Emulation

Ultimate Guide to Building a Retro Gaming PC (2026): Budget to Premium

26 September 2023 9 min read Mark Baxman

Quick Answer

You can build a capable retro gaming PC for £300-500 (budget: Ryzen 5 5600X, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060), optimized for £800-1,200 (Ryzen 7 7700X, 32GB RAM, RTX 4070), or premium for £1,500-2,500 (Ryzen 9 7950X, 64GB RAM, RTX 4080). All three will emulate NES through PS2 perfectly; differences appear in PS2 enhancements (upscaling, shader filters), N64 performance, and modern game support. A retro-focused build emphasizes CPU (emulation needs this) over GPU (graphics less critical). Setup takes 2-3 hours if building yourself, or £50-100 labor if hiring a shop.

Complete Retro Gaming PC Builds

Budget LevelCPUMotherboardRAMStorageGPUCasePSUPricePerformance
BudgetRyzen 5 5600GB550 Board16GB DDR4512GB SSDIntegratedMid Tower550W£400-500NES-PS2 Perfect
Sweet SpotRyzen 5 5600XB550 Board32GB DDR41TB SSDRTX 3060Mid Tower650W£800-1,000NES-GameCube Perfect
PremiumRyzen 7 7700XX770 Board32GB DDR52TB SSDRTX 4070High-End Case850W£1,500-1,800NES-PS2 4K Perfect
MaximumRyzen 9 7950XX770 Board64GB DDR54TB NVMeRTX 4080Premium Case1000W£2,500-3,5004K/8K Future-Proof

Build #1: The Budget Beast (£400-500)

Perfect for: Budget-conscious gamers who want perfect NES through N64 emulation

Parts List with Purchase Links

CPU – Ryzen 5 5600G: £180-200

  • Buy on Amazon
  • 6 cores / 12 threads
  • Integrated Vega graphics (no GPU needed)
  • Excellent single-core performance (matters for emulation)

Motherboard – B550 Chipset: £100-130

  • View B550 Options
  • Works with Ryzen 5000 series perfectly
  • Supports future CPU upgrades
  • Includes WiFi (saves £15-20)

Memory – DDR4 16GB: £45-60

  • Browse 16GB DDR4
  • Two 8GB sticks recommended (dual channel)
  • 3200MHz speed sufficient for retro gaming
  • Crucial or Corsair brands reliable

Storage – 512GB M.2 SSD: £35-50

GPU – Integrated (Included with CPU) – £0

  • Vega graphics built into 5600G
  • Perfect for emulation + light gaming
  • Skip separate GPU = huge budget savings

Power Supply – 550W Bronze 80+: £45-65

  • EVGA 550W Bronze
  • More than enough for this system
  • Reputable brand for reliability
  • Modular (cables cleaner)

Case – Mid-Tower: £50-80

Budget Build Totals:

CPU (5600G):        £190
Motherboard:        £120
RAM (16GB):         £55
SSD (512GB):        £45
GPU:                £0 (integrated)
PSU (550W):         £55
Case:               £65
Cooling (stock):    £0
---
SUBTOTAL:           £530
WITH PERIPHERALS:
Monitor (budget):   £100 [View](https://amazon.co.uk/s?k=1080p+monitor&tag=retrotechlab-20)
Keyboard:           £30 [View](https://amazon.co.uk/s?k=mechanical+keyboard&tag=retrotechlab-20)
Mouse:              £20 [View](https://amazon.co.uk/s?k=gaming+mouse&tag=retrotechlab-20)
---
COMPLETE:           £680

Assembly Time: 1.5-2 hours (first-time builder)

Performance:

  • ✅ NES/SNES/Genesis: Perfect 60fps
  • ✅ N64/PlayStation 1: Perfect
  • ✅ Dreamcast: Excellent
  • ✅ GameCube: Very good (some enhanced)
  • ⚠️ PS2: Good (not enhanced)
  • ❌ 4K/High shader settings: Not viable

Build #2: The Sweet Spot (£800-1,000)

Perfect for: Most retro gamers who want perfect emulation of everything + some modern games

Parts List with Links

CPU – Ryzen 5 5600X: £220-280

  • Get on Amazon
  • 6 cores / 12 threads
  • NO integrated graphics (needs discrete GPU)
  • Significantly better single-thread performance
  • Sweet spot for cost/performance

Motherboard – B550 Chipset: £120-140

  • Browse B550
  • PCIe 4.0 (works with RTX 3060)
  • Excellent for future upgrades
  • WiFi 6 standard now

Memory – DDR4 32GB: £90-120

  • Corsair Vengeance 32GB
  • Four 8GB sticks OR two 16GB
  • 3600MHz (slight improvement over 3200MHz)
  • Overkill for retro gaming, but future-proof

Storage – 1TB M.2 SSD: £70-100

  • Samsung 980 Pro 1TB
  • Holds Windows + 200+ emulated games
  • Fast PCIe 4.0 speeds
  • Worth the extra £30 over 512GB

GPU – RTX 3060: £250-350

  • NVIDIA RTX 3060 12GB
  • Perfect sweet spot for retro gaming
  • Handles 4K upscaling filters
  • Also handles modern games at 1440p/60fps

Power Supply – 650W Bronze 80+: £60-85

  • Corsair 650W Bronze
  • Plenty of headroom for 5600X + 3060
  • Quality brand (5-year warranty standard)
  • Modular cable management

Case – Quality Mid-Tower: £70-100

  • Popular Options
  • Good airflow (important with discrete GPU)
  • Cable management support
  • Room for fans/upgrades

CPU Cooler – Quality Aftermarket: £30-50

Sweet Spot Build Totals:

CPU (5600X):        £250
Motherboard:        £130
RAM (32GB):         £105
SSD (1TB):          £85
GPU (RTX 3060):     £300
PSU (650W):         £75
Case:               £85
CPU Cooler:         £40
---
SUBTOTAL:           £1,070
WITH PERIPHERALS:
Monitor (1440p):    £200 [View](https://amazon.co.uk/s?k=1440p+monitor&tag=retrotechlab-20)
Keyboard:           £60 [View](https://amazon.co.uk/s?k=mechanical+keyboard&tag=retrotechlab-20)
Mouse:              £40 [View](https://amazon.co.uk/s?k=gaming+mouse&tag=retrotechlab-20)
---
COMPLETE:           £1,370

Assembly Time: 2-3 hours

Performance:

  • ✅ NES/SNES/Genesis: Perfect 60fps
  • ✅ N64/PlayStation 1: Perfect
  • ✅ GameCube/Wii: Nearly perfect
  • ✅ PS2: Excellent with enhancements
  • ✅ Dreamcast: Perfect
  • ✅ 4K Upscaling: Yes, with shader filters
  • ✅ Modern Games: 1440p/60fps @ High settings

Why “Sweet Spot”:

  • Best price-to-performance for retro gaming
  • Handles 99% of use cases perfectly
  • Room to upgrade GPU later if needed
  • Excellent value

Build #3: Premium Edition (£1,500-1,800)

Perfect for: Enthusiasts who want 4K everything + streaming + modern AAA games

Key Differences from Sweet Spot

CPU – Ryzen 7 7700X: £350-400

  • Buy on Amazon
  • 8 cores / 16 threads (vs 6 cores)
  • Better multi-threading (streaming, content creation)
  • Significantly faster clock speeds
  • NEW Socket AM5 (future-proof)

Motherboard – X870/X770: £200-250

  • Browse X870 Options
  • Newer AM5 socket for future CPU upgrades
  • PCI-E 5.0 support (future-proof)
  • WiFi 6E standard

Memory – DDR5 32GB: £200-250

Storage – 2TB NVMe SSD: £150-200

GPU – RTX 4070: £450-550

  • NVIDIA RTX 4070
  • Handles 4K @ 60fps with filters
  • Ray tracing capable
  • Good for modern AAA games @ 1440p/144fps

Power Supply – 850W Gold 80+: £100-130

  • Corsair 850W Gold
  • Gold efficiency = less heat/power waste
  • Plenty of room for future upgrades
  • 10-year warranty typical

Case – Premium Mid-Tower: £100-150

CPU Cooler – Premium: £60-100

Premium Build Totals:

CPU (7700X):        £380
Motherboard:        £230
RAM (32GB DDR5):    £220
SSD (2TB):          £180
GPU (RTX 4070):     £500
PSU (850W):         £120
Case:               £120
CPU Cooler:         £80
Additional SSD:     £60
---
SUBTOTAL:           £1,870
WITH PERIPHERALS:
Monitor (4K/144Hz): £400 [View](https://amazon.co.uk/s?k=4K+monitor&tag=retrotechlab-20)
Keyboard:           £100 [View](https://amazon.co.uk/s?k=premium+mechanical+keyboard&tag=retrotechlab-20)
Mouse:              £60 [View](https://amazon.co.uk/s?k=gaming+mouse&tag=retrotechlab-20)
---
COMPLETE:           £2,430

Performance:

  • ✅✅ Everything at 4K with filters
  • ✅ Modern AAA games: 1440p/144fps or 4K/60fps
  • ✅ Streaming while gaming
  • ✅ Content creation
  • ✅ Future-proof (AM5 socket, DDR5, PCIe 5.0)

Important Component Explanations

CPU: Why Single-Thread Performance Matters for Retro Gaming

Emulation is CPU-intensive, not GPU-intensive. Game physics, timing, AI = all handled by CPU.

CPU Recommendation Hierarchy:

  1. Best: Ryzen 7 7700X (highest clock speed)
  2. Great: Ryzen 5 5600X (excellent mid-range)
  3. Good: Ryzen 5 5600G (budget + no GPU needed)
  4. Alternative: Intel i7-13700K (same performance as Ryzen)

DO NOT skimp on CPU. A better GPU won’t fix emulation lag.

GPU: What You Actually Need

For retro gaming:

  • Integrated (5600G): Adequate for 1080p + light filters
  • RTX 3060: Perfect 1440p + shader filters
  • RTX 4070: Overkill for retro, but handles 4K
  • RTX 4080+: Future-proof for newer emulators

Rule: Spend on CPU first, GPU second.

Memory: 16GB vs 32GB

16GB:

  • Sufficient for emulation + modern games
  • Budget option
  • No performance hit for retro gaming

32GB:

  • Future-proof
  • Better for streaming/content creation
  • Slight cost increase (£30-50)
  • Recommended if keeping PC 5+ years

Storage: SSD Capacity

512GB: Minimum

  • Windows + emulators = 50GB
  • Game library room = 450GB (enough for ~150 games)
  • Tight but workable

1TB: Sweet spot

  • All of above + breathing room
  • Room for modern games
  • Only £25-35 more than 512GB

2TB: Premium

  • Room for 500+ emulated games
  • Plus modern game library
  • Plus backups

Rule: Storage is cheap. Get what you need + extra.

Which Build Should YOU Buy?

Budget Build (£400-500) If:

  • ✅ Only emulating NES through PS1
  • ✅ Limited budget (student, part-time)
  • ✅ Don’t play modern games
  • ✅ Okay with no 4K features

Sweet Spot Build (£800-1,000) If:

  • ✅ Want all emulators perfect (NES through PS2)
  • ✅ Might play modern games occasionally
  • ✅ Want shader filters + upscaling
  • ✅ Most people fall here

Premium Build (£1,500-1,800) If:

  • ✅ Want 4K everything
  • ✅ Also play modern AAA games
  • ✅ Plan to keep 5+ years
  • ✅ Content creator/streamer

Maximum Build (£2,500-3,500) If:

  • ✅ Money is no object
  • ✅ Want absolute best hardware
  • ✅ Plan 8-10 year lifespan
  • ✅ Bragging rights matter

Complete Shopping List Templates

Budget Build Shopping Cart

Copy and buy all of these:

  1. Ryzen 5 5600G – £180
  2. B550 Motherboard – £120
  3. DDR4 16GB – £55
  4. 512GB M.2 SSD – £45
  5. 550W PSU – £55
  6. Mid-Tower Case – £65

Subtotal: £520

Sweet Spot Build Shopping Cart

Copy and buy all of these:

  1. Ryzen 5 5600X – £250
  2. B550 Motherboard – £130
  3. DDR4 32GB – £105
  4. 1TB M.2 SSD – £85
  5. RTX 3060 – £300
  6. 650W PSU – £75
  7. Case – £85
  8. CPU Cooler – £40

Subtotal: £1,070

Premium Build Shopping Cart

Copy and buy all of these:

  1. Ryzen 7 7700X – £380
  2. X870 Motherboard – £230
  3. DDR5 32GB – £220
  4. 2TB NVMe SSD – £180
  5. RTX 4070 – £500
  6. 850W PSU – £120
  7. Premium Case – £120
  8. Premium Cooler – £80
  9. 1TB Backup SSD – £60

Subtotal: £1,870

Building vs. Buying Pre-Built

Build Yourself

  • ✅ Save £200-400 (no assembly labor)
  • ✅ Exactly what you want
  • ✅ Warranty on individual parts
  • ✅ Fun and educational
  • ❌ Takes 2-3 hours
  • ❌ No support if something goes wrong

Buy Pre-Built

  • ✅ Ready to use immediately
  • ✅ Single warranty (manufacturer supports everything)
  • ✅ Professional assembly
  • ❌ Costs £200-400 more
  • ❌ May have unnecessary bloatware

Recommendation: If you have 3 hours, build yourself and save money. If you value time over money, buy pre-built.

Essential Accessories for Your Build

Monitor

Budget (1080p): £100-150

Recommended (1440p): £200-300

Premium (4K): £400-600

Keyboard

Budget Mechanical: £30-50

Quality Mechanical: £60-100

Premium: £100-200

Mouse

Budget: £15-25

Good: £30-60

Premium: £60-150

Controller (For Emulation)

Budget USB: £15-30

Wireless (Best): 8BitDo Pro 2 – £50-60

Arcade Stick (Arcade games): £80-150

Final Recommendations

For Most People: The Sweet Spot Build (£800-1,000)

  • Perfect emulation of everything
  • Modern game capability
  • Great value
  • Future-proof (5+ years)

If Budget-Conscious: The Budget Build (£400-500)

  • Excellent for NES-PS1
  • Perfect single-player experience
  • Saves £300-500

If You Want Best: The Premium Build (£1,500-1,800)

  • 4K everything
  • Modern AAA games included
  • Future-proof (8+ years)
  • Best long-term investment

Related Guides

Last Updated: February 2026 | All prices from Amazon UK | Component recommendations updated quarterly