The Best $1500 High-End Gaming PC Build – September 2023
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 September 2023, the $1,500 High-End Gaming PC Build features the Ryzen 5 7600X, a 6-core, 12-thread gaming powerhouse. It’s driving a beast of a GPU, Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4070 12GB, which will rip through games at resolutions up to 1440p, and offers the best value in the the entire GeForce lineup.
But this build is about more than just a mighty CPU and GPU. It is also equipped with 32GB of DDR5-6000 RAM and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 drive. For the case, we go with the sleek 4000D from Corsair, which is the best-selling case on the market. Finally, the build is anchored by a Gold-rated 550W 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
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The High-End Gaming PC –
Skytech Nebula 5600X/RTX 4070
$1500EXTREME DEAL! 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.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 5 7600X
$250 The Guru’s TipThis 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 Gaming X AX
$180 The Guru’s TipLike all AM5 boards, this one requires DDR5 memory.
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Video Card –
Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Twin Edge12GB Spider-Verse
$550 The Guru’s TipThis GPU offers the best value in the entire GeForce lineup!
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Memory –
G.Skill 2x16GB Flare X5 DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO
$97 The Guru’s TipRemember to engage this RAM's EXPO profile to gain the most benefit from its speed.
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Solid-State Drive –
WD_BLACK SN770 1TB NVMe
$60 The Guru’s TipWhile the 1TB NVMe market is very competitive, this drive clearly stands above the rest in terms of performance per dollar!
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Case –
Corsair 4000D Airflow
$90 The Guru’s TipThis is the best selling case in the US, passing up the long-running record holder, NZXT!
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Power Supply –
SilverStone ST55F-GS
$91 The Guru’s TipThanks to the extreme efficiency of the CPU and GPU we've selected for this build, you don't need to over-spend on a power supply!
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CPU Cooler –
DeepCool AK400
$31 The Guru’s TipThis cooler comes with the adapter required for the AMD processor.
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Operating System –
Windows 11 Home (Download)
$130 The Guru’s TipWin11 is definitely what you want to support the latest games on your new PC build!
Optional Products
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The 27" 1440p 144Hz Gaming Monitor –
Sceptre E275B-QPN168
$200 The Guru’s TipThis monitor will let you get the most out of your new high-end gaming PC!
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The Budget Gaming Keyboard –
Corsair K55 RGB Pro
$49 The Guru’s TipThe lighting on this model can be controlled via the iCUE software.
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The Pro Gaming Mouse –
Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed Wireless
$70 The Guru’s TipIt's hard to overstate just how much freedom a wireless mouse gives you!
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The Budget Wireless PC Headset –
SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless
$59 The Guru’s TipAfter a recent price cut, this headset is an unbeatable deal, coming in under the price of competing wired headsets!
Total Cost: $1467
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 7600X ($250)
- Motherboard – Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX ($180)
- Video Card – Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Twin Edge12GB Spider-Verse ($550)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x16GB Flare X5 DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO ($97)
- Solid-State Drive – WD_BLACK SN770 1TB NVMe ($60)
- Case – Corsair 4000D Airflow ($90)
- Power Supply – SilverStone ST55F-GS ($91)
- CPU Cooler – DeepCool AK400 ($31)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (Download) ($130)