Guide total ≈ £2,123 (~$2,866)
The £2,123 guide — High-end 1440p / 4K
Spec-led high-refresh 1440p / sensible 4K target; verify results in dated independent tests.
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Guide prices are approximate UK street prices last checked August 29, 2026 (GPU and 32GB RAM rows rechecked September 26, 2026) — not live quotes. RAM and GPU pricing moved weekly through 2025-26; use the per-part buttons to verify current figures before ordering.
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
≈ £430~$581A gaming-focused CPU choice with 3D V-Cache; verify the effect for your games in dated independent tests. The listed tower cooler is the compatible low-cost option.
Search Amazon UK (opens in new tab)CPU cooler
Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE
≈ £33~$45The £33 air tower is the listed compatible cooling option for this CPU; actual temperatures and noise depend on the case, fan curve, and workload.
Search Amazon UK (opens in new tab)Motherboard
MSI MAG B850 Gaming Plus WiFi
≈ £175~$236B850 brings a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot and current connectivity at a sane price; X870 adds little a gamer uses.
Search Amazon UK (opens in new tab)RAM
32GB (2×16GB) DDR5-6000 CL30
≈ £400~$540The same DDR5-6000 CL30 specification as the tier below; 32GB is the selected capacity for the target gaming workload.
Search Amazon UK (opens in new tab)SSD
WD Black SN850X 2TB
≈ £250~$3382TB, because at this budget a second drive should not be a near-term purchase.
Search Amazon UK (opens in new tab)GPU
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB
≈ £680~$918Selected for the guide's high-refresh 1440p and sensible 4K targets; 16GB VRAM helps texture-heavy games — only small quantized local models are realistic here. See the GPU guide for model fit.
Search Amazon UK (opens in new tab)Case
Lian Li Lancool 207
≈ £70~$95Two 140mm front fans and a PSU-shroud layout; compare independent airflow and noise tests for the exact configuration.
Search Amazon UK (opens in new tab)PSU
Corsair RM850e 850W Gold
≈ £85~$115850W of quiet ATX 3.1 delivery — the transient headroom modern cards actually exercise.
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Approximate tier total
This tier targets high-refresh 1440p and sensible 4K settings on paper. The RX 9070 XT's 16GB of VRAM provides more capacity for texture packs and creative work; treat local LLM use as small-model experimentation only — verify game-specific performance independently. The RTX 5070 Ti is an alternative if ray tracing matters more, subject to current pricing and dated tests.
The 9800X3D is the gaming-focused CPU listed here because of its 3D V-Cache design. Ryzen 7 9850X3D is the current 2026 X3D step-up when you want that package — this page does not invent a street price for it; compare live figures on the CPU hub. Compare dated independent tests before treating that choice as a performance conclusion; the listed air cooler remains a compatibility choice.
The remaining parts are selected to leave practical margins: 2TB of NVMe storage, a B850 board with a PCIe 5.0 slot, and an 850W Gold PSU. Confirm clearance, connectors, and power requirements for the exact components.
The RTX 5070 Ti is the alternative GPU if ray tracing matters more than the guide-price target. This build uses the RX 9070 XT as the value-oriented specification choice; compare dated independent tests before ordering. Guide prices are approximate and the GPU reprices often. Guide prices checked August 29, 2026; GPU and 32GB RAM rows rechecked September 26, 2026. USD figures are indicative conversions at a static rate, not live prices.