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Configurator for a 2026 gaming build

Set a budget and a goal — we pick a GPU and CPU without a bottleneck. Only fresh store prices (14 days or newer, dated); no made-up reference prices.

How to pick a gaming PC in 2026

A proper gaming build is a balanced one. That means the CPU and GPU run at roughly the same load in your target games. If one component is much weaker, you are overpaying for the unused power of the other.

Budget by goal (guide)

  • Up to $ 880: 1080p high. Ryzen 5 5600 / Core i5-12400 + RTX 4060 / RX 7600 + 16 GB DDR4-3200 + B550 + 600 W.
  • $ 880–$ 1,430: 1080p ultra or 1440p high. Ryzen 5 7600 / Core i5-14400 + RTX 4060 Ti 16GB / RX 7700 XT + 32 GB DDR5-5200.
  • $ 1,430–$ 1,980: 1440p ultra. Ryzen 7 7700X / Core i5-14600K + RTX 4070 Super / RX 9070 XT + 32 GB DDR5-6000.
  • $ 1,980–$ 2,750: 1440p ultra + ray tracing. Ryzen 7 9800X3D + RTX 4070 Ti Super.
  • $ 2,750–$ 3,850: 4K ultra with DLSS. Ryzen 7/9 9800X3D or Core i7-14700K + RTX 4080 Super / RTX 5070 Ti.
  • From $ 3,850: 4K Path Tracing. Ryzen 9 9950X3D + RTX 5090 / RTX 4090.

Budget ranges are an FPSHQ editorial guide (checked 08.10.2026), not store prices: they are set in rubles and converted to your currency at the site’s rate, with no price source behind them. For exact costs use the builder above and the component pages.

What NOT to skimp on

  • Power supply: a quality 80+ Gold from Seasonic / Corsair / be quiet! Cheap PSUs are the main cause of build failure.
  • SSD: NVMe only for the system and games. SATA SSDs are obsolete in 2026.
  • Memory: dual-channel is mandatory. An EXPO/XMP profile with low CL timings.
  • Cooling: for a 95 W+ CPU — at least a Deepcool AK620 / Noctua NH-D15.

Where you can save

  • Case: good airflow is what matters; the brand is secondary.
  • RGB lighting: memory and coolers without RGB are 20–30% cheaper.
  • Motherboard: for non-streaming builds, a B650/B850 on AMD or B760 on Intel is plenty.
  • Wi-Fi/Bluetooth: an external adapter is cheaper than a board with built-in Wi-Fi.

Frequently asked questions about PC building

How does FPSHQ pick a build?
The algorithm splits the budget: 45% to the GPU, 25% to the CPU, 10% RAM, 8% motherboard, 7% PSU, 5% SSD/case. For each category it picks the best model within budget. Compatibility is checked (CPU/board socket, PSU wattage vs GPU TDP). Every build is verified for balance with the bottleneck calculator.
What is the minimum budget for a gaming PC?
The minimum budget for a decent gaming PC is around $ 660. For that you get a Ryzen 5 5600 + RTX 4060 / RX 7600 + 16 GB DDR4 — a 1080p high gaming PC. Below that, it is an office PC capable of only light games.
How much does a good 1440p PC cost?
An ideal 1440p high-refresh PC is about $ 1,430–$ 1,980. Ryzen 7 7700X / Core i5-14600K + RTX 4070 Super / RX 9070 XT + 32 GB DDR5-6000 + a Samsung 990 Pro NVMe. This PC delivers 100+ FPS in most AAA games at 1440p ultra.
What do you need for 4K gaming?
4K ultra with no compromises starts at $ 3,080. Ryzen 7 9800X3D / Core i7-14700K + RTX 4080 Super or RTX 5070 Ti + 32 GB DDR5-6000 + a 2 TB NVMe Gen4. 4K ultra with DLSS is possible for about $ 2,200 on an RTX 4070 Super. 4K with Path Tracing — only an RTX 5090 (from $ 4,400).
Should I build a PC now or wait?
It depends on your current rig. If you game on anything older than a GTX 1660, there is little point waiting — your PC is already well behind. The RTX 50 series and RX 9000 are good cards with stable prices. If you have an RTX 4070 / 7800 XT, you can wait for the RTX 60 series (late 2026).
Which motherboard brand should I choose?
Top 3 brands: ASUS (ROG, TUF, Prime), MSI (MAG, MPG, MEG), Gigabyte (AORUS, B650/Z790). ASRock is budget but solid. We do not recommend Biostar or ECS. For an overclocking build, get at least the mid tier (B650 on AMD, Z790 on Intel).
Which power supply should I get?
Rule: PSU wattage = GPU TDP + 250–300 W. 80+ Gold certification at minimum. Brands: Seasonic, Corsair (RM series), be quiet!, Cooler Master MWE Gold, EVGA. Cheap PSUs are the most common cause of failures and instability under load. Do not skimp here.
DDR4 or DDR5 in 2026?
DDR5 is a must for new builds. AM5 and LGA1851 support DDR5 only. The sweet spot is DDR5-6000 CL30 (EXPO profiles for AMD) or DDR5-7200 CL34 for Intel. Go DDR4 only if you are upgrading an old AM4 / LGA1700 build and do not want to replace the memory.
How much RAM do you need?
32 GB (2×16 GB) is the 2026 standard. 16 GB still works in most games, but in modern AAA titles (Starfield, Hogwarts Legacy) it is already tight — expect texture hitching. 64 GB is only for content creators, streamers and virtual machines. Dual-channel is mandatory.
Which case should I choose?
Good 2026 cases: Fractal Design North (stylish, quiet), Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO (premium), Cooler Master TD500 Mesh (budget with good airflow), be quiet! Pure Base 500. For a top-end GPU you need a case that fits cards from 350 mm and has good airflow (a mesh front).
Which matters more: the CPU or the GPU?
For gaming, the GPU. About 70% of in-game performance comes from the GPU and 30% from the CPU. So in your budget the GPU should cost 1.5–2× the CPU. An RTX 4070 + Ryzen 5 5600 pairing is right. An RTX 4070 + Ryzen 9 7950X is overpaying for the CPU.
Buy a prebuilt or build it yourself?
Building it yourself is usually 15–25% cheaper. Prebuilts include an assembly markup and often cut corners on the PSU, case and SSD (which matters). A self-build takes 2–3 hours following a video guide; all you need is a Phillips screwdriver.

Related

🧮
FPS calculator
FPS forecast for games
🎯
Bottleneck
Balance check
⚔️
Compare
GPU vs GPU
🏆
Tier lists
GPU and CPU ranking
🟢
All GPUs
Catalog
🔧
All processors
Catalog

Key figures

Unique FPSHQ metrics from this page's data

121
reference GPU models
456
CPUs in the catalogue
7,260
GPU pairs to compare
55,176
GPU + CPU pairs in the bottleneck calculator
191,286
games in the database
52,856
FPS measurement rows in the database
1,401
online PC tests completed

Reference GPUs by FPSHQ tier

S — 4K Ultra, A — 1440p Ultra, B — 1440p High, C — 1080p High, D — 1080p Medium, F — only old and esports games.

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In short

How does the FPSHQ builder pick a PC build?

The FPSHQ builder assembles a PC from the catalogue: 121 reference GPUs, 456 CPUs and 13 motherboards with socket and compatibility checks. For each build it computes FPS in the chosen games (191,286 in the database), the pair bottleneck, the recommended PSU wattage from TDP and the cost from current prices (1,907 cards with a price). Budget builds update together with catalogue prices.

reference GPU models
121
CPUs in the catalogue
456
GPU pairs to compare
7,260
GPU + CPU pairs in the bottleneck calculator
55,176
updated · source: methodology, FPSHQ model estimate

Methodology and sources

This page uses the FPSHQ database: the GPU and CPU catalogue with synthetic benchmark scores, official game system requirements, FPS measurements from users of the FPSHQ app and the FPSHQ performance model. Calculated values are estimates, not a measurement of your exact configuration: the real result depends on drivers, settings and the rest of the hardware. More about the methodology →

Sources:
FPSHQ Team · Data updated