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

By Ari Altman | Published November 2, 2024 | Updated November 2, 2024

Your 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 November 2024, the $1,500 High-End Gaming PC Build continues to features the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X eight-core CPU, a proven gaming processor at a great price. Despite the launch of the 9700X, the 7700X remains the clear choice for this build thanks to its nearly identical performance and much lower price. It will have no trouble making the most out of the best GPU ever released under $600, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super 12GB. While we previously suggested a six-core processor in this build, the latest gaming benchmarks suggest it’s finally time to make an 8-core the standard for high-end gaming. The combo of the 7700X 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. The system is built up in a high-airflow case from Lian Li, anchored by a Gold-rated 650W power supply, and cooled by a powerful 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

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The High-End Gaming PC –
iBuyPower Slate 8 14700F/RTX 4070 Super
$1500

Equipped with an Intel Core i7-14700F 20-core, 28-thread processor and a GeForce RTX 4070 Super 12GB GPU, this prebuilt PC is ready to game. Also on the component list is 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a 2TB solid-state drive, and built-in WiFi 5 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

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CPU –
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X
$270

Based on AMD’s revolutionary Zen 4 architecture, the Ryzen 7 7700X is a truly fantastic processor. It has 8 core and 16 threads all running from a single complex for maximum efficiency, with boost up to 6.4GHz. And thanks to a significant price drop since its release, it’s more attractive than ever!

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.
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Motherboard –
Gigabyte B650 Eagle AX
$160

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 12+2+2 power design, a PCIe Gen 4 video card slot, three M.2 slots (one being Gen 5), 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.
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Video Card –
Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Super Twin Edge 12GB
$583

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.

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!
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Memory –
TeamGroup 2x16GB T-Create Expert DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO
$85

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-Create 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.
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Solid-State Drive –
TeamGroup MP44L 1TB PCIe 4.0
$57

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!
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Case –
Lian Li Lancool 207
$80

Lian Li established itself as the leading PC case manufacturers in the early 2000s, and after a quiet spell, it has come out to dominate the market yet again. The 207 is an example of how Lian Li proves enhanced performance does not need to cost more, it just needs to be designed right! With dual 140mm ARGB fans in front and dual bottom-mounted 120mm fans, a position enabled by a novel new power supply mounting system, this case offers a great light show, but more importantly, it offers superior airflow to anything else in its price range.

The Guru’s Tip
This case really is unique, and more importantly, better, than anything else ever released at its pricepoint. Just note that it requires a power supply under 160mm long, which we recommend in this guide.
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Power Supply –
Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 650W
$80

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!
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CPU Cooler –
Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120
$36

Thermalright is legendary in the CPU cooler business, having designed some of the very first premium tower coolers in the early 2000s. Their focus has always been on performance per dollar, providing a lot of metal for your money. And with the Phantom Spirit 120, that metal comes in the form of 7 chunky 6mm heatpipes, which you won’t find on any other cooler at this pricepoint. Also included are two large towers and two 120mm fans. All in all, you get class-leading performance at a price that no other manufacturer can touch!

The Guru’s Tip
This cooler requires the use of low-profile RAM, which is what we spec in this guide.
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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

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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 - Logitech is a trusted name that's been making gaming gear for decades!
Click to Buy

The Pro Gaming Mouse –
Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed Wireless
$45

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 27" 1440p 180Hz Gaming Monitor –
Acer XV271U
$200

Acer has been in the high-end gaming monitor market for years, and always offers out-of-this-world value! This model packs in a big 27″ 2560 x 1440 IPS panel, a whopping 180Hz refresh rate and FreeSync Premium for ultra-smooth framerates, a Displayport 1.2 port and dual HDMI 2.0 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 and HDMI cables in the box!

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 Wireless PC Headset –
HyperX Cloud Stinger Core
$60

HyperX absolutely revolutionized the budget gaming headset market with the Stinger series, and the Cloud Stinger Core is its budget wireless offering. It has an ultra-lightweight design, 40mm drivers, and a convenient swing-down mic for better control. With up to 17 hours of battery life, it will go all day and then some!

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