This build delivers reliable performance for Portal 2's physics-driven puzzles while keeping costs sensible and platform future-proof. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X provides more than enough CPU power for the engine's calculations and any Workshop map complexity, paired with the Thermalright Peerless Assassin cooler to stay quiet and cool during long sessions. We chose it because the game leans more on consistent single-threaded responsiveness than heavy multi-core workloads, letting this efficient 65 W chip avoid the overspending common when builders assume every Valve title needs flagship hardware. The SAPPHIRE PULSE Radeon RX 9060 XT 16 GB is the heart of the system for this scenario. Its ample VRAM and strong shader performance handle portal effects, anisotropic filtering, anti-aliasing, and environmental elements without breaking a sweat, even when running community maps or light visual mods. Because the Source engine is largely GPU-limited for visual clarity rather than raw rasterization, this mid-range card provides the right level of capability without the inefficiency of higher-tier GPUs that would deliver no noticeable benefit in Portal 2. Surrounding components maintain sensible balance. The ASUS Prime B650-PLUS WiFi motherboard offers solid AM5 longevity and future upgrade potential, while 16 GB of DDR5-6000 RAM meets modern sweet-spot requirements and leaves room for background apps or mods. The Kingston NV3 1 TB NVMe SSD ensures fast level loads and quick Workshop downloads, the Montech AIR 903 BASE case supplies excellent airflow for the RX 9060 XT, and the MSI 650 W Bronze PSU delivers reliable power with headroom. Overall the configuration avoids the classic mistake of overbuilding for an older, lightweight title while still creating a cohesive system you can use for many other games.