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Jumping in at the deep end: building a high-spec gaming PC as your first
Reece Bithrey's chronicle of attempting to build his first PC as an enthusiast for 4K/144Hz gaming. Is it any good?
After years of using an older HP Envy machine with quite dated components, I decided it was time for a change, and that I wanted a do-it-all gaming PC that would last me as long as this previous option has. It isn't perfect, though, as there are some physical constraints that not even PCPartPicker has the power to relay to you, such as CPU cooler and RAM clearance, which was an issue I stubbornly faced in my choice of components, but more on that in a moment. CategoryComponentJustificationGPUAsus ROG Strix Gaming OC GeForce RTX 4080 16 GBThe 4080 is a powerful card that's suitable for 4K at high frame rates, and this Strix variant has a smattering of classy RGB and is a ridiculously heavy beast.CPUAMD Ryzen 7 7800X3DIt is, quite simply, the best value gaming CPU money can buy.RAM32GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 CL366000MT/s RAM offers a nice performance boost on AM5, and this Corsair kit is reasonably priced.StorageLexar NM790 4TB NVMe SSDA fantastic value gaming SSD with a lot of speed, and in a big capacity.CaseNZXT H9 Flow (Black)I wanted to try a dual chamber case, and the H9 Flow is a gorgeous-looking option with functional touches.MotherboardNZXT N7 B650E (Black)A nicely specced AM5 motherboard that matches the clean aesthetics of the case.CoolerNoctua NH-D15 (modified)I wanted to get Noctua somewhere in this build, and the NH-D15 comes highly recommended, even if it it needed a small touch to get it to fit.FansNZXT F120 RGB Core (Black)They match the other components, and I wanted a little bit of RGB for my troubles.PSUNZXT C1200 Gold 1200W 80+ Gold1200W provides more than enough power for the current components inside, and provides headroom for later down the line.All in, I wanted this build to come in and around the £2200-£2500 mark, and that's roughly where I set myself when choosing components based on recommended reviews, personal choices and other guidance.
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