Critical Update: if you actually want to start gaming on a new PC any time before Fall 2021, you have two options: go for one of the very few pre-built PCs still on the market, or build up a system using an older video card that you have on hand. That’s because GPUs are sold out worldwide due to the latest cryptocurrency mining crisis. We present both options in this guide. Based on current estimates, we believe that GPUs will not be available at retail prices until September 2021 at the earliest.

If you’re looking for the ultimate $3,500 Gaming PC Build, truly the best of the best, then this is the build for you! Sure, you could spend more, but in most games you won’t see better performance than what this PC Build can provide. It’s a showcase of the very best tech available in PC gaming today. And while the $3,500 Gaming PC Build isn’t exactly a bargain, it’s custom-tailored to deliver flat-out extreme gaming performance. We have plenty of other builds optimized for small office, content creation, or home theater use, but for gaming, the $3,500 Gaming PC Build is truly the ultimate build!

For June 2021, the Ultimate $3,500 Gaming PC Build starts with AMD’s awesome Ryzen 7 5800X eight-core, 16-thread CPU, which offers better gaming performance than any other CPU. It will be feeding data to the monstrous Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 24GB, the fastest GPU ever released! Designed to excel at ultra-high resolutions, it has massive processing power and an astounding 24GB of VRAM to keep it running no matter what the latest games throw at it. Of course, the rest of the system is up to the task of keeping this system fed with data, thanks to 32GB of ultra-high-speed DDR4-3600 RAM, along with a blazing-fast 2TB PCIe solid-state drive. Completing the $3,500 Gaming PC Build is the high-performance Cooler Master H500M case, a powerful 360mm liquid cooler, and an awesome 1000W Platinum-rated power supply!

Note that we list a number of “Optional Components” at the end of this guide that highlight the accessories we think best match a system of this caliber, including our favorite keyboard, mouse, and monitor picks. To browse even more options, check out our Monitor Buyer’s Guide, Peripherals Buyer’s Guide and Speaker/ Headset Buyer’s Guide, which provide our picks for the best accessories at every pricepoint.

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