I'm completely new to building PCs and need help choosing parts for a gaming system. I want to play demanding games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, use PC mods, stream, and talk with friends at the same time. My target is smooth 1440p gaming around 110–150 FPS where possible; I don't need 4K. I'd like to spend roughly £1,500, although I can go somewhat higher if the improvement is worthwhile. I'm also considering ordering through a website that offers financing. Please keep the build practical and avoid overspending on parts that won't noticeably improve performance.
3 Answers
Use a parts-planning site to check compatibility and compare prices, then look for retailer or local computer-shop assembly if you don’t want to build it yourself. A sensible target would be a recent Ryzen 7 or Core i5/i7-class CPU, 32GB DDR5 memory, a fast NVMe drive, and a graphics card in the upper-midrange. Streaming can usually be handled by the GPU’s hardware encoder, so you don’t necessarily need an extremely expensive processor. Leave some budget for case fans and a reliable power supply instead of spending everything on the GPU.
If you’re nervous about selecting and assembling parts, a reputable prebuilt with a current midrange graphics card can be a sensible option. Just check the full specifications before buying: avoid systems with an unspecified power supply, single-channel memory, or very limited storage. Make sure it has 32GB of dual-channel RAM, decent airflow, and a quality power supply. Financing can make a prebuilt or retailer-built system easier to purchase, but compare the total repayment cost rather than focusing only on the monthly amount.
For those expectations, £1,500 is a reasonable starting point if that only covers the PC. Prioritize the graphics card, then pair it with a modern six- or eight-core processor, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB or 2TB NVMe SSD. A strong GPU is especially important for 1440p and high refresh rates. Check independent benchmarks for the games you play rather than choosing based only on the model number. Also remember that 110–150 FPS won’t be guaranteed in every demanding game, especially with heavy mods or maximum settings.
If the £1,500 also needs to cover a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and headset, the PC budget will be lower. In that case, aiming for a solid 1440p setup around 80–120 FPS may be more realistic than guaranteeing 150 FPS.