This $2,945 CLX gaming rig is probably the best way to buy an RTX 4090 right now

(Image credit: CLX)

CLX SET | RTX 4090 | Core i7 13700KF | 1TB SSD + 4TB HDD| 32GB DDR5 | $3,799 $2,945.24 at Newegg (save $854.75)
It's rare to see machines featuring the almighty RTX 4090 for less than the $3,000 mark, but this PC isn't just about the GPU. While the Core i7 13700KF isn't the top Intel chip it's still a stormer of a gaming CPU, especially when paired with 32GB of DDR5 and that incredible card. The only slightly strange thing about this machine is the combo of a 1TB NVMe drive and a 4TB HDD, as you'd probably expect a bit more solid state storage on a machine at this price.

Nvidia's beastly RTX 4090 has held the world's fastest GPU crown uncontested for over a year. That's probably why it still commands around $2,000, well over its official $1,599 list price.

So, arguably the best way into one is to buy a whole PC, especially when you're getting the rest of the rig for about $1,000. Enter the CLX SET Gaming Desktop for $2,945 from Newegg.

Along with the all-important Nvidia RTX 4090, you get an Intel Core i7 13700KF CPU. It's an older chip, but it checks out you might say.

In reality, Intel's "newer" 14th Gen CPUs are really just a rebadge, not new silicon. And with its eight Performance and eight Efficient cores, the 13700KF will deliver gaming performance that's subjectively indistinguishable from, say, a Core i9 14900K. You're just not going to feel the difference.

To the 4090 and 13700KF you can add 32GB of DDR5 memory, a 1TB NVMe drive and a 4TB magnetic drive. While 5TB of overall storage is good for the price point, this is the one fairly obvious area of cost cutting. Only having 1TB of fast SSD storage feels a bit stingy for a $3K PC.

Anyway, further details include water cooling for the CPU, built-in Wi-Fi, plus a keyboard and mouse thrown in. As for the motherboard, you're not guaranteed a particular model, but it will at least be a Z690 board, so you'll have full access to the multiplier on that unlocked Intel CPU if overclocking is your thing.

Oh, and the power supply is a 1,000W unit, which should keep that monster RTX 4090 pretty well juiced. It all comes wrapped up in a full-tower case with generous window for viewing all your hard-won hardware, basking as it is in a salubrious RGB glow.

Jacob earned his first byline writing for his own tech blog, before graduating into breaking things professionally at PCGamesN. Now he's managing editor of the hardware team at PC Gamer, and you'll usually find him testing the latest components or building a gaming PC.