BEST GAMING DESKTOPS

A desktop PC.

Please make sure you read our quick Before You Buy guide before picking a gaming PC, so that you can make a well-informed decision. After reading our guide you will also understand the reasons behind our selection.

Below is our selection of what we think are the best gaming desktops for different budgets, ordered by increasing price (prices are in US$ and may vary depending on current promotions and availability). Please make sure that you also check our regularly updated News & Deals section for limited-time offers.

Recommended PCs on a budget (under $1000)

Here are some great options for those who don’t want to spend too much for a gaming PC. Please note that these PCs are very affordable because they typically ship with relatively small storage (512 GB), no more than 16 GB of RAM, and/or dated or low-end CPU and GPU. Therefore, they may not be ideal if you plan to play some of the latest titles on high-end graphics (e.g. Cyberpunk 2077, Red Dead Redemption 2, Control, Far Cry 6, Forza Horizon 5…).

Also keep in mind that some of the most recent games can require a lot of storage space (~100 GB or more). On a desktop PC the RAM, CPU, GPU and storage can all be upgraded, but that will obviously come at an extra cost.

Lenovo LOQ Gaming Tower

(Intel, RTX 3050)

($899.99 on Lenovo.com)

  • CPU: Intel Core i5-14400F (10 Cores, up to 4.7 GHz)
  • Storage: 512 GB SSD (M.2, 2280 PCIe Gen4 TLC)
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 (6 GB GDDR6)
  • RAM: 16 GB (2×8 GB) DDR5 4800 MHz
  • Video ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
  • Misc: Wi-Fi 6E, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 4x USB-A 2.0

This is a basic gaming PC, it has everything you need to run most games, but the low-end GPU will struggle with the latest titles on high settings or high screen resolutions. Storage size is a bit wanting if you plan to play more than a couple of the latest games and store pictures or videos.

MSI Codex R2 (Intel, RTX 4060)

($999.00 on us-store.msi.com)

  • CPU: Intel Core i5-14400F (10 cores, up to 4.7 GHz)
  • Storage: 1 TB SSD (M.2 NVMe)
  • GPU: NVIDIA Geforce RTX 4060 (8 GB GDDR6)
  • RAM: 16 GB DDR5 5200 MHz
  • Video ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
  • Misc: Wi-Fi 7, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2×2, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, 2x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1, 4x USB Type-A 2.0

This is another very affordable gaming PC, with a more capable mid-range GPU compared to our previous entry. Storage space is also improved, and it comes with Wi-Fi 7 for faster wireless internet connections. On top of all that, it also has plenty of ports to connect all your peripherals.

Recommended mid-range PCs ($1000-2000)

These options are still relatively affordable but also provide much better performance if you are into more demanding games. These PCs all come with mid-range CPUs and GPUs, and decent amounts of storage.

Dell Alienware Aurora R16

(Intel, RTX 4060 Ti)

($1499.99 on Dell.com)

  • CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (20 cores, up to 5.3 GHz)
  • Storage: 1 TB SSD (M.2, PCIe NVMe)
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti (8 GB GDDR6)
  • RAM: 16 GB (2×8 GB) DDR5 5200 MHz
  • Video ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
  • Misc: Wi-Fi 6E, 1x USB 4, 2x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (one with PowerShare), 5x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 (one with PowerShare), 2x USB Type-A 2.0 (with Smart Power), Dell mouse and keyboard included
Dell Alienware Aurora R16 gaming desktop PC.

This is a great gaming desktop with a solid mid-range GPU, one of the latest CPUs on the market, and comes with numerous USB ports. You can also tweak the configuration by adding more RAM and storage space, which we would recommend if you can splurge a little.

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8 (Intel, RTX 4070 Super)

($1999.99 on Lenovo.com)

  • CPU: Intel Core i7-14700F (20 cores, up to 5.3 GHz)
  • Storage: 1TB SSD (M.2, 2280 PCIe Gen4 Performance TLC)
  • GPU: NVIDIA Geforce RTX 4070 SUPER (12 GB GDDR6X)
  • RAM: 32 GB (2×16 GB) DDR5 4400 MHz
  • Video ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
  • Misc: Wi-Fi 6E, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2, 4x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1, 4x USB Type-A 2.0

This is a fantastically-priced gaming desktop that sports one of the latest Intel CPUs and a great mid-range GPU. The DDR5 memory provided is not the fastest, but 32 GB are a good amount for everyone’s gaming needs.

Recommended high-end PCs (over $2000)

These are the Tyrannosaurus rex of Gaming PCs, not for all pockets, but rest assured that they will run smoothly any game you throw at them.

iBUYPOWER AMD Ryzen 7 Max Gaming

($2,399.00 on ibuypower.com)

  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D (8 cores, up to 5.0 GHz)
  • Storage: 2 TB SSD (Crucial M.2 PCle NVMe Gen4)
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (16 GB GDDR6X)
  • RAM: 32 GB (2×16 GB) DDR5 6000 MHz 
  • Video ports: 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b
  • Misc: Wi-Fi 6E (with
    MSI PRO B650-P motherboard). USB ports available depend on selected motherboard.

iBUYPOWER offers highly customizable gaming PCs at very competitive prices. Here we selected one of the best CPUs for gaming, plenty of storage, one of the latest NVIDIA GPUs, and plenty of very fast RAM. The default motherboard only offers Wi-Fi 6E, but you can switch to a motherboard that offers Wi-Fi 7 for little extra cost. You can also pick the case you prefer among over 40 options!

MSI Aegis ZS2 (AMD, RTX 5080)

($2,999.00 on us-store.msi.com)

  • CPU: AMD Ryzen R7-9800X3D (8 cores, up to 5.2 GHz)
  • Storage:‎ 2TB SSD (M.2, NVMe Gen4)
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 (16 GB GDDR7)
  • RAM: 64 GB (2×32 GB) RGB DDR5 6000 MHz
  • Video ports: 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x Display Port 2.1b
  • Misc: Wi-Fi 6E, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2×2, 2x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen2, 3x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1, 4x USB Type-A 2.0

This is a great gaming machine, it has one of the fastest and most powerful gaming CPUs currently available, plenty of storage space, one of the top NVIDIA 50-Series GPUs, and lots of very fast RAM.

Dell Alienware Aurora R16 (Intel, RTX 4090)

($3,999.99 on Dell.com)

  • CPU: Intel Core i9 14900KF (24 cores, up to 6.0 GHz)
  • Storage:‎ 2TB SSD (M.2, PCle NVMe)
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 (24 GB GDDR6X)
  • RAM: ‎64 GB (2x32GB) DDR5 5200 MHz
  • Video ports: 1x HDMI 2.1, 3x DisplayPort 1.4a
  • Misc: Wi-Fi 6E, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2×2, 2x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (one with PowerShare), 5x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1 (one with PowerShare), 4x USB Type-A 2.0 (two with Smart Power), 240mm Liquid-Cooled CPU, Dell keyboard and mouse included

This is a powerful gaming PC, it comes with excellent CPU (Intel 14th Gen, liquid-cooled) and the top GPU from the NVIDIA 40-Series, which is still one of the best GPUs on the market. RAM and storage are also very generous. This is the kind of PC that can handle any game at high settings.

Dell Alienware Area-51 (Intel, RTX 5090)

($5,599.99 on Dell.com)

  • CPU: Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (24 cores, up to 5.7 GHz)
  • Storage:‎ 2TB SSD (M.2, PCle NVMe Gen4)
  • GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (32 GB GDDR7)
  • RAM: ‎64 GB (2x32GB) DDR5 6400 MHz
  • Video ports: 1x HDMI 2.1a, 3x DisplayPort 2.1b
  • Misc: Wi-Fi 7, 2x Thunderbolt™ 4, 4x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (two with PowerShare), 3x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1, 4x USB Type-A 2.0 (one with Smart Power), 360mm Liquid-Cooled CPU, Dell keyboard and mouse included

This PC comes with the most powerful GPU from the latest NVIDIA RTX 50-Series, one of the top Intel CPUs, plenty of storage, liquid cooling for top performance, lots of RAM and Wi-Fi 7. A gamer’s dream come true, and Dell is offering all this for a very competitive price.

back to top