The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $2000 Premium Gaming PC Build – October 2024

The Best $2000 Premium Gaming PC Build – October 2024

By Ari Altman | Published October 5, 2024 | Updated October 5, 2024

Treat Yourself to a Premium Gaming PC Experience!

Looking to build the best gaming PC possible for around $2,000? This is it! Incredibly stylish, ultra-quiet, and most importantly, brutally fast, this build offers the very best balance of CPU power, GPU power, and cooling performance out of any of the gaming PCs we profile. We call it “premium” for a reason! And take note: this build doesn’t skimp on the wheels and chassis just to cram in a “big engine”. We’re all about long-term thinking here at TBG, and this is a seriously long-term build!

This Month’s Build, Powered by Intel and Nvidia!

For October 2024, the $2,000 Premium Gaming PC Build features the Intel Core i7-13700KF 16-core CPU, which after a recent price cut is an amazing value and a tremendous gaming bargain. Saving money on the CPU allows us to pump up the GPU, and that’s where the true performance gets unleashed. The 13700KF will be driving the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super 16GB, which is a significant step up from the 4070 Ti and 4070 Ti Super we used to recommend in this build. From a gaming point of view, the 13700KF/RTX 4080 Super combo delivers amazing high-end performance.

And the quality runs deep in this system, as proven by the premium 2TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive, offering plenty of speed and capacity for a serious gaming collection. You also get a full 32GB of fast DDR5-6400 CL32 RAM and a 750W Gold-rated power supply. Bringing it all together is the SilverStone Fara 514X high-airflow case and a dominating cooler from Thermalright.

Parting Thoughts

We also list plenty of ways to accessorize the $2,000 Premium Gaming PC Build – just scroll down to the end of this guide to see our top picks among gaming keyboards, mice, and monitors. If you want to see even more options, check out our Monitor Buyer’s Guide and Peripherals Buyer’s Guide!

We update this build every month, and provide direct links to Amazon or Newegg. Our Amazon links will auto-convert for readers in the UK, Canada, and several countries in the EU, with regional substitutions made where necessary. Your use of these links is the only thing that keeps this site on the ‘net!

The Pre-Built Option

  • Skytech 011V
    Click to Buy
    The Premium Gaming PC –

    Skytech O11V 7800X3D/RTX 4070 Ti Super Gaming PC

    $2000
    Want amazing performance but not ready to go the DIY route? Then pick up this stellar system from Skytech! While Skytech always offers a lot of bang for the buck, with the O11V, it’s offering seriously-premium gear at a discount! It features a liquid-cooled AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D 8-core CPU, Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super 16GB GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive, and an 850W Gold-rated power supply. But what really sets it apart is the gorgeous Lian Li 011 chassis, which is definitely not what you typically get with a pre-built PC. No-name cases are much more par for the course to cheap out on the spec sheet, but not so here!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This system will be every bit as fast as our DIY system, and come in at the great price!

The DIY Build

  • Intel 13700K
    Click to Buy
    CPU –

    Intel Core i7-13700KF

    $260
    The 13700KF has continued to dominate the gaming charts, with AMD unable to touch it in terms of performance/dollar. It offers up 8 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, and a total of 24 threads, for not only excellent gaming performance, but fantastic all-around performance.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Intel is driving a hard bargain right now on the 13700KF, making it very hard to recommend any of AMD's competing CPUs anywhere near its price!
  • Gigabyte Z790 UD AC
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    Gigabyte Z790 UD AC

    $180
    Gigabyte packs tons of value into its Ultra Durable “UD” series motherboard, and this Socket 1700 model is a perfect match for Intel’s latest CPUs. It features three M.2 slots (all being Gen 4 x4), a PCIe Gen 5 video card slot, ten USB ports (including a Type-C port), and integrated WiFi.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This board requires DDR5 memory, which is what we spec in this guide.
  • RTX 4080 Super
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    PNY GeForce RTX 4080 Super 16GB Verto

    $1000
    The RTX 4080 blew away the previous king-of-the-hill RTX 3090 Ti while using far less power, and with much more advanced Ray Tracing and DLSS technology. And this “Super” model offers even more cores, more memory bandwidth, and even lower power use, all for less money.

    The Guru’s Tip

    The RTX 4080 Super has pulled ahead of the competing RX 7900 XTX in recent games, which is why we think it's worth a slight premium.
  • G.Skill Ripjaws S5
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    G.Skill 2x16GB Ripjaws S5 DDR5-6400 CL32

    $103
    For the ultimate in speed, you must go with DDR5 RAM, but not just any DDR5 RAM, because you need high-frequency DDR5 to blow past DDR4 RAM performance. And that’s what you get with G.Skill’s Trident Z5 kit running at DDR5-6400 with timings of 32-39-39-102 at 1.40V. This is the real deal when it comes to DDR5 performance!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This is the perfect match for the Intel processor we recommend.
  • MP44L
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    TeamGroup MP44L 2TB PCIe 4.0

    $108
    The MP44L PCIe 4.0, which blows past previous PCIe Gen3-based drives by harnessing the power of the PCIe Gen4 interface, is an absolute bargain of a high-end drive. It can hit up to 5,000MB/s in sequential operations!

    The Guru’s Tip

    We think everyone building a premium gaming PC today should have at least 2TB of storage!
  • Fara
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    SilverStone FARA 514X

    $100
    The FARA 514X offers awesome style and great performance at a very impressive price. It has four high-quality 120mm ARGB fans plus a built-in ARGB hub, and a tempered glass side panel to show off your components. And up top it features dual USB Type-A ports plus a Type-C port. It also features a couple of upgrades you don’t typically see on cases at this pricepoint, including a built-in GPU support bracket to prevent sagging, plus a full metal mesh front panel for looks and durability. This is an all-around winner!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This case's stylish ARGB lighting can be controlled using the motherboard's lighting controls.
  • Thermaltake GF A3
    Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 750W Gold

    $85
    A power supply is about so much more than just a wattage rating, and with Thermaltake’s Toughpower GF A3, you get a modern platform to last you many builds. Of course it has an impressive 750W of capacity, but it also offers Gold efficiency certification, a fully-modular design, and an ultra-silent 120mm FDB fan with zero-RPM mode. But perhaps most important, and what really sets this unit apart, is the Gen5 12VHPWR PCIe connector, meeting the Intel ATX 3.0 specification standard. It means no adapters are required when paired with the latest power-hungry GPUs from Nvidia!

    The Guru’s Tip

    750W offers plenty of headroom for this build, which will pull about 600W at full load.
  • Phantom Spirit
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    Thermalright Phantom Spirit 120 EVO

    $50
    Thermalright is legendary in the CPU cooler business, having designed some of the very first premium tower coolers in the early 2000s. Their focus has always been on performance per dollar, providing a lot of metal for your money. And with the Phantom Spirit 120 Evo, that metal comes in the form of seven chunky 6mm heatpipes running through two big heatsink towers. They are aided by two ultra-premium 120mm fans using fluid dynamic bearings and a proven 9-blade design. All in all, you get class-leading performance at a price that no other manufacturer can touch!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This cooler requires the use of low-profile RAM, which is what we spec in this guide.
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg

    $139
    Windows 11 built on everything people loved about Windows 10, and then took 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! Note that we’re linking to Newegg, because Amazon long ago stopped selling this physical USB version of Windows, which is the most convenient one to use.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Running Windows 11 ensures you'll get the most out of your gaming rig!

Optional Products

  • Corsair K70 RGB
    Click to Buy
    The Mechanical Gaming Keyboard –

    Corsair K70 RGB Pro MX Red

    $130
    The Corsair K70 set the standard for mechanical gaming keyboards and is still the benchmark by which all others are judged. With its solid aluminum construction and detachable wrist rest, it’s a truly premium option. It features Cherry’s classic MX Red switches, PBT Doubleshot keys for durability, a magnetic soft-touch palm rest, and 8,000Hz hyper-polling for amazing responsiveness. And yes, it also is fully blinged out with RGB!

    The Guru’s Tip

    You can control everything on this board using the Corsair iCUE software.
  • Razer Basilisk Ultimate
    Click to Buy
    The Ultimate Wireless Gaming Mouse –

    Razer Basilisk Ultimate HyperSpeed

    $100
    Razer is legendary in the gaming mouse market, and the Basilisk Ultimate, now discounted from its original introductory price, is an ultra-high-end bargain! Featuring a 20,000dpi sensor, Razer’s awesome HyperSpeed wireless system, and a perfect ergonomic design, this model can’t be beat! And in addition to its 100-hour battery life, it’s also incredibly light, at just 107g!

    The Guru’s Tip

    You can use the Synapse software to tune this mouse.
  • Click to Buy
    The Budget Wireless PC Headset –

    ‎SteelSeries Arctis 1 Wireless

    $95
    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

    We've long believed that wireless is the only way to go with a gaming headset - no getting tangled up in the heat of the action!
  • Asus
    Click to Buy
    The 34-inch Gaming Monitor –

    Asus TUF Gaming VG34VQL3A

    $364
    Are you ready for serious big-screen gaming? Then feast your eyes on this 34″ monitor from Asus, which breaks new ground in terms of features and performance per dollar. It has an ultra-wide 3440 x 1440 curved VA panel, a fast 180Hz refresh rate, and FreeSync Premium technology to keep your frames running smoothly. It also offers a height-adjustable stand (unusual at this pricepoint), plus the Extreme Low Motion Blur option.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Stepping up to an ultra-wide will give you a whole new view on gaming, and luckily the $2000 Gaming PC Build can drive it to the max!

Pin It on Pinterest