The Tech Buyer's Guru

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

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

By Ari Altman | Published September 2, 2023 | Updated September 20, 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 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

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

    Skytech Nebula 5600X/RTX 4070

    $1500
    EXTREME 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.

    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

    $250
    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

    $180
    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

    Like all AM5 boards, this one requires DDR5 memory.
  • Zotac GeForce RTX 4070
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    Zotac GeForce RTX 4070 Twin Edge12GB Spider-Verse

    $550
    The RTX 4070 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. Plus it has plenty of room for manual overclocking. Even better is the price, which is actually below Nvidia’s MSRP, a concept that had almost vanished in the last generation! Note that this model has a Spider-Man theme, but it’s all optional, in the form of stickers and an add-on magnetic backplate, so you can choose to go with the standard styling if you wish.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This GPU offers the best value in the entire GeForce lineup!
  • G.Skill Flare X5
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    G.Skill 2x16GB Flare X5 DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO

    $97
    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 Flare X5 kit from G.Skill is specially designed for AM5, thanks to the enhanced 30-38-38-96 AMD EXPO timings.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Remember to engage this RAM's EXPO profile to gain the most benefit from its speed.
  • WDBlack SN770
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    WD_BLACK SN770 1TB NVMe

    $60
    WD knocked it out of the park with its ultra-high-performance, bargain-priced SN770 PCIe Gen 4 drive. 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 5150MB/s and write speeds of 4900MB/s.

    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

    $90
    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, NZXT!
  • SilverStone ST55F GS
    Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    SilverStone ST55F-GS

    $91
    SilverStone’s Strider series offers exceptional performance at a great price. This model is a perfect example of that, offering up 550W of Gold-rated power, fully-modular cables, a low-noise fan design, and an ultra-compact form factor at just 140mm deep.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Thanks 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!
  • Deepcool AK400
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    DeepCool AK400

    $31
    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 comes with the adapter required for the AMD processor.
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 11 Home (Download)

    $130
    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! This version can be instantly downloaded and installed from any USB stick with 8GB or more capacity. If you don’t have one handy, we recommend you pick up a fast USB 3.1 thumb drive to install it, which can then be re-purposed for backup or file transfer 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

    $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

    $49
    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.
  • Razer Basilisk V3
    Click to Buy
    The Pro Gaming Mouse –

    Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed Wireless

    $70
    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

    $59
    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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