DeepSeek, the brand new Chinese AI chatbot, has had a significant impact on the AI panorama (and the inventory market) due to how environment friendly it’s, and the actual fact it is open supply. However, as somebody who cares extra about PC gaming and the way the AI can work for me, I resolve to check it solely means I knew how, by testing its PC constructing recommendation.
I assumed it apt to match no matter a free person would get with each chatbots. That’s DeepSeek R1 and ChatGPT 4o/4o mini. Though for the report, ChatGPT has a brand new and improved o1 mannequin within the works, which DeepSeek claims comparative efficiency to, it is simply not accessible but. As nicely as this, DeepSeek’s R1 mannequin requires an web connection and must be activated, so many first-time customers will really be utilizing the older mannequin.
With my two AI associates (foes?) at hand, I sought some shopping for recommendation. My first query: Can you construct me a gaming PC for $1000?
First utilizing ChatGPT’s 4o mini mannequin and DeepSeek (with out R1 reasoning), each really helpful an RTX 30-series graphics card in response. That’s not a superb graphics card to purchase in 2025, in order that’s a nasty begin on each counts. There’s virtually no cause to return to the RTX 30-series lately, particularly if you aren’t actually making any financial savings from retailers in comparison with newer playing cards. Perhaps if you happen to discovered a scorcher of a deal you can justify this determination, nevertheless it’s not good recommendation for an AI to offer you. It’s basically saying: ‘Hope for a miracle!’
Both AI really helpful a Ryzen 5 chip, a B550 motherboard, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM, and 1 TB of SSD storage. Though ChatGPT really helpful a Kingston NV2 (for disgrace), which is an infamously inconsistent SSD. While altogether fairly cheap, they’re fairly primary picks.
But I’m but to activate DeepSeek’s secret weapon. Its reasoning mannequin, which requires an web connection, and provides the mannequin time to ‘assume’. With this, DeepSeek grew to become a bit extra spectacular. This continues to be a free mannequin, by the way in which, it is simply not activated if you first boot the chatbot. After 25 seconds of ‘pondering’, it gave me a complete web page of reasoning for its PC construct, making justifications for its suggestions and contemplating compatibility.
I watched as DeepSeek made selections then ‘questioned’ itself—although it’s all for present. We additionally requested the AI if this reasoning was actual, and the precise behind-the-scenes course of to its reply era, and it instructed us it wasn’t.
“The mannequin has no consciousness, inner dialogue, or parallel processors; it is purely a sequence of mathematical operations reworking enter into output,” the machine instructed us.
What a strategy to smash the magic.
Anyways, I requested DeepSeek to create a gaming PC construct for round $1,000. Here’s my immediate:
| Model | DeepSeeker R1 | ChatGPT 4o |
| GPU | AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT | AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT |
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 7600 | AMD Ryzen 5 5600 |
| Motherboard | MSI B650M Pro | MSI B550M Pro |
| Memory | Corsair Vengeance 16 GB | Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan Z 15 GB |
| Storage | Crucial P3 Plus 1 TB | Crucial P3 Plus 1 TB |
| PSU | 600W gold licensed | Corsair CX650M (80+ Bronze) |
| Case | NZXT H510 Flow | Montech X3 Mesh |
| Extras | None | Thermalright CPU contact body, Arctic P12 PWM fan |
The rig that DeepSeek really helpful has an AMD Ryzen 5 7600, Radeon RX 7700 XT GPU, MSI B650M Pro motherboard, 16 GB of Corsair Vengeance RAM, a 600 W gold licensed PSU, NZXT H510 Flow case, and Crucial P3 Plus 1 TB SSD.
I then requested the identical query of ChatGPT 4o, which you acquire restricted entry to if you make an account with OpenAI. It steered a Ryzen 5 5600, AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, MSI B550M Pro motherboard, 16 GB of Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan Z 16 RAM, Corsair 650W PSU, Montech X3 Mesh case, and the identical SSD as DeepSeek. It additionally really helpful a Thermalright CPU contact body and an additional Arctic P12 PWM fan.
Interestingly, after I fed each rigs into ChatGPT and requested it to match them, DeepSeek’s was successfully deemed the winner for anybody with the finances. It stated DeepSeek’s rig is “constructing for efficiency longevity reasonably than speedy financial savings.”
Case closed, DeepSeek carried out higher. Or did it?
I’d suggest neither construct and this is why. The DeepSeek PC really requires a 700 W PSU at the least, as said by AMD for the RX 7700 XT. Oopsie. Both builds additionally suggest a PCIe 3.0 SSD, which is a bizarre selection when PCIe 4.0 drives are so low-cost and plentiful available in the market. Plus ChatGPT’s PC has a contact body which is not in any respect required for an AMD chip, and I do not assume there’s even an AM4-compatible one accessible. That’s only a waste of money, which is not acceptable for a construct on a finances.
So there you will have it, shopping for a gaming PC primarily based on an AI advice isn’t a wise transfer. Still, DeepSeek is a powerful imitator of ChatGPT and virtually indistinguishable from an end-user perspective. You might be able to hone both AI’s selections into one thing usable however, at that time, why not simply hearken to your pleasant neighbourhood PC Gamer author as a substitute? Our selections for one of the best gaming PCs really work.
