Can a Boy get some upgrade help....

FinnegansLog · 24 Feb 2026 at 23:57

Hi Guys, looking for some help to upgrade my system, currently running on the system within my signature. Working within the confines of my case, if possible, can I upgrade to a newer system? Push comes to shove, I am happy to spend circa £3k for an upgrade case and all.

Games of description, currently of note, to consider:

Escape from Tarkov
God of War: Ragnarok
Cyberpunk 2077
Nioh 3
Final Fantasy VII remake

I want to future proof, 2.5 years as a minimum. This boy has some house selling money to spend, but also a car and life to pay for.

Thank you, love you.

Gray2233 · 25 Feb 2026 at 00:01

I'm sure many of us would love to help, but first could you do the following:

1. Read and fill in this: https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/read-first-build-and-upgrade-advice-template.19002453/
2. Be sure to post the included template to this thread, to reiterate:

Purchase Timeframe:

Budget:

Usage:

Preferences:

Current Hardware:

Peripherals:

Special Needs/Requirements (inc Wi-Fi):

Remember, not everyone can see signatures and people often forget to update them.

FinnegansLog · 25 Feb 2026 at 00:03

Ah my bad sorry, will do it now

Gray2233 · 25 Feb 2026 at 00:04

FinnegansLog said:
Ah my bad sorry, will do it now

No reason to be sorry, it's just a way to help us help you mate.

FinnegansLog · 25 Feb 2026 at 00:10

For context for the group, I do wish for OCUK to build this system, I am not confident enough (please do not express how easy it is, for you it is but for some fella who can't handle failure not so much).

Purchase Timeframe: within the next 4 months

Budget: <£2.5k at 14440p (I do not need monitors)

Usage: Effectively daily, it matters on football and boxing requirements but I do get at least 4 hours per day, including extra work use.

Preferences: No preference, current system is intel but I do know AMD is better for CPU better gaming profiles. Im open and easy.

Current Hardware:
Corsair Graphite Series 230T | i5 4670K @ 4.3GHz
MSI Z87-G43 Gaming Series | Sapphire AMD R9 290 Tri-X 4906MB
TeamGroup Vulcan Gold 2x4GB 2133MHz | Samsung 840 EVO 120GB
Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD | Super Flower 550W PSU

Peripherals: None needed

Special Needs/Requirements (inc Wi-Fi): Wi-fi build into system, I am not luxurious enough to have ethernet connections. I would love windows 11, mainly becuase my current OCuK system refuses to upgrade (Y).

Gray2233 · 25 Feb 2026 at 00:24

I'm going to take the above as you'd prefer 2.5k but can stretch to 3k if necessary as long as it doesn't eat into any build fees.

It's arse-o'clock right now but shall get back to it tomorrow (later today), but I'm sure that others will chip in prior.

FinnegansLog · 25 Feb 2026 at 00:39

Gray2233 said:
I'm going to take the above as you'd prefer 2.5k but can stretch to 3k if necessary as long as it doesn't eat into any build fees.

It's arse-o'clock right now but shall get back to it tomorrow (later today), but I'm sure that others will chip in prior.

Yeah essentially, preffer budget is <2.5k but can defintely run into the <3.5k range if it future proofs for longer. Appreciate any support anyone can give.

Gray2233 · 25 Feb 2026 at 19:11

FinnegansLog said:
Yeah essentially, preffer budget is <2.5k but can defintely run into the <3.5k range if it future proofs for longer. Appreciate any support anyone can give.

M-ATX as that's my preference, you could go for a standard ATX build for similar money:

My basket at OcUK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £397.50
2 x AMD Game Bundle - Crimson Desert (SKU: DIG-AMD-07311) = £0.00
1 x KLEVV FIT V 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz C30 DDR5 Dual Channel Kit - Black (SKU: MEM-KLV-07036) = £289.99
1 x MSI MPG A850G ATX 3.1 PCIe 5.1 850W 80 Plus Gold Modular Power Supply (SKU: CA-00Y-MS) = £99.95
1 x Team Group G70 PRO 2TB SSD M.2 2280 NVME PCI-E Gen4 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-TMG-02618) = £229.99
1 x PHANTEKS XT M3 Micro-ATX Case, includes 3x 120mm Fans - Black (SKU: CAS-PHK-05735) = £52.90
1 x Thermalright Frozen Warframe SE 360 ARGB Black All In One CPU Cooler - 360mm (SKU: COO-TLR-04551) = £59.99
1 x Asus Radeon RX 9070 XT Prime OC 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-ASU-04155) = £578.98
1 x Sapphire Nitro+ B850M WiFi (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-SPR-05690) = £119.99

Total: £1,841.28 (includes delivery: £11.98)

Everything is currently in stock so you shouldn't have to wait around.

The AiO is overkill for the CPU, you would be fine with a £30 air cooler such as a Thermalright Peerless Assassin or Phantom Spirit.

I'm not sure what the build fee would be, but I imagine it'll still be under £2500 in total even after that's factored in. This will play everything you've listed well, I see no reason it wouldn't last a good 3-4 years and probably a good deal longer with a GPU and maybe CPU upgrade by that point.

You could consider the Nvidia 5070ti or 5080, the former being around on par performance wise with the 9070XT and the latter being around 15% quicker than both. With Nvidia you'll get better ray-tracing and the benefit of DLSS, but they also command a healthy premium, the cheapest 5070ti is £728 whereas the 5080 is £989.

OCUK Contact info can be found here for you: https://help.overclockers.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/4948015845277-How-do-I-contact-the-Sales-team

I believe you can also get in touch via the Forum if that's more convenient: https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/community/customer-support-sales-service.187/

FinnegansLog · 1 Apr 2026 at 01:26

Bump, my house will be sold within the next 4-6 weeks. If any improvements or opinions can be made pleasee do, otherwise above will be seeked. With working from home become more job specific could also do with adding windows 11 (or equivalent to builds)

aaronyuri · 1 Apr 2026 at 02:40

FinnegansLog said:
Bump, my house will be sold within the next 4-6 weeks. If any improvements or opinions can be made pleasee do, otherwise above will be seeked. With working from home become more job specific could also do with adding windows 11 (or equivalent to builds)

Google's TurboQuant has potentially crushed the wild DRAM and NAND price skyrocketing of recent months. I would wait it out for now and see if prices start to drop following the stock prices of manufacturers dipping.

The RAM in Grey2233's post above is now £40 more. That increase could swiftly reverse just as quickly as it rose up.

freddie64 · 1 Apr 2026 at 07:21

aaronyuri said:
The RAM in Grey2233's post above is now £40 more. That increase could swiftly reverse just as quickly as it rose up.

Also the GPU has gone by £71.

FinnegansLog · 6 Apr 2026 at 21:08

Sorry, don't know if I included previously an upgraded game list to be compatible.

Crimson Desert
Escape from tarkov
Gray Zone Warfare
Final Fantasy Remake (whole series)
Also needs to be 3 years high end future proof both RAM and GPU

Gray2233 · 6 Apr 2026 at 21:50

FinnegansLog said:
Sorry, don't know if I included previously an upgraded game list to be compatible.

Crimson Desert
Escape from tarkov
Gray Zone Warfare
Final Fantasy Remake (whole series)
Also needs to be 3 years high end future proof both RAM and GPU

How soon do you think you'll be ready to buy? Prices fluctuate a lot with hardware, it might be best to check in when you're ready to pull the trigger.

FinnegansLog · 6 Apr 2026 at 23:10

Gray2233 said:
How soon do you think you'll be ready to buy? Prices fluctuate a lot with hardware, it might be best to check in when you're ready to pull the trigger.

end of this month as a max, happy tp rebuild myself inclusive of if I need a new case

Gray2233 · 6 Apr 2026 at 23:30

FinnegansLog said:
end of this month as a max, happy tp rebuild myself inclusive of if I need a new case

No worries, once you're in a position to buy update the thread.

Two-three weeks can see prices change hugely, just the nature of PC hardware and there's high volatility at the moment in general. There's a ton of products that are on par with one another performance wise, that might become more or less expensive as time goes on.

FinnegansLog · 7 Apr 2026 at 18:22

Gray2233 said:
No worries, once you're in a position to buy update the thread.

Two-three weeks can see prices change hugely, just the nature of PC hardware and there's high volatility at the moment in general. There's a ton of products that are on par with one another performance wise, that might become more or less expensive as time goes on.

Thank you, I will make sure the week of my sale going through I reach out again to notify all. Just to add, would also be looking for a slightly larger PCI-E. I want ALL the games.

FinnegansLog · Saturday at 20:33

You know what, Im willing to pull the plug end of next week and whack it on the credit card. Overclockers, ASSEMBLE.

I wish to have a system that is future proof for 3-5 years, costs a maximum of £3k and allows me to enjoy the high end of graphics for all AAA games. I need a minimum of 1TB SSD (alwauys the more games the better) and 1TB HDD, Wifi please as I do not currently have the facilties to run an ethernet.

Latest games of note:
Final Fantasy VII remake(s)
Escape From Tarkov
Arc Raiders
Crimson Desert

mickyflinn · Saturday at 20:44

FinnegansLog said:
You know what, Im willing to pull the plug end of next week and whack it on the credit card. Overclockers, ASSEMBLE.

I wish to have a system that is future proof for 3-5 years, costs a maximum of £3k and allows me to enjoy the high end of graphics for all AAA games. I need a minimum of 1TB SSD (alwauys the more games the better) and 1TB HDD, Wifi please as I do not currently have the facilties to run an ethernet.

Latest games of note:
Final Fantasy VII remake(s)
Escape From Tarkov
Arc Raiders
Crimson Desert

What resolution will you be gaming at ?

There are prebuilt pc with a 5080 which are slightly better at 4k and is within budget but 9070xt or 5070ti will come close and more than enough for 1440p.

Gray2233 · Saturday at 21:11

If self building:

My basket at OcUK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £379.99
2 x AMD Game Bundle - Crimson Desert (SKU: DIG-AMD-07311) = £0.00
1 x KIOXIA EXCERIA PRO G2 2TB SSD NVME M.2 2280 PCIe 5.0 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-KIO-07747) = £269.99
1 x KLEVV FIT V 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz C30 DDR5 Dual Channel Kit - Black (SKU: MEM-KLV-07036) = £299.99
1 x Sapphire Nitro+ B850M WiFi (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-SPR-05690) = £119.99
1 x Thermalright Frozen Warframe SE 360 ARGB Black All In One CPU Cooler - 360mm (SKU: COO-TLR-04551) = £59.98
1 x PHANTEKS XT M3 Micro-ATX Case, includes 3x 120mm Fans - Black (SKU: CAS-PHK-05735) = £52.90
1 x Lian Li SX Platinum 1200W ATX 3.1 PCIe 5.1 80 Plus Platinum Modular Power Supply (SKU: POW-LIA-06701) = £139.99
1 x PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Reaper 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-PWC-04017) = £638.99

Total: £1,973.81 (includes delivery: £11.98)

M-ATX as that's a preference of mine, also some points to consider:

- The PSU is massive overkill, the above would run on a good 750W, but it's also very well priced for such a high quality 1200W supply, and will offer a lot of future upgrade potential and possibly longevity as a result.
- The 360mm AiO is again unnecessary, purely an aesthetics thing as the CPU would run without a problem on a £30 Thermalright Phantom Spirit or Peerless Assassin air cooler.
- The 9070XT is roughly on par with the 5070ti, with the latter you'll get better RT and the benefit of DLSS over FSR, but for a £180-200 premium. The only other GPU in your price range would be the 5080, which would offer another 15-20% performance over the two aforementioned cards, but also cost another £400-500 +.

As suggested by @mickyflinn, you might actually get a cheaper/better deal with a prebuild with the way current prices are, but I'm not 100% on that.

If you'd rather have an ATX build one could be sourced for similar money.

Double check the prices the day you go to order, some might spike up or there could be better options on the day.

FinnegansLog · Saturday at 22:15

Gray2233 said:
If self building:

My basket at OcUK:

1 x AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Eight Core 5.20GHz (Socket AM5) Processor - Retail (SKU: PRO-AMD-03517) = £379.99

2 x AMD Game Bundle - Crimson Desert (SKU: DIG-AMD-07311) = £0.00

1 x KIOXIA EXCERIA PRO G2 2TB SSD NVME M.2 2280 PCIe 5.0 Solid State Drive (SKU: STO-KIO-07747) = £269.99

1 x KLEVV FIT V 32GB (2x16GB) 6000MHz C30 DDR5 Dual Channel Kit - Black (SKU: MEM-KLV-07036) = £299.99

1 x Sapphire Nitro+ B850M WiFi (Socket AM5) DDR5 Micro-ATX Motherboard (SKU: MOT-SPR-05690) = £119.99

1 x Thermalright Frozen Warframe SE 360 ARGB Black All In One CPU Cooler - 360mm (SKU: COO-TLR-04551) = £59.98

1 x PHANTEKS XT M3 Micro-ATX Case, includes 3x 120mm Fans - Black (SKU: CAS-PHK-05735) = £52.90

1 x Lian Li SX Platinum 1200W ATX 3.1 PCIe 5.1 80 Plus Platinum Modular Power Supply (SKU: POW-LIA-06701) = £139.99

1 x PowerColor Radeon RX 9070 XT Reaper 16GB GDDR6 PCI-Express Graphics Card (SKU: GRA-PWC-04017) = £638.99

Total: £1,973.81 (includes delivery: £11.98)

M-ATX as that's a preference of mine, also some points to consider:

- The PSU is massive overkill, the above would run on a good 750W, but it's also very well priced for such a high quality 1200W supply, and will offer a lot of future upgrade potential and possibly longevity as a result.
- The 360mm AiO is again unnecessary, purely an aesthetics thing as the CPU would run without a problem on a £30 Thermalright Phantom Spirit or Peerless Assassin air cooler.
- The 9070XT is roughly on par with the 5070ti, with the latter you'll get better RT and the benefit of DLSS over FSR, but for a £180-200 premium. The only other GPU in your price range would be the 5080, which would offer another 15-20% performance over the two aforementioned cards, but also cost another £400-500 +.

As suggested by @mickyflinn, you might actually get a cheaper/better deal with a prebuild with the way current prices are, but I'm not 100% on that.

If you'd rather have an ATX build one could be sourced for similar money.

Double check the prices the day you go to order, some might spike up or there could be better options on the day.

I think i'd prefer an ATX build considering I have a "runnner" to place it on and also not enogh desk space for anything except my 2x 27" monitors and speakers + work stand