Horizon: Forbidden West arrived on PC in 2024, and by 2026 it’s settled into that comfortable spot where NVIDIA and AMD driver updates have mostly ironed out the launch-week stutter that plagued the game’s first release on PC. That said, the game still leans hard on CPU performance for its wildlife AI and world streaming, which catches people off guard when they assume a powerful GPU alone will carry them to a locked 60fps. This guide breaks down six PC builds for Horizon Forbidden West across three budget tiers, each with an AMD and Intel option, so you can pick a platform that suits your budget.
The RAM and SSD shortage that started rattling the DIY market in late 2025 hasn’t fully resolved either. Memory prices climbed noticeably through the first half of 2026, which is why a few of these builds lean on DDR4 platforms instead of jumping straight to DDR5. It’s not a downgrade in every case; it’s a pricing reality worth working with rather than against.
About Horizon: Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West is Guerrilla Games’ open-world action RPG starring Aloy as she explores a post-apocalyptic American West overrun by machine wildlife. The PC version, built on the Decima engine, supports ultrawide monitors, DLSS, FSR, and uncapped framerates, none of which existed in the PS4/PS5-only era of the original release.
The game’s biggest technical demand isn’t raw shader horsepower, but how well your CPU handles NPC pathing, machine behavior trees, and asset streaming as you ride Aloy’s mount across the map. RTINGS and PCWorld benchmarks from the initial PC launch showed the game responding more to CPU core count and cache size than most open-world titles of its generation, and that pattern hasn’t changed with subsequent patches.
AMD Budget PC Build for Horizon: Forbidden West at 1080p
These components are hand-picked and vetted for compatibility, though we do not guarantee availability. This AMD build targets 1080p gaming at settings comparable to the PS5 version of Horizon: Forbidden West, with room to push higher on less demanding areas of the map. If you don’t like the recommendations, you can easily swap out unwanted parts and add new ones using the AI PC Builder tool. Simply click on the BUILD/CUSTOMIZE THIS button to get started.
- CPU: Ryzen 5 5600$163.00
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- Motherboard: GIGABYTE B550M DS3H AC R2 AMD AM4 Micro-ATX$91.00
- GPU: ASRock Intel ARC A750 Challenger D$207.34
- RAM: Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan Z 16GB DDR4$129.99
- Storage 1: Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe$189.97
- PSU: msi MAG A650BN Gaming Power Supply$59.99
- Case: Zalman Raven ATX Mid Tower PC Case$44.98
- CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE CPU Air Cooler$17.90
TOTAL COST: $904.17
📊 Price History
[Prices updated: 10:24pm, 09/21/2026]
Intel Budget PC Build for Horizon: Forbidden West at 1080p
These components are hand-picked and vetted for compatibility, though we do not guarantee availability. This Intel build is handpicked to match the AMD budget option component for component, aside from the platform itself, so you can compare value directly. If you don’t like the recommendations, you can easily swap out unwanted parts and add new ones using the AI PC Builder tool. Simply click on the BUILD/CUSTOMIZE THIS button to get started.
- CPU: Core i5-12400F$169.99
- Motherboard: ASRock B760M-HDV/M.2 D4$126.70
- GPU: ASRock Intel ARC A750 Challenger D$207.34
- RAM: Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan Z 16GB DDR4$129.99
- Storage 1: Silicon Power 1TB UD90 NVMe$189.97
- PSU: msi MAG A650BN Gaming Power Supply$59.99
- Case: Zalman Raven ATX Mid Tower PC Case$44.98
- CPU Cooler: Thermalright Assassin X120 Refined SE CPU Air Cooler$17.90
TOTAL COST: $946.86
📊 Price History
[Prices updated: 10:24pm, 09/21/2026]
PS: The i5-12400F requires a B760 board rather than the B450 used on the AMD side, since Intel’s 12th-gen chips don’t fit AM4 sockets. Everything else stays identical so the price comparison between the two platforms remains fair.
AMD Mid-Range PC Build for Horizon Forbidden West at 1440p
These components are hand-picked and vetted for compatibility, though we do not guarantee availability. This AMD build is aimed at 1440p gaming with high settings and should handle Forbidden West’s denser biomes without dropping below 60fps in most scenes. If you don’t like the recommendations, you can easily swap out unwanted parts and add new ones using the AI PC Builder tool. Simply click on the BUILD/CUSTOMIZE THIS button to get started.
- CPU: Ryzen 7 7700$329.23
- Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX$168.53
- GPU: Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT$895.00
- RAM: Klevv Cras V RGB DDR5 32GB$554.99
- Storage 1: Crucial P3 Plus 2TB NVMe PCIe 4.0$299.99
- PSU: be quiet! 80 Plus® Gold Pure Power 750W$89.90
- Case: Lian Li Lancool 216 Mid-Tower Case$98.99
- CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 4$59.99
TOTAL COST: $2,496.62
📊 Price History
[Prices updated: 10:24pm, 09/21/2026]
Intel Mid-Range PC Build for Horizon Forbidden West at 1440p
These components are hand-picked and vetted for compatibility, though we do not guarantee availability. This Intel build shares every part with the AMD mid-range option outside the CPU and motherboard, giving you a clean side-by-side price and performance comparison. If you don’t like the recommendations, you can easily swap out unwanted parts and add new ones using the AI PC Builder tool. Simply click on the BUILD/CUSTOMIZE THIS button to get started.
- CPU: Core i5-14600K$249.99
- Motherboard: GIGABYTE B760M C V2 LGA 1700 Micro-ATX Motherboard $139.99
- GPU: Sapphire Pulse AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT$895.00
- RAM: Klevv Cras V RGB DDR5 32GB$554.99
- Storage 1: Crucial P3 Plus 2TB NVMe PCIe 4.0$299.99
- PSU: be quiet! 80 Plus® Gold Pure Power 750W$89.90
- Case: Lian Li Lancool 216 Mid-Tower Case$98.99
- CPU Cooler: be quiet! Dark Rock 4$59.99
TOTAL COST: $2,388.84
📊 Price History
[Prices updated: 10:24pm, 09/21/2026]
AMD High-End PC Build for Horizon: Forbidden West at 4K
These components are hand-picked and vetted for compatibility, though we do not guarantee availability. This AMD build is intended for 4K gaming with ray tracing enabled where the game supports it, and should keep frame times consistent even during the busier machine encounters. If you don’t like the recommendations, you can easily swap out unwanted parts and add new ones using the AI PC Builder tool. Simply click on the BUILD/CUSTOMIZE THIS button to get started.
- CPU: Ryzen 7 9800X3D$449.00
- Motherboard: MSI MAG X670E Tomahawk WiFi$407.29
- GPU: ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB$1,799.99
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM 32GB$439.99
- Storage 1: SABRENT 2TB Rocket 4 Plus NVMe 4.0$561.87
- PSU: Corsair RM850X Fully Modular Cybenetics Gold Certified Low-Noise ATX PSU$139.99
- Case: Fractal Design North Charcoal Black Tempered Glass Dark$154.97
- CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU Cooler$34.90
TOTAL COST: $3,988.00
📊 Price History
[Prices updated: 10:24pm, 09/21/2026]
Intel High-End PC Build for Horizon: Forbidden West at 4K
These components are hand-picked and vetted for compatibility, though we do not guarantee availability. This Intel build mirrors the AMD high-end option in every component apart from the CPU and motherboard, so you can weigh platform cost against the performance difference. If you don’t like the recommendations, you can easily swap out unwanted parts and add new ones using the AI PC Builder tool. Simply click on the BUILD/CUSTOMIZE THIS button to get started.
- CPU: Core i7-14700K$239.99
- Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite (Used – Like New)$187.81
- GPU: ASUS TUF Gaming Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24GB$1,799.99
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM 32GB$439.99
- Storage 1: SABRENT 2TB Rocket 4 Plus NVMe 4.0$561.87
- PSU: Corsair RM850X Fully Modular Cybenetics Gold Certified Low-Noise ATX PSU$139.99
- Case: Fractal Design North Charcoal Black Tempered Glass Dark$154.97
- CPU Cooler: Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE CPU Cooler$34.90
TOTAL COST: $3,559.51
📊 Price History
[Prices updated: 10:24pm, 09/21/2026]
Putting it Together
Assembling any of these six builds follows the same basic order regardless of which platform you pick: motherboard first, then CPU and cooler, RAM, storage, and finally the GPU and PSU once everything is seated in the case. The trickiest part on the AMD X670E and Intel Z790 boards is usually RAM compatibility since DDR5 kits are picky about which slots you populate, so check your motherboard manual for the recommended dual-channel configuration.
If this is your first build, our step-by-step DIY PC building guide walks through each stage in more detail, including cable management and BIOS setup, which matters more than people expect since an outdated BIOS can prevent newer CPUs from even booting on older board revisions.
Once assembled, install Windows 11, update your GPU drivers directly from AMD, Intel, or Nvidia rather than relying on Windows Update, and then install Horizon Forbidden West through Steam or the Epic Games Store depending on where you bought it.
Optimizing Your Build for Horizon: Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West gives you granular control over settings like Level of Detail, Cloud Quality, and Volumetric Clouds, all of which hit VRAM and CPU load differently depending on your resolution target.
1080p Settings
At 1080p, the budget builds above should hold 60fps or better on High settings once you turn off Motion Blur and Depth of Field, both of which cost frame rate without adding much visual benefit on a smaller screen. The Intel Arc A750 handles this resolution comfortably; just make sure you’re on a recent Arc driver, since Intel’s GPU drivers have improved noticeably since the card’s rocky 2022 launch.
1440p Settings
The mid-range builds are aimed squarely at 1440p. Set Texture Quality to Favor Quality, keep Ambient Occlusion on Medium or High, and enable FSR or DLSS in Quality mode if your framerate dips below 60fps in the denser forest regions. The RX 7800 XT has 16GB of VRAM, which is more than this game needs at 1440p, so you’ve got headroom if a future patch increases texture memory requirements.
4K Settings
For 4K, the high-end builds can run Very High settings with ray-traced reflections enabled, though you’ll likely want DLSS or FSR set to Quality or Balanced mode to maintain a consistent 60fps rather than chasing native 4K without upscaling. The RX 7900 XTX‘s 24GB of VRAM gives it comfortable headroom at this resolution.
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Conclusion
If you’re chasing 1080p or 1440p and want to keep costs down, the AMD budget build and mid-range Intel builds each cost a bit less than their counterparts, though the performance difference in Horizon: Forbidden West itself is minor at these tiers. At the high end, the choice between the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Core i7-14700K comes down more to whether you value the 9800X3D’s gaming-focused cache or the 14700K’s stronger multi-threaded performance for tasks outside gaming. Either platform, at any of the three budget tiers here, will get Aloy through the Forbidden West without the CPU bottlenecks that plagued the game’s PC launch back in 2024.
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