I'm planning a white gaming PC build in the UK with a budget of roughly £1,000–£1,300, excluding peripherals and storage because I already have an SSD. I was considering a white RTX 5060 for around £350, although a black RTX 5060 Ti is available for a similar price. My current parts list includes an Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, a Gigabyte B860M Eagle V2 motherboard, a white 240 mm liquid cooler, a white Corsair FRAME 4500X case, and an 850 W modular power supply. I'd like 32 GB of DDR5 if possible, but memory prices seem very high. Would it be better to start with 16 GB and upgrade later? I'd also appreciate recommendations for improving the parts list while keeping gaming performance and the white colour theme in mind.
3 Answers
You can save money by replacing the liquid cooler with a white Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE. It should be more than sufficient for this processor and avoids the extra cost and complexity of an all-in-one cooler. A Ryzen 5 9600X with an AM5 motherboard is another option worth checking, especially if you want a platform with straightforward CPU upgrades later.
A sensible version of this build would use the 245KF, the Gigabyte B860M board, a white air cooler, 32 GB of DDR5-6000 around CL30, and the strongest graphics card you can fit into the budget. A white RX 9060 XT 16 GB configuration is one possible direction, though the total can exceed £1,300 depending on current prices. A 1,000 W power supply is unnecessary for these parts; 750–850 W from a reliable model should be plenty. Just remember that black PSU cables can be visible in a white case unless you buy extensions or custom cables.
If gaming performance is the priority, I’d be willing to relax the white-theme requirement. A less expensive or black case and cooler could free up money for a stronger graphics card, which will make a much bigger difference than matching every component’s colour. Also, don’t rush the purchase if you can avoid it—prices and deals can change quickly.
Thanks, I really like that approach. I’m considering using 16 GB temporarily because 32 GB kits are so expensive right now. Would that be reasonable for gaming, and would spending about £90 more on a higher-tier graphics card such as an RX 9070 be worthwhile?