The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $2500 Extreme 4K/VR Gaming PC Build – September 2022

The Best $2500 Extreme 4K/VR Gaming PC Build – September 2022

By Ari Altman | Published August 27, 2022 | Updated September 25, 2022

Phanteks P500A BlackGame to the Extreme!

If you’re looking to play all the latest games on a 4K or ultra-wide monitor, you’re going to need extreme processing power. And that’s what the $2,500 Gaming PC Build delivers – every component has been selected with one and only one goal in mind: maximum high-resolution performance for $2,500, with a healthy dose of style thrown in!

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

For September 2022, the $2,500 Gaming PC Build is better than ever. It starts off with Intel’s amazing Core i7-12700K, a 12-core, 20-thread hybrid masterpiece, which rips through games and everything else. It’s backing up a powerhouse of a GPU, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12GB, which we can now fit in the budget thanks to a massive closeout discount!!!

But this build is about more than just a fancy CPU and GPU. It also includes 32GB of DDR5-6000 RAM (upgraded from DDR4-3600 in previous builds), a fast 1TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive, the high-airflow P500A mesh case from Phanteks, a huge liquid CPU cooler, and a potent 850W Gold-rated power supply. In other words, it’s great in every way!

Parting Thoughts

We highlight our favorite accessories for this build in the optional components section at the end of this guide, including the best high-end peripherals and monitor. If you’re looking for more options, feel free to browse our Monitor Buyer’s Guide, Peripherals Buyer’s Guide, and Speaker/Headset Buyer’s Guide for all our favorite picks!

Throughout this guide, we provide direct links to Amazon or Newegg in the US, and our Amazon links will auto-convert for readers in other regions, including Canada, the UK, and parts of the EU, with substitutions made where necessary. To help support the continued development of this guide, please use the links we provide if you purchase products we recommend.

The Pre-Built Option

  • iBuyPower Trace 5MR
    Click to Buy
    The Ultimate Gaming PC –

    iBUYPOWER TraceMR 234i 12700KF/RTX 3080 Ti

    $2000
    ULTRA-HOT! This pre-built gaming PC from iBuyPower is simply packed with premium components, and it will get you gaming at maximum framerates today and for years to come! The spec list starts with an Intel Core i7-12700KF 12-core, 20-thread processor cooled by a 240mm AIO liquid cooler. For the GPU, you get nothing but the best: the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12GB. Also on board are 16GB of RAM and a 1TB solid-state drive, with Windows 11 pre-installed!
    The Guru’s Tip

    Thanks to a recent price cut, this pre-built machine is a tempting alternative to the DIY build we spec out below!

The DIY Build

  • Intel Core i7-12700KF
    Click to Buy
    CPU –

    Intel Core i7-12700KF

    $378
    Intel reclaims the gaming lead with its 12th-Gen “Alder Lake” CPUs, and the 12700KF is the CPU to get for extreme performance without going overboard on cost. It handily beats the Ryzen 7 5800X and Ryzen 9 5900X, and is nearly as fast as Intel’s top-end 12900K!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU doesn't come with a cooler, but the high-powered model we list later in this guide will keep it nicely chilled!
  • MSI Z690 Tomahawk
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    MSI Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR5

    $275
    MSI’s Tomahawk line has always defined the sweet spot for performance boards, and this one is no different. It features a potent 16-phase VRM with 70A power stages, four M.2 slots (three being Gen 4), a PCIe Gen 5 video card slot, eight USB ports (including a Type-C port), and integrated WiFi 6E plus 2.5Gbs LAN. This one uses DDR5 RAM to provide the absolute best performance for the latest Intel CPUs.
    The Guru’s Tip

    We're going with a DDR5-based board at this point thanks to the steep price drop on superior DDR5 RAM, which has made DDR4 obsolete at the high end.
  • Zotac RTX 3080 12GB
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12GB Trinity

    $870
    For extreme performance, nothing less than the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12GB will do! This model offers up a sweet triple-slot, triple-fan cooler to keep it running at maximum boost!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This card is nearly as fast as a 3090, but has been discounted down to around the price of a 3080!
  • G.Skill Trident Z5
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    G.SKILL 2x16GB Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6000

    $220
    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 DDR5-6000 with timings of 36-36-36-96 at 1.35V. This is the real deal when it comes to DDR5 performance!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This RAM is the perfect match for this build's DDR5-based motherboard.
  • WDBlack SN770
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    WD_BLACK SN770 1TB NVMe

    $100
    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 a Gen4 drive isn't necessary for gaming, the price-performance of this blazing-fast drive is hard to pass up!
  • Phanteks P500A
    Click to Buy
    Case –

    Phanteks Eclipse P500A Digital RGB

    $160
    Phanteks cases are simply exquisite; no other manufacturer can quite match the great blend of quality materials, attention to detail, and high performance, especially for the price. And the P500A may be Phanteks’ crowning achievement: an ultra-high performance ATX case with killer looks! A few of the very cool touches on this case include the hinged glass door on the left side and the integrated RGB light pipe on the PSU shroud. No one does it better!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This case's ARGB fans can be sync'd with the 3-pin ARGB header on the motherboard we recommend. You'll also have full access to the case's front Type-C port thanks to the motherboard's Type-C header.
  • Click to Buy
    ARGB Fan –

    ARCTIC P12 PWM PST A-RGB

    $17
    Arctic started with its proven P12 design and made it even better with the ARGB version. It adds not only very slick ARGB effects, but also a stabilizer ring at the blade edges, rubber bumpers on the corners, and a 0dB mode, allowing it to spin smoothly down to zero with a low PWM signal. In our shootout, this fan performed amazingly well, beating even the P12! Basically, if you’re looking for the best all-around ARGB fan on the market, whether for heatsink, radiator, or case fan applications, this is the one!
    The Guru’s Tip

    While it may seem like a small change, adding this case to the back of this build's case will dramatically improve cooling performance!
  • EVGA Supernova 850 G5
    Click to Buy
    Power Supply –

    EVGA Supernova 850 G5

    $110
    Offering up 850W of power and top-notch build quality, this PSU is a great value among high-end models. Thanks to its fully-modular cables and compact 150mm-long design, it’s very easy to install, allowing you to minimize cable clutter by leaving out cables you don’t need for this build. The best part: thanks to its Gold-rated efficiency and zero-fan “Eco” mode, the power supply will operate in virtual silence!
    The Guru’s Tip

    This PSU will easily handle the CPU and GPU in this system, which together will draw around 600W at max load.
  • Arctic LFII 280
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 ARGB

    $120
    To run a high-wattage CPU, you need extreme cooling, and we suggest you go straight for this awesome 280mm liquid cooler, which offers the best performance of any 280mm AIO on the market! That comes down to its big 38mm-thick radiator, effective pump, and the best ARGB fans on the market, the Arctic P14 A-RGB models. They provide both great looks and superior performance at low noise levels.
    The Guru’s Tip

    This cooler will have no trouble keeping the power-hungry CPU cool, and will fit perfectly at the top of the large case we recommend.
  • Arctic 1700
    Click to Buy
    Adapter –

    ARCTIC Intel LGA1700 Upgrade Kit for Liquid Freezer II Series

    $7
    This adapter guarantees compatibility with Intel Socket 1700 CPUs and motherboards.
    The Guru’s Tip

    While Arctic will eventually ship all LFII coolers with this adapter, to ensure you're ready to build on day one, we recommend you buy this adapter kit in addition to the cooler.
  • 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

    Microsoft took its sweet time launching Win11 at retail after making it available as an update for existing W10 users, but it's finally here and it's what you want on a new system!

Optional Products

  • Gigabyte M32U
    Click to Buy
    The 32" 4K 144Hz Gamer's Dream Monitor –

    Gigabyte M32U

    $700
    It took seemingly forever for the elusive 32″ 4K 144Hz panels that gamers had dreamed of for years to finally hit the market, and surprisingly Gigabyte was first out of the gate with one widely available at retail. Known for its high-end video cards and motherboards, Gigabyte has quickly made a name for itself in the gaming monitor market, and the M32U simply astounds with its features. Get a load of these specs: a 31.5″ 3840 x 2160 4K IPS panel, 144Hz refresh rate, 1ms (GTG) response time, FreeSync, 10-bit color,  90% DCI-P3  and 123% sRGB color space, and VESA DisplayHDR 400. It even has a built-in KVM switch, allowing you to use it on multiple systems with the push of a button!
    The Guru’s Tip

    There's no better way to show off what your 4K gaming rig than with this awesome, value-packed 4K monitor!
  • Corsair K70 RGB
    Click to Buy
    The Mechanical Gaming Keyboard –

    Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Rapidfire

    $160
    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. And for the very fastest gameplay, there’s nothing better than the Rapidfire version, which uses Cherry’s unbeaten MX Speed switches. Their short throw give you amazing response and feel.
    The Guru’s Tip

    Once you try a mechanical board, you'll never go back!
  • Click to Buy
    The Ultimate Wireless Gaming Mouse –

    Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless

    $120
    Logitech designed the G502 Lightspeed Wireless to be the ultimate technological tour de force in the gaming mouse industry. Featuring a mesmerizing 25K Hero sensor, tunable weights, RGB lighting, and the best wireless connectivity, it is impossible to beat. And you can even upgrade it to ultra-elite status with the optional PowerPlay charging mat, which allows you to use it forever without stopping to charge thanks to the exclusive wireless charging capability!
    The Guru’s Tip

    We've been using this mouse since the day it launched and we absolutely love it!
  • Click to Buy
    The Deluxe PC Headset –

    Corsair Virtuoso Wireless Headset

    $180
    Combining ultra-high-end performance with incredible comfort, this wireless headset from Corsair is the ideal all-day companion for listening to the latest market news. This headset also has an audiophile-grade microphone, perfect for teleconferencing. Free free to check out our full review right here!
    The Guru’s Tip

    We use this headset everyday, and it's a solid as the day we took it out of the box!

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