The Best $1500 High-End Gaming PC Build – February 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 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
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The High-End Gaming PC –
Skytech Shiva 5600X/RTX 3070
$1400This 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.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
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CPU –
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X
$244 The Guru’s TipThis CPU does not come with a cooler, so make sure to pick up the one we recommend later in this guide.
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Motherboard –
MSI Pro B650-P WiFi
$200 The Guru’s TipRemember, this board requires DDR5 RAM, just like all current-gen AMD boards.
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Video Card –
PowerColor Radeon RX 6800 16GB Fighter
$480 The Guru’s TipThis card offers tremendous power at its pricepoint, thanks to a massive price cut!
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Memory –
G.Skill 2x16GB Flare X5 DDR5-6000 CL36 EXPO
$137 The Guru’s TipRemember to engage the EXPO profile in your motherboard's firmware to maximize the performance of your system!
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Solid-State Drive –
WD Blue SN570 1TB NVMe
$58 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
$105 The Guru’s TipThis is the best selling case in the US, passing up the long-running record holder, the NZXT H510!
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Power Supply –
Corsair RM650
$95 The Guru’s TipThis unit is far higher quality than the no-name brands that sell for the same price!
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CPU Cooler –
DeepCool AK400
$35 The Guru’s TipThis cooler has the bracket you'll need for the Intel processor.
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Operating System –
Windows 11 Home USB
$139 The Guru’s TipIt 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
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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
$50 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 X HyperSpeed Wireless
$37 The Guru’s TipRemember, you're getting a great wireless mouse for the same price as many wired mice.
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The Mainstream Gaming Headset –
Corsair HS65 Surround
$7077 The Guru’s TipTo provide surround effects, this headset uses a USB adapter, which you connect in line with the attached 3.5mm audio plug.
Total Cost: $1493
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 5 7600X ($244)
- Motherboard – MSI Pro B650-P WiFi ($200)
- Video Card – PowerColor Radeon RX 6800 16GB Fighter ($480)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x16GB Flare X5 DDR5-6000 CL36 EXPO ($137)
- Solid-State Drive – WD Blue SN570 1TB NVMe ($58)
- Case – Corsair 4000D Airflow ($105)
- Power Supply – Corsair RM650 ($95)
- CPU Cooler – DeepCool AK400 ($35)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home USB ($139)