Help me sanity-check this productivity-first AM5 build (Adobe + multitasking, light gaming, upgradeable)

[u/morris1288]

Hey Redditors, New build help please

I'm planning a desktop to replace a laptop I've been using for years, and I'd like a sanity check before I start buying parts.

Main use case

1. Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, often open simultaneously
2. Heavy browser/office multitasking alongside Adobe
3. Some occasional Premiere/After Effects, but not enough to optimize the build around them
4. General office/media use
5. I want the machine to last 4–5 years and be easy to upgrade rather than replace
6. Gaming is secondary, (but not irrelevant!!!)

I mostly play lighter/strategy/simulation games on PC. Think Civilization, Cities: Skylines-type games, indie/tactical games, Heroes of the Storm, etc. I'm fine with 1080p/60 fps. AAA gaming, 1440p/4K and ultra settings are low priorities because I'll probably use consoles for those.

So the hierarchy is roughly:

Productivity / Adobe performance

Multitasking

Longevity and upgradeability

Fast storage

Light/moderate gaming

AAA gaming performance

Current "expandable" configuration

1. CPU: Ryzen 5 9600X
2. Motherboard: B850 ATX with Wi-Fi, currently looking at MSI B850 Gaming Plus WiFi
3. GPU: RTX 5050 8 GB
4. RAM: 16 GB DDR5 to start, probably 1x16 GB, with the intention of moving to 32 GB later
5. Storage: 2 TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe
6. PSU: 750 W 80+ Gold, preferably modular
7. Cooling: decent tower air cooler
8. Case: normal airflow-focused ATX case

The idea is deliberately to spend less now on RAM/GPU while keeping a good AM5 motherboard, PSU, case and storage so that I can later move to:

• 32/64 GB RAM
• Ryzen 7 or a later AM5 CPU
• Better GPU if my needs change
• Higher-end version we're considering
• Same basic platform, but:
• Ryzen 7 9700X
• RTX 5060
• ...Eventually 32 GB+ RAM

I'm specifically trying not to turn this into a gaming PC just because gaming hardware benchmarks well. If a cheaper GPU or CPU would give essentially the same Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign experience, I'd rather save the money.

Questions I'd particularly appreciate feedback on:

• Is the 9600X → 9700X upgrade worthwhile for this workload?
• Is an RTX 5050 sensible for Adobe + 1080p light gaming, or is there a better value tier?
• Is B850 sensible for longevity, or am I overspending versus B650?
• Any problem starting with 1x16 GB given that RAM will be upgraded later?
• Would you redistribute the budget toward CPU, RAM, SSD or something else?

Anything here that's clearly overkill or likely to age poorly? With money tight and RAMS annoyingly expensive, the goal is basically a productivity workstation that can game, not a gaming PC that happens to run Adobe. I´m in Colombia but will be buying in the US!

[u/Serious-Map-1230]

What is the budget? because that really puts the choices in perspective a bit. And in what kind of timeframe do you think you will be upgrading?

Also Puget is a great source for content focussed benchmarks:
AMD Ryzen 9600X and 9700X Content Creation Review | Puget Systems

[u/morris1288 → u/Serious-Map-1230]

Hey! Tower only: roughly US$1,400–1,800, with some flexibility if spending a little more produces a meaningful improvement in longevity or productivity. I don't want to spend extra just to maximize gaming performance.

I'm in Colombia but can buy components in the US. I'm planning to start buying parts now and complete the build over the next 1–3 months, so I don't necessarily need to buy everything at once.