This forgotten PC building hack can help offset the cost of RAM for your build

Published Aug 25, 2026, 7:00 AM EDT Holding a degree in Computer Engineering, Rayan is an avid PC hardware enthusiast. Having built his first computer during the pandemic, he's been hooked on the hobby ever since. His greatest passion is getting the most value out of every dollar, whether building a PC for gaming or tailoring one to another use case. He spends much of his time researching and testing new ways to maximize that value, then shares his findings through his writing. Amidst the ever-surging price of RAM, it's easy to overlook the relatively smaller (but still impactful) price increases for other components. Notably, the price of older midrange CPUs, like the Ryzen 5 5600X, has gone up, as demand for DDR4-compatible CPUs increases. Where you could once get this chip in the ~$120 range, it's now increased in price up to $170. This price creep, though not as significant as the increase in RAM prices, still pushes budget and midrange PCs out of reach for buyers. However, for the intrepid PC builder, there are still ways to claw back some of that price increase, which might help offset the cost of your RAM. The erosion of the midrange Midrange CPUs are becoming less accessible Going back to the Ryzen 5 5600 example, this CPU has remained so relevant because it strikes a perfect balance between cost and performance. When it was available at $120 a few years ago, this CPU was the true sweet spot, able to drive GPUs like the RTX 4070 Super comfortably even in modern, CPU-demanding titles. Alternatives like the Ryzen 5 5500, while a great value and substantially cheaper (around $80), fall short of providing a universally smooth gaming experience, with subpar performance in the most CPU-demanding titles. In short, for $120 you could guarantee you weren't leaving any GPU performance on the table in most games, which made the Ryzen 5 5600 one of the most popular choices for builds at the $1,000 mark. While the budget end for CPUs has remained relatively unscathed (you can still get the R5 5500 for $80), the erosion of the dependable $120 midrange CPU class has put the value equation for sub-$1,000 PC builds in severe jeopardy. You can pair GPUs like the RX 9060XT 16GB with the $80 Ryzen 5 5500, but that's a subpar combination that might leave GPU performance on the table. Or you can spring for the Ryzen 5 5600, but at $170, that's nearly 20% of your PC's budget gone before you even buy RAM, meaning you'll have to compromise on the GPU to fit within a $1,000 budget. That might not sound too bad, but in the current market, the 9060XT 16GB really is the cheapest sensible option; spending even a tiny bit less results in a significantly worse experience. You can still buy CPUs at 2024 pricing on this platform AliExpress is flooded with used Zen 3 chips AliExpress is a rather controversial e-marketplace: on the one hand, you have people who swear up and down by the low prices and relatively quick delivery, while on the other hand, you have people who wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot pole. Certainly, if you were to believe the former group, AliExpress has some great bargains. For example, the same Ryzen 5 5600XT currently being sold by B&H Photo for $176 (with shipping) can be had on AliExpress for $120. If you spring for the Ryzen 5 5600 variant — same chip, just clocked a rather insignificant 4.5-5.7% lower — you'll spend $110, which works out to pretty significant savings. Of course, this assumes you don't end up with a dead CPU. However, in my experience buying motherboards, CPUs, and RAM off AliExpress, I have yet to fall victim to any scam. The trick, as with any online marketplace with third-party sellers (including Amazon), is to always be cautious. With AliExpress, there are no first-party sellers, so you have to be doubly cautious to only buy from trusted sellers. Buyer protection is limited on AliExpress. Disputes often get denied, so it's best to use a payment method with strong chargeback policies, like PayPal. You also have to be wary of reviews; it's not uncommon for them to be fake, with scammers adding photos to make the listing look more legitimate. Unless you're an experienced buyer, it's much safer to stick to trusted sellers, like SZCPU and CPU TOP. These sellers have been on the platform for more than a decade and are well-trusted within the enthusiast community, with users on Reddit also vouching for them. The one thing that's important to note here is that, no matter what the listing may say, always assume you're going to receive a used CPU. The one thing that's important to note here is that, no matter what the listing may say, always assume you're going to receive a used CPU. That goes for trusted sellers, too. As for potential CPU degradation, there's no reason to believe the Ryzen 5 5600 — launched just four years ago — would have suffered from it, so it's not a huge problem. Other AliExpress offerings The wacky, the weird, and the wild Apart from the used Ryzen CPUs, AliExpress has a lot more in store for the intrepid PC builder. Most notably, you can find 'mutant' CPUs: laptop CPUs with a BGA interface adapted to the LGA sockets used by desktop motherboards. These are far more questionable than those Ryzen chips, since even before being converted for desktop use, they start life as engineering samples with crippled expansion (often limited to PCIe 4.0x4) and reduced clocks. Since laptop CPUs don't come with an IHS, AliExpress sellers use their own janky solutions, leading to dodgy temperatures. It's best to avoid these CPUs, especially at current pricing. Right now, the Q016 — considered 10% faster than a 5600 when overclocked, and essentially an i5 12600HX — sells for a whopping $175, so you'd be much better off considering an 8-core CPU like the Ryzen 7 5700X, available for $145. As these mutant CPUs are based on engineering samples, quantities can be limited, and it's hard to track the rather volatile pricing. To some extent, the Ryzen's pricing also looks like it might not last, what with all the talk of a CPU shortage swirling around lately. With that in mind, it might be a good idea to secure one if you're interested and willing to put up with the additional risk associated with AliExpress.