I'm planning my first PC build in the UK and the current parts list comes to roughly £1,500, but I'd like to get it closer to £1,200–£1,300 without taking a major hit to gaming performance. I already own an AOC Q27G3XMN 27-inch 1440p 180Hz Mini-LED monitor, so the budget is for the PC itself.
The system needs to fit in a Lian Li B4-mATX Mesh case because I'll be moving between university accommodation each year. I mainly play Cyberpunk 2077, Hogwarts Legacy, Apex Legends, Marvel Rivals, and other AAA or open-world games. Ideally, I'd like high-quality 1440p gaming in demanding titles and high frame rates in competitive games.
My current parts list is a Ryzen 5 7600, Arctic Freezer 36, Gigabyte B650M Gaming Plus WiFi or a similar board, 32GB DDR5-6000 CL36, a 1TB Crucial P310 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD, an ASUS Dual RX 9060 XT 16GB, and a Corsair SF850 850W Platinum SFX power supply. I'm willing to change anything except the case and would consider buying selected components, particularly the graphics card, second-hand.
I probably won't buy everything immediately and may wait for sales, so I'd also like guidance on which parts are worth watching for discounts and what would count as a good price. Where am I overspending on the PSU, motherboard, memory, SSD, CPU, or GPU, and which downgrades would I actually notice at 1440p?
3 Answers
Don’t include another monitor in the budget—the 1440p AOC display is already owned. Replacing it with a cheaper 1080p screen would technically lower the total but would defeat the purpose of the build and give up the display quality you already have.
A cheaper alternative platform can reduce the total further, but check the trade-offs carefully. For example, a lower-cost Intel Core Ultra 5 225F with an appropriate B860M board, a budget 1TB SATA SSD, and a quality 750W Bronze PSU could work with the same graphics card. The SATA drive would be slower on paper, but that difference generally won’t affect gaming performance much.
I’d prioritise keeping the RX 9060 XT or finding a good used GPU over spending extra on a premium motherboard or Platinum-rated PSU. Since you’re waiting for sales, prices may change substantially by the time you buy, so compare the complete system again then rather than locking in today’s parts list.
The easiest savings are probably the processor, motherboard, storage, and power supply. A Ryzen 5 7500F should perform very similarly to the 7600 in games, especially if you use a basic tower cooler. A less expensive B650M board can still provide everything needed for a six-core gaming system, and 32GB of DDR5-6000 is the right capacity and speed target—just make sure you’re comparing realistic prices, since the memory price in that example appears unusually high.
For a mid-range RX 9060 XT, an 850W Platinum SFX unit is excessive unless you specifically need that exact compact PSU format. A good 650W or 750W model from a reputable series should be enough, provided it fits the case and has the required connectors. A cheaper 1TB SSD will also make very little difference in game loading or frame rates; PCIe 4.0 NVMe performance is not essential for gaming.
Yes, the monitor is already purchased. The £1,500 estimate is only for the PC components, so I’m specifically looking for savings inside the system itself.