Prebuilt gaming PCs from top brands offer an excellent opportunity to elevate your gaming experience without breaking the bank. You can still tailor the configuration to within your budget - and better yet, you don't have to go through the oftentimes arduous process of building a PC from scratch.

But what truly reigns as the best gaming PC? That would have to be the Alienware Aurora R15, my top pick for the best gaming PC. Don't worry if the price tag of the Aurora R15 is off-putting: I also have a fantastic budget pick, typically priced at $650, as well as a higher-end option for your consideration.

Should you prefer to construct your own gaming PC, Pocket-lint has you covered with an extensive collection of how-to features. If you want new accessories for your gaming PC, I have thoughtfully hand-picked the best ones for you. For an overview of the best gaming PCs to suit every budget, continue reading.

Top picks for the best gaming PCs

Alienware Aurora R14 Gaming Desktop

Best Overall

Best gaming PC for most gamers

A customizable desktop that starts out with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card. This desktop has a new design for a 50% increase in internal volume.

Processor Type

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X

Memory

16GB, 1 x 16GB, DDR4, 3466 MHz, XMP

Storage

512GB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD

Pros

• Legend 2.0 design
• Choose from CPU options with up to 32 threads
• Precision Boost 2

Cons

• Upgrades can get pricey

The Alienware Aurora Ryzen R14 is a powerfully built desktop. It's one of the best gaming PCs available, with AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors that can reach up to 32 threads when configured with the Ryzen 9 5950X. You could also opt for the latest AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D processor - which is ideal for gaming - with up to 100MB of total cache memory. The DDR4 memory also ensures that you'll get higher performance with this machine, plus lower power consumption and better data integrity.

You can game and multitask effectively with both the high-powered processor and DDR4 memory, but Dell took everything a step further with Precision Boost 2, its own technology that maximizes performance. This monitors temperature and power consumption, whether your games and apps are using one core or up to 16 cores. The R14 starts at $1,300 and comes with 512GB of total storage space, but that goes up to 4TB, providing an expansive haven for your games, applications, and multimedia files.

HP AMD Ryzen 5

Best value

Best gaming PC on a budget

$500 $650 Save $150

The HP AMD Ryzen 5 desktop comes with 12GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage for the sale price of $500. Each aspect of this desktop is designed to maximize performance and value.

Memory

12GB DDR4

Graphics

AMD Radeon (integrated)

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 5000 Series

Storage

512 SSD

Pros

• AMD Ryzen 5600G desktop processor
• High memory bandwidth
• SSD means faster performance than a traditional hard drive

Cons

• No CD drive
• Loud fan

The HP AMD Ryzen 5 is a budget gaming desktop that delivers a solid blend of value and performance. It has 12GB of memory and an internal storage of 512GB SSD for faster performance than a traditional desktop. The 12GB of RAM can handle advanced gaming and multiple open tabs, and the 512GB SSD is an ideal starting point for gaming or high-resolution video.

Better performance arises at the intersection of memory, internal storage, and processor. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G processor works for gamers, architects, and scientists, too, with its easy multitasking ability. It's a medium-range processor, which is a good sign at this price point. The AMD Radeon graphics card is best for basic gaming, however.

This desktop PC is the perfect entryway into gaming PCs that will give you better performance for less money. It is also currently priced at $500, which is $150 off of its usual price tag.

CyberPowerPC

Highly rated

Best gaming desktop under $1,000

The processor on the CyberPowerPC is powered by machine intelligence for an optimal gaming experience. This desktop PC also stands out for its advanced GPU with 4GB GDDR6 of dedicated video memory.

Memory

8 GB

Graphics

AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 5000 Series

Storage

500 GB SSD

Pros

• High-end graphics card
• Processor is fast enough for multitasking

Cons

• 500GB total storage capacity is on the small side
• Does not have a built-in DVD/CD

The best gaming PC under $1,000 is a sleek desktop with plenty of storage space and the AMD Ryzen 5 processor.

The CyberPowerPC Gamer Master has an AMD Ryzen 5 5000 series processor, a mid-grade processor that still multitasks well at this price point and has machine intelligence capabilities. The standout high-end feature of this desktop is the graphics card. The AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT is a powerful graphics card that allows you to play games at max visual settings. Another bonus feature is the 500GB solid-state drive which gives you faster start-up times and optimal gaming performance.

The other aspects of this desktop are also compatible with gaming. The 8GB of RAM is perfect for advanced gaming and multitasking with heavy applications, although it's not the highest RAM you could have. Serious gamers might consider upgrading some specs, like the storage capacity or the RAM, but this PC is a good start for an advanced gamer.

Corsair Vengeance a7200 Gaming Desktop

Powerful graphics

Best gaming PC under $2,000

$1550 $1750 Save $200

Memory

16 GB

Graphics

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti

CPU

AMD Ryzen 5000 Series

Storage

1 TB SSD Storage

Pros

• RGB lighting
• 3 DisplayPorts
• Tempered glass side panel
• Liquid-cooled CPU

Cons

• AMD Ryzen 5 5600X configuration may experience crash issues

This gaming desktop shines with dynamic RGB lighting. You have complete control over lighting, fan, and pump speeds, and more with included Corsair iCUE software.

The liquid-cooled AMD Ryzen CPU is well-equipped for complex tasks, like software compiling, and the high-performance 16GB DDR4 memory works well with the processor. Storage is important for gaming, and this desktop has plenty of it, with 1TB of SSD storage. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 series graphics card is a high-end GPU that gives you maximum setting gaming.

The Corsair Vengeance a7200 is currently on sale, with the AMD Ryzen 5 CPU desktop priced at $1,550 (save $200) and the AMD Ryzen 7 CPU desktop with a better graphics card is priced at $1,650 (save $300). Both configurations are under $2,000 and have 16GB of memory and 1TB of SSD.

Acer Predator Orion 7000 Gaming Desktop

Premium pick

Best high-end gaming PC

$2160 $3000 Save $840

The pricing of the Acer Predator Orion 7000 can be on par with the price of building a similar machine. Run high-end games at optimal settings.

Memory

32GB, DDR5 SDRAM

Graphics

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 with 24GB dedicated memory

CPU

Intel Core i9-12900K processor Hexadeca-core

Storage

1TB SSD, 2TB HDD

Pros

• Personalize LED lights with up to 16.7 million colors
• Predator FrostBlade 2.0 fans with LEDs
• Preadtor RGB gaming keyboard and mouse included

Cons

• Some users ran into overheating issues

The Acer Predator Orion 7000 is a high-end gaming desktop with impressive specs across the board.

The desktop is powered by an Intel 12th generation core i7 processor that is excellent for multitasking, playing music, and watching videos. The 32GB of RAM is best for serious gaming and for navigating between apps with heavy memory loads simultaneously. A powerful GPU - the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card - adds to the gaming experience with its efficiency and power for serious gaming sessions. To top it all off is a generous amount of storage: 1TB SSD and a 2TB hard drive.

If money is no object, the Predator Orion 7000 is an obvious choice for serious gamers.

Bottom line

The Alienware Aurora Ryzen R14 is the best overall pick for most with its many configurations and its solid starting specs. But if you don't have that much to spend, the HP AMD Ryzen 5 is on sale now for $500, and it packs in considerable value for the price. Or you could go with the Acer Predator Orion 7000, if your budget is between $2,000 and $3,000, to ensure that you have the best possible storage and processor configuration on a high-end rig.

Alienware Aurora R14 Gaming Desktop

Best overall

How did I choose these as the best gaming PCs?

My main concern was price and performance. I researched to find the best possible gaming PCs for under $700, under $1,000, and in other price ranges so that readers would be comfortable browsing for whatever fit their budget. I poured over the specs and paid special attention to the CPU, or the central processing unit, of the machine and how much power it would offer gamers. The GPU, or the graphics component of the gaming PC, is also important to ensure that the PC presented optimized visuals. Overall performance can be affected by memory and storage as well, so I made sure to emphasize each component and how it stacked up against the other options out there. I also considered the top players in the space, from Alienware to Corsair and HP, and compared their flagship gaming PCs. I even took into account customer reviews. Ultimately, I landed on this roundup of quality rigs starting at $650.

FAQ

Q: What factors should I consider when looking for the best gaming PC?

When selecting the best gaming PC for yourself, first consider the hardware configuration (processor, graphics card, RAM, storage) you need, but also any other features you may want such as the cooling system, connectivity options, build quality, and even warranty and customer support.

Q: Are prebuilt gaming PCs better than building a custom PC for gaming?

Choosing between prebuilt gaming PCs and custom-built PCs depends on your preferences, technical expertise, and requirements. Prebuilt PCs offer convenience, ready-to-use setup, technical support, and warranties. They're ideal for the less experienced. Custom-built PCs allow greater flexibility, customization, potential cost savings, deeper system understanding, and upgradability. They're suited for gamers with technical skills and specific needs.

Q: Which PC brand is best for gaming?

The brands that come up again and again with the best gaming PCs are HP, Acer, Corsair, Alienware, MSI, and more. At the end of the day, the brand you choose should go hand in hand with the capabilities of the PC that you'd like to purchase.