I'm planning my first PC build in the EU and expect to purchase the parts within the next one to three months. The main goal is competitive 1440p gaming, especially CPU-heavy titles such as Counter-Strike 2. My budget is roughly €4,000–€4,500, and I'd like strong performance, good price-to-performance where possible, and reasonable longevity.
I was leaning toward higher-end components such as the motherboard, power supply, and liquid cooler to make the system more future-proof. I already have a parts list prepared and would appreciate feedback on whether the component choices are sensible, where I might be overspending, and whether anything important is missing.
3 Answers
For CS2, spending more on the fastest suitable CPU and properly tuned memory will matter more than buying an extremely expensive motherboard or oversized AIO. A 1200W power supply is fine if you found a reputable new unit at nearly the same price as an 850W or 1000W model, but it isn’t necessary for most single-GPU systems. Also, if you’re choosing peripherals for competitive play, Hall Effect keyboard switches can be a worthwhile upgrade for rapid movement inputs.
The case and cooling setup may be more elaborate than necessary. A case with strong airflow, such as the Lancool 217 or another reasonably priced airflow-focused model, often includes enough fans that you can skip buying a separate fan set. Also compare graphics card pricing carefully: a 5070 Ti may be poor value at that price in Europe, while an RTX 5080 or Radeon 9070 XT could make more sense depending on local deals.
You don’t need to spend the entire budget for this use case. A well-balanced €2,000–€3,000 build should already deliver excellent competitive 1440p performance, so focus on the parts that actually affect frame rates rather than automatically choosing the highest-tier motherboard, PSU, or cooler.
The 9070 XT is worth checking if you don’t specifically need Nvidia features. It offers similar gaming performance to the 5070 Ti in many cases and can be substantially cheaper.