Ryzen 7 vs Core i7, GPU pairing, and DDR5 value for a $1500 1440p PC

[AlexanderT]

I'm building my first gaming PC with a budget of around $1500, and I'm trying to navigate all the conflicting advice about which components offer the best value right now. I know I want to target 1440p gaming at high refresh rates, but I'm stuck deciding between an AMD Ryzen 7 or an Intel Core i7 for the CPU, and whether it's worth spending extra on DDR5 RAM at this point. For those who have recently built a similar system, what PC component buying guide or resources did you find most trustworthy for comparing real-world gaming performance? I'm especially confused about GPU pairing and making sure my power supply and cooling are adequate without overspending.