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The best gaming PC is a system that suits your needs and fits within your budget. It could be something that spares no expense, packing the most powerful hardware into a premium case, or a budget build that’s more than capable of running your favorite esports game. Regardless of which rig sounds more up your street, we’re here to help you figure out what prebuild is right for you.
Whether you know how to build a gaming PC or not, prebuilt systems offer a convenient way to upgrade your set-up in one fell swoop with minimal hassle. They typically come with a small premium versus doing it yourself, but this does remove the risk of things going wrong on your end. Better still, you’ll be covered by another warranty on top of the individual parts.
The best websites for custom PC builds will offer you a selection of components to choose from within a given price range. As a general rule of thumb, you’re best putting the majority of your budget into the most powerful graphics card you can afford, as it’ll have the most dramatic effect on performance. When it comes to picking out a CPU, opt for something with at least six cores if you can, but don’t forget to pair it with two 8GB sticks of RAM.
It’s worth mentioning that the handheld PC market has greatly matured in recent years, with the Steam Deck serving as the most successful pioneer. These devices are worthy alternatives to a tower, particularly if your buying power is on the lower side.
These are the best gaming PCs in 2024:
- Alienware Aurora R15 – best gaming PC overall
- HP Pavilion TG01-2170m – best budget gaming PC
- Origin PC Chronos V2 – best compact gaming PC
- NZXT Streaming Pro PC – best PC to stream on Twitch
- Steam Deck – best handheld
- Maingear Apex Rush – best cooling
- Corsair One i300 – best PC for 4K gaming
1. Alienware Aurora R15
The best gaming PC overall.
Alienware Aurora R15 specs:
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home |
| CPU | Intel Core i7 13700KF (13th Generation) |
| Memory | 16GB RAM |
| Storage | 1TB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB) |
Pros
- Runs like a dream
- Great connection options
Cons
Yep, not the recent R16, but the R15. Why? Because this earlier model still has all the power you could possibly need to play any of today’s most demanding AAA games and it looks infinitely better than the R16 which, let’s face it, is more bland.
The R15, by contrast, has all the striking beauty we expect from Alienware and oodles of top-notch spec to back it up, including a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 13700KF processor with 16 Cores and 24 Threads, clocking 2.50GHz base and a maximum of 5.40GHz turbo, matched with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card to deliver dazzlingly immersive images on all the latest games.
With 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage also under the hood, plus more ports than you can shake a USB stick at, you’re good to game right out of the box.
And with an advanced cooling system, the games can go on for longer free from fear of an overheating meltdown, while the impressive internal acoustics keep things on the quiet even during intensive tasks. Then there’s that side window onto the workings, which, some might say, is cooler still.
2. HP Pavilion TG01-2170m
The best cheap gaming PC.
HP Pavilion TG01-2170m specs:
| CPU | Up to AMD Ryzen 7 5700G |
| Motherboard | Custom AMD |
| RAM | Up to 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 3,200MHz |
| GPU | Nvidia: up to GeForce GTX 1660 Super AMD Radeon RX 5500 |
| Storage | Up to 1TB SSD |
| Power supply | 400W 80 Plus Gold |
| Case | HP Pavilion Acid Green |
| Warranty | One-year limited hardware |
While it’s true that PC gaming can be expensive, that doesn’t mean that it has to break the bank, and the HP Pavilion TG01-2170m is proof of that. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 5300G and Radeon RX 5500 which act as a plenty powerful combo for those starting their journey into the hobby or anyone with a smaller budget.
HP lists the Pavilion TG01-2170m with a starting price of $699.99, but you can often find it on sale with extras like a gaming mouse and keyboard, netting yourself a proper bargain.
3. Origin PC Chronos V2
The best mini gaming PC.
Origin PC Chronos V2 specs:
| CPU | Intel: up to Core i9-12900KS AMD: up to Ryzen 9 5950X |
| Motherboard | Intel: Z690 AMD: X570 or B550 |
| RAM | Intel: up to 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 5,200MHz AMD: up to 64GB (2x32GB) DDR4 3,200MHz |
| GPU | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti |
| Storage | Up to 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
| Power supply | Corsair SF750 750W 80 Plus Platinum |
| Case | Origin Chronos |
| Warranty | One-year part replacement |
In crafting the Chronos V2, Origin PC has made a micro machine worthy of the oft-used phrase ‘small but mighty.’ It’s one of the best mini gaming PCs. Inside its compact chassis, you’ll find the kinds of components that any full-fat desktop would be lucky to have, including the best gaming CPUs from both AMD and Intel.
You can also choose between a glass or mesh side panel, allowing you to prioritize the aesthetics or cooling of your new tiny titan. Origin PC also offers a one-year part replacement warranty as standard, in addition to “lifetime 24/7 support and labor.”
4. NZXT Streaming Pro PC
The best PC for streaming.
NZXT Streaming Pro PC specs:
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| Motherboard | AMD B550 |
| RAM | 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4 3,200MHz |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Power supply | NZXT C750 750W 80 Plus Bronze |
| Case | NZXT H510 Flow |
| Warranty | Two years |
You don’t need bleeding-edge specs to be a successful streamer, but it certainly helps. The NZXT Streaming Pro PC packs an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X with eight capable and powerful cores that make it one of the best gaming CPUs for playing games and running a stream simultaneously.
It also comes with one of the best graphics cards, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, allowing you to make use of features such as Nvidia DLSS, NVENC encoding, and Nvidia Broadcast to spruce up your stream.
5. Valve Steam Deck
The best handheld gaming PC.
Steam Deck specs:
| CPU | Custom AMD Zen 2 quad-core APU |
| Motherboard | Custom AMD |
| RAM | 16GB DDR5 5,500MHz |
| GPU | RDNA 2 iGPU with 8 CUs, 1.0-1.6GHz |
| Storage | Up to 512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD |
| Battery | 40Whr |
Though it has plenty of competitors, there’s nothing else on the market quite like Valve’s portable powerhouse. Its starting price of $399 makes it one of the cheapest ways to get into PC gaming, and you can fit it in your backpack to boot!
Don’t fret if you can’t afford the more expensive models, as the only difference between them is the type and amount of storage that comes preinstalled. However, the 512GB model also comes with a ‘premium’ carrying case and anti-glare etched glass.
The Steam Deck isn’t the only handheld gaming PC on the market, but we think it balances specs and price perfectly. If you’re looking for something with a bit more oomph, you may want to wait for the Asus Rog Ally — a souped-up rival that wields “fastest AMD GPU yet” and eGPU support, but it’ll probably cost substantially more.
6. Maingear Apex Rush
The best water-cooled gaming PC.
Maingear Apex Rush specs:
| CPU | Intel: up to Core i9-12900KS AMD: up to Ryzen 9 5950X |
| Motherboard | Intel: Z690 AMD: X570 |
| RAM | Intel: up to 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 5,200MHz AMD: up to 128GB (2x32GB) DDR4 3,600MHz |
| GPU | Nvidia: up to GeForce RTX 3080 Ti 12GB AMD: up to Radeon RX 6900 XT 16GB |
| Storage | Up to 2TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
| Power supply | Up to 1,200W |
| Case | Lian Li O11 Dynamic XL Black |
| Warranty | One-year full-coverage |
If you’re looking for an altogether cooler system in every sense of the word, the Maingear Apex Rush may be just what you’re looking for. It features a custom PC water cooling solution, which in addition to being stunning to look at also offers better noise and thermals than even the very best CPU coolers.
By bringing your system’s temperatures as low as possible, the Maingear Apex Rush allows you to unlock the maximum potential of its top-tier specs without fear of thermal throttling. Better still, you can choose to kit out your personal rig with either soft tubing or several styles of hardline cooling, allowing you to craft a system that will feel right at home on your gaming desk.
7. Corsair One i300
The best 4K gaming PC.
Corsair One i300 specs:
| CPU | Intel Core i9 12900K |
| Motherboard | Intel Z690 |
| RAM | Up to 64GB (2x32GB) DDR5 4,800MHz |
| GPU | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti |
| Storage | 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD |
| Power supply | Corsair SF750 750W 80 Plus Platinum |
| Case | Corsair One |
| Warranty | Two-year |
High-performance rigs are seemingly a dime a dozen, but the Corsair One i300 bucks the trend of powerful specs coming in a big chassis with a sleek and stylish case. Better still, both its Intel Core i9 12900K and Nvidia GPU are water-cooled to boost fps as high as possible.
It’s also compatible with Corsair iCue, making it a great addition to your gaming setup if you already own a gaming keyboard or other peripherals that support the software.
Why buy a prebuilt gaming PC?
Prebuilt PCs provide a level of convenience and security that can’t be matched when building a system yourself. As the components are all pre-assembled ahead of delivery, your new rig will be ready to go as soon as it arrives at your doorstep. You’ll also be entitled to additional warranties and potentially technical support too if something goes wrong.
Is $1000 enough for a gaming PC?
Yes, anything from $600 upwards is typically enough for a gaming PC. Naturally, higher budgets afford you the ability to splash out for more powerful specs, but more expensive components aren’t explicitly necessary for a solid experience in most games.
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