Inside a 2025 Performance Build: Custom PC Case Study

3 Oct

When it comes to balancing performance, reliability, and value, an off-the-shelf PC rarely delivers exactly what you need. Most retail computers hide "mystery" power supplies and budget motherboards behind a shiny case. That’s where a custom PC build makes all the difference.

At LaunchLayer, every system is designed around the customer’s specific requirements, stress-tested thoroughly, and handed over with a full performance report. Recently, we completed a high-end build for a Wickford resident who needed a powerhouse for both academic research and 4K gaming. Here’s how we approached it.

The 2026 Component Selection

For this project, we chose a Thermaltake case for its excellent airflow and tidy layout—essential for keeping high-end parts cool. Inside, we opted for a "no-compromise" spec:

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9800X3D – The ultimate 2026 processor for multitasking and gaming efficiency.
GPU: AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT – A cutting-edge RDNA 4 card with 16GB VRAM, perfect for high-refresh 1440p and steady 4K performance.
PSU: Corsair 850W Gold – Ensuring stable, efficient power delivery with plenty of headroom for future GPU generations.
Storage: Gen5 NVMe SSD – For near-instant boot times and rapid data handling in creative apps.
Cooling: High-performance thermal management to prevent "throttling" during long gaming sessions or render tasks.

Why Choose a Custom Build Over Retail?

A custom-built PC from LaunchLayer gives you advantages that pre-built systems simply can’t match:

Tailored Performance: Your budget goes into the components that matter most to your workflow.
Future-Proofing: Cases like the Thermaltake models we use provide ample room for extra drives, larger GPUs, or liquid cooling upgrades down the line.
Component Quality: We choose every part based on its failure rate and performance, not just to hit a retail price point.

Our "Gold Standard" Testing & QA

We don't just put the parts together and ship it. Every LaunchLayer Custom PC goes through a rigorous "burn-in" phase:

CPU/GPU Stress Testing: (Cinebench & FurMark) to ensure the cooling system can handle 100% load.
RAM Stability: (MemTest86+) to prevent random crashes and blue screens.
Thermal Monitoring: Ensuring the 9800X3D and 9070 XT stay within optimal temperature ranges.
Connectivity Check: Every USB port, audio jack, and Wi-Fi band is tested for speed and clarity.

We provide a handover sheet with all test results and warranty info, so you know exactly how your machine performed before it left our bench.

The End Result

The result was a clean, quiet, and incredibly fast system built to last for years. This machine is as comfortable handling complex creative workloads as it is playing the latest AAA games at ultra settings.