I built this PC around the beginning of last month and expected it to be a strong 1440p gaming system. However, while playing Mafia: The Old Country, the image quality seemed disappointing and performance was lower than expected, so I'm wondering whether the build itself is unbalanced or whether I simply chose a demanding game.
The current specifications and approximate prices are:
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X — ₹29,000
Motherboard: Gigabyte X670 Aorus — ₹10,500 (open-box with a 1.5-year warranty and invoice)
GPU: Sapphire Pulse RX 9060 XT 16GB — ₹52,000
RAM: T-Force DDR5-5600 CL36, currently 1×16GB and borrowed temporarily
SSD: ADATA Legend 960 1TB NVMe — ₹11,400 (used, 99% health, with three years of warranty remaining)
PSU: Corsair RM850e 850W — ₹10,000
CPU cooler: DeepCool AK400 — ₹2,400
Case: Circle Curve BTF — ₹6,500
The total paid for the purchased parts is about ₹121,800, not including the borrowed RAM. I plan to replace it with a 32GB DDR5-6000 CL30 kit once prices improve.
My main question is whether this is a sensible build for 1440p gaming and whether I should have spent less on the CPU and bought an RX 9070 XT or another stronger graphics card instead. Ideally, I'd like to play newer games at around 100–120 FPS on high or ultra settings for the next three years, although I understand some compromises may be necessary.
4 Answers
That particular game is an unusually demanding benchmark. At native 1440p with maximum settings, even extremely high-end cards struggle to reach high frame rates, so it may not be a fair test of the whole build.
The GPU can still produce the same visual quality as a faster card; the difference is that it will render it more slowly. Try comparing several games and monitor GPU usage before deciding that something is wrong.
The build is functional, but it is more CPU-heavy than necessary for a 1440p gaming system. A Ryzen 5 7500F, 7600, or possibly 9600X paired with a stronger GPU would generally give you better gaming value at this resolution.
The RX 9060 XT 16GB is mainly an entry-level 1440p card. It should handle roughly 60 FPS well in many games, but maintaining 100–120 FPS at high or ultra settings in demanding new releases is not a realistic expectation. Upscaling and frame generation can help, but they don’t turn it into a high-end GPU.
I chose the 9700X partly because I was hoping GPU prices would eventually normalize, letting me upgrade to something like a 5070 Ti or 5080 later. Unfortunately, current prices make that plan less attractive.
There is no urgent hardware fault indicated here. The PC should be a solid general 1440p system, but 100–120 FPS at high or ultra settings for three years cannot be guaranteed with an RX 9060 XT, especially in demanding games. You may need to use high rather than ultra settings, upscaling, or a frame-rate target closer to 60–90 FPS.
If you can still return or exchange parts, shifting some of the CPU budget toward an RX 9070 XT would make the system more balanced for your stated goal. Otherwise, keep the current CPU and plan a GPU upgrade later.
The most important immediate change is replacing the single 16GB stick with a matched 2×16GB kit. One stick means single-channel memory, which can reduce performance and cause worse frame-time consistency in some games. DDR5-6000 CL30 is a good target for Ryzen, but getting two sticks matters more than chasing the exact timings.
After upgrading the RAM, enable the memory profile in the BIOS and check temperatures, clocks, GPU usage, and frame times. The 850W power supply is more than adequate, and the cooler should be fine for the 9700X as long as airflow is decent.
I was using ultra settings with FSR 4 in Quality mode, but the image was still stuttering during character movement. I didn’t realize how GPU-heavy the game was.