[Build Check] First Build in a Long Time – 4K Gaming, Small Form Factor (~£1500–1600 Budget)

[The Chemist]

Hi all,


It’s been a while since I last built a PC – back in my A-Level days I was rocking a pair of 8800GTs in SLI if memory serves. Since then, I’ve been using a GTX 1070-powered "gaming" laptop, which has served me well, but it’s finally starting to show its age.


I don’t game heavily, but I’ve recently been pulled back in by the launch of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and I still enjoy the occasional race in Assetto Corsa. Before that, it was mostly relaxed sessions on Crusader Kings 3, which the 1070 handled well enough.


My home office setup already includes most of the peripherals I need:

• Keyboard: Eppomaker x Aula F75
• Mouse: nothing fancy - an Aula wireless mouse but seems to do the job
• Monitor: HP Omen 34c, 3440x1440 ultrawide
• Desk: Temu electric standing desk, so limited space available – small form factor preferred

Goals​

• Compact form factor (mATX preferred)
• Smooth 4K gaming experience (KCD2 especially)
• Quiet and cool operation
• Budget: £1500–£1600 max

️ Planned Build
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (Zen 5, 6-core, 12-thread, 3.9 GHz base)
Cooler: Arctic Freezer 36 A-RGB
Case Fans: 5x Arctic P12 PWM PST (3x bottom intake, 1x rear exhaust, 1x top exhaust)
Motherboard:ASRock B650M PG Riptide (AM5, mATX)
RAM: 32GB (2x16GB) Corsair Vengeance RGB DDR5-6000 CL36
SSD: 2TB WD Black SN850X NVMe PCIe 4.0
GPU: ASRock Taichi OC Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB
Case: *Jonsbo D32 Pro* – may need alternative due to stock issues (open to suggestions)
PSU: MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 850W 80+ Gold Modular

Looking for feedback on:​

• Overall compatibility & airflow
• Any bottlenecks, especially at 4K
• Value optimisation (e.g. 7900 GRE instead of XTX?)
• Case suggestions if the Jonsbo D32 Pro isn’t available – needs to support triple-slot GPU and good airflow, ideally mATX

Happy to take any advice or recommendations before I pull the trigger. Thanks in advance!

 

[Tetras]

Case suggestions if the Jonsbo D32 Pro isn’t available – needs to support triple-slot GPU and good airflow, ideally mATX

CX600M (Antec) is a case I suggest a lot, though not normally for high-end builds.

Value optimisation (e.g. 7900 GRE instead of XTX?)

Why aren't you looking at AMD's new cards? 9070/9070 XT?

 

[The Chemist]

CX600M (Antec) is a case I suggest a lot, though not normally for high-end builds.


Why aren't you looking at AMD's new cards? 9070/9070 XT?

Good shout, the 9 series skipped my mind as I have been out of the loop (last researched heavily into the 7 series of cards when the 7900 GRE came out).

Isnt the 9070xt a bit of a downgrade on the 7900 xtx though? Albeit the FSR4 from the 9 series would be good for KCD2

 

[Tetras]

Isnt the 9070xt a bit of a downgrade on the 7900 xtx though? Albeit the FSR4 from the 9 series would be good for KCD2

In raster alone, yes, the XTX is a faster card, but with all the shiny enabled the 9070 XT pulls ahead while using less power and being cheaper.