Building your own gaming PC is still the best way to get the most performance for your money — but 2026 is an unusual year to do it. A worldwide memory-chip shortage has pushed RAM and SSD prices to record levels: PC Games Hardware found 32 GB DDR5-6000 kits selling for roughly €400–540 in Germany in August 2026, and German outlets report that DDR5 still costs several times what it did in mid-2025. Graphics cards rose too. At the same time, some CPUs have become real bargains: PC-WELT spotted the Ryzen 5 7600X for €129.99 in October.
So the rules have changed. Below are three example builds — budget 1080p, sweet-spot 1440p and high-end 4K — with the key parts we recommend and the reasoning behind them. Prices are approximate euro prices from European sources (checked autumn 2026) and move weekly, so treat the totals as a guide rather than a quote.
Our picks at a glance
- Best budget CPUAMD Ryzen 5 7600X
- Best gaming CPUAMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- Best overallAMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
- Fast SSDSamsung 990 Pro (2 TB)
Prices are approximate and change often. Ad
Build 1: Budget 1080p (and light 1440p)
The goal here is smooth 1080p gaming at high settings without wasting money on parts you won’t feel. We’d start on AMD’s AM5 platform with the Ryzen 5 7600X. Tom’s Hardware names it its budget gaming CPU, and at around €130 it’s cheaper than it has ever been. Crucially, AM5 means you can drop in a faster Ryzen later without replacing the motherboard.
For graphics, Intel’s Arc B580 is TechRadar’s budget pick for 1440p with 12 GB of memory; if you find an AMD Radeon RX 9070 on offer, it’s a big step up for more money. Pair them with a 1 TB or 2 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD such as the Lexar NM790, a solid B650 motherboard, a quality 650 W power supply and a decent tower cooler (the 7600X has no cooler in the box).
The painful part is memory. A 16 GB DDR5 kit keeps costs down but is the minimum for modern games; 32 GB is better if your budget can take it. If you already own an AM4 system, upgrading the graphics card alone may be far better value in 2026.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
Tom's Hardware's budget gaming CPU pick: six fast Zen 4 cores on the AM5 platform, which leaves room to upgrade later.
- Cores/threads
- 6 / 12
- Boost clock
- 5.3 GHz
- Socket
- AM5 (DDR5)
- TDP
- 105 W
- Cooler
- Not included
Pros
- Strong gaming performance for the price
- AM5 socket gives an upgrade path
- PCIe 5.0 support
Cons
- Needs DDR5, which is expensive in 2026
- No cooler in the box
Intel Arc B580
Strong 1440p performance for the money with 12 GB of VRAM — the budget card to beat.
- VRAM
- 12 GB
- Target
- Budget 1440p
- Little brother
- Arc B570 (10 GB) for 1080p
Pros
- Great 1440p performance per euro
- 12 GB VRAM at a budget price
Cons
- Ray tracing trails Nvidia
- EU availability and pricing vary
Lexar NM790 (2 TB)
A cheaper PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD that's fast enough for gaming and saves money for the GPU.
- Capacity
- 2 TB
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe
- Form factor
- M.2 2280
Pros
- Lower price than premium drives
- Fast enough for gaming
- Also works in PS5
Cons
- Less proven than Samsung/WD flagships
- Prices still elevated in 2026
Build 2: Sweet-spot 1440p
For most gamers, 1440p at high refresh rates is the sweet spot — sharp enough to look great on a 27-inch monitor, without the GPU cost of 4K. Keep the Ryzen 5 7600X (it’s fast enough for this GPU tier) or step up to a Ryzen 7 if you also stream or edit video.
The heart of this build is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, TechRadar’s best graphics card overall, which performs close to an RTX 4080 in raster games. In March 2026 it sold from around €640 in Germany. Nvidia fans can choose the RTX 5070 for DLSS 4 at a similar price, but its 12 GB of memory is tighter. Add 32 GB of DDR5-6000, a 2 TB SSD and a 750 W power supply.
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
TechRadar's best overall graphics card: performance close to an RTX 4080 with 16 GB of VRAM, for far less money.
- VRAM
- 16 GB GDDR6
- Power
- 304 W
- Outputs
- DisplayPort 2.1
- Target
- 1440p high refresh / entry 4K
Pros
- Excellent price-to-performance
- 16 GB VRAM for longevity
- Performance close to an RTX 4080
Cons
- Ray tracing trails Nvidia
- Weaker for creative/AI workloads than Nvidia
Corsair Vengeance DDR5-6000 32 GB (2×16 GB)
A mainstream 32 GB DDR5-6000 kit — the sweet spot for AM5 gaming builds. In 2026 RAM is the part hit hardest by the memory shortage.
- Capacity
- 32 GB (2×16 GB)
- Speed
- DDR5-6000
- Latency
- CL36 (CL30 variants exist)
- Profiles
- XMP / EXPO (check model)
Pros
- 32 GB is plenty for modern games
- DDR5-6000 suits Ryzen 7000/9000
- Widely available
Cons
- Memory prices in 2026 are several times 2025 levels
- Check EXPO support for AMD boards
Build 3: High-end 4K
For 4K gaming and very high frame rates, pair the Ryzen 7 9800X3D — which Tom’s Hardware calls the fastest gaming CPU money can buy — with an RTX 5070 Ti or higher. The 9800X3D dropped to about €400 at Amazon.de in April 2026. The RTX 5070 Ti offers RTX 4080 Super-class performance and Multi Frame Generation; it cost around €925 in March 2026. If budget allows, the RTX 5080 or 5090 go further, but prices for those cards climbed sharply this year.
Use 32 GB of DDR5-6000, a fast 2 TB SSD such as the Samsung 990 Pro (about €290 in August 2026), an 850 W or larger power supply from a reputable brand, and a case with good airflow.
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Tom's Hardware calls it the fastest gaming CPU money can buy: eight cores with AMD's 3D V-Cache for very high frame rates.
- Cores/threads
- 8 / 16
- Boost clock
- 5.2 GHz
- Socket
- AM5 (DDR5)
- TDP
- 120 W
- Special
- 3D V-Cache
Pros
- Fastest gaming CPU available
- Efficient for its performance
- Good productivity performance too
Cons
- Similarly priced chips are faster in heavy productivity work
- Expensive for budget builds
Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
RTX 4080 Super-class performance with 16 GB GDDR7 and Multi Frame Generation — the sweet spot for 4K on Nvidia.
- VRAM
- 16 GB GDDR7
- Power
- 300 W
- Frame gen
- DLSS 4 Multi Frame Generation
- Target
- 1440p / 4K
Pros
- RTX 4080 Super-level performance
- 16 GB VRAM
- Multi Frame Generation
Cons
- Supply has been constrained
- Prices rose sharply in 2026
Samsung 990 Pro (2 TB)
A fast PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD with plenty of room for a big game library.
- Capacity
- 2 TB
- Interface
- PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe
- Form factor
- M.2 2280
Pros
- Very fast PCIe 4.0 performance
- Reputable brand
- 2 TB fits many large games
Cons
- SSD prices are high in 2026
- PCIe 5.0 drives are faster (but pricier)
Compare the key parts
| Model | AMD Ryzen 5 7600XBest budget CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3DBest gaming CPU |
|---|---|---|
| TechHive score | 8.4/10 | 9.4/10 |
| Approx. price | €130 | €400 |
| Cores/threads | 6 / 12 | 8 / 16 |
| Boost clock | 5.3 GHz | 5.2 GHz |
| Socket | AM5 (DDR5) | AM5 (DDR5) |
| TDP | 105 W | 120 W |
| Cooler | Not included | — |
| Special | — | 3D V-Cache |
| Shop Ad | Amazon | Amazon |
How to plan a gaming PC build in 2026
Spend on the GPU first
In games, the graphics card decides most of your performance. A mid-range CPU with a strong GPU almost always beats the reverse. See our full graphics card guide before you decide.
Handle the RAM shortage smartly
Memory is the most inflated part of a 2026 build. Buy a two-stick kit with the capacity you need now rather than overpaying for very fast or RGB kits, and watch for deals — PCGH saw one Corsair DDR5-6000 kit drop to €396 in an Amazon promotion. Make sure your motherboard supports the kit’s EXPO (AMD) or XMP (Intel) profile.
Don’t skimp on the power supply
A good-quality PSU protects every other part. Choose a reputable brand with an 80 PLUS Gold or better rating and enough headroom for the GPU you might buy next.
Monitor and peripherals
Match your monitor to the build: 1080p at 144 Hz for build 1, 1440p at 165–240 Hz for build 2, and 4K at 144 Hz or higher for build 3. Our gaming monitor guide, gaming keyboards and gaming mice guides cover the rest of the desk.
Buying parts in Europe
All components bought from EU retailers carry a two-year legal guarantee, and you can usually return online orders within 14 days. Prices for the same part can differ by €20–50 between shops and countries, so compare before you buy — especially RAM and GPUs.
How we choose
We don’t benchmark parts ourselves. These builds combine recommendations from Tom’s Hardware and TechRadar with European price reports from PC Games Hardware and PC-WELT, and we flag each part’s weak points. See how we research.
FAQ
Is it cheaper to build or buy a gaming PC in 2026?
Building is usually still cheaper for the same performance, but with RAM and SSD prices high, the gap is smaller. Compare a few prebuilt offers before you decide.
Do I need 32 GB of RAM?
16 GB is the minimum for modern games; 32 GB is more comfortable for 1440p and 4K, streaming and multitasking. Given 2026 prices, 16 GB is a reasonable compromise on a budget build.
Is AM5 a good platform to buy into?
Yes. It supports today’s Ryzen 7000 and 9000 CPUs and gives you an upgrade path without changing the motherboard.
Should I wait for prices to drop?
German outlets report forecasts that memory prices may stay high for a long time, so waiting is a gamble. If you need a PC now, build it and upgrade parts later.
