Build Your World Cup War Station
The greatest football tournament on the planet kicks off June 11. 104 matches. 48 nations. Three countries. Here's how to make sure your setup is absolutely ready for every single second of it.
Right, let's get into it. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is here, and it's the biggest one ever. 48 teams. 104 matches. 39 days of football. Spread across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the final taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. It is, quite simply, an absolutely barnstorming tournament, and you deserve a setup that does it justice.
Whether you're watching every group stage game with a Discord call full of mates, grinding Football Manager between matches, or running EA FC 26 on the side, this guide has you covered. We've put together four tiers of PC setup built specifically for the World Cup experience, from sensible budget builds all the way up to full overkill. Let's break it down.
These builds are aimed squarely at the World Cup setup: smooth 1080p–4K streaming via BBC iPlayer, ITV X, or Peacock, running Football Manager 2026 with a big database loaded; playing EA FC 26, and streaming your own reactions. Doing all of that at once is a proper system workload, and it changes how you should think about your spec.
104
Matches to watch
39
Days of football
48
Nations competing
16
Host cities
Pick Your Tier
We've named each tier after a tournament stage, because let's be honest, that's exactly the kind of thing we'd do. Find your budget and dive in.
Group Stage
Round of 32
Quarter Final
World Cup Final
Where to find gaming PC's
If any of thes options catch your fancy, you can find them and many more systems at AWD-IT where you can customise them to suit your needs during the World Cup.
A Quick Heads Up on GPU Pricing
GPU prices can go a bit wild, especially mid-year. If a specific card is overpriced in your region when you're looking to buy, don't stretch your budget chasing a logo. Swap within the same performance tier and keep your build balanced. That matters way more than brand loyalty, trust us.
Don't Skimp on the Monitor
Here's the one thing people always get wrong: they'll spend £1,200 on a cracking PC and then plonk a £120 monitor in front of it. For watching football, your display might actually be the most important piece of the puzzle. A high frame rate match feed on a 60Hz screen looks noticeably worse than the same feed on a 144Hz panel — even when you're not gaming.
Motion clarity for live sport is all about refresh rate and response time working together. Here's where to put your money at each tier:
| Minimum (30 FPS) |
Recommended
|
|
|
CPU
|
Intel Core i3-6300 / AMD FX-4350
|
Intel Core i5-3570K / AMD Ryzen 5
|
|
GPU
|
NVIDIA GTX 950 / AMD Radeon HD 7790
|
NVIDIA GTX 970 / AMD R9 290
|
|
RAM
|
6GB
|
8GB
|
|
Storage
|
75GB HDD
|
SSD recommended
|
Smashing the Multi-Screen Setup
The 2026 World Cup is unlike any tournament before it, with 48 teams in the group stage, you're going to have multiple matches running at the same time. That means most of us will be juggling a live match stream, a stats tab, Discord, and probably EA FC or FM on the side. All at once.
This is where your RAM and CPU earn their keep beyond pure gaming numbers. Running a 1080p stream at full quality alongside a browser with live stats, a Discord call, and a game in the background is a genuinely heavy workload. Don't underestimate it.
This is where your RAM and CPU earn their keep beyond pure gaming numbers
Best Sim Racing Setup for Beginners: Start With the Essentials
You don’t need a full cockpit immediately. A well‑chosen beginner setup helps you develop skills faster and keeps costs under control.
1. Steering Wheel and Pedals (Top Priority)
Your wheel and pedals are the most important part of any sim racing rig. Force feedback allows you to feel grip changes, kerbs, and steering resistance—crucial for learning car control.
Beginner tip: Focus on force feedback quality rather than raw power.
Your wheel and pedals are the most important part of any sim racing rig. Force feedback allows you to feel grip changes, kerbs, and steering resistance—crucial for learning car control.
The Bits Everyone Forgets
Everyone obsesses over specs. Nobody talks about the stuff that actually affects your day-to-day tournament experience. Here's what to sort out before June 11.
Sound — don't overlook it
Stadium atmosphere is half the experience of watching football, and PC speakers are often an afterthought. A decent 2.1 speaker setup — something like the Edifier R1280s at around £90 — will do more for your World Cup enjoyment than bumping your RAM from DDR5-6000 to DDR5-6400. Get your audio sorted.
Your chair and desk setup
Peak group stage means 2–3 games a day. That's potentially five hours at your desk in a single sitting. If your chair is doing your back in, no amount of GPU performance is going to fix that. Sort your ergonomics out now, before the tournament starts and you're committed to watching every game.
Peak group stage means 2–3 games a day. That's potentially five hours at your desk in a single sitting.
Best AWD-IT Gaming PCs for Apex Legends
Budget: Best PC for Apex Under £600 — Casual & Early Ranked Play
For players new to Apex or playing casually, this tier gets you smooth 1080p gameplay at 144 FPS on medium settings — more than enough to enjoy the game and start climbing ranked.
What to look for:
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600 or Intel Core i5-12400F
- NVIDIA RTX 3060 or AMD RX 6600 XT
- 16GB DDR4 dual-channel RAM
- 500GB NVMe SSD
This build handles Apex comfortably and also covers every other popular title – Warzone, Fortnite, and Valorant – without breaking a sweat.
Browse AWD-IT budget gaming PCs
A system that thermal throttles during extra time is not a system you want.
Cooling and airflow — especially in summer
June and July in the UK can get properly warm. A system that thermal throttles during extra time is not a system you want. Make sure your case has decent airflow, and if you're running a Quarter Final or World Cup Final tier build, a 240mm AIO cooler is absolutely worth the investment.
The tournament kicks off June 11 with Mexico vs South Africa — less than a week away. If you're doing a full build from scratch, get your parts ordered now. Delivery windows and component availability mean leaving it until opening weekend is a proper risk. Get your war station ready before kick-off. You won't regret it.
High-End: Best PC for Apex — Maximum FPS & Future-Proofing (£1,000+)
For players chasing every possible competitive edge, or those who stream their Apex gameplay and play other demanding titles alongside it, this tier leaves nothing on the table.
What to look for:
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Intel Core i7-14700K
- NVIDIA RTX 5070 or AMD RX 9070 XT
- 32GB DDR5 dual-channel RAM
- 1TB NVMe SSD
With a Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5070, you're looking at well over 200 FPS at 1080p even on ultra settings and significantly more on competitive low settings. This build also handles 4K gaming, content creation, and streaming without compromise.
Browse AWD-IT's high-end gaming PCs
For players chasing every possible competitive edge
What Monitor Should You Pair With Your Apex PC?
Apex rewards high frame rates more than most shooters — so your monitor choice matters just as much as your PC.
- 144Hz at 1080p — The competitive baseline. A massive step up from 60Hz, and well matched with a budget AWD-IT build. Great for most players.
- 240Hz at 1080p — The standard for serious Apex players. Tracking fast legends and landing shots on the move feels noticeably cleaner at 240Hz.
- 1440p at 144Hz — A good middle ground if you play other visually rich games alongside Apex and want a sharper image without needing 240+ FPS.
- 360Hz at 1080p — For the most competitive players chasing every millisecond of responsiveness. Requires a high-end PC to feed it consistently.
Most competitive Apex players prioritise refresh rate over resolution — the extra frames make movement tracking and gunfights noticeably more responsive.
Browse AWD-IT gaming monitors
How to Unlock FPS Above 144 in Apex Legends
By default, Apex caps at 144 FPS. To remove this cap:
- Open the EA App or Steam
- Right-click Apex Legends and go to Game Properties (EA App) or Properties (Steam)
- In the Advanced Launch Options or Launch Options field, type: +FPS_max unlimted
- Save and launch the game
You can also set a specific cap – for example – to match your monitor's refresh rate without going fully uncapped.
Our Pick at AWD-IT
AWD-IT stocks a range of gaming chairs from trusted brands including Corsair. Whether you're looking for an entry-level seat or a premium setup, you can browse our full gaming chair range here.
• Shape: This is personal. Some players prefer ambidextrous shapes; others, ergonomic right-handed designs. Your grip style (palm, claw, fingertip) should influence which shape you choose.
• Click latency: How fast the mouse registers a click input. High-end optical switches (like those in Razer mice) have virtually zero debounce delay, which matters in fast-paced competitive play.
• Wireless vs. wired: Modern wireless gaming mice (Razer HyperSpeed, Corsair Slipstream) have zero meaningful latency disadvantage over wired mice. Wireless is now a perfectly legitimate competitive choice.
GTA 6 GPU Comparison Table (RTX 50 Series)
|
GPU Model
|
Performance Tier
|
Best Resolution
|
VRAM (Expected)
|
GTA 6 Settings
|
Ideal User Type
|
|
RTX 5060
|
Entry-Level
|
1080p
|
8–12GB
|
Medium–High
|
Budget gamers looking for smooth GTA 6 gameplay
|
|
RTX 5070
|
Mid-Range
|
1440p
|
12–16GB
|
High–Ultra
|
Best value for most UK gamers
|
|
RTX 5070 Ti
|
Upper Mid-Range
|
1440p / 4K
|
16GB
|
Ultra
|
High FPS + future-proofing
|
|
RTX 5080
|
High-End
|
4K
|
16–20GB
|
Ultra + Ray Tracing
|
Enthusiasts & high-performance gaming builds
|
|
RTX 5090
|
Ultra Enthusiast
|
4K+ / 8K
|
24GB+
|
Max Settings + Full Ray Tracing
|
No-compromise, ultimate GTA 6 experience
|
Does a More Expensive Mouse Make You Better?
Honestly? At a basic level, no. A well-made £40 mouse with a decent sensor will not put you at a measurable disadvantage against someone with a £150 flagship. The fundamentals of aim, consistency, muscle memory, and practice, dwarf any hardware differences at the consumer level.
That said, there are genuine benefits to higher-end mice: better sensor accuracy, lighter weight, improved wireless performance, more comfortable shapes, and longer build quality. If you game seriously and spend hours at your desk, the ergonomics and build quality alone can justify the price.
The point is don't buy a £150 mouse expecting it to fix your aim. Buy it because the weight, shape, and quality will make long gaming sessions more comfortable.
AWD-IT stocks gaming mice from Razer, Corsair, and ASUS at a range of price points. If you're unsure where to start, a mid-range wireless mouse from any of these brands will give you everything you need for competitive gaming.
Getting the most out of your hardware in Apex comes down to a few key settings
Tips to Maximise FPS in Apex Legends
Getting the most out of your hardware in Apex comes down to a few key settings:
- Drop Shadows to Low or Off — The single biggest GPU saving in Apex with minimal visual impact
- Set Texture Streaming Budget to match your VRAM — Mismatched settings can cause stuttering
- Disable V-Sync — Adds input lag and caps your frame rate unnecessarily
- Use Adaptive Resolution wisely — Setting this to 0 (off) gives you a consistent image; setting it higher lets the game dynamically reduce resolution to maintain FPS
- Keep GPU drivers updated — Particularly important for NVIDIA users via GeForce Experience
- Install on an NVMe SSD — Faster loading into matches, especially during the frantic drop phase
- Close background apps — Discord video, browser tabs, and streaming software all compete with Apex for CPU resources
High-End 4K Powerhouse
- RTX 5080 / 5090
- Intel i7-14700K
- 32GB DDR5 RAM
Built for 4K ultra gaming with zero compromises
Who Should Buy in the UK (Clear Advice)
✅ Buy an RTX 5060 if you:
- Game at 1080p
- Want a quiet, efficient PC
- Have a £800–£1,000 budget
- Prefer a brand‑new UK‑built PC
✅ Buy an RTX 5060 Ti if you:
- Use or plan to move to 1440p
- Want longer lifespan
- Play larger AAA titles
❌ Skip both if you:
- Only care about 4K gaming
- Already own a strong RTX 4070‑class GPU
Tips for Getting the Most Out of MSFS 2024 on PC
• Enable DLSS 4 (RTX cards) or FSR 4 (AMD cards) — these upscaling technologies make a massive difference to frame rate with minimal visual cost
• Set your LOD (Level of Detail) sliders carefully — these have the biggest individual impact on performance
Final Verdict
Apex Legends is one of the most rewarding games on PC — but it asks more of your hardware than most battle royales. For smooth competitive play, aim for a modern 6-core CPU, 16GB of dual-channel RAM, and a mid-range GPU as your baseline. Add a 144Hz monitor as a minimum, and you'll have a setup that lets your skill do the talking.
At AWD-IT, every gaming PC is pre-built, fully tested, and ready to drop straight into the arena. Whether you're a fresh Rookie or a Masters-ranked veteran, we have a build that matches your game.
