The Xbox Series X is shaping up to be the 4K gaming machine it promises to be and presumably the PS5 will follow suit. But if you’re looking for the best possible looking games there’s still several reasons to buy a gaming PC instead. Firstly, you can just get more raw graphical power packed into a gaming desktop especially if you opt for machine with one of Nvidia’s Ampere graphics cards like the RTX 3080 or RTX 3090.While gaming desktops might much more complicated, buying a desktop computer isn’t too different buying a new Xbox or PlayStation especially with us to help guide you. Whether you’re looking to just dip your toe in PC gaming or buy the most powerful machine on the market, there’s a rig for you out there. If you’re not ready to build a desktop yourself, buying a pre-built can give you a great starting point, which you can further upgrade with a new processor, memory or storage. And, with Black Friday right around the corner, you’ll find a bunch of great deals on gaming PCs like these and parts you can upgrade them with. If you’re browsing in the UK, click here to find out where you can find the best gaming PCs.TL;DR These are the Best Gaming PCs
1. Skytech Chronos Gaming PC
Best Gaming PC
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM) RAM: 16GB DDR4 (3,600MHz) Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD Weight: 28.1 pounds Size: 18.1″ x 8.4″ x 16″
Ideally, your gaming PC should be able to power through just about anything you throw at it. The powerhouse Skytech put together in the Chronos gaming PC does just that. With an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X boasting eight cores and the new Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card, you’ll be able to get just about all the frames you could want at 1080p or 1440p.Skytech includes 16GB of DDR4-3600 memory that should give you ample headroom for games and extra apps to run at the same time. And the 1TB of PCIe NVMe storage will ensure you’ve got room for a good few games that will load incredibly fast. Skytech has even gone the extra mile by including and 80 Plus Gold Certified power supply and four case fans, which both will help keep the system running at peak performance.
2. Skytech Archangel
Best Budget Gaming PC
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super (6GB GDDR6 VRAM) RAM: 16GB DDR4 (3,000MHz) Storage: 500GB SSD Weight: 28 pounds Size: 17.9″ x 8.3″ x 16.4″
That’s right you can get a fairly capable gaming desktop all assembled, packaged, and delivered for under $1,000. This Skytech Archangel configuration is just such a computer, and it’ll make short work of almost anything you want to play in 1080p or 1440p. Plus, it comes with tons of stylish RGB lighting, so you can dazzle your friends.This Skytech Archangel model packs in an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor that performs nearly as well as its more expensive siblings in a wide variety of games. It’s paired with 16GB of RAM and a 500GB SSD. You’ll also be getting an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Super graphics processor that’ll serve as the heart of your gaming experience. And, even though the price is low, Skytech saw fit to include an 80 Plus Certified power supply for improved energy efficiency.
3. Corsair One a100
Best Compact Gaming PC
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3950X GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (12GB GDDR6 VRAM) RAM: 32GB DDR4 (3,200MHz) Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD Weight: 16.27 pounds Size: 7.87″ x 6.79″ x 14.96″
One of the best excuses for getting a pre-built is the compact designs available. Some of them manage to pack so much power into such a tight space, it can be hard to imagine doing it yourself. The Corsair One a100 is a perfect example. This machine squeezes some beefy hardware into a chassis that’s only 12 liters in volume.How much power exactly? Well, it comes loaded with an AMD Ryzen 9 3950X processor (that’s 16 cores and 32 threads), 32GB of RAM, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti? If you want high frame rates and resolutions all with graphics settings maxed out in games, this computer will do it. All that, and it even loads in a 2TB hard drive to complement its 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD.
4. Alienware Aurora Ryzen Editon R10
Best High-End Gaming PC
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900X GPU: Nvidia RTX 3080 (24GB GDDR6X VRAM) RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2,933MHz) Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD, 1TB HDD (7,200rpm) Weight: 39.2 pounds Size: 8.77″ x 17″ x 18.9″ (W x D x H)
If you’re ready to plunk down the cash for one of the most capable gaming desktop money can buy, there isn’t really a much better option than the Alienware Aurora Ryzen Editon R10. This rig comes fully loaded with an dodeca-core AMD processor and Nvidia’s latest RTX 3090 graphics. Not only will you be able to enjoy true 4K 60 fps PC gaming, you’ll also be able to squeeze the most ray tracing effects from this gaming desktop’s GPU without having to greatly sacrifice frame rate.With all this graphical and processing power, the Alienware Aurora is easily capable of more than gaming and should serve as a solid video production machine. Alternatively, this gaming desktop could easily serve as streaming PC without any noticable hit on its gaming prowess.
5. Dell XPS Tower Special Edition
Best Sleeper Gaming PC
CPU: Intel Core i7-10700 GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super (6GB GDDR6 VRAM) RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2,933MHz) Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD (7,200RPM) Weight: 13.89 pounds Size: 15.5″ x 6.7″ x 12.1″
If you prefer a gaming PC with a more unassuming design, the Dell XPS Tower Special Edition puts powerful gaming hardware into a sleek-but-plain chassis, so no one will know you’re not using it for work. It comes kitted with a plenty powerful Intel Core i7 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060. Thatll handle even high-end gaming just fine, but Dell also lets you customize your rig to include up to an i9-10900K and RTX 2070 Super.The case is surprisingly compact, but it still boasts four USB 3.1 ports on the front panel, six USB ports around the back, as well as a full-size SD card reader and an optical disk drive. What’s more, you get a tool-less design similar to the Alienware Aurora for super easy upgrades. If you want a machine that doesnt look like a typical gaming PC, the reserved Dell XPS Tower line is a great option.
6. Maingear Turbo
Best Mini Gaming PC
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB GDDR6X VRAM) RAM: 32GB DDR4 (3,600MHz) Storage: 2TB NVMe SSD Weight: 35 pounds Size: 12.3″ x 6.7″ x 14.4″
Want a gaming PC that will make people do a double take? Then the Maingear Turbo Stage 3 might be just the one for you. This compact PC may look fairly unassuming given its small stature and muted design, but a quick peak through the tempered glass side panel will show off what makes this machine purr.Inside, you’ll find an AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT processor with a 240mm liquid cooler mounted onto it. You’ll also be getting 32GB of RAM running at a fast 3,600MHz. And, the coup de grâce is the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 (read our review) graphics processor inside. This combination of hardware will let your compact PC handle just about any gaming demands you have for it, including smooth 4K gaming.
7. MSI MPG Trident X
Best Console-Style Prebuilt PC for Your Living Room
CPU: Intel Core i9-10900KF GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM) RAM: 32GB DDR4 (2,933MHz) Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD (5,400RPM) Weight: 14.44 pounds Size: 15.06″ x 5.1″ x 15.6″
A lot of things may come to mind when you think of gaming PCs, but one thing that you probably wouldn’t think of is a small stature. Still, MSI’s MPG Trident X manages to deliver a beastly gaming PC that wouldn’t look out of place next to an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. Except, of course, this one has RGB lighting.This thin gaming PC weighs under 15 pounds and is only 5.1-inches wide, but it still manages to pack in a 10-core Intel Core i9-10900KF processor with 32GB of RAM and an Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics processor. The combination will handle 1440p gaming with aplomb. What’s extra impressive is that, on top of a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD, MSI saw fit to squeeze in a 2TB hard drive as well.
8. HP Omen Desktop 25L
It’s Just a Tower Gaming PC
CPU: Intel Core i7-10700F GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 (6GB GDDR6 VRAM) RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2,666MHz) Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD, 1TB HDD (7,200RPM) Weight: 25.26 pounds Size: 17.05″ x 15.53″ x 6.5″
If you’re thinking I just want a regular mid-tower after looking through mini-PCs, cube PCs, and a desktop that’s basically a triangle, the Omen Desktop 25L is the system for you. It’s about as normal as gaming PC get from the major brands, but it still incorporates a few tricks like the two top panels that open to reveal hot-swappable hard drive bays.The system is pretty well loaded with an Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics. Users can configure their system with up to an Intel Core i9-10900K processor and Nvidia RTX 2060 Super, though we think the above configuration will suit many gamers. A big perk of this desktop’s simplicity is that it’s also easy to upgrade no exotic motherboard or case designs making it incredibly hard to find upgrade components that will fit.
9. Origin PC Big O
The Most Customizable Gaming PC
CPU: Intel Core i9-10900K GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti (11GB GDDR6 VRAM) RAM: 64GB DDR4 (3,000MHz) Storage: 2TB NVMe SSD Weight: 15.66 pounds Size: 15.66″ x 10.86″ x 13.81″ (W x D x H)
The Origin PC Big O is the most customizable gaming PC we’ve come across on the Internet. From the outside it might seem like any other PC you would build-in Corsair’s Micro ATX case and that’s exactly what you want in a prebuilt system. As for the internal configuration, you can customize each piece from the processor, graphics card, memory, and storage capacity, and even which console you would like.Yup, that’s right you can configure this unit to come with either a PS4 Pro or Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Of course, these consoles aren’t just stuffed into a PC box, rather Origin has disassembled the innards of each gaming box and fitted them inside each Big O. This way you get the best of both gaming worlds in one device.
Best of all you can also upgrade the storage on your console of choice with an up to 2TB SSD. You can even add liquid cooling for both your computer and console parts, as well as throw in a built-in capture card.
Where to Get the Best Gaming PC in the UK
Getting your gaming PC prebuilt can save a lot of time and hassle for you, and this is still the case no matter where you are in the world. We’ve cheated a little bit with this, as plenty of the options on our list are available to purchase and shipped to the UK. Newegg, for example, will ship several brilliant pre-builds, all the way from the US to the UK. Costs for shipping, and the PCs in general, are low, so you shouldn’t have any worries going forward.What to Look For in a Gaming PC
Below I go over the basic specifications you should prioritize when buying a gaming PC and how to get the most of your purchase of a prebuilt rig. I also explain a few alternative options you might find of interest as well.Prebuilts are the most surefire way of getting into gaming and arguably the most cost-effective hardware you can buy. When buying a system, youre not only getting the hardware inside but time savings of having to track down the best processor to best RAM for your system and putting it all together yourself and praying it actually boots up correctly.
That said, just like building your own PC you want to make sure youre spending your money where its needed most. Firstly, you should prioritize youre getting the graphics card you need for the gaming monitor or the 4K TV youre gaming on. Theres no need for anything better than an Nvidia GTX 1660 if youre just playing games on a 1080p display.
Likewise, you should only need an Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5 processor with at least four cores to play most modern games comfortably at any resolution.
System memory and solid-state drives can be the biggest money sink for any system. Those comfortable with upgrading their system after it arrives should choose a configuration with the smallest storage and RAM capacities possible, as buying these components yourself can often be more cost-effective.
If that last suggestion resonates with you, perhaps a barebones system is what you seek. Barebones PCs can be much cheaper since they come with all the major hardwaresuch as the CPU, GPU, and power supplyinstalled, but they usually lack storage, memory and an operating system as a trade-off.
Lastly, if you want more control over what exactly is going into your build, go with a boutique PC builder. Origin, Maingear, DigitalStorm, Falcon Northwest, PC Specialist, and many more companies offer excellent PC building services that let you pick exactly which components go into your gaming PC. From there, they build your system with the sort of cable management some can only dream of while ensuring it all works properly out of the box.
In case this all sounds a little overwhelming to you, NZXT rolled out its own PC building service called BLD. Instead of picking every part that will go into your PC, you chose the games youll actually play and the service gives you several configuration options that will be able to run the games for a smooth experience.
Similarly, iBuyPower offers an Easy Builder service that operates in very much the same fashion. Users can select games that they play from a small pool that includes Fortnite, GTA V, Apex Legends, WoW, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Battlefield V. From there, users can select whether they play at a 1080p or 1440p resolution, as well as their budget and the system, will spit back a few configurations to choose from.
Beyond choosing the components you need, prebuilt PC’s come with several features and pieces of software you might find convenient. Many gaming PCs in this category come with some sort of overclocking support and even a one-click button to boost your system’s performance. Of course, it’s easy enough to download a piece of overclocking software like MSI Afterburner or EVGA Precision X. Additionally, your machine may come with system monitoring software that makes downloading and updating drivers a breeze.
Life after purchase
Another important thing you’ll want to keep in mind when buying a prebuilt desktop is how easy is it to upgrade down the line.Most PC manufacturers have figured out users absolutely hate proprietary parts. While you might still find no-name motherboards installed into the hearth of your PC, they should all at least fall in line with the standard size and layout of Mini ITX or Micro ATX motherboards. The best gaming PCs should allow you to easily swap out the CPU, GPU, RAM, and storage on your system with just a few simple tools or just a screwdriver.
Better yet, systems that tout tool-less upgradability don’t require you to undo screws or anything to replace any of the major components. One of the things you’ll likely find on most modern chassis are thumbscrews, which can be removed after a few quick twists with your fingers rather than a screwdriver. Additionally, tool-less SSD and hard drive caddies make expanding and replacing your storage just a little bit easier.
For more deals on games, tech, and lots of other cool stuff, check out our best Black Friday deals coverage, which includes deals on items for last and current-gen consoles like the PS4 and PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch that are live now through the end of Cyber Monday.
Kevin Lee is IGN’s Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspamMark Knapp is a regular contributor to IGN and an irregular Tweeter on Twitter @Techn0Mark
https://www.ign.com/articles/where-to-preorder-xbox-series-x-and-xbox-series-s