The Tech Buyer's Guru

The Best $3500 Ultimate Gaming PC Build – May 2023

The Best $3500 Ultimate Gaming PC Build – May 2023

By Ari Altman | Published May 1, 2023 | Updated May 1, 2023

H500MJump Into Ultra-High-End Gaming Today!

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!

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

For May 2023, the Ultimate $3,500 Gaming PC Build offers the best gaming performance on the market, bar none! It’s anchored by AMD’s beyond-fast Ryzen 7 7800X3D, an 8-core gaming specialist enhanced with 3D V-cache. Simply put, it is the CPU of choice for dedicated gamers. And thanks to its very reasonable price, we can drop in the greatest GPU of all time in, Nvidia’s superb GeForce RTX 4090 24GB. It beats out every previous-gen card, and in fact is so much faster than anything else that it might as well come from the future!

Of course, the rest of the system is up to the task of keeping this system fed with data, thanks to 32GB of ultra-fast DDR5-6000 RAM, along with a blazing-fast 2TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive. Completing the $3,500 Gaming PC Build is the high airflow Cooler Master H500M chassis, a powerful 280mm liquid cooler, and an awesome 1000W Gold-rated power supply!

Parting Thoughts

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 or Newegg, 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.

The Pre-Built Option

  • Skytech Pro Eclipse
    Click to Buy
    The Ultra-High-End Gaming PC –

    Skytech Pro Eclipse 13900K/RTX 4090

    $3800
    Want mind-blowing performance without having to build your own PC? Then go for the incredible Pro Eclipse by Skytech. This system features an Intel Core i9-13900K 24-core, 32-thread processor cooled by a massive 420mm liquid cooler, a GeForce RTX 4090 24GB video card, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe Gen 4 solid-state drive, a Phanteks P500A case, and a massive 1200W power supply. In other words, it’s locked, loaded, and ready to rock the latest games!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This pre-built is almost too good a deal to pass up. It will perform very close to the build below, and of course comes ready to go out of the box!

The DIY Build

  • AMD Ryzen 7800 X3D
    Click to Buy
    CPU –

    AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

    $449
    AMD has done it again with its 3D cache technology, turning an average CPU, the 7700X, into the 7800X3D, the best gaming CPU ever released! This CPU can take on any CPU, regardless of price, when it comes to gaming, thanks to its advanced stacked cache design. It also has a leg up on Intel by offering the latest connectivity standards thanks to the AM5 platform.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This CPU is a gaming specialist, which is why we equip our $3500 Ultimate Gaming Build with it. There simply is no better choice if all you care about is maximum frames in games!
  • Asus B650E-F
    Click to Buy
    Motherboard –

    MSI X670E Tomahawk WiFi

    $310
    This X670E board from MSI allows you to tap into the potential of AMD’s cutting-edge AM5 platform at a great price. You get a potent 14+2+1 Phase power solution, a PCIe Gen 5 video card slot plus three additional slots, four M.2 slots (one being Gen 5, three being Gen 4), plus built-in WiFi 6E. On the back you have 8 USB ports, including two Type-C ports.

    The Guru’s Tip

    We're going for an "E" board here, because its enhanced chipset provides the PCIe Gen 5 GPU slot for video cards that don't even exist yet, but that you'll be able to drive for years with the 7800X3D's speed!
  • MSI RTX 4090
    Click to Buy
    Video Card –

    MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming X Trio 24G

    $1650
    Hail to the king! The absolutely mind-blowing RTX 4090 24GB goes beyond extreme, beating the RTX 3090 Ti by 60%, an insane gen-on-gen leap in performance. And this model from MSI offers amazing cooling thanks to the massive yet quiet quad-slot, triple-fan cooler!

    The Guru’s Tip

    Finally in stock at a great price, it's time to step up to the best!
  • G.Skill Trident Z5
    Click to Buy
    Memory –

    G.Skill 2x16GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL30 EXPO

    $140
    To get the most out of AMD’s latest CPUs, you want fast RAM, and DDR5-6000 is the sweetspot not only in terms of price, but in terms of the AM5 platform. It allows for the highest overall performance thanks to running in 1:1 sync with the memory controller. And this Trident Z5 Neo kit from G.Skill is specially designed for AM5, thanks to the extraordinary 30-38-38-96 AMD EXPO timings.

    The Guru’s Tip

    Remember, the AM5 platform requires DDR5 RAM, and this is the fastest kit it supports, which means you're leaving no performance on the table!
  • Samsung 990 Pro 2TB
    Click to Buy
    Solid-State Drive –

    Samsung 990 Pro 2TB

    $190
    For primary storage, you don’t just want high-end, you want ultra-high-end, and that means going for the 990 Pro PCIe 4.0. It offers mind-blowing performance, up to 7,450MB/s read and 6,900MB/s, plus blistering random speeds that no other drive can touch. The 990 Pro will go down in history as the drive that truly maxed out the PCIe Gen 4 bus. Want something faster, you’ll have to wait for next gen!

    The Guru’s Tip

    You don't really need a drive this fast for gaming, but it's always nice to know you won't be held back!
  • Click to Buy
    Case –

    Cooler Master MasterCase H500M

    $253
    This awesome case offers fantastic performance and great gaming style in equal measure. With dual 200mm fans mounted up front, plus a 140mm fan in the rear, it provides a tremendous amount of airflow, while its sweet addressable RGB effects make it really pop. This case includes both glass and mesh front panels, to give you the option to maximize airflow or go for the sleekest look!

    The Guru’s Tip

    This advanced case has a USB configuration beyond what most other cases provide: four USB 3.0 Type-A ports plus a Type-C port. The motherboard we recommend supports all of these!
  • Thermaltake Toughpower GF3
    Click to Buy
    –

    Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1000W

    $180
    A power supply is about so much more than just a wattage rating, and with Thermaltake’s Toughpower GF3, you get it all. Of course it has an impressive 1000W of capacity, but it also offers Gold efficiency certification, a fully-modular design, and an ultra-silent 140mm 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

    Given the massive firepower of this system, we've given it an equally-massive PSU. The PC will draw about 600W at load, meaning you'll make good use of this unit's capacity!
  • Arctic LFII 280
    Click to Buy
    CPU Cooler –

    Arctic Liquid Freezer II 280 ARGB

    $160
    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

    Mount this radiator to the top of the chassis as an exhaust.
  • Microsoft Windows 11
    Click to Buy
    Operating System –

    Windows 11 Home (USB)

    $136
    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! This version ships on a convenient USB stick, allowing it to be easily installed by just plugging it in.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This is absolutely the OS you want on your cutting-edge gaming rig!

Optional Products

  • Acer Predator X34
    Click to Buy
    The 34-inch Gaming Monitor –

    Acer Predator X34 Sbmiiphzx

    $900
    Without a doubt, the latest Acer Predator X34 is best of breed, offering the absolute best performance and features of any 34″ ultra-wide on the market. That includes 3440×1440 IPS panel with a 1900R curve, a refresh rate of up to a blazing-fast 180Hz, Nvidia G-Sync frame syncing, plus Nvidia’s advanced Reflex Latency Analyzer, which pairs with high-end mice to allow you to fine-tune responsiveness to an unprecedented degree.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This monitor will allow you to truly take advantage of all the power your new PC can deliver!
  • Click to Buy
    The Typist's Gaming Keyboard –

    Logitech G915 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard (Clicky)

    $180
    Best. Keyboard. Ever. And the only wireless mechanical keyboard with full RGB lighting on the market. This thing is a dream come true, so sleek, so responsive. Honestly, it’s in a class of its own.

    The Guru’s Tip

    This is the keyboard we've used since it was released in late 2019, and we've never even considered using another!
  • Logitech Pro X Superlight
    Click to Buy
    The Ultralight Gaming Mouse –

    Logitech G Pro X Superlight

    $145
    Logitech has a long history of pioneering the best wireless peripherals, and with the Pro X has taken that to the next level, engineering an ultra-responsive wireless mouse that is somehow just 63 grams, or about half the weight of typical wireless gaming mice. Combined with the 25,600dpi HERO sensor and extra-large PTFE feet, it’s ultra-smooth, and ultra-fast. If you want effortless control, this is the one!

    The Guru’s Tip

    While there are plenty of other ultralight mice out there, you want one that's backed by a company with legit engineering behind it. That's Logitech!
  • SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7
    Click to Buy
    The Deluxe PC Headset –

    SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless

    $142
    From humble beginnings as a mousemat manufacturer, SteelSeries has come to absolutely dominate the gaming headset industry. And that’s because it’s not rocket science, it’s audio science! SteelSeries took a careful look at what gamers needed and and then applied all the proven techniques to get them everything they wanted. That includes ultra-high-fidelity audio, 360-degree surround sound for immersive gaming, dual audio streams for simultaneous connection to a PC and a smartphone, multi-platform support, and amazing 38-hour battery life plus quick-charge over USB-C, providing a 6 hour boost in 15 minutes! It also has among the best microphones in business, providing clear audio for everyone you’re talking to!

    The Guru’s Tip

    No headset can touch this in terms of value in the premium market!

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