Modern gaming PCs have become increasingly more expensive as the quest for visual fidelity continues to prove to be a moving target for all but the most ardent spenders. Not a lot of DIY PC builders can spend the desired amount to get the best PC hardware every year, and with many prebuilt PCs easily pushing close to $5k for top-of-the-line hardware and aesthetic choices, consumer budgets have soared to higher levels in an attempt to get best-in-class PC performance that modern gaming PCs can deliver.
What Gaming PC Build Should Buyers Get?
Game ZXC has divided this build guide into multiple tiers to allow consumers to choose the best builds possible while catering to different budget and performance classes:
- The Entry Level $500 Gaming PC Builds target Full HD gaming.
- The Mid-Range $1000 Gaming PC Builds can handle Full HD and 2K gaming along with entry-level VR Support.
- The High-End $2000 Gaming PC Builds aim to deliver stellar 2K ray-traced performance along with mid-range VR Support.
- The Enthusiast-Grade $3000 Gaming PC Builds that can handle 4K Gaming with ray-tracing (with DLSS/FSR at times).
The Best RTX 4090 PC Builds
Nvidia RTX 4090 is the fastest GPU on the market. Here are the best PC builds to maximize its potential for gamers and power users alike.
The Best $3000 Gaming PC Builds For 2024
Some of the best gaming PCs that can be built for around $3000 using easily available parts at multiple stores are below. They are split between a creator-friendly primary build, an upgrade-friendly secondary, and a purely gaming-focused tertiary option, all with their respective strengths for gaming, productivity, and benchmarking-related workloads.
These builds are regularly updated with modern PC hardware options and monitored to ensure suggestions are up-to-date as well as relevant to the users looking to make the best possible PC with a focus on balanced performance, upgradeability, and value. They are known to have parts that are rated to work with each other out of the box without any issues.
Team Red's Future-Proof Build
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CPUAMD Ryzen™ 9 7950X3D 16-Core, 32-Thread Desktop Processor
$582 $650 Save $68AMD's 7000 series of CPUs have been a huge step up from their previous generation with the Ryzen 9 7950X3D being their flagship chip. This beastly 16-core and 32-threads processor is a true champion in both productivity and gaming workloads. Packing a massive 144MB L3 cache, this CPU can rip through games effortlessly.
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AIOArctic Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB
Being the successor to the Liquid Freezer II, Arctic's new AIO has some big shoes to fill. This all-in-one liquid cooler is available in 240mm, 280mm, 360mm, and 420mm. It features an improved VRM fan, a 38mm thick radiator, and 3 120mm Arctic P series ARGB fans which can spin up to 2000 rpm.
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MotherboardGIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX
The GIGABYTE B650 AORUS Elite AX is ideal for power users because of its 12 USB ports, a PCI-e Gen 5.0 slot, and the ability to hold 3 M.2 drives. It also offers the latest Wi-Fi 6E and BT5.3 for seamless connectivity, all housed in an ATX form factor.
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RAMG.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo RGB Series 64GB (2 x 32GB) CL30
The G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo RGB Series is their premium DDR5 RAM known for its exceptional performance and elevated esthetics. This kit consists of 2x32GB sticks running at 6000MHz with a CAS latency of 30, which is the sweet spot for AMD CPUs.
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GPUSapphire AMD Radeon NITRO+ RX 7900 XTX Vapor-X
The Sapphire Nitro lineup is synonymous with the highest-end AMD 3rd-party GPU offerings in the market. The Nitro+ doubles down on this with the highest-in-market clocks and a vapor chamber that outperforms the stock design considerably while trading at a significant premium over competing 7900XTX-based products.
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SSDMSI SPATIUM M570 PCIe 5.0 NVMe M.2 2TB
This Gen 5 NVMe SSD from MSI is capable of reaching read/write speeds of up to 10000/10000 MB/s and features a massive heatsink to keep the drive running at an optimal temperature. Such rapid data transfer speeds are crucial for productivity workloads and gaming.
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PSUMSI MPG A1000G PCIE5 PSU
$170 $180 Save $10This 1000W fully-modular PSU from MSI is among the best they have to offer, made with 100% Japanese capacitors, has a single rail design, and ranks in Tier-A of the PSU Cultist's List. It's 80+ Gold certified, ATX 3.0 compliant, and supports PCI-e 5.0 GPUs.
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PC CaseLian Li O11 Dynamic EVO
The O11 Dynamic EVO is one of the more popular dual-chamber PC cases, allowing users to reverse the orientation, have robust airflow, and have room for a custom water-cooling loop. This premium case can fit up to 3x 360 radiators and a maximum of 10 fans, making it one of the most sought-after cases on the market.
AMD’s X3D chips have established themselves as a strong performer in gaming, and the Ryzen 9 7950X3D is their most powerful processor in the Ryzen 7000 series. This CPU, along with others in the X3D lineup, takes advantage of their huge L3 cache, which vastly boosts the efficiency of these processors. We chose the Gigabyte B650 AORUS ELITE AX motherboard to pair with our processor as it offers a few nifty features such as Gen 5 NVMe support, and 2.5GbE LAN. Being a B650 motherboard means it has all the necessary options required in a high-end build while omitting some rarely used ones. To cool down the CPU, we went with the newly refreshed Arctic Liquid Freezer III 360mm ARGB AIO which delivers impressive thermals for even the hotter running processors.
We went with a Trident Z Neo 64 GB kit of DDR5 RAM from G.Skill, which can achieve a max frequency of 6000MHz. Fast RAM and tighter timings (represented by CAS Latency) are imperative to attain smooth frame times and consistent 1% and 0.1% lows in games, which enhances the overall gaming experience. For storage, the MSI Spatium M570 HS 2 TB Gen 5 SSD compliments a performance-oriented build due to its rapid data transfer speeds of up to 10000 MB/s. The latest generation of SSDs is known to produce heat while operating; thus, they feature a cooling mechanism, and in our case, it’s a heatsink.
The GPU for this build, the Sapphire NITRO+ Radeon RX 7900 XTX, is the second-fastest graphics card available after the Nvidia RTX 4090. It shares its place on the leaderboard along with the newly released RTX 4080 SUPER, being very similar in specs and performance. With its 24 GB of GDDR6 VRAM and an astounding number of 6144 stream processors, this GPU can effortlessly handle gaming at 4K resolution with maxed-out graphic settings and even with a bit of ray-tracing. According to Techspot, the 7900 XTX averages 120 FPS in Watch Dogs: Legion at 4K on very high settings and even manages to produce 111 FPS in Forza Horizon 5 at 4K with maxed-out ray-tracing.
Powering all the components is a trustworthy 1000W fully-modular PSU from MSI. One must not try to save a dime or two on a power supply as it maintains the proper functioning of a PC. Cheap PSUs are fire hazards as they aren’t efficient in handling current fluctuations and can potentially blow up the system. The Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO is our case of choice due to its dual-chamber design and can house 10 fans or 3 radiators, which ensures proper airflow in the enclosure and prevents thermal hotspots. It also allows the user to showcase their expensive hardware and the flashy RGB elements in a unique "fishtank" style PC case.
Total Estimated Build Cost: $2,740
The Best Gaming Laptops For Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty
Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty comes with some beefy requirements from CDPR. Here are some of the best-equipped gaming laptops that can handle it.
Team Blue's Balanced Juggernaut
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CPUIntel Core i9 14900K 24-Core, 32-Thread CPU
$550 $581 Save $31Intel's flagship CPU, the Core i9 14900K, offers exceptional raw performance and a high clock speed of 6GHz. With 24 cores and 32 threads, this powerhouse of a CPU can handle long and demanding gaming sessions. It truly shines in applications requiring fast multi-thread and single-core processing, making this chip an ultimate allrounder.
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AIOLian Li Galahad II LCD 360mm AIO
The Galahad II 360 LCD from Lian Li is their 360mm AIO which features a 2.88-inch IPS screen on the water block. The 30mm thick radiator houses 3 pre-installed UNI FAN SL-INF that are ARGB and daisy-chainable. This AIO is perfect for cooling the i9 14900K and maintaining a low CPU temperature.
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MotherboardMSI PRO Z790-A MAX WIFI
The MSI PRO Z790-A MAX Wi-Fi is designed with heavy-duty VRM heatsinks and a large Z790 chipset heatsink for improved cooling. It also packs Wi-Fi 7, PCI-e 5.0, and USB 3.2 support, making it ideal for high-end builds.
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RAMCorsair Vengeance RGB 64 GB DDR5 CL30
Current generation computing platforms have moved on to high-speed DDR5 memory. The Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM kit consists of 2x32 GB sticks with a max frequency of 6000MHz and a first word latency of just 10 ns, making it ideal for a future-proof gaming rig.
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SSDKingston FURY Renegade 2TB PCIe Gen 4.0 NVMe M.2 Internal Gaming SSD
This 2TB NVMe SSD drive from Kingston has a max read/write speed of 7,300/7,000MB/s, which makes it a high-end Gen 4 M.2 storage device. It comes with a graphene aluminum heat spreader and has another version with a heatsink as well.
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GPUASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC
The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4080 SUPER OC is their more premium offering with higher boost clocks and a better cooling solution than the reference model. The GPU comes with 16GB GDDR6X memory, a 256-bitmemory bus, and a max boost clock of 2580 MHz.
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PC CaseNZXT H9 Elite
$230 $240 Save $10The NZXT H9 Elite is a dual-chambered PC case with 4 pre-installed fans, 3 being RGB. It can hold up to 10 fans, 3 360mm radiators, and a max GPU length of 435mm. The case offers a lot of flexibility for motherboard placement and allows users to fit custom water-cooled loops easily.
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PSUSeasonic Vertex GX-1200 1200W PSU
The Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 is a 1200W PSU featuring Japanese capacitors, a single-rail design, and is ATX 3.0 compliant. It's fully-modular, has a 12-year warranty, and includes a 12VHPWR cable for RTX 4000 series GPUs. They are an industry leader in power supplies and are known for their quality of craftsmanship and reliability.
Our second build is based on Intel’s 14th-gen Core i9-14900K processor as not only does it exhibit its capabilities in gaming, but also makes productivity feel effortless. The CPU sits on an MSI PRO Z790-A MAX Wi-Fi motherboard which supports Intel’s LGA 1700 socket. This motherboard offers features such as Wi-Fi 7, PCI-e 5.0, and improved VRM and chipset cooling. As our CPU has been reported to run quite hot, we opted for the Lian Li Galahad II LCD AIO, which is based on Asetek’s 8th Gen architecture, allowing for industry-leading performance metrics and an innovative water block design. The 360mm liquid cooler coupled with Lian Li’s SL-Infinity fans is ideal for maintaining the optimal thermals of our system.
For RAM, we went with Corsair Vengeance RGB 64 GB CL 30 sticks running at 6000MHz, which has proved to be the most stable frequency for any high-performance rig. Being XMP enabled allows users to configure multiple memory settings of their RAM and even overclock it. To store all the games and data, we chose a Kingston Fury Renegade 2 TB Gen 4 SSD with read/write speeds of up to 7000 MB/s.
The GPU of choice is the Asus TUF GAMING OC GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. With 16 GB of GDDR6X VRAM and a 256-bit memory bus, this graphics card can comfortably achieve an average of 85 FPS at 4K resolution with ultra settings. Paired with Nvidia’s advanced frame generation technology and upscaling, the 4080 SUPER checks all the boxes for a high-end gaming PC.
The NZXT H9 Elite will showcase all the components in this build as it has ample room for improved airflow and future water-cooling opportunities. We chose the 1200W Seasonic Vertex GX-1200 PSU to power our system, which is fully-modular, ATX 3.0 compliant, and ranks in Tier-A of the PSU Cultist’s List.
Total Estimated Build Cost: $2,981
Intel Core i9 14900K Vs AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Is The Refresh Enough?
How does Intel's fastest CPU to date stack up against AMD's best gaming CPU post-launch?
The Maxed Out Gaming Odyssey
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AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
$369 $450 Save $81The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D is AMD's latest and greatest CPU when it comes to gaming. With an excellent and highly efficient gaming performance that tops the charts currently, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is here to stay and has a crown to claim thanks to its 3D V-Cache-enabled prowess when it comes to gaming on a PC.
The octa-core CPU currently happens to be the fastest in the business for gaming even as it leads efficiency charts at the top, making it a very sought-after gaming upgrade. -
DeepCool Liquid Cooler LS720 360MM ARGB Liquid Cooler
The DeepCool Liquid Cooler LS720 360MM ARGB Liquid Cooler is one of the best-looking ARGB liquid coolers available on the market, and it delivers excellent cooling that can handle some of the most powerful CPUs on the market without costing the part as some of the more premium ARGB liquid coolers.
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G.Skill Flare X5 Series (AMD Expo) 6000MHz 32GB (CL36)
The G.Skill Flare X5 Series RAM kits are DDR5 RAMs that operate at an overclocked 6000MHz sweet spot for AMD AM5 processors with a lower latency EXPO profile available to allow users to overclock their memory with a push of a button while costing significantly lower than the competition.
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ASRock X670E PG Lightning Gaming Motherboard
The ASRock X670E PG Lightning Gaming Motherboard is one of the best value purchases one can get when it comes to a gaming motherboard for the AM5 socket/Ryzen 7000 processor lineup. Featuring the full X670E chipset coupled with extensive I/O options, the X670E does sacrifice Wi-Fi despite offering antenna cutouts on its IO plate but more than makes up for it with its value proposition.
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Kingston NV2 1TB M.2 2280 NVMe Internal SSD
$61 $75 Save $14This internal solid-state drive from Kingston has 1 TB of digital storage capacity. The NV2 series SSD is designed to be compatible with laptops. It operates on PCIe 4.0 Gen 4x4 technology, features an M.2 2280 form factor, and delivers read speeds of up to 3,500 MB/s. It has lower power requirements, generating minimal heat, which makes it perfect for compact devices.
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ASUS TUF GeForce RTX® 4090 OC Edition
$1800 $2000 Save $200The ASUS TUF GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition is a premium RTX 4090 SKU that offers some of the best vapor chamber cooling on offer in the industry coupled with industry-grade electronics to ensure a highly overclockable RTX 4090 GPU that delivers on both the performance and reliability counts for end-users.
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GIGABYTE GP-UD1000GM PG5 Rev2.0 1000W PSU
$115 $160 Save $45The GIGABYTE GP-UD1000GM PG5 Rev2.0 1000W is the second revision of the successful PG5 PSU with the addition of a native 16-pin PCI-E 5.0 power connector and compliance with Intel's new ATX 3.0 PSU standards in a fully modular design backed by as much as 10 years of warranty at an affordable price.
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Corsair 4000D Airflow
$90 $105 Save $15The CORSAIR 4000D AIRFLOW is a mid-tower ATX case with easy cable management and exceptional cooling. A steel front panel with triangular cutouts offers optimal airflow to components, accompanied by two included 120 mm AirGuide fans designed with anti-vortex vanes that enhance cooling. The CORSAIR RapidRoute cable management system makes it effortless to route major cables through a single channel, with 25mm of routing depth.
The third build leverages the power of both the fastest gaming CPU available from AMD and the of the best GPUs currently available, the ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 4090, in a gaming-centric build that should give any prebuilt PCs in the same price bracket a run for its money with ease. It does involve compromising on spending on the case, the motherboard and storage options to balance out the RTX 4090 purchase, however, making this a build that leans on the benefits of a high-end GPU at the cost of some of its other components.
With a budget-oriented Kingston NV2 PCI-E 4.0 1TB SSD and EXPO-certified G.Skill memory out of the box in addition to an adequate liquid cooler to ensure that the Ryzen 7 7800X3D does not bottleneck in any meaningful way. The Corsair 4000D Airflow doubles down on this with pre-installed fans, an excellent wire-routing system, and flexes an ATX 3.0 certified GIGABYTE GP-UD1000GM PG5 Rev2.0 1000W PSU with a native 12VHPWR connector out of the box.
For overclockers and those looking for an upgrade down the line, the ASRock X670E PG Lightning Gaming Motherboard delivers on this promise handily, throwing in an X670E chipset at a budget price. It offers up-to-date current-generation I/O, regular BIOS updates, and a decent UI for gamers to use PBO to push their Ryzen 7 7800X3D even higher. For users requiring Wi-Fi from the get go, the motherboard does come up short, but they can invest in a quality USB Wi-Fi adapter instead, many of which do tend to outperform some of their more entry-level itegrated motherboard solutions with relative ease.
While the PC above is not suited for a lot of productivity-related tasks, given its 8-core, 16-thread limitation compared to the others on the list, its inclusion of a powerful, overclocked RTX 4090 more than makes up for it in some rendering benchmarks and gaming performance alike. It also sees the steepest increase, even as it cuts back on multiple components, thanks to the RTX 4090 increasing by an average of $500-600 due to strong AI-related demand from institutional consumers.
Total Estimated Build Cost: $3,224
The Best Builds To Play Palworld On PC
Palworld can be a dangerous place without the right PC hardware to back up players' reflexes in real-time
Monitor Recommendation
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Best ValueASUS TUF Gaming 27” 1440P Monitor
Coming in at 1440p resolution, the ASUS TUF Gaming 27" monitor is a great value-for-money WQHD 170Hz option. This gaming monitor features a fast 1ms response time and supports FreeSync Premium for a seamless gaming experience. The panel produces accurate colors with impressive dynamic range thanks to its HRD-10 support.
- Brand
- Asus
- Screen Size
- 27-inch
- Display Technology
- VA
- HDR
- HDR10
- Resolution
- 2560x1440p
- Refresh Rate
- Up to 170Hz
- Response Time
- 1ms MPRT
- Screen Brightness
- 300 Nits
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Editor's ChoiceMSI MAG274UPF
This 27" 3840 x 2160 resolution gaming monitor is an affordable 4K display with a high refresh rate of 144Hz. Featuring an IPS panel, this monitor has impressive color accuracy, and is VESA certified to support DisplayHDR-400. The monitor is also FreeSync Premium/ G-Sync compatible with a response time of 1 ms.
- Brand
- MSI
- Screen Size
- 27"
- Display Technology
- IPS
- HDR
- HDR400
- Resolution
- 3840x2160
- Refresh Rate
- 144Hz
- Response Time
- 1ms (GtG)
- Screen Brightness
- 400 Nits
How To Build The Best Gaming PC Possible For $3000
Modern gaming PCs are more than just the sum of all their parts. They tend to perform well when built with a balance in terms of hardware to avoid bottlenecks and hardware issues. Gamers must also take into account the aesthetics of such PCs and upgradeability, as modern gaming hardware often comes with significant size requirements, cooling options, and RGB lighting options. All of these features take up space and require power while also requiring adequate support from the PC.
Put simply, if one is to build a gaming PC in 2024, the following are some of the key areas to focus on when selecting hardware components:
Upgradeability/Future-proofing: Unlike modern gaming consoles or mobile devices, gaming PCs are modular and can be kept current with a significantly smaller degree of spending every few years. It does, however, require gamers and enthusiasts to pick and plan accordingly. This means planning and picking hardware with an upgrade path or support for next-generation hardware. This is especially true if building a high-end PC that is time-consuming and expensive to take apart to swap multiple components every time an upgrade is required.
Price: PC hardware generally tends to be priced competitively in the lower to mid-range. As with most products, it has a very high ceiling when it comes to higher-end hardware. One could pay double the cost for what is essentially single-digit performance gains in some cases. This makes picking the right hardware while factoring in price to eke out as much performance without exceeding budgets a crucial part of planning out or executing any PC build plans.
Thermal Considerations: Modern CPUs and GPUs generate tremendous amounts of heat. This requires users to have adequate cooling and heat dissipation mechanisms. This could come in the form of dedicated liquid cooling, airflow design, and cooling fans, as well as picking hardware that is relatively less thermally sensitive or runs cooler out of the box.
Design/Aesthetic: As modern PCs continue to become mainstream, even as current-generation consoles essentially mimic mid-range PCs, aesthetic comparisons are inevitable. Unlike consoles or prebuilt PCs, modern PCs can have considerable improvements or design upgrades that add to the overall look of the rig, allow it to host more or less hardware, customize lighting, and even form factors depending on the needs and requirements of the user.
Power Considerations: At sub-$3000 for a gaming PC, most builds would be GPU or CPU-heavy, with the former generally requiring large amounts of power. This is particularly true for the RTX 4000 series GPUs as well as Intel's 14th-generation CPUs, both of which require significant amounts of power when pushed to their limits.
While most users overlook the importance of a quality PSU, it can directly affect the stability, longevity, and overall experience one has of any gaming build, especially those that happen to be more demanding when it comes to power consumption. Therefore, having a quality power supply is a key factor in ensuring a smooth gaming experience for gamers, especially when pushing the limits of visual fidelity.
FAQ
Q: Should I aim for an RTX 4080 or 4090 for a high-end gaming PC?
An RTX 4080 or 4090 will tend to skew performance positively in most modern games on high-end PCs. This is due to both ADA Lovelace's highest-end GPUs being much more powerful and more efficient than their predecessors.
As a result, in all situations where they are not bottlenecked by other PC components, they should easily outperform their competition.
Q: What is the best CPU for content creators?
Both Intel's 13900K and AMD's Ryzen 7950X3D flagship processors are excellent CPUs that can contend for a content creator-centric PC's CPU slot with Intel pouring in more raw power and clocks while AMD tends to push for efficiency and better gaming performance to offer better value to its customers.