Build a PC / heavy gaming

$2,000 4K gaming PC, part by part

An Intel Core i5-14600KF with the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB, and the 6 parts around them that fit it: $2,224 all in.

One of the three heavy targets at a time, and the result says which: 4K high settings by default, with ray tracing or 240 Hz at 1440p as the alternatives the same class of card serves. Every part here was checked against every other for fit, and picked for the strongest graphics card the budget allows. A price marked Amazon US is ScoutPrices' reading of the listing its button opens, dated; the rest are typical prices. Not a checkout total: no operating system, shipping, tax, screen, keyboard or mouse.

The Intel Core i5-14600KF and the Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB are well matched at 4K.

Change the budget or the job

Fit for the job

Sweet spot

$2,224 of $2,000

The MSI PRO B760-P WiFi DDR4 goes onto the NZXT H7 Flow (2024) White's tray: ATX, B760, nine standoffs.

The Intel Core i5-14600KF drops into the LGA1700 socket, lever down: 14 cores, up to 5.3 GHz.

The Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360's block sits on the chip and its 360 mm radiator bolts to the roof; rated 330 W against 181 W.

Two sticks of G.Skill Trident Z RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 click into the second and fourth slots: 32 GB at 3600 MT/s.

The Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB screws into the first M.2 slot under the card.

The Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB slides into the x16 slot and latches: 320 mm in a case that takes 410 mm, 16 GB of memory.

The Super Flower Leadex VII XG 1000W goes into the basement, 1000 W for a build that draws about 700 W flat out.

Side panel on, three case fans spinning. Fit for the job: 69 of 100.

Build order

Eight steps, the way a builder works through the case. $1,979 all in.

MSI PRO B760-P WiFi DDR4 on the tray
Core i5-14600KF in the socket
Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 on top
2 sticks of memory
Samsung 9100 Pro 2TB on the board
Sapphire Pulse Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB in the x16 slot
1000 W supply in the basement
Panel on, power on

Illustration built from this build's parts: the case's card and cooler clearances, the board's size, the card's length, the cooler, the memory sticks, the supply. Shapes are generic, not the products' own.

PartScore for the jobPrice

ProcessorIntel Core i5-14600KF

Highest heavy gaming score the budget allows next to this card: 14 cores, boosts to 5.3 GHz.

2 swaps that still fit