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The Best $1500 High-End Gaming PC Build – April 2024

The Best $1500 High-End Gaming PC Build – April 2024

By Ari Altman | Published April 4, 2024 | Updated April 4, 2024

Pro XTYour Ticket to High-End Gaming!

Do you want to build the best high-end gaming PC possible for $1,500? Then you’ve come to the right place! The build we profile here offers the best balance of CPU and GPU power you’ll find in any build on the ‘Net, along with high-end yet cost-effective parts in every other category. The goal: maximum frames per dollar without skimping on the stuff everyone else does, like a quality power supply and a big solid-state drive. The last thing you want is a hot rod engine in an old beater chassis, so we make sure your gaming PC build checks off all the boxes!

This Month’s Build, Powered by AMD and Nvidia!

For April 2024, the $1,500 High-End Gaming PC Build starts with the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X six-core CPU, a proven gaming processor at a great price. It will have no trouble making the most out of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super 12GB, which offers tremendous performance for the price, and easily outpaces the original 4070. The combo of the 7600X and RTX 4070 Super will truly rip through resolutions up to 1440p.

But this build is about more than just a mighty CPU and GPU. It’s also equipped with 32GB of DDR5-6000 RAM and  a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 drive. And new this month, we get a massive case upgrade in the form of the Phanteks XT Pro Ultra, which offers amazing looks and even more amazing performance thanks to the included four 140mm ARGB fans. It’s destined to become a legend! Finally, the build is anchored by a Gold-rated 650W power supply and cooled by a 120mm tower cooler.

Parting Thoughts

If you want to accessorize your new build, check out our top keyboard, mouse, and monitor recommendations at the end of this build guide. We update this build monthly, as prices and components in this market change quite frequently, and a few dollars here or there could buy you a lot of performance. Throughout our guides, we provide links to Amazon for our US readers, which will auto-convert for readers in Canada, the UK, and parts of the EU, with substitutions made based on regional availability. Your use of these links helps support this site, allowing us to continue to update this guide regularly.

The Pre-Built Option

  • Skytech Nebula
    Click to Buy
    The High-End Gaming PC –

    Skytech Nebula 5600X/RTX 4070

    $1500
    Equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-core, 12-thread processor and a GeForce RTX 4070 12GB GPU, it’s ready to game, and priced hundreds of dollars below any other similar system you can find on the market today. Also on the component list is 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, a 1TB solid-state drive, a 600W Gold-rated power supply, and built-in 802.11ac wireless networking.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This pre-built system will provide nearly the same performance as the one we spec out below, and comes ready to go out of the box!

The DIY Build

  • AMD Ryzen 7600X
    Click to Buy
    CPU –

    AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

    $207
    AMD has done it again with Zen 4, simply smashing through the performance barrier in all respects. The 6-core, 12-thread Ryzen 5 7600X is up to 15% faster in games and 25% faster in content creation than its predecessor, while offering the latest connectivity standards thanks to the AM5 platform.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU does not come with a cooler, so make sure to pick up the model we recommend later in this guide.
  • Gigabyte B650 Gaming X
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX

    $190
    This B650 board from Gigabyte allows you to tap into the potential of AMD’s cutting-edge AM5 platform at a great price. You get a potent 8+2+1 power design, a PCIe Gen 4 video card slot, three Gen 4 M.2 slots, plus built-in WiFi 6E.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Keep in mind that this motherboard requires DDR5 RAM, which is what is spec'd in this build.
  • Zotac RTX 4070
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Super Twin Edge 12GB OC

    $610
    The RTX 4070 Super offers amazing performance and amazing efficiency, making it the perfect GPU for any high-end gaming rig! This model’s dual-slot, dual-fan cooler will keep temperatures in check and noise levels down, without filling up your system. This card also a factory overclock to give it an extra boost out of the box!

    The Guru’s Tip

    The 4070 was the clear winner of the GPU wars in 2023, topping every "best of" list, and the 4070 Super takes performance to the next level!
  • TeamGroup VulcanZ
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    TeamGroup 2x16GB T-Force Vulcan DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO

    $103
    To get the most out of AMD’s latest CPUs, you want fast RAM, and DDR5-6000 is the sweetspot not only in terms of price, but in terms of the AM5 platform. It allows for the highest overall performance thanks to running in 1:1 sync with the memory controller. And this T-Force Vulcan kit is specially designed for AM5, thanks to the enhanced 30-36-36-76 AMD EXPO timings.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This RAM is really at the sweet spot for price-performance on the AMD platform.
  • MP44L
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0

    $69
    The MP44L PCIe 4.0, which blows past previous PCIe Gen3-based drives by harnessing the power of the PCIe Gen4 interface, is an absolute bargain of a high-end drive. It can hit up to 5,000MB/s in sequential operations!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This drive provides plenty of gaming performance at a great price!
  • XT Pro
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    Phanteks XT Pro Ultra

    $90
    Phanteks has been producing fantastic cases for years, but with the XT Pro Ultra, it has done something truly astounding: it has delivered an ultra-high airflow case at an ultra-low price. Equipped with four retail-grade 140mm ARGB fans plus a mesh front panel, this case is a veritable wind tunnel, while also delivering great looks. And with Phanteks, you’re always guaranteed great quality too!

    The Guru’s Tip

    To get this kind of cooling from a case, you typically have to spend twice as much. The value Phanteks is delivering here is astounding!
  • Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 650W

    $91
    Thermaltake offers a ton of value in its GF line, and this model is no exception. You get 650W of Gold-rated power, fully-modular cables (including ones for the latest video cards), and a fan that doesn’t even spin at low loads for total silence. The best part: a full 10-year warranty.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This system will pull about 350W at load, so this PSU won't even be stressed!
  • Arctic Freezer 36
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    Arctic Freezer 36

    $25
    Arctic’s Freezer line has always punched way above its price class, and the 36 takes it to a whole new level. Featuring dual high-performance P12 fans with hydraulic bearings, it’s both quiet and capable. It uses an innovative click-in fan mounting system to ease installation, and to top it off, the 36 comes with MX-6 thermal paste, some of the best in the business!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This cooler comes with the adapter required for the AMD processor we recommend.
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg

    $139
    Windows 11 built on everything people loved about Windows 10, and then took it to 11! It adds significant under-the-hood changes to make it faster and more secure, and of course, the interface is sleek too! Note that we’re linking to Newegg, because Amazon long ago stopped selling this physical USB version of Windows, which is the most convenient one to use.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Win11 is definitely what you want to support the latest games on your new PC build!

Optional Products

  • Sceptre E275B
    Click to Buy
    The 27" 1440p 144Hz Gaming Monitor –

    Sceptre E275B-QPN168

    $223
    Sceptre is all about deliver inconspicuously-named monitors with out-of-this-world value! This one packs in a big 27″ 2560 x 1440 IPS panel, a 144Hz refresh rate and FreeSync Premium for ultra-smooth framerates, a Displayport, an HDMI 2.0 port, and dual HDMI 1.4 ports, plus built-in speakers. To get it set up just right, it has a height-adjustable stand, unheard of in this price range. It even includes a Displayport cable in the box, which is what you want to use to get the most out of this monitor!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This monitor will let you get the most out of your new high-end gaming PC!
  • Click to Buy
    The Budget Gaming Keyboard –

    Logitech G213 Gaming Keyboard

    $50
    Pick up a great keyboard at a great price with the G213. It’s quick, quiet, and responsive, and it also has sweet RGB backlighting, of course!

    The Guru’s Tip

    There are a lot of off-brand keyboards that sell for the same price - SteelSeries is a trusted name that's been making gaming gear for decades!
  • Razer Basilisk V3
    Click to Buy
    The Pro Gaming Mouse –

    Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed Wireless

    $69
    Offering cutting-edge performance, there’s nothing like the Basilisk V3 for anywhere near the price. Ultra-sensitive 18K sensor, mechanical switches, Razer’s awesome HyperSpeed wireless system with up to 285 hours of battery life, and perfect ergonomics. It’s a great mouse!

    The Guru’s Tip

    It's hard to overstate just how much freedom a wireless mouse gives you!
  • Click to Buy
    The Budget Wireless PC Headset –

    ‎SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless

    $87
    SteelSeries has made a name for itself in the gaming headset world with its no-nonsense focus on performance. The Arctis 1 follows in this tradition with high-end drivers, lossless 2.4 GHz wireless for ultra-low latency wireless connectivity on both PC and PS4/PS5, a detachable bidirectional microphone, and 20 hours of battery life.

    The Guru’s Tip

    After a recent price cut, this headset is an unbeatable deal, coming in under the price of competing wired headsets!

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