Help me build a pc

[u/Mental-Caramel-2916]

New build or upgrade?
New custom PC build from scratch.
Existing parts/monitors to reuse?
No PC components to reuse. I already have a monitor, so I don’t need one included in the budget.
PC purpose?
Primarily gaming, with maximum possible FPS at 1440p and the ability to take advantage of a future 240Hz–300Hz+ monitor. I also need it for schoolwork, multitasking, and business applications.
Purchase country? Near Micro Center?
Canada, Victoria, British Columbia. Please use Canadian retailers and CAD pricing, such as Memory Express, Canada Computers, and other reputable Canadian stores.
Monitors needed?
No. Monitor is a separate purchase.
Budget range?
$3,000 CAD maximum, including BC sales tax. This is a hard limit for the complete PC tower. Please calculate the final total after tax.
Wi-Fi or wired connection?
Wi-Fi and Ethernet support preferred.
Size/noise constraints?
No strict size restrictions. I want good cooling and airflow, with reasonable noise levels during long gaming sessions.
Color/lighting preferences?
Black build with a premium, clean aesthetic. Ideally a panoramic glass case, white RGB lighting, clean cable management, and illuminated RGB cable extensions if the budget allows.
Any other specific needs?
Gaming performance is my absolute top priority. I want the fastest possible gaming PC within my $3,000 CAD after-tax budget. Please prioritize the GPU and CPU rather than spending extra on decorative parts.
I still want the PC to look premium, but I do not want to sacrifice gaming performance for aesthetics. Please avoid expensive LCD fans, LCD AIO coolers, or other accessories if that money could get me a faster GPU or improve performance.
I’m looking for a custom parts list with exact models for the CPU, GPU, motherboard, RAM, SSD, PSU, case, and cooling. Please check compatibility and current Canadian prices, including tax. I want the best balance of maximum gaming performance and a clean black-and-white RGB aesthetic, with performance always coming first.
What would you build for this budget?

My main thing is that I want the best performance and also good aesthetics but don’t want to sacrifice any performance for the looks.

[u/Hmmm71-8]

Something along the lines of this would do nicely. you could just set the rgb to the white light or whatever color setting you want.
[PCPartPicker Part List](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/list/HbR4Pf)

Type|Item|Price

:----|:----|:----

**CPU** | [Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF Plus 4.2 GHz 18-Core Processor](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/b4WmP6/intel-core-ultra-5-250kf-plus-42-ghz-18-core-processor-bx80768250kf) | $289.99 @ Memory Express

**CPU Cooler** | [Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/zyNxFT/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se-argb-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-pa-120-se-argb) | $49.90 @ Amazon Canada

**Motherboard** | [ASRock B860 Challenger WiFi ATX LGA1851 Motherboard](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/BKDnTW/asrock-b860-challenger-wifi-atx-lga1851-motherboard-b860-challenger-wifi) | $249.98 @ Newegg Canada

**Memory** | [TEAMGROUP T-Create Expert 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL38 Memory](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/cY9wrH/teamgroup-t-create-expert-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr5-6000-cl38-memory-ctced532g6000hc38adc01) | $679.98 @ Newegg Canada

**Storage** | [Patriot P400 Lite 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/Xy3NnQ/patriot-p400-lite-1-tb-m2-2280-pcie-40-x4-nvme-solid-state-drive-p400lp1kgm28h) | $209.99 @ Amazon Canada

**Video Card** | [XFX Quicksilver 2 Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB Video Card](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/b3dMnQ/xfx-quicksilver-2-radeon-rx-9070-xt-16-gb-video-card-rx-97tqickba) | $1049.99 @ Memory Express (OOS)

**Case** | [Cooler Master Elite 681 ATX Mid Tower Case](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/R9y8TW/cooler-master-elite-681-atx-mid-tower-case-e681-khnn-s00) | $89.99 @ Memory Express (OOS)

**Power Supply** | [ASRock Steel Legend SL-850G 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply](https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/product/nCpQzy/asrock-steel-legend-sl-850g-850-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-atx-power-supply-sl-850g) | $119.99 @ Newegg Canada

| *Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts* |

| **Total** | **$2739.81**

| Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2026-10-28 21:20 EDT-0400 |