The Best $2500 Extreme 4K/VR Gaming PC Build – May 2022
Game 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 May 2022, the $2,500 Gaming PC Build is powered by Intel’s amazing Core i7-12700KF, a 12-core, 20-thread hybrid masterpiece, which hauls through games and everything else. It’s backing up a powerhouse of a GPU, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 12GB, which is now selling for way under MSRP, a price unimaginable just a few months ago!
But this build is about more than just a fancy CPU and GPU. It also includes 16GB of DDR4-3600 RAM, a fast 1TB PCIe solid-state drive, the sweet 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
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The Ultra-High-End Gaming PC –
ABS Gladiator Corsair 12700KF/RTX 3080 @Newegg
$2600ULTRA-HOT! This system from Newegg’s ABS division is an awesome ultra-high-end build, ready to go out of the box! It’s equipped with Intel’s incredible Core i7-12700KF 12-core, 20-thread CPU, a Corsair 280mm Capellix AIO liquid cooler, and a GeForce RTX 3080 GPU! Also on the build list is 32GB of Corsair DDR4-3200 RAM, a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, and a Corsair RM850x Gold-rated PSU. Making this truly gamer-grade is the elite Corsair 5000X chassis!
The Guru’s TipThanks to a recent price cut, this pre-built machine is a tempting alternative to the DIY build we spec out below!
The DIY Build
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CPU –
Intel Core i7-12700KF
$351 The Guru’s TipThis CPU doesn't come with a cooler, but the high-powered model we list later in this guide will keep it nicely chilled!
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Motherboard –
MSI Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4
$270 The Guru’s TipWe're going with a DDR4-based board to drastically reduce platform costs. DDR4 costs half as much as DDR5 at similar performance levels.
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Video Card –
MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 12G LHR
$1000 The Guru’s TipThe price on this card is far below that of many 3080 10GB models, despite far higher performance!
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Memory –
Corsair 2x8GB Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3600 C16
$103 The Guru’s TipThis RAM will make the most out of Alder Lake's DDR4 compatibility.
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Solid-State Drive –
WD_Black SN850 1TB NVMe
$150 The Guru’s TipWhile gaming PCs don't need a Gen 4 drive to perform well, this drive has dropped enough in price to make top-tier performance affordable!
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Case –
Phanteks Eclipse P500A Digital RGB
$160 The Guru’s TipThis 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.
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ARGB Fan –
ARCTIC P12 PWM PST A-RGB
$17 The Guru’s TipWhile it may seem like a small change, adding this case to the back of this build's case will dramatically improve cooling performance!
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Power Supply –
Phanteks Revolt Pro 850W
$140 The Guru’s TipThis PSU will easily handle the CPU and GPU in this system, which together will draw around 600W at max load.
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CPU Cooler –
Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 ARGB
$120 The Guru’s TipThis cooler will have no trouble keeping the power-hungry CPU cool, and will fit perfect at the top of the large case we recommend.
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Adapter –
ARCTIC Intel LGA1700 Upgrade Kit for Liquid Freezer II Series
$7 The Guru’s TipWhile 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.
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Operating System –
Windows 11 Home USB
$139 The Guru’s TipMicrosoft 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
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The 32" 4K 144Hz Gamer's Dream Monitor –
Gigabyte M32U
$760 The Guru’s TipThere's no better way to show off what your 4K gaming rig than with this awesome, value-packed 4K monitor!
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The Mechanical Gaming Keyboard –
Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Rapidfire
$133 The Guru’s TipOnce you try a mechanical board, you'll never go back!
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The Ultimate Wireless Gaming Mouse –
Logitech G502 Lightspeed Wireless
$120 The Guru’s TipWe've been using this mouse since the day it launched and we absolutely love it!
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The Deluxe PC Headset –
Corsair Virtuoso Wireless Headset
$180 The Guru’s TipWe use this headset everyday, and it's a solid as the day we took it out of the box!
Total Cost: $2434
The Pre-Built Option
The DIY Build
- CPU – Intel Core i7-12700KF ($351)
- Motherboard – MSI Z690 Tomahawk WiFi DDR4 ($270)
- Video Card – MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Gaming Z Trio 12G LHR ($1000)
- Memory – Corsair 2x8GB Vengeance RGB Pro DDR4-3600 C16 ($103)
- Solid-State Drive – WD_Black SN850 1TB NVMe ($150)
- Case – Phanteks Eclipse P500A Digital RGB ($160)
- ARGB Fan – ARCTIC P12 PWM PST A-RGB ($17)
- Power Supply – Phanteks Revolt Pro 850W ($140)
- CPU Cooler – Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 ARGB ($120)
- Adapter – ARCTIC Intel LGA1700 Upgrade Kit for Liquid Freezer II Series ($7)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home USB ($139)