
Processor Type
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Processor Speed
4.2 GHz
RAM Memory
32 GB
Operating System
Windows 11 Home
Assembled Product Weight
36 lb
Manufacturer Part Number
PB-EPBA7N57-01
Wireless Technology
Wi-Fi
Video Memory
12 GB
Solid State Drive Capacity
1 TB
Assembled Product Dimensions (L x W x H)
17.40 x 9.10 x 20.00 in

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Nothing about the PSU or motherboard. Limited specs on the memory and storage.

For the sake of being fair, I then pulled the SKU on their website:

LINK

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Specifications
Operating System:
Windows 11 Home
Warranty:
Standard Warranty Service
Wireless Network:
PCIe or On-Board Wireless Network
Power Supply:
750W 80 PLUS Gold PSU
Primary Storage:
1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Memory:
32GB DDR5-5200MHz RGB RAM
Motherboard:
B650 WiFi
Processor:
AMD Ryzen™ 7 7800X3D CPU
Processor Cooling:
iBUYPOWER AW4 360mm ARGB Liquid Cooler - Black
Case:
iBUYPOWER Element 9 PRO Gaming Case - Black
Video Card:
GeForce RTX 5070 - 12GB

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There's no way I would buy a PC in 2025 with a 750w PSU, especially without knowing the exact SKU. While less concerning, it's hard to make a call on a build when you have no idea what the SKU on the motherboard is, especially being it's on the lower end to begin with. Nothing inherently wrong with that, but it means that the buyer would want to be a bit more selective. We know the storage is a 1TB NVME, but which gen? We know the RAM is a rather slow 5200Mt/s kit, but we don't know how many sticks or what the CAS latency is.

Other than the PSU, which I think is objectively a problem, everything else might be anywhere between "fine" and "avoid at all costs". We just don't know.

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AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 8-Core Processor
ASUS PRIME B650M-A AX6 II
PNY GeForce RTX 5070 Triple Fan OC
Crucial P3 Plus 1TB PCIe Gen4 3D NAND NVMe M.2 SSD, 5000MB/s - CT1000P3PSSD8
XPG AX5U6000C4816G-BLABRBK 16GB 6000 CL48
XPG AX5U6000C4816G-BLABRBK 16GB 6000 CL48

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The NVME is fine, the motherboard is fine, the RAM is pretty bottom of the barrel.

But the problem is that the reason they don't give specifics in the product description is that they change the parts based on what they are currently getting the best price on, so unless you can go hands on the specific device you're buying, it's always going to be a bit of a craps shoot.

And again, terrible PSU.

But with all of that said, that's a pretty heavily discounted price for a prebuilt with those components. You could absolutely buy it, replace the PSU, and have a perfectly serviceable gaming computer for years to come, even though it would pain me a bit to build a system around a 5070, which I just don't love as a product. But now we're getting in the weeds

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Thanks you have convinced me to go the DIY route, it will also help me find the best deals on each component. Wish I had a microcenter near me, so I could go pick out the parts. I may go with the rtx 5080 or a 5070ti if I can get the parts under 1500

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As I said, (probably) nothing wrong with that PC. If you buy it, immediately open it up and see what you got. Return it if it's not good.

As for the 5080/5070ti, if you're including their cost in your $1,500, I don't believe that's possible. If you aren't, then it potential is. We would have to spec it out.

I am ok on the monitor, going to use the lg oled 65 inch c3 that's in my spare bedroom

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can you recommend a decent mobo for an Intel Ultra 265F cpu? I found the cpu for 229 on woot/amazon.

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I recommend going with AMD over Intel.

Yea that’s not bad. The 7800x3d is an amazing gaming cpu. You could probably save a little more money by getting an even cheaper B650 motherboard though.