PC gaming can be a costly hobby, especially if you are going for the latest and greatest specs.

Here’s the current ideal gaming PC I would build if money were not a consideration.

Core components

For the graphics card, I’ll buy the Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3090 OC 24 GB on Evetech for R50,999. The RTX 3090 is currently the fastest GPU on the market and will allow me to run any game my heart desires at 60+ fps in every possible resolution.

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce 3090 promotional image.

AMD hasn’t released its Zen 4 CPUs yet, which is why I’ll go with Intel’s 12th-gen CPU series for this build. Intel’s Core i9-12900KF CPU costs R10,999 on Wootware. It is currently the only CPU with DDR5 RAM support and provides enough performance to utilise the Geforce RTX 3090’s full power without any bottleneck.

Intel’s 12th-generation i9 has one major caveat, though – it boils under load, which is why I’ll need NZXT’s Kraken Z73 All in One liquid CPU cooler with a 360 mm radiator. This cooler will keep my CPU temperatures stable and add another R4,399 onto my bill at Evetech.

To use the 12th-gen i9,  I’ll need to buy a motherboard compatible with it, with the Asus ROG MAXIMUS Z690 EXTREME being precisely what I am looking for at R23,499 from Evetech.

The system’s RAM will consist of 2 x 32 GB Corsair Vengeance 5200 MHz DDR5 Memory (for R11,999 on Evetech) to ensure I extract the highest level of performance possible from all my system.

Storage, Power Supply, and PC Case

Corsair’s MP600 Pro XT M.2 SSD costs R18,999 on Evetech and has 4 Tb of storage with read speeds of 7.1 GB/s and write speeds of 6.8 GB/s, meaning I won’t have to worry about either slow game loading times or file transfers ever again.

All of these high-performance components will lead to some heavy power demand, and I’ll therefore need the extra-potent 1200W Corsair HX1200 power supply (for R5,199 on Evetech) to safely and efficiently run my system.

Aesthetics aren’t my biggest concern for the PC case, which is why I’ll opt for NZXT’s H710i Mid Tower gaming case. It costs R2,999 on Evetech and offers a sleek and minimal look with excellent cable management capabilities.

NZXT’s H710i PC Case allows you to mount the GPU vertically.

Peripherals

No gaming PC is complete without peripherals, and I’d buy the following to complete my setup.

For the monitor, I’ll buy the Samsung Odyssey G9 for R33,261 on Wootware. This 49-inch (124.46 cm) 5190 x 1440p 240 Hz ultra-wide curved monitor will keep me completely immersed in my favourite games.

Samsung’s Odyssey G9 ultra-wide monitor is one of the best on the market.

Moving on to the keyboard, the Steelseries APEX 5 Mechanical gaming keyboard will set me back R2,499 on Evetech. It combines membrane switches with the tactile click of blue mechanical switches – perfect for those of us who get annoyed by the noise that traditional mechanical keyboards generate.

Sticking to the minimal look for the setup, I’ll go for the SteelSeries PRIME Wireless Pro gaming mouse for R2,199 on Evetech to cut down on the number of wires.

SteelSeries’ Arctis Pro wireless headset will complete my setup, ensuring premium sound quality for R6,499 on Evetech.

This leviathan of a setup might have a hefty total price of R173,550, but it is one of the best gaming setups that money can currently buy and will go a long way in future-proofing your gaming setup.

Read: The gaming laptop you’ll have to sell your car to afford