If you want a current-gen gaming PC that lands right on the price-to-performance sweet spot, this is the combo to beat. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Gigabyte AORUS ELITE RX 9070 XT team up for a rig built around high-refresh 1440p, with more than enough in the tank to stretch into 4K when you want it.
This is the perfect future-proofed build for gaming without breaking the bank. But just for good measure, the whole thing sits on AM5, so upgrading later is a doddle. Below is the full parts list, followed by a breakdown of every component, why it earns its place, and how the build performs across a spread of modern titles.
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
Skip to SectionA six-core Zen 5 gaming chip that punches well above its price, delivering high per-core speed without ever holding back the RX 9070 XT at 1440p.
Montech Hyperflow ARGB 360
Skip to SectionA 360mm ARGB AIO that keeps the 65W 9600X running cool and quiet, with a mirrored ARGB pump cap and three pre-fitted ARGB fans for the looks.
Gigabyte B850 EAGLE WiFi6E
Skip to SectionA clean, value-focused B850 ATX board with PCIe 5.0 for the GPU, DDR5 support, Wi-Fi 6E and Gigabit LAN, giving the build everything it needs and nothing it doesn’t.
G.SKILL Trident Z5 NEO RGB DDR5
Skip to SectionA 32GB DDR5-6000 kit tuned for AMD EXPO, hitting the AM5 sweet spot for speed and latency while adding a splash of RGB to the build.
Teamgroup T-Force G50 1TB
Skip to SectionA budget-friendly 1TB Gen 4 NVMe drive that handles the OS and a healthy games library, with room to add a second drive down the line.
Gigabyte AORUS ELITE RX 9070 XT
Skip to SectionAMD’s RDNA 4 heavy-hitter, delivering excellent 1440p performance and capable 4K with 16GB of VRAM, wrapped in a premium triple-fan AORUS cooler.
Antec C6 Curve Air
Skip to SectionA showcase ATX mid-tower with wraparound curved tempered glass and a high-airflow mesh design, putting the RGB parts front and centre.
Antec NeoEco NE850
Skip to SectionAn 850W supply with plenty of headroom for the 9600X and RX 9070 XT, leaving room for a future GPU upgrade without needing a new PSU.
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X
The Ryzen 5 9600X is the value gamer’s chip, and it’s a lot more capable than its six-core count suggests. High clock speeds and strong per-core performance are what actually move the needle in most games, and the 9600X boosts to 5.4GHz with the kind of gaming throughput that keeps a card like the RX 9070 XT fed at 1440p.
Six cores and twelve threads is plenty for gaming and everyday multitasking, and the 65W TDP means it runs cool and sips power compared to higher-end parts. That efficiency also keeps thermals easy, which pays off later when it’s sat under a 360mm AIO.
CPU Comparison
Mainstream AM5 Gaming CPU Comparison
Hover rows for highlight. Tap/click a header title to sort.
| ⠿CPU | ⠿::Cores | ⠿::Threads | ⠿::Base Clock | ⠿::Max Boost | ⠿::TDP | ⠿::Total Cache | ::Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AMD Ryzen 9 9900X 12-core Zen 5 for gaming and heavy multitasking |
12 | 24 | 4.4 GHz | 5.6 GHz | 120W | 76MB | |
AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Top gaming pick with 3D V-Cache |
8 | 16 | 4.7 GHz | 5.2 GHz | 120W | 104MB | |
|
AMD Ryzen 7 9700X 8-core Zen 5 all-rounder |
8 | 16 | 3.8 GHz | 5.5 GHz | 65W | 40MB | |
|
AMD Ryzen 5 9600X This build: 6-core Zen 5 gaming value |
6 | 12 | 3.9 GHz | 5.4 GHz | 65W | 38MB | |
|
AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Budget Zen 4 entry to AM5 |
6 | 12 | 3.8 GHz | 5.1 GHz | 65W | 38MB |
Best of all, it drops straight onto the AM5 platform. Start here now, and there’s a clear path to an eight-core chip or one of AMD’s X3D gaming CPUs later without touching the motherboard.
Montech Hyperflow ARGB 360
A 360mm AIO on a 65W CPU might read like overkill, but it’s the good kind. The Montech HyperFlow ARGB 360 gives the 9600X far more cooling than it’ll ever need, which translates to near-silent operation and temperatures that barely register even during long sessions.
It also looks the part. The ARGB pump cap and three pre-fitted ARGB fans tie neatly into the rest of the lighting, and the extra thermal headroom means the cooler is ready to go if a hotter CPU ever moves into this socket.
Gigabyte B850 EAGLE WiFi6E
The B850 EAGLE WiFi6E is the sensible foundation this build is after. It delivers the essentials that matter at this tier, including a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for the graphics card, DDR5 support with EXPO, Wi-Fi 6E and Gigabit networking, without loading on the premium features that would push the price up for no real benefit.
Motherboard Specifications
- Model Gigabyte B850 EAGLE WiFi6E
- Chipset / Socket AMD B850 / AM5
- Form Factor ATX (30.5cm x 24.4cm)
- CPU Support AMD Ryzen 9000 / 8000 / 7000 Series (AM5)
- Memory 4 x DDR5 DIMM, up to 256GB, DDR5-8200 (OC), EXPO / XMP
- VRM Design Digital Twin 8+2+2 phase
- Graphics Card Compatibility 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 (plus 3 x PCIe 3.0 x1)
- M.2 Compatibility 3 x M.2 (1 x PCIe 5.0 x4, 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4, 1 x PCIe 4.0 x2)
- SATA Storage 4 x SATA 6Gb/s
- Networking Wi-Fi 6E (AX210) + Bluetooth 5.3 + Realtek GbE LAN
- Rear I/O DisplayPort, HDMI 2.1, USB-C (3.2 Gen 1), 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2-A, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 4 x USB 2.0, PS/2, RJ-45, 3 x audio jacks
- Front I/O Headers USB-C (3.2 Gen 1), USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2 x USB 2.0
- Audio Realtek HD Audio (up to 7.1-channel)
- Colour Black
B850 is the natural chipset partner for a chip like the 9600X. You get modern connectivity and solid power delivery for a six-core CPU, plus the AM5 longevity that lets you drop in a faster processor down the road. It keeps the aesthetic clean too, with the EAGLE line’s understated styling working in almost any build theme.
G.SKILL Trident Z5 NEO RGB DDR5
Memory is one of the easiest places to get an AM5 build right, and this 32GB DDR5-6000 kit nails it. That speed sits in the sweet spot for Ryzen, where the memory controller and Infinity Fabric stay in sync for the best real-world gaming performance.
The Trident Z5 NEO line is tuned for AMD EXPO, so a single toggle in BIOS gets you to rated speed. Add the signature heat spreader and per-module RGB, and it looks as good as it runs.
Teamgroup T-Force G50 1TB
Storage is handled by the T-Force G50 1TB, a wallet-friendly Gen 4 NVMe drive that covers the basics well. It gives you fast boot times, snappy load screens and enough room for Windows plus a rotating library of games.
1TB is a comfortable starting point rather than a hard ceiling. The B850 EAGLE has spare M.2 slots, so adding a second drive later is a five-minute job when the library outgrows this one.
Gigabyte AORUS ELITE RX 9070 XT
This is where the build spends its money, and rightly so. The RX 9070 XT is AMD’s RDNA 4 standout, and it’s a genuinely excellent 1440p card that has the raster performance and 16GB of VRAM to handle 4K when you ask it to.
Gigabyte’s AORUS ELITE version wraps that silicon in a premium triple-fan cooler, so clock speeds stay high and noise stays low. With FSR and AMD’s latest frame generation tech in the mix, there’s plenty of scope to push settings and refresh rates further still. Paired with the 9600X, it’s a balanced setup where the CPU keeps the GPU fed and the graphics card does the heavy lifting
Alternative GPU Choice
Asus GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Prime OC 16GB
If you want an NVIDIA-flavoured alternative to the Gigabyte AORUS ELITE RX 9070 XT, the RTX 5070 Ti is the cleanest architectural switch. It trades AMD’s RDNA 4 approach for NVIDIA’s Blackwell feature stack, giving you access to DLSS 4, Multi Frame Generation, and NVIDIA’s broader creator and AI software ecosystem, which can make a bigger difference than raw shader performance depending on the games and apps you actually use.
Antec C6 Curve Air
The C6 Curve Air is built to show a build off. Its wraparound curved tempered glass gives an uninterrupted view of the internals, while the mesh airflow design keeps fresh air moving over the components so the RGB parts run as cool as they look.
It’s a roomy ATX mid-tower with sensible clearance for the 360mm radiator and the AORUS ELITE card, making the build itself straightforward and the perfect home for our component choices today.
Antec NeoEco NE850
Powering everything is the Antec NeoECO NE850. At 850W it has ample headroom for the 9600X and RX 9070 XT combo, with enough spare capacity to drop in a more demanding graphics card in future without shopping for a new supply. Antec have been a brand that we’ve been leaning towards more and more on the channel recently and components like this and the C6 are exactly the reason why!
Gaming Performance
So how does it all come together in game? We put the build through a spread of modern titles at multiple resolutions to see where it lands. Use the tabs to switch between games, and open the test settings on each to see exactly how it was benchmarked.
At 1440p, this pairing flies. ARC Raiders and Battlefield 6 both sail past 125 FPS on average, and even the heavier 007 First Light holds a steady 96 FPS on High. This is the resolution the RX 9070 XT was built for, and the Ryzen 5 9600X keeps it fed without breaking a sweat.
Performance Snapshot
Multi-Game Average FPS
1440P
96.1FPS
Display
Fullscreen, 2560×1440 (confirm)
Preset
High (confirm full settings)
Upscaling / Frame Gen
TBC
VSync
Off (confirm)
Ray Tracing
TBC
Notes
No dedicated settings reference yet – confirm before publish
1440P
160FPS
Map
Dam Battlegrounds
Capture Length
4–7 mins
Window Mode
Fullscreen
Resolution Scaling
TAAU, 100% (2560×1440), Manual
Frame Generation
Off
VSync
Off
Overall Quality
High
Graphics Breakdown
View Distance / AA / Shadows / Post / Texture / Effects / Reflections / Foliage / GI all High
1440P
126.8FPS
Map / Mode
Empire State, Conquest
Capture Length
4–7 mins
Fullscreen Mode
Windowed (Fullscreen Device Monitor 1)
Resolution / Refresh
2560×1440, 120Hz, Aspect Auto
VSync / FOV
VSync Off, FOV 90, Vehicle FOV 79
Preset
Custom, Graphics Quality High
Texture / Mesh / Terrain
All High
Reflections / AO & GI
Reflections High, SSR High, GTAO High
4K
80.1FPS
Benchmark Mode
Built-in benchmark ran 2x
Display
Fullscreen, 3840×2160, VSync Off, FPS cap Off
Preset
Custom, Texture High
Upscaling / Frame Gen
Resolution Scaling Off, Frame Generation Off
Ray Tracing / Path Tracing
All Off
Crowd / FOV
Crowd Density Medium, FOV 80
Post Effects
Film Grain On, DoF On, Lens Flare On, Motion Blur Off
Shadow Quality
Local Shadow Mesh High, Local Shadow High, Cascaded range/resolution High
4K
176.7FPS
Display
Fullscreen, 3840×2160 (confirm)
Preset
High (confirm full settings)
Upscaling / Frame Gen
TBC
VSync
Off (confirm)
Ray Tracing
TBC
Notes
No dedicated settings reference yet – confirm before publish
4K
87.6FPS
Capture Length
4–7 mins
Display
Fullscreen, 3840×2160, Aspect 16:9
AA / Upscaling
TAAU, Render Scale 100
Frame Gen / Latency
Frame Generation Off, Low Latency Off
VSync / FPS Cap
VSync Off, Match/Lobby/Background FPS No Limit
Preset
Graphics Quality High
GI / Reflections
Lumen GI High Quality, SSR Reflections
Detail Settings
Model / Post / Shadows / Texture / Effects / Foliage all High
Step up to 4K and it holds firm. Forza Horizon 6 storms past 175 FPS and Marvel Rivals sits comfortably in the high 80s, while the demanding Cyberpunk 2077 still manages 80 FPS on High before any FSR is switched on. For a build at this price, that is seriously impressive 4K output.
