The Best Gaming PC Builds In 2024!

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Are you looking for the best gaming PC build in 2023? Well, you have a lot of hardware options to pick from, and depending on your budget, a decent PC build could be around $500 or even upwards of $5000. Of course, the performance also fluctuates along with the price.

However, worry not, as we’ll be going over a lot of options in this guide. We’ll be covering PC builds for both Intel and AMD platforms. All of these builds vary in price, so you can find the one that is right for you. Every recommendation is based on relatively recent hardware, so you are in safe hands. 

Of course, if your goal is to hit high frame rates at 1440p or 1080p, then expect to spend around $1000. Still, you could go a bit lower and cut corners on specific components to save some money. For more demanding situations, expect to spend more.

Either way, this in-depth guide should give you a decent idea of what to expect when putting together a gaming PC build in 2023. Let’s get started.

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Clear PC
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Best Intel Gaming PC Builds

To start off, we’re taking a look at three Intel builds across different budgets. Let’s start with the budget option.

Intel Core i5 12400F Build – Best Budget Intel Gaming PC Build

Specs

CPU: Intel Core i5 12400F | CPU Cooler: N/A (Stock) | Motherboard: Gigabyte B660M DS3H | RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB DDR4-3200 | Storage: Silicon Power A60 1TB SSD | Video Card: ASRock Challenger D OC Radeon RX 6600 XT | Case: Zalman S2 ATX | Power Supply: SeaSonic S12III 650W

This Intel build is similar in specs to the one we put together for our guide on the best Core i5 12400F Gaming PCs. Expect decent performance with a high refresh rate experience at 1440p, and superb value for money if you are sticking with 1080p gaming.

Intel Core i5 12400F Build – Overview

To stay on the budget side of things, we are sticking with the Intel Core i5 12400F. Alternatively, you could also go with the newer 13th Gen Core i5 13400F. However, that part is a bit hard to find right now with certain retailers. If you can find the 12400F for a decent price, it’s still a good option.

So, this CPU comes with six cores, twelve threads, and a max turbo frequency of 4.4GHz. It performs quite well in games, and even beats the Ryzen 5 5600X in most titles. If you care about performance in production-based workloads, the 12400F handles that quite decently for a budget chip.

Usually, we’d go with an aftermarket cooler for nearly every build. However, the 12400F already comes with a stock cooler out of the box. Granted, it’s not the best-performing cooler in the world, but it does not need to be. The 12400F is not an unlocked chip, and it has a lower power consumption. So, while an aftermarket cooler would certainly look better, the stock cooler is fine.

As for the motherboard, we decided to with the Gigabyte B660M DS3H. Some might wonder about the differences between B660 and Z690, but B660 was an easy choice for a budget build. Of course, this motherboard does not support DDR5, and that would hike up the price of this build significantly anyway.

The board comes with two M.2 slots, supports the fastest DDR4 memory modules on the market, and even features decent memory overclocking. Apart from that, it won’t blow you away from its design, but it gets the job done. For the price, you can’t complain much.

As for RAM, we decided to go with 16 gigs of DDR4 3200MHz. The specific kit is the Corsair Vengeance LPX memory. The kit overclocks well, 3200MHz is more than enough for gaming, and it’s a decent overall value. Unfortunately, the only thing lacking here is RGB.

For storage, we decided to go with a PCIe Gen 3 drive. NVMe SSDs have dropped significantly in price and considering they perform much better than traditional SATA drives, this was a no-brainer. The specific drive we went with is the Silicon Power A60 1TB drive. It is fast, reliable, and affordable. A perfect choice for this build.

Next, let’s get to the star of the show: the graphics card. We decided to go with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT. Right now, AMD is easily the better choice for budget and mid-range builds, unless you really want ray tracing. However, considering ray tracing performance is not that great on mid-range cards, the RX 6600 XT ultimately wins over the RTX 3060.

This card is a beast for 1080p gaming, and still performs decent enough at 1440p. The latter is especially true if you care about a high refresh rate experience with your favorite Esports titles such as Overwatch, Valorant, or Warzone.

For the PC chassis, we decided to with the Zalman S2 ATX Mid Tower case. It’s a decent-looking case with great airflow, decent cable management, and room for a lot of drives. This is a great option for budget builds and does the job quite well. We don’t see a need for a better case for this build.

Finally, for the power supply, we recommend the SeaSonic S12III 650w 80+ Bronze Unit. It comes from the most reliable PSU brand out there, has good power efficiency, and is also quite affordable. An easy choice for this build.

Summary

To sum it up, you can expect excellent performance in games at both 1080p and 1440p. Whether you care about single-player games, competitive shooters, or even casual indie games, this gaming PC is a good entry point in 2023. It also provides you with a good upgrade path to the newer 13th Gen processors down the line.

Estimated Price for Build: $750 – $800

Best Gaming PC Builds
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Intel Core i5 13600K Build – Best Mid-Range Intel Gaming PC Build

Specs

CPU: Intel Core i5 13600K | CPU Cooler: DeepCool AK400 CPU Cooler | Motherboard: MSI MAG B660 Tomahawk Wi-Fi | RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16GB DDR 3600 | Storage: TeamGroup MP333 1TB SSD | Video Card: ASRock Radeon RX 6700 XT | Case: Phanteks Eclipse P3000A Mesh Case | Power Supply: Corsair RM750x 2021 Power Supply

The Intel Core i5 13600K is an excellent processor, and we recently put together a similar build using the “F” version of this CPU. That one does not have integrated graphics, and that’s the only difference between the two. Right now, this build is arguably the best bang for your buck in terms of performance.

Intel Core i5 13600K Build – Overview

The main highlight of this build is the newly released Intel Core i5 13600K. This is a beast of a processor, as it has 14 cores, 20 threads, and a boost clock of up to 5.1GHz. In terms of performance, it’s on par with last generation’s Core i9 12900K, and easily beats or matches the newer Ryzen 7 7600X in games. A stellar value all around.

When it comes to mid-range processors, this is the value king right now. You would be hard-pressed to find something that performs better at this price. It’s also quite good in terms of productivity performance, thanks to the 14 cores.

Now, the Intel Core i5 13600K, unfortunately, does not come with a stock cooler. To keep this chip cool, we’ve paired it with the DeepCool AK400 CPU Cooler. This is a high-quality air cooler that offers excellent cooling performance and is easy to install. The cooler comes with a 120mm fan that runs quietly and is also quite affordable.

For the motherboard, we’ve gone with the MSI MAG B660 Tomahawk Wi-Fi. This is a solid motherboard that offers a great feature set for the price. It supports DDR4 memory up to 64GB and has two M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs, making it one of the best budget motherboards out there. The board also features Wi-Fi 6, which is a must-have these days.

Now for storage, we’ve gone with the TeamGroup MP333 1TB SSD. This is a high-performance NVMe SSD that offers fast read and write speeds, making it a great option for both gaming and productivity. The SSD also has a large capacity, which makes it a great option for those who want to store all their games on one drive.

Memory-wise, we recommend the Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 16GB DDR4 3600. This is a high-performance memory kit that offers fast speeds and tight timing. It overclocks well and also features RGB lighting that will add some flair to your rig.

As for the graphics card, we’ve gone with the ASRock Radeon RX 6700 XT. This is a powerful video card that is based on the RDNA 2 architecture and features 12GB of GDDR6 memory. The card is capable of delivering great performance at 1440p, making it a great option for those who want to play the latest games at high settings.

Right now, it’s cheaper than the RTX 3060 Ti, and unless you care much about ray tracing, it is obviously the better option. AMD’s FSR technology is also improving, so expect decent performance for upcoming titles as well. We also used this GPU in a previous build.

For the PC case, we’ve gone with the Phanteks Eclipse P3000A Mesh Case. This is a stylish case that features a mesh front panel that allows for great airflow, making it a great option for our power-hungry components. 

Finally, for the power supply, we’ve gone with the Corsair RM750x 2021 Power Supply. This is a high-quality power supply that offers 80+ Gold certification. It is fully modular, silent, and rated A on the LTT PSU tier list

Summary

In summary, this Intel build is a high-performance option that packs a punch. It features a powerful Intel Core i5 13600K processor, a high-quality air cooler, a solid motherboard, fast memory, a high-performance NVMe SSD, a powerful video card, a stylish case, and a high-quality power supply. Expect excellent performance at 1440p for years to come.

Estimated Price for Build: $1300

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Intel Core i7 13700K Build – Best High-End Intel Gaming PC Build

Specs

CPU: Intel Core i7 13700K | CPU Cooler: NZXT Kraken X63 CPU Cooler | Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX | RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB | Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1TB SSD | Video Card: Asus TUF Gaming RTX 4080 | Case: Lian Li LanCool 216 ATX Case | Power Supply: Seasonic Focus Plus 850

This next build is a bit more over the top, which makes sense for a high-end build. We’re using the Core i7 13700K, an RTX 4080, and other premium components. Needless to say, expect some incredible performance at 4K out of this one.

Intel Core i7 13700K Build – Overview

This premium Intel build features the powerful Intel Core i7 13700K processor, a high-end 16-core, 24-thread chip that has a max turbo frequency of 5.4GHz. This chip is unlocked and ready for overclocking, making it a great option for those looking for maximum performance. 

You could also go with a Core i9 13900K if you’re feeling rich, but the 13700K is the more practical choice. It performs admirably in games, 16 cores are enough for productivity workloads, and it overclocks quite well. There’s no need to upgrade further. 

To keep this chip cool, we’ve paired it with the NZXT Kraken X63 CPU Cooler. This is a top-of-the-line liquid cooler that offers excellent cooling performance and is easy to install. The cooler comes with a 280mm radiator and two 140mm fans that run quietly. On top of that, the RGB implementation is quite good.

For the motherboard, we’ve gone with the Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite AX. This high-end motherboard builds upon the Z690 version. It supports DDR4 memory up to 128GB and has multiple M.2 slots for NVMe SSDs, and great memory overclocking. The board also features Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt 4, and Aorus RGB Fusion 2.0 for advanced functionality and style.

In terms of memory, you should stick with DDR5 for this high-end build. It makes sense considering you’ll get better performance, and a good bit of futureproofing. The Trident Z5 kit we picked performs well, and 32 gigs are more than enough for gaming and productivity.

Storage-wise, we’ve gone with the Crucial P5 Plus 1TB SSD. This is a high-performance NVMe SSD that offers fast read and write speeds. It’s a PCIe Gen 4 drive and is quite competitively priced. It makes sense to go with PCIe Gen 4 for this high-end build for maximum performance.

As for the graphics card, we decided to go with the ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080. Now, this is by no means a practical choice, especially considering the pricing situation. However, if you are willing to spend the cash, you’ll get excellent performance in games for the next 5-7 years.

Here’s what you’re getting with this card: 16GB of GDDR6X memory, 9728 Cuda Cores, superb ray tracing performance, and DLSS 3.0. 4K gaming at high settings is a breeze for this GPU. It’s a hefty investment, but worth it if you want to play games at 4K Ultra for the next couple of years.

For the PC case, we’ve gone with the Lian Li LanCool 216 ATX Case. It features a mesh front panel, two RGB fans at the front, one basic fan at the back, a compact design, and a stealthy appearance. This premium chassis works wonderfully well for our premium build.

Finally, for the power supply, we’ve gone with the Seasonic Focus Plus 850. This is a high-quality power with an 80+ Gold certification, a modular design, and superb reliability. Nothing more to say here, as Seasonic should be your go-to choice for premium power supplies.

Summary

In conclusion, this Intel build is an excellent choice for high-end gaming in 2023. Of course, you could put together something similar for cheaper, if you go with a different graphics card. However, for high-end builds, we would not skimp out on DDR5 or PCIe Gen 5 drives. The difference will make you feel like it’s a high-end upgrade.

It is an excellent build through and through. However, we also urge you to take a look at our high-end AMD build, as both of these gaming PCs perform about the same, and also cost the same. It just depends on what kind of hardware you are exactly looking out for.

Estimated Price for Build: $3000

Best AMD Gaming PC Builds

Now that we’re done with our Intel roundup, let’s take a look at a similar list of PC builds for AMD processors. Again, these are three builds based on budget, mid-range, and premium components.

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Build – Best Budget AMD Gaming PC Build

Specs

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | CPU Cooler: N/A (Stock) | Motherboard: MSI B550-A Pro | RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB DDR4-3200 | Storage: TeamGroup MP33 1TB SSD | Video Card: PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6600 | Case: Cougar MX330-G Air | Power Supply: Corsair RM750x 

Let’s start things off with a budget build for the Ryzen 5 5600X. Recently, we put together a similar budget build, but this one features a better graphics card, a better power supply, and more storage. So, price drops can do wonders in this situation!

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Build – Overview

The Ryzen 5 5600X was an impressive processor at launch, and right now, it is still an excellent value. This is pure because it has come down in price significantly. You’re getting 6 cores, 12 threads, and a maximum boost clock of up to 4.6GHz. Considering the current price, it’s hard to find a better processor for this cheap.

It also comes with a decent stock cooler, and that allows us to save money on aftermarket options. Of course, the 5600X does support overclocking, and if you want to get the most out of it, you’d need a new cooler. Still, the stock performance is quite impressive and enough for this budget build.

Next up, we have the MSI B550-A Pro motherboard. This is one of the best B550 motherboards for the 5600X and while it’s a bit generic in terms of design, it is not light on features. It features a beefy VRM configuration, PCIe 4.0 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2, and excellent memory/CPU overclocking. 

While it may not look like much, the performance tells you a lot about the overall value of this board. It also provides you with a decent upgrade path to higher-end processors like the Ryzen 7 5800X3D

For memory, we are stuck with DDR4 for this build. Ryzen CPUs did not support DDR5 at that time, so it’s our only option. However, you’re better off sticking with a DDR4 kit for budget builds anyway. We recommend the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB DDR4 3200 for its fast performance, excellent overclocking, and reliability. 

This kit has always been a top choice for budget builds, and we featured it in our roundup of the best PC builds under $1000 as well. 

Now, for storage, we once again recommend the TeamGroup MP33 1TB SSD. You could go with a PCIe Gen 4 drive, but that would significantly inflate the cost of this build. PCIe Gen 3 drives are more than enough for gaming, as Windows is yet to take advantage of the higher speeds of Gen 4 drives in games.

Let’s move on to the graphics card. We recommend going with the PowerColor Fighter AMD Radeon RX 6600 for this build. It’s an affordable video card that will net you decent performance at 1080p. Sure it’s not as good as the “XT” version, and it lags a bit behind the RTX 3060.

However, it’s a great value for what you’re paying. It features 8 gigs of VRAM, which is twice as much as the entry-level Radeon RX 6500 XT. You can expect great performance in newer titles such as Warzone 2, Valorant, Overwatch 2, and more. It also handles demanding single-player titles decently at 1080p.

For the chassis, we recommend the Cougar MX330-G Air. Of course, there are a lot of options around this price, and this case is a great one. You get a stylish front mesh panel, an industrial design, plenty of room to work with, and most importantly, excellent airflow. There’s really no going wrong with this one.

As for the power supply, we managed to squeeze in the Corsair RM750x for this one. There were cheaper options, but considering the 80+ Gold rating, fully modular design, and super reliability, this was a no-brainer for the price.

Summary

To sum it up, this is an excellent entry-level build that uses a Ryzen processor. The 5600X performs admirably, you’re getting plenty of storage, a reliable power supply, and a good budget graphics card. You can expect decent performance out of this machine at 1080p, and it won’t disappoint in terms of performance.

Estimated Price for Build: $750

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AMD Ryzen 5 7600X Build – Best Mid-Range AMD Gaming PC Build

Specs

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7600X | CPU Cooler: Deepcool AK400 CPU Cooler | Motherboard: Gigabyte B650 AORUS Elite AX | RAM: Corsair Vengeance 32 GB DDR5-4800 | Storage: Silicon Power A60 1 TB SSD | Video Card: MSI Mech 2X OC Radeon RX 6700 XT | Case: NZXT H510 Flow Mid Tower Case | Power Supply: Asus ROG Strix 750 W 80+ Gold 

At launch, the 7600X was quite pricey, and a poor value compared to the 13600K. However, AMD was forced to cut prices, and that’s exactly what they did. This is why the 7600X is more appealing now. That entire situation allowed us to build a superb mid-range PC that competes with the Intel one above. 

AMD Ryzen 5 7600X – Overview

To start things off, the 7600X is quite a decent choice for this mid-range build. It features 6 cores, 12 threads, a maximum turbo frequency of 5.3GHz, and superb performance in both productivity and gaming workloads. It lags a bit behind the Core i5 13600K in production workloads but is also now a bit cheaper.

The only problem with the new AM5 platform is the motherboard and memory pricing. Despite that, we were able to include a decent motherboard and memory kit for this build. You should also look out for the upcoming non-X version of these Ryzen 7000 chips, as those will be a bit cheaper.

For the cooler, we recommend going with the Deepcool AK400. It’s not the optimal choice if you want to go for overclocking, but if you need something that will just keep temperatures in check, it will get the job done. The cooler is easy to install and comes with a 120mm fan that is actually quite silent. 

In terms of memory, we recommend the Corsair Vengeance 32GB DDR5 kit. It’s not the fastest DDR5 kit on the market, but will still get you better performance than DDR4 for these new Ryzen platforms. This is a decent-looking kit, and you might be able to squeeze more performance out of it with overclocking.

The Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX ATX AM5 motherboard is a great choice for this build. It features a robust VRM configuration, PCIe 5.0 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2, and excellent memory/CPU overclocking capabilities. Paired with the Ryzen 6 7600X it is an excellent mid-range CPU/motherboard combo

Storage is important for a high-performance build, and the Silicon Power A60 1 TB SSD provides plenty of space and fast read/write speeds that will make your system feel snappy. The A60 also has a sleek design that will match the overall aesthetic of the build.

The MSI MECH 2X OC Radeon RX 6700 XT is a powerful graphics card that will provide excellent gaming performance at high resolutions. It features 12GB of GDDR6 memory, and it’s capable of running games at 1440p with high frame rates. The design of the card is also impressive, with a backlit dragon that glows in the dark and an angular design that is sure to make a statement.

This GPU is also a much better choice than the RTX 3060 Ti or RX 6600 XT considering its excellent value. AMD finally manages to win the race this time against Nvidia.

The NZXT H510 Flow Mid Tower Case is a great choice for this build. It features a sleek design with a tempered glass side panel, and it provides excellent airflow to keep your components cool. The case also has a cable management system that will make building and upgrading a breeze.

Finally, the power supply unit is the Asus ROG Strix 750 W 80+ Gold, this PSU is a great choice because it’s efficient and reliable, and it has a fully modular design that will make cable management easy. The ROG Strix 750 W also has a nice design with RGB lighting that will match the overall aesthetic of the build.

Summary

To conclude, this is an excellent mid-range build that keeps up with the Intel build above. It’s also a much better overall configuration than the Intel Core i5 12600K build we looked at in a previous guide. Performance is excellent, and you’re getting the latest components such as DDR5 memory and a high-end power supply.

Estimated Price for Build: $1400

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X Build – Best High-End AMD Gaming PC Build

Specs

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X | CPU Cooler: Corsair iCue H100i Elite Cappellix | Motherboard: ASRock X670E Steel Legend | RAM: G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB | Storage: Crucial P5 Plus 1TB | Video Card: Asus TUF Gaming RTX 4080 | Case: Fractal Design Torrent Mid Tower Case | Power Supply: Seasonic Focus Plus 850 Gold

For our high-end AMD build, we are going all out this time. By and large, this is one of the more over-the-top premium builds compared to our previous choices. Because of that, it also might be the most impressive one yet.

AMD Ryzen 9 7950X Build – Overview

So, the 7950X is quite an impressive CPU through and through. It features 16 cores, 32 threads, and a maximum boost frequency of 5.7GHz. However, this one is yet to drop in price, so we’d recommend you look out for more options from AMD in the upcoming months.

Still, if you want the best Ryzen processor out there, then this is the one to get. The 7950X offers excellent performance in both gaming and productivity workloads. It is also more power-efficient than the Core i9 13900K, even if it has fewer cores. 

As for the CPU cooler, the Corsair iCue H100i Elite Cappellix is an excellent choice for this build. It provides high-end cooling performance and it’s equipped with RGB lighting that will add a nice aesthetic touch to the build. The cooler features two 120mm ML RGB fans, and an Aesetek pump, and works flawlessly with Corsair’s iCue software.

The ASRock X670E Steel Legend motherboard is a perfect match for this build, it’s equipped with a robust VRM configuration, PCIe 5.0 slots, USB 3.2 Gen 2, and excellent memory/CPU overclocking capabilities. The design of the motherboard is also impressive, it features a sleek design with RGB lighting that will match the overall aesthetic of the build.

Since you are getting a lot of features, that makes this motherboard is an excellent option for production workloads. It has a lot of ports, headers, and control for all of your RGB components. It’s a great motherboard for video editing, and more than enough for gaming as well. 

For memory, we recommend G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB, this RAM is designed for high-performance builds and it’s equipped with RGB lighting that will match the overall aesthetic of the build, it also provides fast speeds and high performance that will enhance the overall performance of the system.

There’s a lot to consider between DDR4 and DDR5, but the latter is a better choice for this high-end build. Not only will get you slightly better performance in games but a noticeable upgrade if you care about productivity performance. As programs and games become more optimized for DDR5, you will only thank yourself for this choice in the future.

Storage is an essential part of a high-end build, the Crucial P5 Plus 1TB SSD provides plenty of space and fast read/write speeds that will make your system feel snappy. The P5 Plus also features a sleek design that will match the overall aesthetic of the build.

Of course, this is a PCIe Gen 4 drive, meaning you will get excellent performance if your workload involves editing videos, rendering, and modeling 3D animations. While it may not affect gaming performance all too much, it will impact your productivity a lot.

The Asus TUF Gaming RTX 4080 is a powerful graphics card that will provide excellent gaming performance at high resolutions. It features 8GB of GDDR6 memory and it’s capable of running games at 4K with high frame rates. The design of the card is also impressive, it features a sleek design with RGB lighting that will match the overall aesthetic of the build.

While the RTX 4080 is a bit overpriced right now, you will be grateful for the upgrade as the performance yields are impressive. This card will easily handle 4K gaming for years to come, and you won’t feel the need to upgrade any time soon. That’s the overall theme we were going for with this premium AMD build.

The Fractal Design North Mid Tower Case is a perfect match for this build, it’s equipped with a sleek design and it provides excellent airflow to keep your components cool. The case also has a great cable management system and looks different from nearly every chassis out there.

That is because it features a real metallic front panel. It’s the first time we’ve seen such a thing, and it works well for the minimal and sleek aesthetic that Fractal was going for. It also looks superb with all of our high-end components.

Finally, the power supply unit is the Seasonic Focus Plus 850 Gold, this PSU is a great choice because it’s efficient, reliable, and comes from a premium brand that should be your go-to choice for high-end PSUs. It was a no-brainer for this build. Of course, it is also fully modular.

Summary

So, we’re ending this guide with arguably the best gaming PC build you can put together in 2023. You are getting a high-end processor, superb graphical performance, the latest and greatest DDR5 memory, and a blazing-fast PCIe Gen 4 drive. The expected performance will blow you away, as this PC is going to be quite powerful for years to come.

Estimated Price for Build: $3000

Konstantinos Chiotis
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