Mid-Range Gaming PC Build
A 1440p gaming PC for about . High settings, high frame rates, and a platform you can upgrade.
Who it's for
Gamers with a 1440p high-refresh monitor. New games at high settings with upscaling, competitive games well above 144 FPS. Also handles streaming and photo editing.
Why these parts
CPU: Ryzen 5 9600X. Six fast cores on AM5. AMD plans to support AM5 for years, so you can upgrade the CPU later without a new motherboard.
Cooler: Peerless Assassin 120 SE. Cools like coolers three times the price. At 155mm it fits most mid-towers.
Graphics: RTX 5070. Strong 1440p performance with DLSS. The RX 9070 (16GB) is a good alternative. Swap it in the builder to compare.
Memory: 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30. The ideal speed for Ryzen. Turn on EXPO in the BIOS to run it at full speed.
Motherboard: B650 with Wi-Fi. Everything a gaming build needs, without paying for overclocking extras.
Storage: 2TB NVMe. New games take 100–150GB each.
Power supply: 750W Gold. The build draws about 410W. Includes the cable newer graphics cards use.
Case: Lancool 216. Comes with two 160mm front fans and a rear fan. Fits any card in this range.
Fans: Arctic P12 (5-pack). Add two in the top as exhaust. Quiet, cheap, and the extras cover later upgrades.
Tweaks
- Mostly gaming: a Ryzen 7 7800X3D or 9800X3D adds FPS in CPU-heavy games, for about $160–270 more.
- Save money: an RX 9060 XT 16GB still handles 1440p at medium-high settings.