Best Gaming PC Under $1,500 for 2023 (60 FPS at 4K/1440P)

With an i5-13600KF CPU, an RX 6800 XT GPU, and 16GB of DDR5 RAM, you’ll be able to max out anything you throw at this $1,500 gaming PC build.

If you’re looking to get into 4K gaming, or you want a high-end desktop that can handle competitive games on a 1080P 360Hz monitor, or a 1440P 240Hz monitor, then this $1,500 gaming PC will do the trick.

Below, we’ve put together a full part list to help you build the best gaming PC under $1,500 possible. And, we’ve also linked to a suitable pre-built system for the same amount, as well as to peripherals that will pair well with this system.

Or, read our guide on the Best Gaming PC Builds for more options.

I. $1,500 Gaming PC Build Overview

$1,500 is the perfect budget to build a high-end gaming PC with. It will allow you to get a high-end processor and a graphics card that is capable of running games on a 1440P 144Hz+ display, or games at 60 FPS on a 4K display.

This $1,500 gaming PC comes with a brand new 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13600KF CPU, an RX 6800 XT GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a fully-modular 750W power supply.

Also Read: RX 6800 XT vs RTX 3080: Which High-End GPU is Best?

You also get a 240mm AIO CPU cooler, a high-end motherboard for overclocking, and a nice-looking tempered glass case that provides a mesh front panel for suprior airflow.

Overall, there really isn’t anything this $1,500 system can’t handle. It will pair well with a 1080P 360Hz display for competitve gamers and it will run games on higher resolution displays (like 1440P 240Hz monitors or 4K 144Hz monitors) great, too.

So, if you’ve got a decent amount to spend on a desktop that will last you a long time, the set of parts listed below should do the job for you.

*If you are interested in getting a laptop instead, take a look at our post on the Best RTX 4070 laptops.

RX 6800 XT Benchmark

II. Component Breakdown

We chose each of these components for a reason—but there are viable alternatives. Below, we discuss why we chose the components listed above for this build and what other alternatives there are…

1. What About an AMD Processor?

While we chose the Intel Core i5-13600KF for this build, you could opt for an AMD CPU instead.

The new 7000-series Ryzen CPUs are extremely powerful options and you could use one of them in this system. However, at the moment, they are quite a bit more expensive than Intel’s 13th Gen CPUs without providing a performance advantage. But, if you’re deadset on a new AMD CPU, you will either have to up your budget a bit, sacrifice on other parts in this build (case, GPU, CPU cooler, etc.), or drop down to the less powerful Ryzen 5 7600 or i5-12600K/12400F.

2. What About an NVIDIA GPU?

NVIDIA has a solid option that would work in this build: the RTX 4070.

The RX 6800 XT that we have included in this build goes toe-to-toe with the RTX 4070 in terms of in-game performance. However, the RX 6800 XT, on average, provides a small performance bump over the 4070.

3. Storage Options

There are a lot of different ways you could handle storage in this build. We chose a simple 1TB SATA SSD as it offers a lot of fast storage for a fairly affordable price. You could spend more and get an NVME M.2 SSD, though. Or, for about the same amount, you could go with a 500GB SSD, and pair it with a 1TB hard drive for even more storage.

4. Plenty of Case Options

While we chose the Phanteks Eclipse P400A for the case in this build, there are a ton of different options out there that might work better for you. We like the Phanteks case because it has plenty of room to hold this system, has a grilled front-panel (for better air intake), and comes with a full-length PSU shroud.

And, you get all of that for under $100. But, again, depending on your own personal preferences, there might be a better case out there for you. If you do opt for a different case, just make sure that it will hold all of your components!

Also Read: Which PC Case Size is Best for Your Next Build?

5. How Big of A Power Supply?

We use Outervision’s PSU calculator to determine the power consumption for each of our builds. Accoding to Outervision, even in the most extreme scenarios, this $1,500 gaming PC will require at least a quality 500W power supply.

However, we provided plenty of headroom with a Thermaltake 750-watt 80 PLUS Rated power supply.

For more information on picking a power supply, check out our guide on How to Choose the Right Power Supply for Your Build.

III. Peripherals & Accessories to Go With Your New Gaming PC

If you’re going to be spending a significant amount on your gaming desktop, you’re also going to want to make sure that you have quality peripherals as well.

In the section below, we’ve provided you with a couple of options for a gaming monitor, gaming keyboard, and gaming mouse:

Gaming Monitor Pick

See more affordable 144Hz gaming monitor options by following the link.

Gaming Keyboard Pick

Gaming Mouse Choices

Conclusion: A $1,500 Powerhouse Gaming Desktop

There’s really nothing this $1,500 gaming PC can’t handle. It can work as a 4K gaming PC. It can serve as a high-end system for hardcore competitive gamers who need a machine that can push a 360Hz monitor or a 1440P 240Hz display. And, it will work well for streamers and content creators.

All-in-all, if you’re looking for the best gaming PC under $1,500, this system is worth considering.