High end desktop for 1080p - 1440p gaming

not currently possible


even dual gtx 1080 ti's struggle at 4k with maxed settings on anything newer

While it doesn't officially support windows 7, I would likely go with a Ryzen R7 (maybe R5 6C/12T part) build or wait for threadripper. Granted Intel i7 7700K is best, at the moment, for gaming frame rates (not to mention no windows 7 support). The second you start to stream or multitask while you game 4C/8T CPUs can have some trouble. See how to get windows 7 running on Ryzen below.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/11182/how-to-get-ryzen-working-on-windows-7-x64

As for the rest of your PC build I would consider getting a m.2 drive for your primary drive and an large capacity SATA SSD for games and data. What is your budget? It would be helpful in coming up with a build besides general statements like I have been using.

I can give you a build that'll run current games at 4K, but 5 years? Nothing can do that today. Maybe a 4-way Titan SLI, but I doubt any game would support such a ridiculous setup, and it'll still probably expire in 4K by 3-4 years.

It's better you spend reasonably right now, and keep upgrading the GPU as new ones come out. In fact, that's your only choice for playing at 4K ultra - always having the best, as soon as it comes out. Right now a 1080 Ti is meant for 4K, but I doubt it'll last longer than 2 years at 4K, and that too only if you lower the details as and when required. Since you want 4K ultra for 5 years, the 1080 Ti won't cut it, and it's the most powerful gaming GPU today. There are faster GPUs, but not only are they batshit expensive, they also aren't aimed towards gamers at all.

So, to build a PC that meets your requirements, we'll first need a time machine .

I can speak from experience with 4K and 2 GTX 1080s, granted not Ti but still...Point being you have to turn down some settings but it is doable if you don't use heavy filtering/AA or your willing to turn down a few in-game settings. Typically it doesn't take to much if running dual GPUs like 1080s (Ti or not) but you still have to turn something down somewhere.

Threadripper comes out end of july....so basically august. I almost did a Ryzen build but my two big reasons for not doing it were...3200mhz ram speeds limited to 2 dimms and thus 32GB of ram when I want 64GB at those speeds or better. And the fact that PCIe lane count was to low for my usage. I need at least 40 lanes and paying a grand for an i9 or getting an older broadwell i7 8 core (minimum number of cores I want) for 899 seems like me getting shafted by Intel.

Clining to windows 7 is a bad idea, because you will never be able to take advantage of DX 12, which is Win 10 only. As others have stated, 4k gaming still isn't something you are going to easily max everything, and definitely not for 5yrs. I would recommend 1440p G-sync monitors instead.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 1700 3.0GHz 8-Core Processor (£282.49 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: CRYORIG - R1 Universal 76.0 CFM CPU Cooler (£67.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Motherboard: ASRock - X370 Taichi ATX AM4 Motherboard (£210.80 @ Alza)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£241.98 @ CCL Computers)
Storage: Samsung - 960 EVO 1TB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£383.99 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Toshiba - X300 5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£137.67 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB AMP Edition Video Card (2-Way SLI) (£666.82 @ CCL Computers)
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB AMP Edition Video Card (2-Way SLI) (£666.82 @ CCL Computers)
Case: Corsair - Carbide Clear 600C ATX Full Tower Case (£116.39 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 (EU) 1000W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£148.98 @ Ebuyer)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro Full - USB 32/64-bit (£89.00 @ Amazon UK)
Monitor: Acer - Predator XB271HUA 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor (£499.95 @ Ebuyer)
Total: £3512.88
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-22 12:30 BST+0100

If you can spend 10K, then spend 5 now and 2-3 in 3 years time for a GPU refresh. But you can get 90% of that for 50% of the price.

he wants ultra for 5+ years

it is NOT doable based on what he wants

Yes, as 13thmonkey said, it's better you build a high-end desktop for 4000-5000-ish today, keep the money, and keep upgrading the GPU as better ones are released. It's the only way to keep playing 4K at max, and switching the GPU in a PC is not that difficult - remove the power connectors, pull the thing out, pop in the new one and put that power back in. A few steps in the middle here and there(removing monitor cable and unscrewing), and you have a new GPU. It's your only option here.

This is the build I'd recommend for you for gaming today at 4K 60 Hz (complete overkill, lots of overpriced components, but still pretty good):

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/G24RxY

CPU: Ryzen 7 1800X
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X62
Motherboard: Asus Crosshair VI Hero X370
Memory: G. Skill Trident Z RGB DDR4-3200 16 GB (2x8 GB)
Storage: i. Samsung 850 Evo 1 TB 2.5"
ii. Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5"
Video Card: Asus Geforce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB Strix Gaming
Case: Corsair Crystal 460X RGB
Power Supply: SeaSonic SSR-750TD 750 W 80+ Titanium Fully Modular
Case Fans: 2x Corsair SP120 RGB 120 mm High Performance
Monitor: Asus PB279Q 27" 3840x2160 60 Hz

This should last you at least an year, but maybe at high rather than at ultra - there's no telling, since it's the future. This'll set you back - you might wanna sit down - a whopping £3006.90. This still leaves you with with around £7000, so you can keep upgrading the GPU as and when a better one comes out. I know you didn't want this, but it's your only choice for playing at 4K max details for a long time. If you keep upgrading the GPU, this could last even longer than 5 years, because that Ryzen processor is pretty future-proof, and that power supply is also darn good(it better be, considering its price!).

Bottom line is what you want can't be done by a single GPU - you need to keep changing to the current best to keep playing at 4K. The build I recommended can be personalized by you, to change storage, case, case fans and/or monitor according to your preferences. Other than that I'd keep the rest the same.

Well it's not exactly 'dropping to lower specs', because it's got the best AMD CPU and the best Nvidia gaming GPU in it. But yeah, if you turn down to high, it should last you a bit longer, but definitely not 5 years. You just can't do 5 years on any single GPU, and that too at 4K. The build I've done is pretty good as is, so if you don't want to change anything, it'll still be pretty good. I'm sure some people can recommend some other builds, or edit mine - there are a ton of options at your price range, and everyone recommends a different flavor. You can pick whatever you seem to like the best. Don't settle for anything except a Ryzen processor and a 1080 Ti. The other components' recommendations can vary from person to person. Just make sure you have enough storage, good airflow (the case already comes with 3 120 mm fans, which actually is enough by itself), a good PSU, and some high-speed memory. Usually high-speed RAM isn't worth it, but with Ryzen CPUs it makes a difference due to internal structure differences (infinity fabric loves speedy RAM).

Again, recommendations will vary, but just make sure you get what you need and deserve for the money spent.

As long as the case fits everything, it's fine. But thermals may get affected due to limited airflow, so keep that in mind.

If you want RGB in the keyboard:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823816070

This is pretty nice, though expensive.

If you're a simple man and don't want RGB:

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA4RE4Y37904

This is backlit, and has a mouse thrown in as well. No RGB backlighting though, just plain ol' blue.

Since you are buying a 1080 Ti and Ryzen processor, you haven't got much choice other than 4K 60 Hz. And 144 Hz only helps in fast-paced FPS games like CS:GO and Overwatch. If you aren't a competitive gamer, usually 60-120 Hz is enough, and a Ryzen with 1080 Ti will give you that much at 4K. If you are a competitive gamer, 144 Hz is for you, but then you need an i7 7700K rather than Ryzen. If you think you need 144 FPS, there'll have to be some big changes in the build, because Ryzen simply cannot give you 144 FPS. My recommendation would be 4K 60 Hz simply because I don't see the difference - your eyes may be different an 60 Hz may look choppy to you. If it does, then you can't get Ryzen build, because Ryzen won't give you more than around 120 FPS due to lower clock speeds. If you want >120 FPS, get an i7 7700K - keep in mind that you'll have to upgrade the 7700K much earlier than the Ryzen 7 1800X, since it has lesser cores.

So decide - 4K 60 Hz, better value and longevity, or 1080p 144 Hz, worse value(IMO) and more frequent upgrades?

My recommendation(yet again) - 4K 60 Hz monitor, whatever size you feel comfortable with(no pun intended).

Whether or not you'll be able to see the difference is actually decided by you and your eyes - if 60 Hz feels smooth to you, no need to go 144 Hz, because once you go 144 Hz, 60 Hz starts feeling like crap(not speaking from first-hand experience - me, I'm a 20 FPS gamer lol - 30 FPS feels like smooth to me). So if you decide on 144 Hz, you'll have to keep it at that for the rest of your life, because going back down is really hard. So give it some thought and experiment with a few other games - see if 60 Hz looks stutter-y to you, and if it doesn't, you'll be fine with 4K 60 Hz. If it does feel choppy, go 144 Hz.

Can you wait till tomorrow? I need sleep haha...

What you expect is possible if you go with 1440p and wait till Q1 2018 or go with 1080p. Presently 1080p is only resolution which can be satisfied for 5Yrs or more with GTX1080Ti. If you can wait till Q1 2018 then you can have NVIDIA Volta. There is a good possibility that you don't have to wait that long if Flagship Radeon Vega is able to perform between GTX1080 and GTX1080Ti. If that happens you can expect NVIDIA to launch Volta sooner than expected.

And as you plan on going with that high budget. You can have custom water cooling.

Let me put a 1080p build together for you.

Here is the list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-7900X 3.3GHz 10-Core Processor (£949.99 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H115i 104.7 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (£112.98 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£281.50 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: G.Skill - Trident Z RGB 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£281.50 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung - 960 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£273.59 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Samsung - 960 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£273.59 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Western Digital - Gold 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£179.52 @ Ebuyer)
Storage: Western Digital - Gold 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£179.52 @ Ebuyer)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB STRIX GAMING Video Card (2-Way SLI) (£740.83 @ More Computers)
Video Card: Asus - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB STRIX GAMING Video Card (2-Way SLI) (£740.83 @ More Computers)
Case: Corsair - Crystal 460X RGB ATX Mid Tower Case (£133.20 @ Aria PC)
Power Supply: Corsair - Professional 1200W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£199.99 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro Full - USB 32/64-bit (£89.00 @ Amazon UK)
Monitor: Asus - PG279Q ROG Swift 27.0" 2560x1440 165Hz Monitor (£694.98 @ Aria PC)
Monitor: Asus - ROG Swift PG258Q 24.5" 1920x1080 240Hz Monitor (£529.98 @ CCL Computers)
Keyboard: Corsair - K95 RGB PLATINUM UK Wired Gaming Keyboard (£189.98 @ Aria PC)
Mouse: Logitech - G900 CHAOS SPECTRUM Wireless Optical Mouse (£98.99 @ Amazon UK)
Headphones: Logitech - G933 Artemis Spectrum 7.1 Channel Headset (£115.00)
Other: ASUS RAMPGE VI EXTREME (£500.00)
Total: £6564.97
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-06-22 21:46 BST+0100

I provided both 1080p and 1440p monitors as this PC can handle both well. But 1440p will probably start to go below 60fps mark after 4Yrs at Ultra settings. 1080p will last you longer than 5Yrs. Choose any one you want.

I planned on providing custom watercooling build but as you want a smaller case like Mid-Tower Case custom watercooling is not possible. If you can go with large case then a good watercooling loop can be setup.

Run SSDs in RAID0.

I provided best Keyboard+Mouse+Headphone combo.

Good RGB Theme Build.

Wait for a month for that motherboard to be out.

Wow, someone went into overdrive with that budget.

Yes, it's a good build. But it's a little too much, IMO. Granted he has the budget, but he doesn't have the need. 10-core CPU for gaming? Well, maybe. But we still don't know if X299 is actually going to be good, considering all the issues and weird decisions that are being brought up by nearly every tech reviewer out there. Intel seems to have messed up this time. I would really skip X299 until it's got those issues fixed.

Here's that 7700K build. It's in a micro-ATX mini-tower case:

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/JVc6bj

CPU : Intel i7 7700K
CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X62
Motherboard: Asus Strix Z270G mATX
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2x16 GB) DDR4-3000
Storage: i. Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 3.5"
ii. Samsung 850 Evo 1 TB 2.5"
Video Card: Asus Geforce GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB Strix Gaming
Case: Thermaltake Core X2 mATX Mini-Tower
Power Supply: Corsair HX750i 750 W 80+ Platinum Fully Modular
Monitor: Asus ROG Swift PG258Q 1920x1080 240 Hz

I don't know if the 7700K can give you 240 FPS, but that monitor is good(and expensive). This build should last you for at least 3 years at 144 FPS Ultra, but later the FPS may start going down a bit. But that 1080 Ti is really all the power you can get, and need, for 1080p 144 Hz.

Total price is £2715.78, including monitor. Again, lots of budget left to put in other things, like more storage. I wouldn't recommend custom water cooling because you want a small form-factor PC - custom water cooling is for larger cases, and also for those who are really dedicated to maintaining their PC - since you seem unwilling to change too much too often in your build, custom water cooling is not for you - those things are high-maintenance.

I'm sure an X299 debate is coming up, and I'd just like to say I don't like the platform, simply because it seems rushed in response to Ryzen, and has issues Intel will have to fix.