The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $1,750 Advanced Gaming PC Build – September 2021

The Best $1,750 Advanced Gaming PC Build – September 2021

By Ari Altman | Published September 2, 2021 | Updated September 2, 2021

Phanteks P400A BlackCRITICAL UPDATE:

If you actually want to start gaming on a new PC any time before Fall 2021, you have two options: build up your PC with one of the few GPUs currently available at retail, or go for a pre-built PC, which will almost certainly offer far better value. That’s because GPUs are scarce due to the biggest cryptocurrency mining craze in history. We present both options in this guide. Based on current trends, we believe that GPUs will continue to sell for elevated prices for months to come, and may not return to MSRP until next-gen models arrive in late-2022.

High-End Performance with a Touch of Class!

If you’re after the perfect blend of power, efficiency, and usability in a PC, look no further than our $1,750 Advanced Gaming PC. This system combines some of our favorite components to deliver what we believe is the ideal all-around PC. Yes, this system can run all the latest games with ease, but what’s really great about this system is that it offers a fantastic balance of speed, silence, and style.

This Month’s Build, Featuring AMD and Nvidia!

For September 2021, the $1,750 Advanced Gaming PC Build features AMD’s Ryzen 5 5600X, which offers six cores and 12 threads, and more importantly, better gaming performance than any Intel CPU on the market! It’s backing up the Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GPU, which has finally re-entered the market after nearly a year’s absence. It’s marked up beyond MSRP, but it’s actually available, meaning you can jump into gaming today.

This system also features 16GB of DDR4-3600 RGB RAM, along with a high-performance 1TB PCIe-based solid-state drive, perfect for all your gaming or productivity needs. Topping it all off is a 750W ultra-efficient power supply, a highly-effective 120mm tower cooler, and an awesome high-airflow tempered glass case from Phanteks.

Parting Thoughts

If you need to accessorize your new build, you’ll find our top picks for a keyboard, mouse, and monitor to pair with this system. For even more ideas, check out our Monitor Buyer’s Guide and Peripherals Buyer’s Guide! Throughout our guides, we provide direct links to Amazon, Newegg, or B&H, and our Amazon links will auto-convert for readers in the UK, Canada, and many countries in the EU. Your use of these links helps support continued development of these guides!

The Pre-Built Option

  • ABS Gladiator
    Click to Buy
    The High-End Gaming PC –

    ABS Gladiator 5600X/RTX 3070 @Newegg

    $1700
    INSANE VALUE! Don’t want to wait to build your own PC until GPUs restock? No problem – Newegg’s ABS division has you covered with an amazing deal on its Gladiator Gaming PC. It features an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X 6-Core, 12-thread processor, and more importantly, the GeForce RTX 3070 8GB video card, which sells for about 2/3 the price of this entire PC on eBay! Also on this list are 16GB of DDR4-3000 RAM, a 1TB solid-state drive, and a high-end X570 motherboard.
    The Guru’s Tip

    The price on this system is honestly too good to last. You'd have to beg, cheat, and steal to get these components anywhere near this price at retail!

The DIY Option

  • Click to Buy
    CPU –

    AMD Ryzen 5 5600X @Newegg

    $273
    AMD’s Zen 3 architecture made a huge splash in the PC industry. Beating Intel on a clock-for-clock basis for the first time in decades, and with far lower power consumption, the Ryzen 5 5600X is the perfect CPU for this build. And it brings along with it the most advanced platform in the business, which will provide you tremendous upgrade potential down the line should you wish to drop in an even more powerful CPU.
    The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU comes with a cooler, but we recommend an upgraded model later in this guide.
  • Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    MSI B550 Gaming Edge WiFi

    $190
    This feature-packed board gives you everything you need for a PC build at a great price. Dual M.2 PCIe slots for high-speed SSDs (the top slot being Gen 4), six USB ports (including a Type-C port), and built-in WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5. It also has the ample power delivery system required to support any Zen 3 processor.
    The Guru’s Tip

    The B550 platform offers a tremendous amount of value for the price.
  • MSI RTX 2060 Ventus
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    MSI GeForce RTX 2060 6GB

    $700

    The GeForce RTX 2060 6GB offers excellent performance and efficiency in a compact package. This dual-fan model runs cool and quiet, while keeping up with the latest games.

     The Guru’s Tip

    This GPU is selling for around 2x MSRP, but in this market, that's the going rate, and even then it's often out of stock! As an alternative, we strongly suggest you go for the pre-built PC we listed earlier in this guide, because OEMs are getting much better prices on GPUs than consumers.
  • Click to Buy
    Memory –

    Crucial 2x8GB Ballistix RGB DDR4-3600 Black

    $110
    This awesome 16GB kit will provide more than enough capacity for any game today and for years to come, and thanks to its mind-blowing DDR4-3600 speed and 16-18-18 timings, it will keep your fast CPU fed with data. Plus it offers sweet RGB effects!
    The Guru’s Tip

    Remember to engage the XMP profile in the UEFI to take advantage of the full speed of this RAM kit. To adjust the RGB lighting, use the motherboard's lighting control software.
  • Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    Samsung 980 1TB

    $130

    There’s lots of competition in the SSD market, but SSD pioneer Samsung has put all the other mid-priced offerings to shame with its 980 1TB. It uses the speedy PCIe 3.0 interface and Samsung’s superior TLC NAND to vastly outperform every other PCIe 3.0 drive! To achieve performance any faster, you’d have to spend at least 50% more!

     The Guru’s Tip

    This M.2 drive slots right into the motherboard with no need for cables!
  • Click to Buy
    Case –

    Phanteks P400A Black

    $90

    The P400A offers awesome style and performance for under $100. It has three high-quality 120mm RGB fans plus a tempered glass side panel to show off your build.

     The Guru’s Tip

    This model is available in black or white from the same product page.
  • Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    SilverStone ET700-MG

    $125
    This awesome fully-modular 700W Gold-rated unit is easy to find in stock most days, unlike most other competing models, so grab it while you can! It provides plenty of power for this system, along with great efficiency and low noise levels.
    The Guru’s Tip

    It's always best to choose a PSU with more power than the system will need, which ensures efficient performance. Peak efficiency is achieved at 50% load.
  • Arctic Freezer 34 Duo
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    Arctic Freezer 34 Duo Black/White

    $45
    Keep your new CPU cool with this cost-effective model from Arctic. It’s the best cooler you can buy under $50, thanks to its dual high-performance BioniX fans! It also happens to look fantastic!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This cooler is available in a number of color schemes, so take your pick from the various options on the linked product page!
  • Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 10 Home USB Flash Drive

    $130
    Windows 10 was a big step up from Windows 8.1, and Microsoft continues to support Windows 10 users not only with regular security updates, but with major content releases every six months. And the USB version installs in under 5 minutes, meaning you can get right into using your system!
    The Guru’s Tip

    Microsoft is moving to an online-only distribution model. If the USB version is out of stock, you can always get it via download - all you need is an 8GB or bigger flash drive to load the image onto.

Optional Products

  • Click to Buy
    The Mechanical Gaming Keyboard –

    Corsair K60 RGB Pro Low Profile

    $90
    For the very fastest gameplay, there’s nothing better than the K60 Low Profile. Thanks to Cherry’s unbeaten low-profile MX Speed switches, you get amazing response and feel, plus low noise.
    The Guru’s Tip

    Low-profile switches make mechanical keyboards respond a whole lot faster!
  • Click to Buy
    The Pro Gaming Mouse –

    Razer Basilisk X HyperSpeed Wireless

    $38
    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

    Razer's Hyperspeed wireless technology makes the Basilisk more responsive than most wired mice!
  • Click to Buy
    The Budget Wireless PC Headset –

    ‎SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless

    $80

    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

    This model can also be used with game consoles and smartphones via the included USB Type-C adapter.
  • Click to Buy
    The 27-inch G-Sync Gaming Monitor –

    Gigabyte M27Q

    $297
    Offering up a 27″ 2560×1440 IPS panel capable of a 170Hz refresh rate, and enhanced with FreeSync frame-syncing technology, this is a true high-end monitor that won’t break the bank! Gigabyte may be new to the monitor market, but it’s making a huge splash, offering up tremendous quality at low prices. Previously, you couldn’t get anything but an inferior TN panel for this price!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This model was designed around AMD's FreeSync technology, but Nvidia has enabled its use on GeForce cards, which means you save money versus a G-Sync monitor!

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