The Best $5000 Dream Machine Gaming PC Build – September 2025
Build the Gaming System of your Dreams!
If you want to build a dream gaming system, but can’t stand the idea of having another huge desktop by your side, stop dreaming and jump into a new reality! This build has all the power you could want, packed into an awesome high-end chassis that performs as great as it looks. It’s everything you want in a killer gaming PC!
This Month’s Build, Powered by AMD and Nvidia!
For September 2025, the $5,000 Dream Machine Gaming PC Build is everything you could want in a gaming rig and more, with the best combo of performance and aesthetics possible. It starts with AMD’s game-conquering Ryzen 7 9800X3D 8-core, 16-thread CPU, which has Intel busy playing dead. And you’ll make use of all of its power, because this system will be pushing out a massive number of frames thanks to the insane Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 32GB, which is a shocking 30% faster than the already absurd RTX 4090, and draws the power to prove it: 575W, more than most full gaming PCs!
But that’s not all… this build is packing premium gear everywhere else! 64GB of fast DDR5-6000 CL28 RAM will assure the CPU has plenty of bandwidth and room to perform. For storage, this system gives you 4TB of blazing-fast PCIe Gen 5 storage. To keep things cool, this system uses a high-powered 360mm liquid CPU cooler with a built-in screen. Feeding the system is a quiet and ultra-efficient 1200W Platinum-rated power supply. Finally, the system comes together in the sweet-looking be quiet! 900 FX case, which will really show off the build!
Parting Thoughts
We list all of our top picks to accessorize your Dream Machine in the optional products section later in this guide, although feel free to check out our dedicated Monitor Buyer’s Guide, Keyboard & Mouse Buyer’s Guide, and Headset Buyer’s Guide. To support continued development of this guide, please use the links we provide in the guide. For readers in the US, we list Amazon links, which will auto-convert for readers in Canada, the UK, and parts of the EU, with automated substitutions made by region where necessary.
The DIY Build
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CPU –AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
$472The Guru’s TipAMD’s 7800 X3D was impressive enough, easily beating every other CPU ever released in gaming. And despite it still holding the crown after the release of many other CPUs, AMD went and did it again, giving gamers the 9800X3D with enhanced 3D cache technology, redesigned to allow higher clockspeeds and manual overclocking. This CPU is the ultimate gaming processor, regardless of price.While there are chips that can beat this one in productivity, this 8-core gem is a gamer's dream chip!
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Motherboard –Asus ROG Strix X870E-E
$447The Guru’s TipThis X870E board from Asus allows you to tap into the full potential of AMD’s cutting-edge AM5 platform. You get a potent 18+2+2 power design with 110A Smart Power Stage , a PCIe Gen 5 video card slot plus an additional PCIe slot, five M.2 slots (three being Gen 5, two being Gen 4), and built-in WiFi 7. On the back you have 13 USB ports, including two cutting-edge USB 4 (40Gbps) ports. It also has great aesthetics, making this an all-around premium choice!This board has all the bells and whistles!
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Video Card –MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Vanguard 32GB
$2500The Guru’s TipHail to the king! The absolutely mind-blowing RTX 5090 32GB goes beyond extreme, beating the legendary RTX 4090 by 30%, an incredible gen-on-gen leap in performance. And this model from MSI offers great cooling thanks to the massive yet attractive triple-slot, triple-fan cooler and flow-through fin-stack!After nearly a year of being practically unavailable, the 5090 is finally fairly easy to find in stock - and while the price is high, it delivers the goods in terms of over-the-top performance!
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Memory –G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL28 EXPO
$260The Guru’s TipTo 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 making the most of the AM5 platform. It allows for the highest overall performance thanks to running in 1:1 sync with the memory controller. And this 64GB Trident Z5 Neo kit from G.Skill is specially designed for AM5, thanks to the extraordinary 28-36-36-96 AMD EXPO timings. It offers tremendous capacity and speed in a single package!64GB is honestly all you'll ever need, even in a Dream Machine!
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Solid-State Drive –Samsung 9100 Pro 4TB PCIe Gen 5
$400The Guru’s TipFor primary storage in a truly elite system, you don’t just want high-end, you want cutting-edge, and that means going Gen 5 on your SSD. Samsung has this category practically locked up with the 9100 Pro, which belts out an impressive 14,800MB/s in sequential read and 13,400MB/s in sequential write, making it about 50% faster than the best Gen 4 drives. You’ll truly be on the cutting-edge with 4TB of ultra-extreme storage on board!In terms of a "gaming" drive, you really can't do better than this model - it offers a tremendous amount of speed, without going wildly overboard in terms of $/GB!
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Case –be quiet! Light Base 900 FX ARGB Black
$240The Guru’s TipThe 900 FX is a thoroughly modern case, packing in the very best in design advancement to produce class-leading performance along with amazing aesthetics. The built in ARGB light strips plus the four Light Wings 140mm ARGB fans come together to give this system its standout airflow and looks!Another thing you are guaranteed with a be quiet! case is absolutely stellar craftmanship!
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Power Supply –ASUS ROG Strix 1200W Platinum
$255The Guru’s TipOffering up 1200W of ultra-efficient Platinum-rated power, this unit is truly amazing. It uses a GaN MOSFET, a feature typically reserved for only the very best PSUs. It allows for that great Platinum efficiency and cool operation. It’s of course fully-modular, and comes equipped with a dual ball bearing fan that runs at zero RPM at low loads. And being ATX 3.1 compliant, it has connects for the latest high-power draw GPUs. Finally, it has a 10-year warranty to ensure you’re powered up for the long haul!This system will pull about 750W at maximum load, so this PSU will have plenty of headroom to spare. And the truth is that future CPUs and GPUs (which we expect you'll eventually upgrade to) will almost certainly draw much more power, so you'll be prepared with this unit!
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CPU Cooler –Lian Li Hydroshift II 360 TL Black
$237The Guru’s TipThe Hydroshift II offers more performance and features than any other 360mm cooler. Its big radiator is equipped with triple “wireless” RGB fans for the minimum of cabling and amazing stealth looks. But the standout part is that the pump has a built-in 2.1″ IPS display, allowing you to monitor just about anything in your PC.Mount this radiator to the top of the chassis as an exhaust.
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Operating System –Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg
$139The Guru’s TipWindows 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.This is absolutely the OS you want on your system to take full advantage of the advanced platform.
Optional Products
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The Ultimate Gaming Keyboard –SteelSeries Apex Pro Gen 3
$200 The Guru’s TipThis keyboard is almost infinitely configurable!
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The Ultralight Gaming Mouse –Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro Wireless
$170 The Guru’s TipThis mouse will keep up with the most fast-twitch games!
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The 32-inch 4K OLED Gaming Monitor –ASUS ROG Swift 32” 4K OLED
$1050 The Guru’s TipA dream machine PC deserves a dream monitor!
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The Ultimate Gaming Headset –SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
$293 The Guru’s TipThis isn't just a wireless headset, it's a full wireless audio system!
Total Cost: $4948
The DIY Build
- CPU – AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D ($472)
- Motherboard – Asus ROG Strix X870E-E ($447)
- Video Card – MSI GeForce RTX 5090 Vanguard 32GB ($2500)
- Memory – G.Skill 2x32GB Trident Z5 Neo RGB DDR5-6000 CL28 EXPO ($260)
- Solid-State Drive – Samsung 9100 Pro 4TB PCIe Gen 5 ($400)
- Case – be quiet! Light Base 900 FX ARGB Black ($240)
- Power Supply – ASUS ROG Strix 1200W Platinum ($255)
- CPU Cooler – Lian Li Hydroshift II 360 TL Black ($237)
- Operating System – Windows 11 Home (USB) @Newegg ($139)
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The TBG DIY PC Build Guides
View all of TBG’s DIY PC Build Guides! This is where you’ll find all the best PC builds on the ‘net, from ultra-compact home office PCs to massive gaming towers.
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The Monitor Buyer's Guide
Find your dream gaming monitor to pair with your new PC in our comprehensive guide!
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The Speaker and Headset Buyer's Guide
Upgrade your audio experience with one of our top-rated picks among speakers and headsets!
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The Wireless Networking Buyer's Guide
Don't let your games lag due to tired old networking... upgrade to the best today!