Three Gaming PC Builds: Exact Parts, Monitors and Full Setup Costs

This guide names a complete set of parts for three gaming PCs, then adds a monitor and the peripherals needed to use each one. The first build targets 1440p gaming at a sensible price; the second pairs a faster graphics card with a 280Hz display; the third is an enthusiast 4K system. Prices are US planning estimates checked on 22–23 October 2026, before state sales tax, shipping or paid assembly. Retail prices and stock can change quickly.

Currency: prices are shown in USD first and AUD as a reference conversion using the Reserve Bank of Australia’s 21 October 2026 rate of A$1 = US$0.7010. Each displayed price and each total is rounded independently to the nearest US$50 and A$50. AUD amounts are not Australian shop quotes. Price sources, key part numbers and manufacturer specifications are linked in the source notes.

Quick comparison

The full setup totals add the recommended display, keyboard, mouse, headset, Windows licence, surge strip and a basic screwdriver kit. An optional battery backup adds about US$250 / A$350. A desk, chair, internet service, speakers and sales tax are not included.

Build 1: midrange 1440p gaming

The main pick is the Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 9060 XT OC 16GB (11350-03-20G), recently listed at US$520, rounded to US$500; its budget is about US$350 below the ASUS RTX 5060 Ti 16GB listing near US$845, rounded to US$850. At that RTX 5060 Ti price, it is poor value for a midrange gaming tower. The MSI RTX 5060 VENTUS 2X OC 8GB (G5060-8V2C) is a cheaper Nvidia option at about US$500, but its 8GB of VRAM and a Micro Center in-store-only listing are meaningful compromises. Check availability and the exact seller before choosing.

Lower-cost option: for a 1080p-first build, the ASRock Challenger OC Intel Arc B570 10GB (B570 CL 10GO) has recently appeared around US$260, rounded to US$250 / A$350. The Sapphire PULSE Radeon RX 7600 8GB is another option near US$300 / A$450. Either can reduce the GPU line by roughly US$200–250 versus the RX 9060 XT budget, taking this tower to about US$1,750–1,800 before a fresh price check. These cards trade away performance and headroom; the B570 can also be less consistent in some games, so check the games you play and motherboard Resizable BAR support. The RTX 5060 is not the low-cost choice at the cited US$500 listing.

Tower estimate: US$2,000 / A$2,850. This is the least expensive of the three but current RAM and GPU prices make it far less budget-friendly than older build guides suggest. It suits 1440p with sensible settings; demanding ray tracing may need upscaling. The Ryzen 5 9600X retail box does not include a CPU cooler, which is why the Thermalright cooler is part of the list.

Build 2: upper midrange high-refresh 1440p

The MSI Ventus 3X card is a specific 16GB RTX 5070 Ti model. A Ryzen 7 7800X3D is still a strong gaming CPU, but at current prices it is a measured upgrade over the Ryzen 5 rather than a requirement for every game. The Dell/Alienware screen below is a 27-inch 1440p QD-OLED panel with 280Hz refresh; choose it for fast games and deep contrast, and use its pixel-refresh feature and warranty terms as part of an OLED purchase decision.

Tower estimate: US$2,950 / A$4,200. This is the best balanced build for high-refresh 1440p, but the monitor is also a major part of the cost. The RTX 5070 Ti was listed around US$1,180 in recent tracking; avoid paying a large premium for an overclocked card with only a small cooler difference.

Build 3: high-end 4K

The NVIDIA Founders Edition is the named RTX 5090 model for this parts list. It is not a normal-price recommendation: major US retailers have had little dependable stock, while reports show marketplace asking prices from roughly US$6,500 into the US$9,500 range. The tower total therefore uses a live-market range, not an MSRP or a promise that the Founders Edition can be bought at either end. At those prices, the 5090 is poor value for gaming unless you specifically need its 32GB VRAM, top-end 4K performance or GPU compute capability.

Tower estimate: US$8,700–11,700 / A$12,350–16,650. The lower and upper ends reflect the cited RTX 5090 marketplace range; other parts stay fixed. The PSU is the 2025 Corsair HX1200i, part CP-9020307-NA, rated for ATX 3.1 and supplied with native 12V-2×6 leads. If a seller asks more than this GPU range, recompute the full setup with its delivered price and do not assume a marketplace listing carries NVIDIA or the board partner’s normal warranty.

Specific monitor and accessory picks

These are concrete US-market examples, not generic categories. Prices vary by sale; the monitor totals use current manufacturer or retailer checks. Use DisplayPort for the highest refresh rate where specified. Check the exact box contents for a DisplayPort cable before buying an extra one.

The shared keyboard, mouse, headset, Windows licence, surge strip and toolkit budget is about US$500 / A$650. With the tier-specific display, the accessory spend is about US$650 / A$850 for the midrange, US$1,050 / A$1,450 for upper midrange, and US$1,500 / A$2,100 for high end. Add the optional UPS separately. If you already own a monitor, Windows licence or peripherals, subtract those line items rather than buying them twice.

What is essential, and where spending is wasted

The tower needs the eight listed parts: graphics card, processor, motherboard, two memory modules, storage, power supply, CPU cooler and case. A monitor, keyboard and mouse are needed to use it; a headset is optional unless you need a microphone. Windows is optional if your games and devices work on Linux. A surge protector is sensible; a UPS is optional. The case and cooler include mounting hardware and fans; the CPU cooler includes thermal paste. No separate Wi-Fi card or liquid cooling is required for the first two builds.

The midrange build is the most sensible value for 1440p, but the current RTX 5060 Ti and RAM prices make the market unusually expensive. The upper-midrange system is the practical performance step-up, especially with its 280Hz QD-OLED monitor. The high-end system spends more on the GPU than the rest of the tower combined; at current marketplace prices, an RTX 5080 or Radeon RX 9070 XT build is a more rational gaming purchase for most people. Compare exact stock and seller terms before ordering.

Do not pay more for an X870E motherboard, RGB memory, premium liquid cooling or a factory-overclocked GPU unless a feature you will use justifies it. Keep the selected PSU’s power rating, native GPU cable, GPU clearance and cooler/radiator fit intact. These are sourced recommendations and price estimates, not hands-on benchmarks or guaranteed checkout totals.

Sources and price method

GPU prices: US Intel Arc B570 tracker, ASRock Arc B570 Challenger specs, Sapphire RX 7600 listing, US RX 9060 XT 16GB tracker, Sapphire PULSE model specifications, US RTX 5060 Ti tracker, MSI RTX 5060 listing, MSI VENTUS specifications, and US RTX 5070 Ti listing snapshot, and Tom’s Hardware on RTX 5090 US stock and reseller asking prices. Product specifications: ASUS Dual RTX 5060 Ti, MSI RTX 5070 Ti Ventus 3X, AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and Ryzen 7 9800X3D. Current price context: 7800X3D tracker, 9800X3D tracker, and October DDR5-6000 price report. Part specifications: MSI B650 board, MSI B850 board, Corsair memory kit, WD_BLACK SN850X, and Corsair RM750e. Power and cooling specifications: MSI MAG A850GL PCIE5 II, Corsair HX1200i 2025, and ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB. The case makers’ fit specifications are listed for Montech AIR 903 and Lian Li LANCOOL III. For displays, see Dell’s G2724D, AW2725D and AW3225QF listings. Other named accessory specifications: Keychron V6 Max, Logitech G502 X, HyperX Cloud III, APC P11U2 surge strip, CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD UPS and Microsoft Windows 11 Home. AUD conversions use the RBA rate for 21 October 2026. Price snapshots checked 22–23 October 2026; prices exclude sales tax, shipping and assembly. Validate exact SKU, seller, stock, warranty and component dimensions at checkout.