Our Best Gaming PC under $1500 in 2023
Build the best high-end gaming PC money can buy!
Now we’re into the higher tier of gaming PCs, with the amount you’ll be spending on the graphics card, you are getting the power to manage those 4k resolutions, as well as achieving huge FPS in 1440p. Of course, with increased cost, the components are going to have the premium look and feel, making this rig one to admire by other gamers out there.
Unfortunately, due to various factors, the prices of the hardware listed fluctuate daily. We aim to update all of our builds as much as we can to ensure they are as close to the specified build price as possible.
- Last Updated - Nov 9, 2023
Build Details
As previously mentioned, we’re going to be utilizing one of AMD’s 3rd generation Ryzen processors to give this gaming PC the processing capabilities required to match the games you’ll be playing, and the high resolutions you’ll be wanting to view them in. The Ryzen 5 3600 offers 6 cores and 12 threads alongside a base clock of 3.8GHz providing the foundations to run the latest AAA games at over 100FPS. The base clock can also be boosted to a maximum of 4.2GHz, enabling that little bit more power, giving you improved overall performance.
Purchasing a motherboard that’s not only a top notch, but one that’s optimized for gaming, should be on the top of your agenda when considering a new build. With MSI, you know you’ll be getting the quality necessary for this $1500 rig. Their X570 Gaming Edge WiFi Motherboard gives you the 3rd generation Ryzen CPU support required, along with a plethora of features to get the most out of your components, including audio boost, core boost and lightning Gen 4 PCI-E. This board also comes WiFi ready, so there is no need to go out and buy a separate WiFi card if you’re not using ethernet.
When RAM is concerned, you’re going to need the correct memory speeds to match that of your processor, as well as enough capacity to cope under intense workloads. Corsair’s Vengeance range is potentially the best of the best in terms of value for money and overall quality. The RGB Pro 3600MHz variant we’ve chosen here has the speeds we need, coupled with some nice RGB effects that all gamers are looking for. We’ve also gone with 16GB for this gaming PC as you can’t really justify spending the extra cash on improving memory capacity that you’ll struggle to max out in the first place.
This graphics card from EVGA is what makes this gaming PC’s capabilities go above and beyond those in similar price ranges. The RTX 2080 Super XC Hybrid Gaming is powered by the all-new NVIDIA Turing architecture, giving you the best gaming experience to date. The real-time ray tracing, artificial intelligence, and programmable shading compound the immersion, allowing your games to showcase their stellar graphics. Alongside these elements, the card also comes with 4 display ports, 1 HDMI, and USB-C outputs, allowing for a multi-monitor gaming setup.
The Crucial BX500 we’ve gone for here gives you plenty of storage with a 1TB limit and due to it being an SSD, you’ll be getting a huge speed increase over the older HDDs. The speeds you’ll actually be getting are up to 540/500Mb/s read/write allowing for fast game loading and general improvements throughout all your programs.
This Cooler Master case offers maximum airflow and fantastic aesthetics through its front panel mesh design, coupled with RGB fans, and tempered glass side panel. The RGB fans differ from the normal 120mm and 140mm variants coming in at the 200mm mark, giving them enough cooling power to keep your components at optimum levels. Additionally, the black color it comes in compliments the industrial-like design and makes the RGB colors pop, especially when gaming long into the night.
Reliability and efficiency are necessities in any power supply you buy for a gaming PC so choosing a trusted brand with a certified rating is essential. This Seasonic 650w power supply that we’ve selected for this build is 80+ bronze rated, meaning that it certifies an 80%+ efficiency at whatever workload you’re putting it under. Moreover, with Seasonic being one of the most trusted brands out there when we think of power supplies, the internals are going to be of excellent quality, making this piece of kit last well into the future.
What Games Can This PC Run?
With any gaming PC you’ll want to know what games it can run and what FPS you’re likely to be expecting. The list below shows off some of the more graphically intensive games as well as some popular ones for you to get an idea of how this $1500 rig is performing.
- Last Updated - Nov 9, 2023
Upgrade Options
Peripherals
If you’re building this rig you’re going to need some peripherals to actually operate your new machine. We’ve listed some recommendations below that hopefully should fit people in this budget range, while having features of some of the more expensive products out there.
Essential Software
Building Tips
With this being a more entry-level build, you may be new to the whole PC building scene, so we’ve detailed a few tips and tricks to help you succeed. If you’re a more experienced builder you can skip this section, or potentially brush up on some techniques you might not have heard of.
Conclusion
As shown by both the components you’ll be getting coupled with the performance in the latest AAA games, this high-end gaming PC under $1500 is a stellar choice. Whether you want to be playing your games in 1080p, 1440p or even 4k, you won’t be running into any problems, thoroughly enjoying your experience as a result. Additionally, due to the improved budget over the $800 and $1000 builds we’ve detailed previously, the aesthetics are on another level, making this the centerpiece to any gaming room. If you did end up building this rig, enjoy your new PC! Be sure to check out our other articles if you have any issues or want to explore different options!