Best Gaming PC from Alza (November 2026): Full HD at High Details and Three Smart Upgrades

A gaming PC for fifteen thousand used to be a sure thing: a six-core processor, a decent graphics card, and still enough left for a proper drive. This year, everything is different. Data centers for artificial intelligence are draining memory chips from the market, and a set of 16 GB DDR4, which used to be available for around a thousand, now commonly costs over 3,200 CZK. We therefore put together a build where every crown goes where performance is visible. We selected all parts from one store, Alza, so you can buy them in one cart. We ended up at 18,133 CZK, and the result is nothing to be ashamed of.

Why Fifteen Thousand Isn’t Enough

We started honestly with a 15,000 CZK limit. The cheapest reasonable base, meaning processor, motherboard, 16 GB RAM, 512GB SSD, power supply, and case, comes out to approximately 10,900 CZK. That would leave about four thousand for a graphics card, and for that price today, you can’t buy anything worth mentioning. A GeForce RTX 3050 with 6 GB costs 6,890 CZK, and even that isn’t enough for Full HD with higher details in new games.

Therefore, we added about three thousand and opted for a graphics card a class higher. This is the best-invested surcharge of the entire build.

Graphics Card: Arc B570 is a Bet That Pays Off

The graphics card swallowed almost two-fifths of the budget, and rightly so. The Intel Arc B570 for 7,199 CZK performs at the level of a Radeon RX 7600, which costs around nine thousand. Moreover, it has 10 GB of graphics memory instead of eight, which makes a noticeable difference in new games with detailed textures sooner than you’d expect.

Alternatives for similar money don’t make sense. The GeForce RTX 3050 with 6 GB is three hundred crowns cheaper, but noticeably weaker. The GeForce RTX 5050 starts at 8,890 CZK and only has 8 GB of memory. The more powerful Arc B580 with 12 GB costs at least 9,499 CZK, and the RTX 5060 comes out to approximately 11,900 CZK.

Intel Arc cards long suffered from performance loss on weaker processors, with drivers being the culprit. Intel largely fixed this problem last year at the end of August. However, in extremely CPU-intensive games like Space Marine 2, a weaker processor still bottlenecks Arc. And two conditions still apply: the motherboard must have Resizable BAR enabled and a PCIe 4.0 slot. This is precisely why we chose the rest of the build.

Processor and Motherboard: Why Intel This Time

The six-core Ryzen 5 5500 costs 2,299 CZK, but it only supports PCIe 3.0. The Arc B570 communicates over eight lanes and would unnecessarily lose performance on an older bus. A Ryzen 5 5600 with a B550 motherboard would, in turn, make the entire platform about a thousand crowns more expensive.

Therefore, the Core i3-14100F for 2,449 CZK won. It has four powerful cores with eight threads, a clock speed of up to 4.7 GHz, and a cooler that is sufficient for it is included in the box. The Gigabyte H610M K DDR4 motherboard for 1,419 CZK offers a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot, one M.2 slot for an SSD, and DDR4 memory support. Overclocking won’t be possible on it, and it only has two RAM slots, but that’s not an issue for this build.

Memory and Drive: This is Where it Hurts the Most

We quickly dismissed a DDR5 platform: a 16GB DDR5 kit from Kingston costs almost nine thousand, nearly triple the price. G.Skill Aegis memory with two 8 GB modules, 3200 MHz frequency, and CL16 timing typically costs 3,299 CZK, more than the processor itself. Two modules are a necessity because the processor works with them in dual-channel mode. A single 16GB module would even be more expensive, and you would lose some performance.

The ADATA Legend 710 drive with 512 GB capacity for 2,079 CZK is a compromise. Its speed is sufficient, as the motherboard only offers PCIe 3.0 anyway, but you’ll have to watch the capacity. Windows and three to four large games will fill it up. A terabyte is the first thing I would buy later.

Power Supply and Case: Where You Can Save and Where You Can’t

The entire build draws around 250 W in games. The Gigabyte P550SS for 989 CZK offers 550 W, 80 Plus Silver certification, ATX 3.1 standard, and two connectors for the graphics card. The cables are not modular, but it can even power a GeForce RTX 5060. NVIDIA specifies a 550W power supply for it, and that accounts for a much more power-hungry processor. Saving on the power supply is the hardest because its failure can take the rest of the computer with it.

The ADATA XPG Valor Air Plus case costs 699 CZK. For that price, you get a full-fledged ATX case with space for six fans, two 120mm fans included, and room for graphics cards up to 34 cm long. We saved here with the clearest conscience.

What to Expect from the Build

This is a computer for Full HD at high details. Most current games will run above 60 frames per second on it, and with XeSS or FSR upscaling, it can even handle a 1440p monitor. Competitive titles like Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, or Fortnite will also benefit from fast 144Hz monitors. However, forget about top settings with ray tracing in the latest games.

When Prices Shift: Four Rules That Still Apply

Component prices are changing week by week this year, especially for memory. Therefore, consider the specific figures as a snapshot as of today. However, the logic of the build still applies, and you can adjust it yourself according to these rules.

The graphics card should get around 40% of the budget. In an affordable gaming PC, it’s primarily responsible for frames per second. Anyone who saves on it to buy a better processor or more RAM will lose out the most in games.

Go for a six-core processor as soon as the surcharge is around a thousand. Today, 1,150 CZK separates the Core i3-14100F and Core i5-12400F. The smaller the difference, the fewer reasons to stick with four cores.

The Arc B580 makes sense when it’s less than a thousand crowns more expensive. It’s more powerful, but not enough to justify today’s 2,300 CZK surcharge. For that money, you’ll get more out of the processor.

Always use two memory modules. Two 8 GB DDR4-3200 modules are the minimum. It’s not worth paying extra for RGB lighting or higher frequencies, and don’t buy a single 8 GB module at all.

Three Upgrades Worth Considering

Processor for an additional 1,150 CZK. The Core i5-12400F for 3,599 CZK fits into the same motherboard without further changes. Six cores will be appreciated by CPU-intensive games and will also help the Arc graphics card. If the surcharge doesn’t bother you, this is the most sensible upgrade.

Graphics card for an additional 4,700 CZK. The Gigabyte GeForce RTX 5060 Windforce OC for 11,890 CZK will elevate the build by a class and bring DLSS 4. The entire build would then cost approximately 22,800 CZK, and the power supply will handle it.

Drive for an additional 2,220 CZK. A terabyte Samsung 990 typically costs 4,299 CZK and will save you from constantly deleting games. While it will only run at PCIe 3.0 speeds on this motherboard, you’ll fully utilize its performance when upgrading to a newer platform.

What to Avoid

Among cheap graphics cards, you’ll find models like the Radeon RX 6300 with 2 GB of memory. They are not for gaming, even if product descriptions list them as gaming equipment. Also, beware of pre-built “gaming” systems with an RTX 3050 or 8 GB of RAM, where the seller hides behind the graphics card brand. And don’t buy uncertified power supplies for a few hundred. The savings are negligible, the risk is great. A decent branded power supply today costs around a thousand.

After Assembly, Don’t Forget

In the motherboard’s BIOS, enable Above 4G Decoding and Resizable BAR; without them, the Arc B570 will lose a significant portion of its performance. Immediately after installation, download the latest Intel Arc drivers and update the BIOS for good measure. A Windows license is not included in the price.

Would you go for Intel Arc, or would you rather pay extra for a GeForce?