I'm new to building PCs and want to get the best value possible rather than replace the system after only a year or two. I'm based in the UK and could spend anywhere from around £1,000 to £4,000, although I'd prefer to stay toward the lower end unless spending more provides a meaningful improvement. My target is roughly 4K at 120 FPS on the highest practical settings, including demanding games such as Icarus and Wardogs. Is it worth spending substantially more for a system that will remain capable for many years, or would a more moderate build with future upgrades be the better approach?
3 Answers
Around £1,700 is a reasonable target for a strong UK gaming build at the moment. It should handle 4K gaming well, though “maximum settings at 120 FPS in every game” isn’t guaranteed, especially in demanding titles. A £4,000 build would provide more headroom now, but it wouldn’t stay twice as capable for twice as long.
The most practical kind of future-proofing is choosing a platform with a good upgrade path. An AMD system may let you upgrade the processor later without replacing the motherboard and memory, although that only saves part of the cost. For 4K gaming, the graphics card matters most, so putting all the extra money into the most expensive components isn’t always the best value.
It’s difficult to promise that any gaming PC will stay at the highest settings for ten years. A high-end system bought today will still be several hardware generations behind after four to six years. It’s more sensible to choose a firm budget and buy the best-performing parts within it rather than pay a huge premium for vague future-proofing. Your results will also depend heavily on the specific games and whether you’re willing to lower settings or use upscaling later.
Would roughly £1,700 be enough for maximum settings in the games I play, or would I need to spend much more to get close to 4K at 120 FPS?