The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $1500 High-End Gaming PC Build – February 2023

The Best $1500 High-End Gaming PC Build – February 2023

By Ari Altman | Published February 2, 2023 | Updated February 2, 2023

Corsair 4000DYour 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 Exclusively by AMD!

For February 2023, the $1,500 High-End Gaming PC Build gets a massive upgrade, moving to the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, a 6-core, 12-thread gaming powerhouse at a bargain price. It’s driving a beast of a GPU, AMD’s amazing Radeon RX 6800 16GB, which will rip through games at resolutions up to 1440p and slaughters Nvidia’s GPUs at the same pricepoint!

But this build is about more than just that mighty CPU and GPU. It is also equipped with 32GB of DDR5-6000 RAM and  a 1TB PCIe drive. For the case, we go with a sleek tempered glass case from Corsair, which is the best-selling case on the market for good reason! Finally, the build is anchored by a Gold-rated 650W power supply and cooled by a 120mm-class 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 Shiva
    Click to Buy
    The High-End Gaming PC –

    Skytech Shiva 5600X/RTX 3070

    $1400
    This system punches way above its price class thanks to the GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GPU is comes equipped with. Also on board is the potent AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-core, 12-thread CPU, 16GB of DDR4-3200 RAM, and a 1TB solid-state drive. It’s all wrapped up in the stylish In Win 101 chassis.
    The Guru’s Tip

    If you just want to jump into gaming right away, there's no better way to do it than with this pre-built gaming PC!

The DIY Build

  • AMD Ryzen 7600X
    Click to Buy
    CPU –

    AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

    $244
    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 one we recommend later in this guide.
  • MSI Pro B650-P WiFi
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    MSI Pro B650-P WiFi

    $200
    This B650 board from MSI allows you to tap into the potential of AMD’s cutting-edge AM5 platform at a great price. You get a potent a 12+2+1 power design with 75A Power Stage, a PCIe Gen 4 video card slot, two Gen 4 M.2 slots, plus built-in WiFi 6E.
    The Guru’s Tip

    Remember, this board requires DDR5 RAM, just like all current-gen AMD boards.
  • PowerColor RX6800
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    PowerColor Radeon RX 6800 16GB Fighter

    $480
    It’s time to get gaming again! The Radeon RX 6800 16GB has impressive gaming power, matching the RTX 3070 Ti 8GB, while offering a lot more VRAM and a much lower price! This model has an effective triple-fan cooler to provide maximum performance!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This card offers tremendous power at its pricepoint, thanks to a massive price cut!
  • G.Skill Flare X5
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    G.Skill 2x16GB Flare X5 DDR5-6000 CL36 EXPO

    $137
    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 optimum settings and highest overall performance. This Flare X5 kit from G.Skill is specially designed for AM5, thanks to the enhanced 36-36-36-96 EXPO timings that can be loaded easily by the motherboard.
    The Guru’s Tip

    Remember to engage the EXPO profile in your motherboard's firmware to maximize the performance of your system!
  • WD Blue SN570
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    WD Blue SN570 1TB NVMe

    $58
    WD knocked it out of the park with its high-performance yet bargain-priced SN570. Optimized for excellent real-world performance thanks to WD’s years of SSD development, it easily keeps up with much more expensive drives. This 1TB model can provide sequential read speeds of 3500MB/s and write speeds of 3500MB/s. Note that you’ll need a jeweler’s-type screwdriver to affix it.
    The Guru’s Tip

    While the 1TB NVMe market is very competitive, this drive clearly stands above the rest in terms of performance per dollar!
  • Click to Buy
    Case –

    Corsair 4000D Airflow

    $105
    The 4000D is simply the best performance-oriented case you can get for the money, thanks to its fantastic airflow design, dual 120mm fans, and a plenty of builder-friendly touches, like excellent cable routing, captive screws, and plenty of fan mounts.
    The Guru’s Tip

    This is the best selling case in the US, passing up the long-running record holder, the NZXT H510!
  • Corsair RM650
    Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    Corsair RM650

    $95
    Corsair offers a ton of value in its RM line, and this model is no exception. You get 650W of Gold-rated power, fully-modular cables, 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 unit is far higher quality than the no-name brands that sell for the same price!
  • Deepcool AK400
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    DeepCool AK400

    $35
    This cooler is the perfect pick for a mainstream PC Build. It offers robust cooling potential and nearly-silent operation thanks to an excellent heavily-swept, 9-blade fan design.
    The Guru’s Tip

    This cooler has the bracket you'll need for the Intel processor.
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 11 Home USB

    $139
    Windows 11 take everything people loved about Windows 10, and then takes 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!
    The Guru’s Tip

    It took Microsoft a while to launch the retail version of Win11 after releasing the upgrade version, but now that it's here, this is what you want on your new PC build!

Optional Products

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

    Sceptre E275B-QPN168

    $200
    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!
  • K55 Pro
    Click to Buy
    The Budget Gaming Keyboard –

    Corsair K55 RGB Pro

    $50
    Pick up a great keyboard at a great price with the K55. It offers IP42-rated dust and spill resistance, zoned RGB backlighting, dedicated macro and media keys, plus quiet keys with a tactile bump to provide great feedback with low noise levels!
    The Guru’s Tip

    The lighting on this model can be controlled via the iCUE software.
  • Click to Buy
    The Pro Gaming Mouse –

    Razer Basilisk X HyperSpeed Wireless

    $37
    Offering cutting-edge performance, there’s nothing like the Basilisk X for anywhere near the price. Ultra-sensitive sensor, Razer’s awesome HyperSpeed wireless system, and perfect ergonomics. It’s a great mouse!
    The Guru’s Tip

    Remember, you're getting a great wireless mouse for the same price as many wired mice.
  • Corsair HS65
    Click to Buy
    The Mainstream Gaming Headset –

    Corsair HS65 Surround

    $7077
    If you need a good headset at an unbeatable price, we recommend Corsair’s excellent HS65 Surround headset. Light, comfortable, and stylish without being in your face, it’s a great headset for gaming, and can even be used with mobile devices that have a 3.5mm analog jack.
    The Guru’s Tip

    To provide surround effects, this headset uses a USB adapter, which you connect in line with the attached 3.5mm audio plug.

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