I'm planning my first PC build in the EU and expect to assemble it within the next one to three months. The system will mainly be used for competitive 1440p gaming, especially CPU-heavy games such as Counter-Strike 2. My budget is around €4,000–4,500, and I'd like strong price-to-performance while keeping the build useful for as long as possible. Because of that, I was considering higher-end parts such as the motherboard, power supply, and liquid cooler. I already have a parts list prepared and would appreciate feedback on compatibility, value, cooling, and whether I'm overspending in areas that won't improve gaming performance much.
3 Answers
For competitive 1440p gaming, you can get very high frame rates without spending €4,000. It would be worth checking a few balanced build examples and considering whether the extra money could be better used on a high-refresh monitor, peripherals, or simply saved. Prioritize reliable components and sensible upgrades over an oversized motherboard, liquid cooler, or power supply unless you have a specific feature or future upgrade that requires them.
The case and cooling could likely be simplified. A case with strong airflow and preinstalled fans, such as the Lancool 217 or another reasonably priced airflow-focused model, may let you skip buying several additional fans. Also, check GPU pricing carefully: a 9070 XT could offer similar performance to a 5070 Ti for less, while some European 5080 models may be worth considering if the price difference is reasonable. A Hall Effect keyboard is also worth looking at for competitive gaming, though it won’t affect the PC’s performance.
You probably don’t need to spend the entire budget for this use case. A well-balanced system in the €2,000–3,000 range should already deliver excellent 1440p competitive performance, so focus on the CPU, GPU, memory, and monitor rather than automatically choosing premium parts everywhere.
That makes sense. I’ll compare the local prices for the 9070 XT, 5080, and the other parts instead of assuming the most expensive option is automatically best. I also found a new 1200 W power supply locally for only slightly more than comparable 850 W or 1000 W models, so I may still choose it if the brand and efficiency are good.