Best Components for Sly Cooper Gaming in 2026

Why the Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB is the Best Choice for 4K Gaming

When it comes to 4K gaming, the Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB stands out as the top contender. With 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 256-bit memory bus, this GPU delivers the bandwidth needed to handle high-resolution textures and complex scenes without stuttering. Its 304 W TDP means it's a power-hungry card, but that also translates into raw performance — perfect for pushing ultra settings at 4K.

One of the standout features of the RX 9070 XT is its support for 3rd-gen RT accelerators, making it capable of delivering realistic ray-traced lighting effects in supported games. It also supports FSR 4, AMD's latest upscaling technology, which helps maintain high frame rates even when running at 4K. This makes the RX 9070 XT ideal for players who want the best visual fidelity without sacrificing performance.

The 750 W recommended PSU means you’ll need a robust power supply to keep this GPU running smoothly. The Corsair RM850x 80+ Gold 850W Fully Modular PSU is a great match, as it provides more than enough wattage and includes a zero-RPM fan for silent operation. Pairing the RX 9070 XT with the RM850x ensures stable and efficient power delivery, even under heavy load.

For cooling, the Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black Dual-Tower Air Cooler is a fantastic option. This dual-tower air cooler is designed for AM5 / AM4 / LGA1700 sockets and rivals the cooling performance of a 280 mm AIO. Its 165 mm tall heatsink and 2x 140 mm NF-A15 fans ensure that your CPU stays cool, even during extended gaming sessions.

Why the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the Best Budget CPU for Gaming

If you're looking for a budget-friendly CPU that still delivers top-tier gaming performance, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the way to go. This 8-core / 16-thread processor features 5.2 GHz boost clock speeds, making it one of the fastest gaming CPUs on the market. It also includes 96 MB of 2nd-gen 3D V-Cache, which dramatically improves performance in gaming and other compute-heavy tasks.

With a 120 W TDP, the 9800X3D is quite efficient for such a powerful CPU. It supports DDR5 memory, which is essential for future-proofing your build. The AMD AM5 socket ensures compatibility with the latest motherboards, like the MSI MAG B600 Tomahawk WiFi Motherboard, which features Wi-Fi 6E and PCIe 4.0 support.

The MSI MAG B600 Tomahawk is an excellent choice for an AM5 motherboard, offering 4x DDR5 slots, dual M.2 PCIe 4.0 slots, and 14+2+1 VRM power stages for stable performance. Its FreeSync Premium support and 92% DCI-P3 color accuracy also make it a great option for 1440p gaming and productivity.

For storage, the WD Black SN850X 2TB NVMe SSD with Heatsink is a high-performance option that delivers 7300 MB/s sequential read speeds and 6600 MB/s sequential write speeds. It’s perfect for loading large game files quickly and keeping your system responsive.

Finally, the Gigabyte M27Q 27" 1440p 170Hz KVM IPS Gaming Monitor is the ideal display for 1440p gaming, offering a 170 Hz refresh rate, 0.5 ms MPRT response time, and FreeSync Premium support. Its KVM switch and 92% DCI-P3 color coverage also make it a great all-around monitor for both gaming and productivity.

Top picks

• AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D Processor (AM5, 3D V-Cache) — £449.99
• AMD Ryzen 5 7500F Processor (AM5, 6-core) — £139.99
• AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Processor (AM5, 3D V-Cache) — £339.99

Conclusion

For a high-performance 4K gaming build, the Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT 16GB is the top choice, paired with the Corsair RM850x 80+ Gold 850W Fully Modular PSU and Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black Dual-Tower Air Cooler. For a budget-friendly yet powerful CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is an excellent option, especially when paired with the MSI MAG B600 Tomahawk WiFi Motherboard, WD Black SN850X 2TB NVMe SSD, and Gigabyte M27Q 27" 1440p 170Hz KVM IPS Gaming Monitor. Together, these components form a high-performance gaming PC that can handle the most demanding games at ultra settings.

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