I'm planning a white gaming PC in the UK with a budget of roughly £1,000–£1,300. I don't need peripherals or an SSD. I was considering a white RTX 5060 for around £350, although a black RTX 5060 Ti is available for similar money. My current parts idea is an Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, Gigabyte B860M Eagle V2 motherboard, white 240 mm liquid cooler, Corsair 4500X white case, and an 850 W modular power supply. I'd like 32 GB of DDR5 if it can be found at a reasonable price, but memory prices seem unusually high. Should I temporarily buy 16 GB instead, and are there any better component choices?
3 Answers
For memory, aim for a 32 GB kit rated around DDR5-6000 with reasonably tight timings, ideally CL30 or CL32. However, if 32 GB really costs £350–£400, I wouldn’t pay that. Buying a matched 2x8 GB kit as a temporary solution can work, but 16 GB is already becoming restrictive in newer games and upgrading later can be less convenient. Check several retailers and consider plain, non-RGB memory to save money.
The parts are generally compatible, but I’d avoid paying a large premium just to keep everything white. Put the money toward the graphics card first, since that will matter most for gaming performance. A black GPU inside a white case is perfectly fine if it gets you a faster model for the same price. Also, a good air cooler such as a white Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE should be enough for this processor and costs less than the liquid cooler.
You could also compare the Intel setup with a Ryzen 5 9600X and an AM5 motherboard. It should offer very similar gaming performance while leaving you with a longer upgrade path. A white RX 9060 XT 16 GB would be a stronger graphics option than a standard RTX 5060 if the pricing works out. If the next-tier card is only about £90 more and your budget allows it, paying for the faster GPU is generally more worthwhile than spending extra on RGB, an expensive case, or a 1,000 W power supply. An 850 W high-quality unit is already more than enough for this class of build.
I like the suggested white 9060 XT build, but I’m wondering whether it’s worth stretching another £90 for the higher-tier graphics card. I’m also considering using 16 GB of RAM temporarily to keep the total cost under control.
That makes sense. I may use 16 GB for now because current DDR5 prices are difficult to justify, although I remember buying 32 GB of DDR4 for around £60.