My current PC is starting to show its age after about seven years, and I'm planning a new gaming system. I'm based in Belgium and usually play games such as Battlefield 6, Forza Horizon 6, and Rainbow Six Siege. My budget is around €3,000, give or take. I put together a parts list based on component recommendations and compatibility, but I haven't kept up with recent hardware releases, so I'd appreciate advice on value, performance, and possible improvements. I'll be transferring a 6TB SSD from my existing PC into the new system. I also accidentally included a DVD drive in the original list, but I already have a separate USB DVD reader, so the internal drive isn't needed.
5 Answers
Consider a Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE or Peerless Assassin instead of the high-end Noctua cooler. They offer very similar performance for substantially less money. A 1TB SSD also feels small for a system in this price range, especially with modern games, so 2TB would be a more comfortable starting point. Larger 4TB drives can be good value when discounted, but availability and pricing vary by country.
The CPU you selected can run fairly warm, including at idle, so make sure the case has a sensible fan layout. Case fans depend on the specific chassis, so choose a case based on airflow and included fans rather than appearance alone. The motherboard manual should also be checked for the best M.2 slot placement; the first and fourth slots may be preferable on this board.
Double-check that the parts list is set to Belgium before comparing prices. Regional availability and taxes can make a big difference, and the original list appeared to use an incorrect or generic configuration link. Once the country is set correctly, it should be easier to spot overpriced components and find equivalent alternatives.
The graphics card and overall platform should be capable of lasting several years, but a €3,000 system with only 1TB of storage is not especially balanced. Even if you reuse the 6TB drive, a 2TB primary SSD would provide more room for the operating system, applications, and frequently played games. Check local pricing carefully, since some 4TB drives occasionally offer better value than premium 1TB models.
The build should perform well, but quite a bit of the budget is going toward premium parts without much extra gaming performance. The Noctua D15-G2 cooler, expensive case, RAM, and power supply could all be replaced with cheaper options that perform similarly. The money would be better spent on additional or faster storage, such as a good 2TB NVMe drive.
I updated the parts list for Belgium and removed the unnecessary internal DVD drive. I’ll compare the suggested coolers and use the savings toward a larger NVMe drive.
That makes sense. The case was mostly an instinctive choice, so I’ll compare it with other airflow-focused options and check the motherboard manual before installing the NVMe drive.