Build Advice Build advice for 1440p gaming, minimal rgb.

[Sampei112233]

Hello everyone, I am a long time gamer but new in this forum. I come seeking help for a new build I was planning.
I am looking to use the pc to game at 1440p with high refresh rate, no editing or anything else, besides normal use of the pc.

- Budget: ~3k euro ( variable, depending on what we cook up )
- Store: Mostly amazon, considering I come from Italy.
- Parts I have : Keyboard and mouse, headset, old 1080p monitor to use as 2nd screen, 1terabyte ssd nvme m2. (Although I'd like to have more)
Everything else will be new, the old parts I have will go to friends/family.
- Requirements: I want minimal to no RGB as I hate those, I would highly prefer air cooling for my cpu (Not an AIO) and a full atx mobo+case, as for the case, the better cooled the better, I do not care about having a window or glass panel at all. GPU wise, I would rather stick with AMD, I am currently waiting to see how the 9070 series perform, otherwise I was thinking on a 7900xtx. I am ofcourse open to changes here too. Last thing would be that I would prefer to have some overhead, both with psu and mobo/ram slots, so that in the future I can just upgrade if needed. (EG. AM5 with 32gb in dual, PSU with overhead in power etc)

If you have time/want to, I would also like a monitor recommendation but it is not needed.

I already have a rough idea on what to pick, my main issue is that I am struggling to find parts that are both low RGB and offer a good price to performance ratio, hence my post here.
I am mostly waiting on a final list + the new AMD gpus to buy parts, but I can start buying as soon as I finalize the list.

I would also mention that I may have managed to get my hands on a 9800X3D at a reasonable price, so while it may be overkill it could be a good addition.


Thanks to everyone and I hope I did everything correctly when asking for help, it is my first post here so if I messed up let me know and I'll fix it.

 

[Lutfij]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Here is a good starting point;
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor (€499.99 @ Amazon Italia)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB 48.82 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (€94.58 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard: ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi ATX AM5 Motherboard (€322.44 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: Crucial Pro Overclocking 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory (€101.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€41.78 @ Amazon Italia)
Case: Corsair 3500X ARGB ATX Mid Tower Case (€138.40 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply: MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€156.94 @ Amazon Italia)
Total: €1356.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-02-18 12:58 CET+0100
just the single 500GB PCIe4.0x4 SSD for your OS, app's and launchers. You can drop in your existing NVMe drive that will act as your game library but you have room to add more down the road. Speaking of which, what is the make and model of your existing M.2 drive? You can drop in pretty much any GPU out there due to a beefy PSU though I'd stick to an RTX5070Ti at most. If you can source a 9800X3D, replace the 7800X3D in the listing above.

 

[Sampei112233]

Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Here is a good starting point;
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor (€499.99 @ Amazon Italia)
CPU Cooler: ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB 48.82 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (€94.58 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard: ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi ATX AM5 Motherboard (€322.44 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: Crucial Pro Overclocking 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL36 Memory (€101.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Storage: Crucial P3 Plus 500 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€41.78 @ Amazon Italia)
Case: Corsair 3500X ARGB ATX Mid Tower Case (€138.40 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply: MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€156.94 @ Amazon Italia)
Total: €1356.12
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-02-18 12:58 CET+0100
just the single 500GB PCIe4.0x4 SSD for your OS, app's and launchers. You can drop in your existing NVMe drive that will act as your game library but you have room to add more down the road. Speaking of which, what is the make and model of your existing M.2 drive? You can drop in pretty much any GPU out there due to a beefy PSU though I'd stick to an RTX5070Ti at most. If you can source a 9800X3D, replace the 7800X3D in the listing above.

Thanks for the quick answer! The M2 is a samsung evo 990 one.
When it comes to GPU's I saw the disappointing results of the 5080 ( and the fire hazard? ), I was thinking on waiting for the 9000's series like I said. If it comes down to it, would it be better to get a 4080S or a 7900XTX in your opinion? Purely for gaming ofcourse.

Another thing, I checked the case you linked, I assume I'd have to source the fans myself, as it has only 3, in the ARGB version, correct? (Considering I would like an AIR cooling system, not an AIO)

 

[ohio_buckeye]

If you want maximum ray tracing, the nvidia cards are where you want to be. That said I’ve got a 7900xtx and the card is an absolute beast for 1440p. It will do ray tracing I think closer to the level of an rtx 3080/4070. But rasterization I think it trades blows with the 4080 and isn’t far behind the 5080. If you can land one for a good price it’s worth looking at. I’m in the USA and got mine in December for $800.

 

[Sampei112233]

If you want maximum ray tracing, the nvidia cards are where you want to be. That said I’ve got a 7900xtx and the card is an absolute beast for 1440p. It will do ray tracing I think closer to the level of an rtx 3080/4070. But rasterization I think it trades blows with the 4080 and isn’t far behind the 5080. If you can land one for a good price it’s worth looking at. I’m in the USA and got mine in December for $800.

I understand that nvidia does better ray tracing and DLSS is better than FSR. I do not care about that however, since I won't be using ray tracing anyways.

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hey there,

Just on the RGB thing. There are more RGB options than not, which I think you've found out. However, just a thought. You can always just turn the RGB off, if that gets you more options to choose from. Just because the components maybe RGB capable, doesn't mean you have to use it.

Also, DLSS/FSR are not raytracing. They are upscaling tech. Defo something to make use of, perhaps further down the line, as they can give a system a nice boost without losing much quality. Again though DLSS is better than FSR in every way in that scenario.

@Lutfij suggested built is perfect for your needs. Choose the GPU and you're good to go 👍

 

[Why_Me]

Too many ways to go with your budget that it makes the head spin.

Keep your eyes open for the reviews when this card is released in two days from now.
https://it.pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#c=589
RTX 5070 Ti 16GB MSRP: $750 USD

This psu is overkill for that card up above but not overkill for the 7900 XTX. This board down below gives you PCIe 5.0 along with plenty of PCIe lanes for a second M.2 SSD. Not only that but this board allows you to flash the bios with a USB flash drive without having to install the cpu and RAM beforehand in case you get your hands on that 9800x3D.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor (€499.99 @ Amazon Italia)
CPU Cooler: *Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (€42.90 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard: *MSI MAG X670E TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard (€289.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: *Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory (€109.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Case: *Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case (€69.43 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply: *be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€149.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Monitor: *MSI G272QPF E2 27.0" 2560 x 1440 180 Hz Monitor (€279.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Total: €1441.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-02-18 17:24 CET+0100

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-X670E-TOMAHAWK-WIFI

https://www.msi.com/Monitor/G272QPF-E2

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-phantom-spirit-120-review

https://www.montechpc.com/air-903-base

Montech Air 903 Base Review

The Montech Air 903 Base diminishes the barrier of entry even more compared to the already incredibly affordable Max variant. All the while, it delivers everything you anticipate from a contemporary, airflow-centric enclosure. To the extent that this case essentially competes only with its own...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[Yaomas]

Hey there,

Just on the RGB thing. There are more RGB options than not, which I think you've found out. However, just a thought. You can always just turn the RGB off, if that gets you more options to choose from. Just because the components maybe RGB capable, doesn't mean you have to use it.

Also, DLSS/FSR are not raytracing. They are upscaling tech. Defo something to make use of, perhaps further down the line, as they can give a system a nice boost without losing much quality. Again though DLSS is better than FSR in every way in that scenario.

@Lutfij suggested built is perfect for your needs. Choose the GPU and you're good to go 👍

I am sorry, I explained myself poorly.

I know the difference between upscaling technology and Raytracing.

The latter I do not particularly care about, as for the former, I would prefer to keep on a minimal level, since it makes games look a bit blurry due to the generated frames in my experience. Ofcourse I understand it is going to become a necessity going forwards but I would rather use it as little as possible.

And yes DLSS much better than FSR atm, unless new FSR 4.0 comes out or something

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

since it makes games look a bit blurry due to the generated frames in my experience.

So, DLSS is separate from FG, but yes, you are correct in that sometimes, depending on the setting chosen, it can be that there are some quality issues like blurry pixels or ghosting and shimmering. Now, I'm just playing Devils advocate here - Nvidia 40xx series cards make use of the new transformer model that came out with the 50xx series driver. The quality setting is almost indistinguishable to native.

I do also agree about using DLSS/FSR in the first instance. Like you, I like to play native res and with high/ultra settings. I also want to have my average FPS above 100+FPS, and with 1% lows above 60fps. This for me is smooth gameplay. But games like those based on UE5 engine are hogs, and slaughter my system 🤣 Your system will be much stronger so you wouldn't be feeling that half as much.

As for FG, this is a much maligned tech. Although it's not suitable for online gaming due to lag/latency, it's very suitable for single player games. A good example is Indian Jones and the circle of Truth (amazing game by the way), and it comes with RT baked in. You can't switch it off. It tanks performance. But this game is perfect for FG. As long as your base FPS is above 60, the FG can give really smooth gaming with high FPS maxing out the 1440p panel you have

 

[Yaomas]

Too many ways to go with your budget that it makes the head spin.

Keep your eyes open for the reviews when this card is released in two days from now.
https://it.pcpartpicker.com/products/video-card/#c=589
RTX 5070 Ti 16GB MSRP: $750 USD

This psu is overkill for that card up above but not overkill for the 7900 XTX. This board down below gives you PCIe 5.0 along with plenty of PCIe lanes for a second M.2 SSD. Not only that but this board allows you to flash the bios with a USB flash drive without having to install the cpu and RAM beforehand in case you get your hands on that 9800x3D.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor (€499.99 @ Amazon Italia)
CPU Cooler: *Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (€42.90 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard: *MSI MAG X670E TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard (€289.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: *Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory (€109.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Case: *Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case (€69.43 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply: *be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€149.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Monitor: *MSI G272QPF E2 27.0" 2560 x 1440 180 Hz Monitor (€279.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Total: €1441.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-02-18 17:24 CET+0100

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-X670E-TOMAHAWK-WIFI

https://www.msi.com/Monitor/G272QPF-E2

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thermalright-phantom-spirit-120-review

https://www.montechpc.com/air-903-base

Montech Air 903 Base Review

The Montech Air 903 Base diminishes the barrier of entry even more compared to the already incredibly affordable Max variant. All the while, it delivers everything you anticipate from a contemporary, airflow-centric enclosure. To the extent that this case essentially competes only with its own...

www.techpowerup.com

Thanks for the help! I looked at the case, would you recommend I add at least 1 exhaust fan at the top? Considering it's got 2intake and 1 exhaust already.

I was otherwise looking at this case here, (NZXT H7 Flow 2024 edition. Cannot link sadly.)looks like I should be able to swap fine, maybe check psu space



I like the idea of having a mobo ready for a possible 9800x3d, do you think I should buy a socket? I am sorry I do not know the name in english, but basically the custom socket for ryzen processors that you swap the stock one for.

 

[Yaomas]

So, DLSS is separate from FG, but yes, you are correct in that sometimes, depending on the setting chosen, it can be that there are some quality issues like blurry pixels or ghosting and shimmering. Now, I'm just playing Devils advocate here - Nvidia 40xx series cards make use of the new transformer model that came out with the 50xx series driver. The quality setting is almost indistinguishable to native.

I do also agree about using DLSS/FSR in the first instance. Like you, I like to play native res and with high/ultra settings. I also want to have my average FPS above 100+FPS, and with 1% lows above 60fps. This for me is smooth gameplay. But games like those based on UE5 engine are hogs, and slaughter my system 🤣 Your system will be much stronger so you wouldn't be feeling that half as much.

As for FG, this is a much maligned tech. Although it's not suitable for online gaming due to lag/latency, it's very suitable for single player games. A good example is Indian Jones and the circle of Truth (amazing game by the way), and it comes with RT baked in. You can't switch it off. It tanks performance. But this game is perfect for FG. As long as your base FPS is above 60, the FG can give really smooth gaming with high FPS maxing out the 1440p panel you have

I see thanks for the explanation.

I also agree that UE5 games are a mistake. Hell UE5 just made devs lazy, I was playing stalker 2 and it is just sad. Kills my current system

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

Hell UE5 just made devs lazy, I was playing stalker 2 and it is just sad. Kills my current system

I hear ya there!

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks for the help! I looked at the case, would you recommend I add at least 1 exhaust fan at the top? Considering it's got 2intake and 1 exhaust already.

I was otherwise looking at this case here, (NZXT H7 Flow 2024 edition. Cannot link sadly.)looks like I should be able to swap fine, maybe check psu space



I like the idea of having a mobo ready for a possible 9800x3d, do you think I should buy a socket? I am sorry I do not know the name in english, but basically the custom socket for ryzen processors that you swap the stock one for.

This board includes the newer chipset. No need to add another exhaust fan to that case. It has great airflow as it is.

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-X870-TOMAHAWK-WIFI

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor (€499.99 @ Amazon Italia)
CPU Cooler: *Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (€42.90 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard: *MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard (€338.67 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: *Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory (€109.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Case: *Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case (€69.43 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply: *be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€149.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Total: €1210.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-02-18 17:55 CET+0100

 

[helper800]

I am sorry, I explained myself poorly.

I know the difference between upscaling technology and Raytracing.

The latter I do not particularly care about, as for the former, I would prefer to keep on a minimal level, since it makes games look a bit blurry due to the generated frames in my experience. Ofcourse I understand it is going to become a necessity going forwards but I would rather use it as little as possible.

And yes DLSS much better than FSR atm, unless new FSR 4.0 comes out or something

Here would be my recommendation with no RGB and a high airflow case with no glass side panel and a very nice monitor:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D 4.7 GHz 8-Core Processor (Purchased For €500.00)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (€42.90 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard: Gigabyte X870 EAGLE WIFI7 ATX AM5 Motherboard (€257.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: Patriot Viper Venom 64 GB (2 x 32 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory (€189.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Storage: Crucial T500 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive (€169.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Video Card: XFX Mercury Magnetic Air Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB Video Card (€1029.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Case: Fractal Design Pop Air ATX Mid Tower Case (€91.64 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply: Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 TT Premium 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€159.00 @ Amazon Italia)
Monitor: AOC Agon PRO AG276QZD2 26.7" 2560 x 1440 240 Hz Monitor (€617.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Total: €3057.51
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-02-18 17:58 CET+0100

 

[Yaomas]

This board includes the newer chipset. No need to add another exhaust fan to that case. It has great airflow as it is.

https://www.msi.com/Motherboard/MAG-X870-TOMAHAWK-WIFI

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: *AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 4.2 GHz 8-Core Processor (€499.99 @ Amazon Italia)
CPU Cooler: *Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 SE 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler (€42.90 @ Amazon Italia)
Motherboard: *MSI MAG X870 TOMAHAWK WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard (€338.67 @ Amazon Italia)
Memory: *Corsair Vengeance 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL30 Memory (€109.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Case: *Montech AIR 903 BASE ATX Mid Tower Case (€69.43 @ Amazon Italia)
Power Supply: *be quiet! Pure Power 12 M 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply (€149.99 @ Amazon Italia)
Total: €1210.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
*Lowest price parts chosen from parametric criteria
Generated by PCPartPicker 2025-02-18 17:55 CET+0100

I see, thanks again.
I'll start buying the other parts while I wait to see how the new Nvidia / AMD cards perform.

 

[helper800]

I hard disagree with all the above about UE5. The problem is that the engine does not do well with open world type games while packing in all of its visual fidelity features simultaneously. The engine is also more CPU intensive than most in such scenarios.

 

[Yaomas]

I hard disagree with all the above about UE5. The problem is that the engine does not do well with open world type games while packing in all of its visual fidelity features simultaneously. The engine is also more CPU intensive than most in such scenarios.

Could very well be. I am not an expert so all I say comes from direct experience, and that experience shows lackluster performance ( on my system ) game after game. Not to mention they all kinda tend to look the same imho.

 

[Why_Me]

UE5 is brutal =/

 

[Roland Of Gilead]

I hard disagree with all the above about UE5. The problem is that the engine does not do well with open world type games while packing in all of its visual fidelity features simultaneously. The engine is also more CPU intensive than most in such scenarios.

I'd agree to an extent, but I think it's more down to optimization. Some of the other engines out there like ID Tech look just as good as UE5 and don't tank performance or visuals. I'd even argue they look better. But this is subjective, and getting off topic now.

The OP has some great suggestions above, and choosing the GPU now is all that remains, essentially.

Good luck!