The Best $5000 Dream Machine Gaming PC Build – May 2024
Build the Gaming System of your Dreams!
If you want to build a dream gaming system, but can’t stand the idea of having another huge desktop by your side, stop dreaming and jump into a new reality! This build has all the power you could want, packed into an awesome high-end chassis that performs as great as it looks. It’s everything you want in a killer gaming PC!
This Month’s Build, Powered by AMD and Nvidia!
For May 2024, the $5,000 Dream Machine Gaming PC Build goes with AMD’s Ryzen 9 7950X3D 16-core, 32-thread CPU, which is the best all-around CPU on the market. While we previously recommended Intel’s Core i9, it turns out the voltage on these CPUs was pumped too high in order to compete with AMD, leading to crashing in games. That means the end of the line for Intel in gaming – long live the king, AMD’s X3D series! And you’ll make use of all of its power, because this system will be pushing out a massive number of frames thanks to an insane liquid-cooled Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 24GB, which is a shocking 30% faster than any other GPU on the market, making it a generation ahead!
But that’s not all… this build is packing premium gear everywhere else! 128GB of fast DDR5-6000 RAM will assure the CPU has plenty of bandwidth and capacity to perform. For storage, this system gives you 8TB of total capacity, starting with the world’s best SSD, Crucial’s T705 4TB Gen 5, which offers blazing-fast storage for your primary game collection. A secondary 4TB Gen 4 drive offers you additional storage that’s still incredibly fast. To keep things cool, this system uses a high-powered 360mm liquid CPU cooler. Feeding the system is a quiet and ultra-efficient 1500W Platinum-rated power supply. Finally, the system comes together in the sleek and cutting-edge MSI Prospect 700R case, with built-in 4.3″ touchscreen display!
Parting Thoughts
We list all of our top picks to accessorize your Dream Machine in the optional products section later in this guide, although feel free to check out our dedicated Monitor Buyer’s Guide, Keyboard & Mouse Buyer’s Guide, and Headset Buyer’s Guide. To support continued development of this guide, please use the links we provide in the guide. For readers in the US, we list Amazon links, which will auto-convert for readers in Canada, the UK, and parts of the EU, with automated substitutions made by region where necessary.
The DIY Build
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CPU –AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D
$542The Guru’s TipAMD has done it again, blasting past Intel in terms of gaming performance thanks to its proprietary, cutting-edge 3D V-Cache technology. By adding this stacked cache on top of one of the two core complexes of the standard 16-core 7950X, the AMD has turned a multi-threaded monster into a true gaming dynamo. It gives you the best of all worlds, along with far greater efficiency and a more advanced platform than Intel.While we previously recommended Intel Core i9 processors in this build, recent revelations that they crash in games due to the extreme voltage needed to keep up with AMD's X3D series suggests that AMD has won this battle.
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Motherboard –Asus ROG Strix X670E-E
$450The Guru’s TipThis X670E board from Asus gives you the most advanced platform you could possibly want for years of use and upgrades. It all starts with AMD’s most cutting-edge version of the AM5 platform, using the X670E chipset. That means PCIe Gen 5 support for video cards and SSDs, without needing to cut into one’s bandwidth to feed the other (we’re looking at you, Intel Z790!). You also get a potent 18+2 Phase power solution to support any processor at maximum load. The board has four M.2 slots (three being Gen 5, one being Gen 4), plus built-in WiFi 6E. On the back you have a total of 13 USB ports, including three USB 3 Type-C ports.The X670E chipset will support next-gen CPUs coming later this year, as well as Gen 5 GPUs coming in late-2024 or early-2025.
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Video Card –MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Suprim Liquid X 24G @Newegg
$1900The Guru’s TipAs if the RTX 4090 weren’t impressive enough, this model from MSI takes the 4090 to the max, thanks to the all-in-one liquid cooler, including a 240mm radiator. It will keep the 450W monster of a GPU under control and at maximum boost!Mount this card's radiator to the side exhaust vent, next to the motherboard.
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Memory –G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO
$215The Guru’s TipTo 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 making the most of the AM5 platform. It allows for the highest overall performance thanks to running in 1:1 sync with the memory controller. And this 64GB Trident Z5 Neo kit from G.Skill is specially designed for AM5, thanks to the extraordinary 30-40-40-96 AMD EXPO timings. It offers tremendous capacity and speed in a single package!While 64GB of capacity is probably more than you'll need for gaming, we recommend a second kit below to make this a true Dream Machine!
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Memory –
Second Kit of G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO
$215The Guru’s TipAt this point, high-speed DDR5 kits max out at 64GB, but of course you’ll want more than that for this build, so we recommend a second kit of the RAM above!With 128GB of total capacity, you'll never run of space!
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Solid-State Drive –Crucial T705 4TB PCIe Gen 5
$515The Guru’s TipFor primary storage in a truly elite system, you don’t just want high-end, you the best on the market, and that means going with a Crucial’s absolutely insane T705 4TB. Not only is it among the only 4TB PCIe Gen 5.0 solid-state drives on the market, it’s also the only one that already maxes out the Gen 5 interface. It belts out a shocking 14,100MB/s in sequential read and 12,600MB/s in sequential write, making it about nearly twice as fast as any Gen 4 drive. You’ll truly be on the cutting-edge with 4TB of ultra-extreme storage on board!While you can't do better than this drive in terms of performance, you might want more capacity, which is why we suggest a secondary drive below!
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Solid-State Drive –Lexar NM790 4TB
$250The Guru’s TipLexar knocked it out of the park with its ultra-high-performance, bargain-priced NM790 PCIe Gen 4 drive. Optimized for excellent real-world performance, it easily keeps up with much more expensive drives. This 4TB model can provide sequential read speeds of 7400MB/s and write speeds of 6500MB/s.In terms of a "storage" drive, you really can't do better than this model - it offers a tremendous amount of capacity for your extended game collection!
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Case –MSI MEG Prospect 700R
$380The Guru’s TipArguably the most advanced case ever made, the Prospect 700R from MSI is simply astonishing. With dual hinged tempered glass doors on both sides and four 140mm ARGB fans and a mesh front panel for extreme airflow, it already has most cases beat for looks and performance. But what really sets this case apart from everything that has come before it is the built-in 4.3″ touchscreen control panel on top, allowing you to monitor and control practically every aspect of your PC’s performance!You can get bigger cases than the 700R, but you cannot get a better case!
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Power Supply –be quiet! Straight Power 11 Platinum 1500W
$250The Guru’s Tipbe quiet! originated the silent PSU, and the Straight Power 11 is a perfect example of the latest innovations the company has to offer. Featuring 1500W of Platinum-rated power, a fully-modular cable design, and a high-end Silent Wings 3 135mm fan with funnel-shaped intake shroud, this is an exceptional choice for a premium PC build! And take note that this is an ATX 3.0 spec unit, featuring the latest PCIe Gen 5 GPU cables.This system will pull about 650W at maximum load, so this PSU will have plenty of headroom to spare. And the truth is that future CPUs and GPUs (which we expect you'll eventually upgrade to) will almost certainly draw much more power, so you'll be prepared with this unit!
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CPU Cooler –SilverStone IceMyst 360
$137The Guru’s TipThere has been tremendous innovation in the AIO liquid cooler market over the past few years, and the IceMyst 360 is the perfect example of this. Not only does its advanced pump, radiator, and fan design provide a tremendous leap over previous-generation coolers on a noise-normalized basis (which is what counts!), you also have the option of adding up to three 70mm accessory fans to the pump to cool RAM, VRMs, or SSDs. This is a truly unique feature that sets the IceMyst apart and makes it the clear choice among 360mm AIOs!Mount this radiator to the top of the chassis as an exhaust.
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Operating System –Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg
$139The Guru’s TipWindows 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.This is absolutely the OS you want on your system to take full advantage of the advanced platform.
Optional Products
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The Ultimate Gaming Keyboard –Corsair K100 RGB Optical-Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
$200 The Guru’s TipDownload the iCUE software from Corsair to make the most of this feature-packed keyboard.
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The Ultralight Gaming Mouse –Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro Wireless
$137 The Guru’s TipThis mouse will keep up with the most fast-twitch games!
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The Ultimate Gaming Headset –SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless Headset
$281 The Guru’s TipArctis is the first gaming brand to offer something that is far more than gaming headset!
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The 34" Ultra-wide OLED –Alienware AW3423DW
$1000 The Guru’s TipA dream machine PC deserves a dream monitor!
Total Cost: $4993
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D ($542)
- Motherboard – Asus ROG Strix X670E-E ($450)
- Video Card – MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Suprim Liquid X 24G @Newegg ($1900)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO ($215)
- Memory – Second Kit of G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO ($215)
- Solid-State Drive – Crucial T705 4TB PCIe Gen 5 ($515)
- Solid-State Drive – Lexar NM790 4TB ($250)
- Case – MSI MEG Prospect 700R ($380)
- Power Supply – be quiet! Straight Power 11 Platinum 1500W ($250)
- CPU Cooler – SilverStone IceMyst 360 ($137)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
Optional Products
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The TBG DIY PC Build Guides
View all of TBG’s DIY PC Build Guides! This is where you’ll find all the best PC builds on the ‘net, from ultra-compact home office PCs to massive gaming towers.
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The Monitor Buyer's Guide
Find your dream gaming monitor to pair with your new PC in our comprehensive guide!
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The Speaker and Headset Buyer's Guide
Upgrade your audio experience with one of our top-rated picks among speakers and headsets!
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The Wireless Networking Buyer's Guide
Don't let your games lag due to tired old networking... upgrade to the best today!