Building a PC is simple enough, but it can be intimidating to new PC gamers and frustrating for gaming veterans who don’t want to deal with shipping delays on individual components. And contrary to popular belief, having a high-end GPU like an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3090 doesn’t mean your new gaming PC is automatically the best; what counts is the CPU and how much RAM and storage your configuration has. Because even an older GTX 1660 Super or RTX 2070 is still capable of running demanding triple-A titles.
Gaming and office PCs alike use either Intel or AMD processors and compatible components, and it used to be that Intel was the clearly superior choice. But with the new Ryzen 6000 CPUs and GPUs, AMD has proven that it is capable of serious power. If you want to know more about the different CPUs available for gaming PCs, you can check out our list of the best gaming CPUs.
I’ve combed the web to find the best gaming PCs available at just about every price point, and I’ve broken down their features and best-use cases to help you choose the best one that fits both your budget and your needs.
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The Alienware Aurora R14 Ryzen Edition is the best gaming PC you can buy right now. It’s built with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900 CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card for all the power you need to play the hottest triple-A titles and most graphically demanding games. And with dual storage drives, you’ll have plenty of space for your entire game library plus room to grow. A liquid cooling system works with the pre-installed fans to draw waste heat away from components, keeping everything running at optimal temperatures for better performance and power efficiency. The chassis also sports a unique, rounded design to stand out from the rest of the box-style, midsize towers on the market. And with toolless access, it’s easy to open up the tower to clean out fans, reroute cables, or upgrade components. Whether you make videos for YouTube and TikTok or stream live on Twitch, the MSI Aegis RS is an almost perfect gaming PC for you. It’s built with a 13th generation Intel Core i7-13700KF CPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a 2TB SSD, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 graphics card. These premium-grade components ensure that you’ll have power and performance to spare when playing graphically intensive games, streaming videos, editing thumbnails, or rendering animations. And if you ever need to upgrade, the Aegis RS supports up to 128GB of RAM as well as secondary HDD or SSD storage drives so your PC can grow and adapt to your needs. The Aegis RS also supports Wi-Fi 6 for blazing-fast wireless internet speeds as well as Bluetooth 5.2 for more stable connections to wireless peripherals like headsets, keyboards, and mice. Buying a pre-built gaming PC with higher-end components doesn’t have to cost you a fortune. The HP Omen 25L is built with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600G processor, RTX 3050 GPU, a 512GB SSD, and 8GB of RAM to let you keep up with all the hottest triple-A releases. It also supports Wi-Fi 6 for blazing fast and reliable wireless internet speeds, so online lag is virtually gone. And with Bluetooth connectivity, you can set up wireless peripherals like headsets, mice, and keyboards for a custom battle station. It also has 3 USB-C ports for faster data transfer speeds and more reliable connectivity for peripherals and storage devices. And RGB lighting within the case lets you show off your personal style or sync with other RGB components and peripherals. The Omen 25L also comes bundled with a keyboard and mouse so you can get started playing your favorite games right out of the box. The Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card was released on Oct. 12 2022 with a retail price of around $1600. The high price and demand for the GPU mean that one of the few reliable (and financially practical) ways to get your hands on one is to get a pre-built gaming PC equipped with one. The MSI Infinite RS is built with the RTX 4090, placing it in the very top tier of gaming PCs. With 24GB of VRAM as well as 32GB of DDR5 RAM, you’ll get an incredibly fast and smooth gaming experience. The Infinite RS also comes equipped with an Intel Core i9-13900K for the ultra-high performance needed for the most graphically demanding game titles. The tower is liquid-cooled for more efficient heat dissipation, and the dual storage drives give you plenty of space for your Steam, Origin, or Epic store library. But all of this comes at a pretty steep price: with such high-end and powerful components, be prepared to shell out almost $5,000 for the tower alone. While full and mid-size towers are some of the most popular form factors for gaming PCs, the MSI MPG Trident AS makes a strong case for compact rigs. The Trident AS has an impressively small footprint, measuring just 15.6 x 5 x 15 inches and weighing about 14.5 pounds, making it perfect for smaller desks, gaming spaces, and multi-monitor setups. And just because it’s small, that doesn’t mean it’s not still mighty. This gaming PC is built with an Intel Core i7-12700F CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, letting you take on everything from retro classics to the latest triple-A releases. It also offers 7.1CH virtual surround sound for excellent, room-filling audio with dedicated speakers or spatial audio with a headset. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity for ultra-fast internet browsing and downloads as well as more reliable connections with wireless peripherals. Krishna Madala, a former professional coach for Overwatch eSports teams like Singularity Esports and the Samsung Morning Stars, says that buyers “try to overspec a lot when going for [pre-built PCs],” and that games like League of Legends “could run[…] on a standard Dell tower with integrated graphics and still get 60fps.” However, if you’re looking for a decent gaming PC at a reasonable price, Madala suggests a rig with at least 16GB of RAM and a 512GB storage drive as well as a CPU and GPU that are within the last 2 or 3 tech generations. You also can save by choosing a configuration with less RAM and storage, since you can often swap them out yourself later; this lets you take advantage of component sales that work with your overall budget. Make sure you check your gaming laptop though, since they can sometimes have soldered RAM sticks that cannot be removed or changed out. Building a gaming PC yourself does give you the opportunity to save a bit of cash since you can plan your build around component sales. Just make sure you aren’t mixing AMD and Intel components; they won’t communicate with each other. Building one yourself also allows you to create a PC that exactly fits your needs, since you aren’t likely to buy components you won’t utilize fully, such as HDDs or SSDs with more than 2TB of space, more than 16GB of RAM, or a super-advanced motherboard that has features you won’t ever use, etc. It’s all about balancing your budget with how convenient you want buying a gaming PC to be or how comfortable you are with building computers. If you want to liquid cool your entire rig, you’ll need a custom cooling system, including a radiator, plenty of tubing, coolant pumps, and an exhaust fan. DIY PC pros can set up intricate liquid cooling systems to maintain optimal temperatures while also showing off their personal style with colored coolant, RGB lights, and copper tubing.
