Best Gaming PC Under 1500 USD – The Ultimate PC Build Guide

In these trying times, building a PC can be a real pain. Supply shortages and inflated prices keep making builders’ lives a living hell, and there’s absolutely nothing any of us can do about it.

But this is one of the reasons we write these articles — to make it easier for you to pick and find the PC components that best suit your needs and budget.

With this guide, you’ll be able to put together an awesome new rig without having to do much research yourself or understand the various technical aspects and compatibility issues that might occur during the building process.

In this article, we’ll be talking about the best $1500 PC build you can buy right now.

We’ve spent a lot of time researching the best parts for this build that will give you the greatest value for your money, so we hope you’ll find something you like on our list.

Now, without further ado, let us dive right into the build.

The Best $1500 Gaming PC Build For 2022

Updated: December 30, 2022

Click on the product images to view the product on Amazon, where you can see more images in high resolution and check the current price.

PC Overview

Just to make sure we’re all on the same page, we’ll briefly go through what exactly you can expect from this gaming rig.

4K

First of all, there’s the superb in-game performance.

For this kind of cash, you shouldn’t settle for anything short of extraordinary, so we’ve made sure that this PC is ready to take you into the realm of 4K gaming, and with excellent framerates to boot.

You shouldn’t expect fewer than 55 FPS in 4K in virtually any modern AAA game. And we say this only to account for the most demanding or poorly optimized titles out there.

The RTX 3080 is a beast that can easily run most AAA titles in 4K between 55 and 90 FPS at max settings. The only titles we could find that run at less than 55FPS are Crysis Remastered and Microsoft Flight Simulator, but more on that later.

VR and Streaming

Another thing worthy of note is that this PC is more than capable of tackling VR and Streaming.

Both the processor and the graphics card in this build are capable of running VR with ease. The same goes for Streaming. There shouldn’t be any need for scaling down any graphics sliders. And with Nvidia’s cool new feature, Nvidia Broadcast, you’ll also be able to incorporate some helpful and interesting audio and visual effects into your live streaming sessions.

Upgradeability

And lastly, while we don’t think this PC will get obsolete any time soon, we still didn’t feel like locking you into some non-upgradeable hardware, a sentiment that you’ll find reflected in our choice of the motherboard and PSU, but more on those when we go through each of the individual pieces of hardware.

So, without any further ado, let’s begin.

The PC Build

The following are the components we’ve hand-picked to make this the best $1500 gaming PC you can get at the moment.

We know everyone’s been dying to know which CPU would be good enough to support the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080.

Until very recently the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 was a good option. It was cheap and good, very good. And it still is. But why settle for good, when you can have awesome?

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a 6-core, 12-thread CPU with a base clock speed of 3.7GHz and a max boost clock speed of 4.6GHz. This is a fantastic CPU, with the only processor rivalling it at this price point being the brand new Intel Core i5-12600K.

Speaking of, the i5-12600K is also a great option for this build if you prefer Team Blue, especially since it actually beats the 5600X by a few per cent overall. However, given that the CPU and the motherboard go hand in hand, and that Intel’s motherboards are normally more expensive than AMD’s, the end price of the Intel build would end up being higher than we could afford. 

Related:CPU Hierarchy 2022 – CPU Tier List For Processors

Not only is this an excellent processor that pairs well with the RTX 3080, but it’s also unlocked, which means that you can easily overclock it and get an even better performance out of it provided that you have a great cooler and motherboard, which, if you take our advice, you will.

Related:The Best CPUs For Gaming (2022 Reviews)

As we’ve already mentioned above, the Intel Core i5-10600K does not come with a stock cooler. In fact, none of Intel’s unlocked processors do, likely because Intel is aware that their stock coolers are far from adequate for cooling a chip that’s meant to be overclocked.

This means that we’ve had to make some room in the budget for a decent aftermarket solution, and the one we chose is the Scythe FUMA 2 air cooler.

The Scythe FUMA 2 is a 155mm dual-tower cooler with one regular and one reduced-size (thinner) fan that will prevent the cooler from blocking the RAM slots and it is slightly elevated to allow clearance for both RAM DIMMs and beefier motherboard heatsinks. It comes with a screwdriver and additional metal clips in case you decide to make some changes to the cooler.

When it comes to its actual performance, the FUMA 2 is incredibly quiet out of the box and it performs admirably at both stock settings and when dealing with overclocking.

Bear in mind, however, that this is still a $60 cooler and it will not be able to keep up with heavy overclocking and high-stress CPU situations. So if you intend on doing any kind of work in programs such as Blender, for example, you should aim for at least the Noctua NH-D15, or a comparable liquid-cooling solution. If, however, you only intend to use this PC for gaming the FUMA 2 will be more than enough.        

Of course, if you don’t want to buy an aftermarket cooler, there’s always the option to simply go with the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 CPU. It’s a bit more expensive than the 10600K, but it comes with a stock cooler, which means that when you add and subtract, the overall price of the build will end up being about $30 cheaper with the Ryzen build. In this case, however, overclocking will be off-limits until you get a better cooler.

Related:The Best CPU Coolers (2022 Reviews)

Finally, here’s the crown component of this build, the infamous GeForce RTX 3080 or, more precisely, the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080.

This card is a big step for both the gaming industry and the gaming community. The fact that, hypothetically, for $1500 you could get some of the top components on the market when only a few months ago Nivida’s flagship GPU could only properly fit in a $3000 build is a huge improvement.

And it’s not only their MSRP that’s amazing.

The benchmarks show a remarkable leap compared to the previous generation, and more importantly, compared to the 2080 Ti that became utterly irrelevant overnight.

Besides the sheer power and speed, the RTX 3080 has features like the DLSS 2.0, which can wildly improve your gameplay if the conditions are right.

DLSS is an acronym for “deep learning super sampling.” It can essentially recreate a 4K image in a 1080p resolution allowing you to play games (that you could run at 4K but on a lower framerate) in a lower resolution and therefore higher framerate with a 4K experience, thanks to the AI that learns more the more you play and gradually renders a better-quality picture.

That was a very crude and simplistic explanation, but in essence, this is a very useful tool to have in your toolbox if you need it.

When it comes to the ASUS TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3080 in particular, the features are no less impressive.

As all ASUS’ products in the TUF series, this GPU is built to last through countless hours of torture, for lack of a better word. Overclocking, max settings, demanding titles, 4K and even 8K gaming, this card can take it all like a champ.

This GPU has a very simple and clean design with minimal RGB, which is something that’s become a staple of the TUF line. Its only focus is on build quality and performance, and everything else comes second.

The ASUS TUF Gaming RTX 3080 is a triple-fan card with the already well-known Axial-tech fan design. The fans are dual-bearing ball fans, and the middle one spins in the opposite direction to the other two which, according to ASUS, reduces turbulence. The card also has a fan-stop mode which stops the fans from spinning when the temps are below 55 degrees Celsius.

Related:The Best RTX 3080 Graphics Cards (2022 Reviews)

In addition to this, this card also has a dedicated VRAM heatsink, military-grade components andan all-aluminum shroud. The rear I/O is stainless steel for added protection and firmer mount. It also includes a Dual BIOS switch which enables you to customize the card’s default performance without the software installed and onboard LEDs that let you know if the power connectors aren’t properly plugged in.

This GPU is gaming-oriented and packed with amazing features, but this is as far as we’ll go in listing them here. If you want to know more, check out the link to ASUS’ website above where you can find everything you need to know about this graphics card.

We’ll now be moving on to the part that probably interests you the most — let’s take a look at some concrete numbers!

As we have already mentioned in the introduction, the RTX 3080 can run all modern AAA titles in 4K without breaking a sweat. No modern title will go below 55 FPS in 4K except Microsoft Flight Simulator and Crysis Remastered, but even those don’t drop below 40 FPS.

Other games often offer a much higher framerate. For example, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Horizon Zero Dawn run at around 75 FPS in 4K on average, Metro Exodus at around 65 FPS on average and Control around 60 FPS.

That said, there are plenty of titles that go far above that, and if you have the means to get an 8K display, you could push these games even further. Of course, those who can afford an 8K display can likely afford a much more expensive PC, but the main reason we mentioned this was to simply paint a picture of just how powerful of a rig this is.

So, if you ever see an RTX 3080 that’s available, claw your way to it, grab it and don’t let go.

Related:The Best Graphics Cards For Gaming (2022 Reviews)

When it comes to RAM, you can never go wrong with the Corsair Vengeance LPX. It’s a tried-and-true option from a reliable manufacturer that’s also easy on the wallet.

Now, 8 GB of RAM is sufficient for gaming, but just barely. Currently, most games don’t require more than around 7 GB of active RAM use, but given that background processes will also eat away at your stores of memory, 16 GB of RAM is the ideal amount here. Any more would be wasted on a gaming rig, but any fewer would make the PC struggle.

Related:How Much Does RAM Affect Gaming?

As always, we strongly feel that opting for the dual-stick variant is much wiser, simply because you’ll still be able to operate your PC, even game, should one of the sticks die, and of course because you can make good use of those dual-channel benefits. Alternatively, if you plan on getting more RAM, but just don’t have the means to do it right now, you can get only one 16GB stick and add another one later.

For this build, we’ve also opted for 3200MHz sticks. This isn’t a huge deal, but given that we had a couple of extra dollars at the end, we figured that this would be the best place to invest them in.

Related:What RAM Speed Do I Need?

Unfortunately, the Corsair Vengeance LPX sticks are quite plain, with no fancy design or RGB, but that was the better option for this PC simply because the RGB unnecessarily raises the price. The money you would spend on the lighting could instead be better spent on improving the actual performance.

Lastly, we’d like to mention that you can safely treat the RAM as maxed out and not needing any upgrades. Games just don’t need that much RAM, and it’s likely that DDR4 will get outdated before 16 GB of RAM stops being sufficient.

Related:The Best RAMs For Gaming (2022 Reviews)

And here’s the component that will keep this entire build running, the MSI MAG B550 TOMAHAWK.

This is one of the best-quality mid-range boards you can find that support the Ryzen 5000 series CPUs without breaking the budget. Its focus is on quality and durability with plenty of connectivity options and effective thermal control.

The B550 TOMAHAWK is equipped with decent VRMs and a 6-layer PCB. It has a large heatsink, two M.2 slots with thermal guards, one of which is 4.0, a pre-installed I/O shield, a 2.5G plus Gigabit LAN, and a whopping 8 fan headers. In addition to this, the board also has convenient EZ debug LEDs, a BIOS flash button, as well as an LED switch for you motherboard lighting that bypasses the software.

There’s nothing to complain about the aesthetics either. The motherboard has a clean black and gray design with a dash of very subtle lighting, perfect for any type of build.

This is overall a great board. The other thing is that it lacks Wi-Fi. Now, this is not something we mind too much since we prefer the stable connection that comes with wired gaming anyway, but Wi-Fi is never a bad thing to have. Luckily, Wi-Fi cards are pretty cheap and accessible, so if you absolutely can’t live without one, there’s an easy solution.

Finally, keep in mind that the builds we put together are not absolute. They are simply a guide listing what we think would give you either the best performance or the best value for your money. But as always, you call the shots, and you should always buy according to your preferences and needs. So, if you want more options, check out the link below.

Related:The Best Gaming Motherboards (2022 Reviews)

When it comes to storage, we wanted to make sure the SSD we chose had both the speed and the volume to complement a build as great as this one. This is why we chose the 1TB version of the Western Digital Blue SN550.

This NVMe SSD is more than four times faster than most SATA III SSDs, so if you’re hoping $1500 can afford you non-existent loading times and instantaneous responsiveness to all your clicks, you will not be disappointed.

It also packs 1TB of storage which is a pretty decent amount to get you started. Upgrading storage is one of the easiest things to do if you ever need it, but for many gamers out there, 1TB will be enough, at least for a while.

Now, the Western Digital Blue SN550 is not the fastest NVMe SSD out there, but it has enough storage to make up for that. Ultimately, this is one of the reasons why we chose it as it presents the best of both worlds.

However, if you want speed above all else, you could always go for something like the Samsung 970 EVO Plus. You’ll get half the storage for the same price, but the speed increase will be noticeable.

Related:The Best SSDs For Gaming (2022 Reviews)

For the power supply, we went with the EVGA BQ that’s 80+ Bronze certified and semi-modular.

We opted for this particular PSU for several reasons:

1. First of all, the wattage was just right. Nvidia’s recommended wattage for an average RTX 3080 system is 750W, but we wanted to go a bit higher just to be safe. Depending on if you overclock your CPU, your GPU or even if you add more storage or RGB, the power consumption is going to increase and we didn’t want any potential problems to occur if we chose a weaker PSU.
2. The second reason is that the EVGA BQ is 80+ Bronze certified. This makes it a more reliable and efficient power supply that you can trust with expensive components such as the ones chosen for this build.
3. We also chose a semi-modular PSU simply because it’s convenient in saving you from having to hide all the unnecessary cables.

Finally, there’s the price. Not only does it have all the features you need to run a system this powerful, but it comes at a relatively low price point considering its value. A perfect fit.

Related:How To Choose A Power Supply

And lastly, there’s the case. Like we mentioned above, most of the budget for this build went towards the GPU, so naturally, some of the other components had to suffer, and the case was one of them. Fortunately, we were able to find an affordable case that met all the criteria for this build. 

The Phanteks Eclipse P400A is a minimalistic, highly functional case with great airflow and two preinstalled fans. This is fine for now, but the case has room for 4 more 120mm fans, which we recommend you slowly acquire over time.

It doesn’t have any RGB or fancy features, aside from a gorgeous tempered glass side panel to show off your expensive components, but it doesn’t need any. The minimalistic design fits any space and is a great feature in and of its own. But if you want more flare, it can be easily arranged with RGB fans or LED strips, so it also leaves a lot of options open.

However, if this doesn’t quite suit your taste, feel free to check out other options, just make sure to pay attention to the airflow. You won’t be doing yourself any favors if you opt for a glorified RGB oven.

Some of our suggestions are the be quiet! Pure Base 500DX for an additional $30 or (if you’re willing to stretch it that far), the Cooler Master MasterCase H500 for an additional $50. When it comes to the slightly cheaper options, the Lian Li LANCOOL 215 and the Fractal Design Meshify 2 are also excellent choices if you can get a hold of them. For more ideas, you can check out the link below.

Related:The Best Gaming Cases (2022 Reviews)

Peripherals

That about does it for the hardware part of the build — in other words, the part that’s covered by the budget. But, unfortunately, as incredible as this PC is, it’s just a shiny box without any peripherals.

It’s great if this gaming rig could inherit some peripherals from your old PC, but just in case, we’ve also listed some of the best peripherals for every category that will complement this PC.

Some of them, like the mouse and keyboard, will always come down to preference, and we know that there’s no single model we could pick that would be right for absolutely everyone; but others, like the monitor, need to adhere to a certain standard. Otherwise, they’d just be wasted on a computer as powerful as this.

With all this in mind, let’s look at the peripherals we’ve picked out that will best suit this $1500 gaming rig.

Let’s start with the simplest one: the operating system.

If you want the most optimal gaming experience, there’s only one choice, and that’s Windows. Linux has its merits, but game compatibility isn’t one of them, and neither is optimization. To put it in the simplest terms, you’ll consistently be getting fewer FPS in Linux than you would in Windows running the same game with the same options.

Now, Linux does have the benefit of costing you only the time it takes to download and install it, so if this should prove to be the only option, we’d suggest going with one of the versions better suited for gaming, like SteamOS or Game Drift Linux.

Nevertheless, it feels like settling here would be a huge waste if you’ve already gone and invested $1500 in all the hardware we’ve listed, so we can only recommend Windows here.

Related:What Is The Best OS For Gaming?

Now, this is where things get a bit complicated because you have access to both high resolutions and high refresh rates. The monitor we’ve highlighted is the one that offers both, settling for a respectable 1440p resolution, but with a 144Hz refresh rate and a 27-inch screen — the Gigabyte G27Q.

There are two things that make this monitor better than a lot of other 1440p 144Hz models, and these are the IPS panel and the 1ms response time.

Most high refresh rate and low response time monitors used to use a TN panel. They were (and still are) much cheaper and offer better performance, but this came at the cost of image quality. The image on a TN panel display looks bleak and washed out. Getting an IPS monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate definitely costs more, but the results are simply breath-taking, removing any and all compromises.

Now, we say “used to” because in the past you could only get a 1ms response time (which is so important for competitive gaming) from a TN panel. But that has changed, and there’s no longer the need to choose between performance and visuals when you can have both for an affordable price.

If you’ve read the GPU section above, you may have noticed that the graphics card we chose for this build can run 4K without the slightest issue. So, why did we choose a 1440p monitor?

Related:The Best 1440p Monitors (2022 Reviews)

Well, the reason is simple, 4K monitors are still very expensive. We did our best to balance out the price of peripherals with the price of the main build, so we didn’t want to recommend a monitor that costs half the price of your entire PC. Besides, 1440p is still quite breathtaking, especially if you’re upgrading from a 1080p display. That said, we’re not going to leave you without any alternatives.

If you want a cheaper option, there aren’t many with a 1440p resolution, so a 1080p monitor would have to do, and for that, we suggest the HP 24mh. 

For those of you willing to cough up a bit more money, on the other hand, you could go with the Nixeus EDG 34, a 34-inch ultra-wide, curved 1440p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time.

Alternatively, if you value visuals over performance, you could get a 4K monitor, in which case the LG 27UK650-W is a good entry point.

These are just some of our recommendations, but there are plenty more in the link below, so check it out to get a better idea about what you can get for the price you have in mind. Whatever you choose, we hope you’ll have a great time gaming on it!

Related:The Best Gaming Monitors (2022 Reviews)

Ah, the Razer Viper Ultimate, isn’t she a beauty?

Regardless of your usual preference or the type of games you play, the Razer Viper Ultimate is objectively one of the best mice you can get.

This is one of the rare models that does wireless right. There’s no delay in registering the clicks, no worrying about the signal or battery life, no having to sacrifice speed for the sake of getting rid of cable clutter. Anything you can think of that’s usually considered a flaw of wireless mice is completely eliminated.

Let’s elaborate on this.

The Viper Ultimate has a brand new optical sensor that can hit up to 20,000 DPI and uses hyper-speed technology, which makes for a much more stable connection. And if that wasn’t enough, the mouse also uses light-based actuation, which sends the signal to your PC within 0.2ms. This is insane. It’s no exaggeration to say that this is currently the fastest wireless mouse on the market.

When it comes to battery life, Razer claims that the Viper Ultimate can last up to 70 hours on only one charge. This is still not even close to the Razer Basilisk Ultimate’s 100 hours of continuous use, but it’s impressive nonetheless.

And for when you do need to charge it, the mouse comes with a stylish charging dock that’s able to charge the mouse up to 80% in only 10-15 minutes, or you can use it wired if you want while it’s charging. Either way, the Viper Ultimate shouldn’t give you any battery problems whatsoever.

Lastly, we mentioned that you won’t need to sacrifice speed for a clean setup. This is because the Viper Ultimate weighs only 74g. This is crazy good for a wireless mouse, and even more so when you take all of the aforementioned features into consideration.

Online shooters or any other form of competitive gaming will be a breeze. No matter what kind of a user you are, if you want a good wireless gaming mouse, the Razer Viper Ultimate is the choice for you. It’s absolutely flawless.

Related:The Best Gaming Mice (2022 Reviews)

If you’re already going to game on a PC this grand, you should do it in style. And no keyboard does style quite like the Corsair K95 RGB PLATINUM XT while at the same time sacrificing none of the substance.

Style-wise, you’re greeted with some of the sickest RGB lighting we’ve ever seen on a keyboard, and it’s fully customizable along with the ability to adjust the lighting and effects on a per-key basis. Basically, whatever light show you can think of can be done on this keyboard, with just a little know-how.

But even if we forget about the RGB for a second, this is still a marvelous keyboard, featuring an aircraft-grade aluminum frame, Cherry MX switches with the option to choose between silver, blue and brown, and 6 programmable keys that can also function as a stream deck thanks to the keyboard’s compatibility with the Elgato Stream Deck Software.

Related:The Best Mechanical Keyboards (2022 Reviews)

Last but not least, the Corsair K95 RGB PLATINUM XT has the ever-welcome volume wheel and dedicated multimedia buttons, as well as a detachable wrist rest that, by the way, is actually padded and rather comfortable.

We thought this was an important thing to point out considering we’re talking about Corsair here that’s infamous for their slap-on wrist rests that are mostly there just for the sake of marketing.

It may cost more than most people would think to spend on a keyboard, but this here isn’t just any gaming keyboard, it’s a life partner that will grow old with you and never give out. Of course, if you want something more affordable, the HyperX Alloy Elite/FPS Pro, or the Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 are all excellent choices that are in a lot of ways similar to the RGB PLATINUM XT.

Related:The Best Gaming Keyboards (2022 Reviews)

Having a good headset is more important to a gamer than having good speakers, so we made sure to pick out one that ticks all the right boxes, but doesn’t drain your bank account. We found just what we were looking for in the Razer BlackShark V2 X.

Related:The Best Gaming Headsets Under 100 USD (2022 Reviews)

This headset has everything a gamer could need: supreme comfort, excellent sound quality and extensive compatibility.

1. Comfort: the memory foam padding on the ear cups and headband combined with the surprising lightweight frame make gaming with this headset an absolute joy even if you wear glasses.
2. Sound: not only do these headphones sound great in video games, courtesy of the Triforce Titanium 50mm drivers, they also offer an immense soundstage, something competitive gamers will be sure to appreciate; and that’s not even mentioning the 7.1 surround sound (which is, granted, only available on Windows 10). And let’s not forget the crystal-clear recording thanks to the noise-isolating microphone.
3. Compatibility: it isn’t often that you come across a headset that’s compatible with the PS4, the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mobile phones, as well as PC, so you’ll be covered should you ever wish to switch platforms.

The only gripe we have with this headset is that the audio is not as great when listening to music or watching movies as it is in video games. However, this is, after all, a gaming headset, and a rather affordable one at that, so this is not completely unexpected.

This is our most sincere recommendation if you want something good and affordable, but in case you are ready to splurge a little, we suggest checking out the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro.

There is another option from the same line, but Razer’s naming is a little confusing. Contrary to what you might think, between the BlackShark V2 X and the BlackShark V2, the V2 X is the more affordable option, but it’s so good, that, in our opinion, the additional $40 for the more premium version is not really worth it. So, either go for the X variant or the Pro, or else take a look at some of the other recommendations we have for you through the links provided in this section.

Related:The Best Gaming Headsets (2022 Reviews)

If we think about what the purpose of the mouse pad is, it’s almost solely there to provide your mouse with a flat and smooth surface that the sensors can pick up on and then properly relay the info to the screen. Sounds fairly simple, and it quite honestly is.

Of course, there are materials which work better with lasers, and those that work better with optical sensors, more slippery surfaces, or those that provide more control over the mouse. Still, in most cases, the differences are minor, and can only be picked up on by certain kinds of users who know exactly what they’re looking for.

For the average user, the most noticeable things would be the size and aesthetics of the mouse pad, whether it moves around during gaming, and whether it deforms, frays, or gets doggy ears over time.

Now, whether you’re the former or the latter kind of user, the HyperX FURY S will not disappoint you.

For this build, we opted for the XL version in pure black, but if you want something smaller, or more colorful, there are plenty of sizes and designs you can choose from. This is a spacious mouse pad with a rubber underside and stitched edges to prevent sliding or fraying, and a weight that will keep it firmly glued to your desk.

No one product is perfect for every person, but the HyperX FURY S comes very close.

Related:The Best Mouse Pads (2022 Reviews)

Since this is a monster PC, we imagine you’ll be doing some heavy gaming on it, and for that you’ll definitely need a decent controller. The Xbox Series 2 Controller isn’t just decent, however, it’s excellent.

Microsoft has gone above and beyond to improve its customers’ experience by listening to feedback from loyal fans and gamers, and all that went into creating this new gadget. The improvements compared to the Xbox Elite may not seem that significant, but if you look at the implications of those changes, their value becomes much more obvious.

Namely, this controller now has the USB Type-C charger, and a charging station that can be used directly from the case or outside of it if you so desire. It also comes with several thumbsticks and D-pads that you can change depending on your preferences, just like with the Xbox Elite.

What’s different this time though it that the thumbsticks have adjustable tension, so you can customize them to your liking depending on the game you’re playing. The hair-triggers are now also adjustable with three different depths. What’s more, you can even have three customizable profiles you can switch between with a flick of a button.

And finally, our favorite addition, the shift key. You can designate one button of your choice to be the shift key, which then automatically enables all the other buttons to gain an additional function.

And if you’re worried about it getting outdated soon, don’t be. This controller will work with the Xbox Series X, so if you get it, not only will you unlock a new mode of comfort gaming, you will also be able to enjoy it for quite a while with both your Xbox and your PC.

For $1500, you can now get a PC that beats last year’s $3000 build… let that sink in.

So, if this PC can pull off 60FPS or more in 4K, in the majority of modern AAA titles, it should come as no surprise that it can also comfortably run VR with astonishing results. Therefore, a VR Headset is something you should be looking into if you want to take full advantage of this PC’s capabilities.

Last year was a great year for VR with new headsets launching left and right, but the one that seems to combine both phenomenal performance and a reasonable price is the Oculus Quest 2.

This headset comes with a 1832×1920 display, adjustable lenses, 90Hz refresh rate, and an XR2 Qualcomm processor that, when combined, leave the original Oculus Quest in the dust.   

What’s more, this is a standalone headset with 6 GB of memory and the newly-updated 128 GB of storage, instead of the 64 GB it had when it first launched. This means that you can download VR games onto the headset itself, and play them wherever you want, and you don’t even have to have a good PC to do it. The fact that you do is a cool bonus. And if this isn’t enough for you and you want more storage, there’s also a 256 GB variant for $100 more.

But, of course, no one component is without its flaws and the Oculus Quest 2 has several. Despite the amazing performance of this VR headset, there are some technical details that just don’t sit well with a lot of people.

The first one is the incredibly flabby head strap that, despite being relatively lightweight, makes the headset feel heavy and clunky. This will ultimately become unbearably uncomfortable if you play for more than 30 minutes per session.

Facebook does offer a solution to this in the form of a sturdy adjustable strap that you can buy separately, but the fact that this will more or less become a necessity at some point makes the initial price of this headset seem like a simple marketing ploy.

And the second is the one you might have heard of if you’ve been following tech news, and that’s the fact that you need a working Facebook account in order to use this toy. But it wouldn’t be such a big deal if it was that simple.

Namely, you can’t use a burner account, it has to be one with your real name. You also apparently have to be a regular Facebook user, otherwise the account may get banned under the pretext that it’s fake unless Facebook detects recent activity, even if it is simply new.

Take this information with a grain of salt, however, as this is just something we’ve concluded based on the reports of several people who’ve had this happen to them shortly after acquiring the device. Whatever the case, it’s something worth knowing before you commit to the purchase.

If you want to know more about this issue, there are plenty of sources online that might help you decide if this is the right VR device for you. In the meantime, you can check out the link below for some more recommendations if you’re interested in dabbling in VR.

Related:The Best VR Headsets (2022 Reviews)

A chair is such an obvious part of any setup, but in the chaos of deciding what monitor to buy, what headset or keyboard will suit you best and how much of your budget you’re willing to set aside for each of these components, the chair often slips our minds. In fact, it should be the first and most important thing we should pay attention to after the monitor.

Whether you’re working or gaming or both, chances are you’re spending much more time seated in front of your PC than is healthy, and chances are you’re already feeling the consequences. This is why a good, comfortable, ergonomic chair is a necessary part of every serious gamer’s setup.

The chair we recommend for this build is not exactly a gaming chair, but it’s one with its focus firmly set on offering the optimal spine, arm and neck support, so you don’t have to take long breaks in between gaming sessions to take a rest from sitting of all things.

The NeueChair Silver, an office chair from Secretlab (surprising, we know), is an excellent piece of engineering that will transform the way you sit, work and play. Its frame is made of an aluminum alloy, and the body of a 3-layer mesh material that allows the skin to breathe, unlike many leather or pleather options that become slippery or sticky in hot environments.

The chair offers several customizability options the most notable of which is the ability to adjust the height of the lumbar support. There’s also the option to move the seat backward and forward and tilt the backrest. Thanks to these convenient tweaks, not only does this chair fit absolutely anyone, but you also don’t have to search for a store where you can try it out before you buy.

Of course, it’s always good to do this when you can, but since you can adjust virtually every single detail of the chair that matters, you will be able to set it up just the way you like it right out of the box, regardless of your height, weight or build.

If you’re into that typical ‘gamer’ design this chair might not appeal to you, but if you want a comfortable seat that’s worth its price and offers a 12-year warranty, then you should definitely take a second look at the NeueChair Silver.

Plus, it’s made by a reliable manufacturer that normally produces gaming chairs, so this should give you an additional bit of reassurance that what you’re buying was made by competent people with years of experience under their belt.

And if you want a little more added durability, you can opt for the Obsidian model instead of the Silver. It’s a slightly different color since it has an additional layer of industrial chrome plating. This will help prevent corrosion and prolong its lifespan. It comes at a slightly steeper price, but it might be worth it if it means it will last you longer.

Related:The Best Gaming Chairs (2022 Reviews)

And finally, the last peripheral we want to mention is the HyperX Wrist Rest. Such an unimaginative name doesn’t quite suit this amazing product, but it shows that sometimes less is more.

Wrist rests are something most people forget about. They don’t improve your FPS, nor do they look particularly great, especially if they don’t fit the keyboard, but once you try them you can never go back.

This particular wrist rest is made of gel-infused memory foam. Just imagine it. A memory-foam pillow for your wrists to never again get a cramp or blister, and a cooling gel to keep your hands cool even during the most heated gaming sessions. It’s like a spa for your wrists.

We may have up-played it a bit, but this is a seriously quality-made wrist rest that will certainly make your gaming or working sessions much more enjoyable without breaking the bank.

Related:The Best Wrist Rests (2022 Reviews)

Closing Thoughts

And with that, we’ve reached the end of this amazing $1500 build.

We have to say that it has turned out much better than anticipated thanks to the phenomenal GPU MSRP. That said, no matter how good the MSRP is, the real in-store prices will always be higher, and even more so now than before.

But don’t lose hope! Stay patient and stay vigilant, and we’re sure you’ll be able to get your hands on one of those elusive RTX 3080 cards eventually.

In the meantime, do your best to study how to put together your custom PC if you’re a first-time builder to make sure everything goes smoothly once all your components finally arrive. Otherwise, you can check out some of our other builds, find some inspiration to help you create your cool new gaming setup, or take a look at all the amazing games you’ll be able to play once your build is finished.

It’s not only the playing that’s fun when it comes to building an awesome custom PC, it’s the whole experience — the planning, the purchasing, the anticipation, the process of building and arranging your setup, the excitement of deciding which game you’ll want to try out first…

Every moment has its unique charm, and you’re only at the beginning of your journey, so don’t stress. Have fun and enjoy every second of it.