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Finding the right parts for your new PC build at a reasonable price can prove to be difficult even today due to ongoing supply issues. Buying the best graphics card, for instance, is almost impossible. Even if you manage to find one in stock, it's probably going to cost you a ludicrous amount of money. This is why we recommend buying pre-built computers in many of our build guides. Buying a pre-built gaming PC will save you a lot of hassle trying to find components at a reasonable price. And in this article, we take a look at some of the best gaming PCs you can buy.
Best gaming desktop PC: HP Omen 40L
A lot of manufacturers have managed to bring compelling value-for-money builds to the market. We've added plenty of budget builds to this particular list, but we think the HP Omen gaming desktop deserves a top spot in this collection. As such, it's our pick for the best overall gaming pre-built desktop on the market right now. This particular gaming desktop offers decent specs for an attractive price.
Starting off with the specifications, the HP Omen 30L gaming desktop is powered by up to an AMD Ryzen 9 5900X or Intel Core i9-12900KF processor. These may be from previous generations, but the Ryzen 5000 and 12th Gen Intel chips are excellent for gaming. Even selecting the most affordable configuration would prove to be a great tool for all your favorite PC games.
HP has paired these processors with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 for gaming, making it a pretty good rig for pushing even the newer titles out there. The more affordable builds come with an RTX 3060, which is still more than good enough for 1440p gaming. If you have a 4K monitor, you'll want to select the flagship NVIDIA GPU for the best visual experience.
Other important specs of the PC include up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM, up to 1TB HDD and SSD, support for wireless connectivity, and Windows 11 out of the box. The HP Omen 40L gaming desktop case is also among the best we've seen on the market. It's not as premium as the newer 45L PC case from HP, as it lacks the dedicated Cryo Chamber, but we think it's still spacious enough to house all the components. The case is also big enough to allow future upgrades, something that a lot of pre-built computers don't take into consideration.
All things considered, there's a lot to like about the HP Omen 40L gaming desktop. We think the PC is powerful enough to easily last you for a few years. It can handle even some of the most demanding games out there right now including Cyberpunk 2077, Halo Infinite, and more. We also like the overall design and the build quality of the Omen gaming desktop. It's got just the right amount of RGB bling with a clean internal layout. It offers solid specs for the price, and it'll save you the hassle of chasing individual parts for your build. And if you go through HP, you'll be able to customize it to your liking.
HP Omen 40L
With a bit more room to breathe, the Omen 40L is another powerful gaming PC, this one powered by up to an Intel Core i9-12900K, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, and 64GB of RAM (upgradeable).
Runner-up gaming desktop PC: MSI Infinite RS
MSI is also a popular brand when it comes to pre-built gaming PCs. In addition to PC components and gaming laptops, the brand has a lot of pre-built gaming desktops. We could have selected an ASUS ROG desktop but the MSI Infinite RS can be kitted out with the latest Intel CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs with our selected configuration rocking an Intel Core i7-13700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.
The Intel Core i7-13700KF is a monstrous processor with plenty of cores and threads that can boost to high frequencies, making it perfect for gaming even at 4K. Then there's the graphics card; the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the best GPU you can buy right now. It's so powerful, you can even crank your resolution up to 8K on a supported display and still enjoy your favorite games.
To go alongside these impressive components, MSI installed 32GB of DDR5 system memory and a 2TB NVMe SSD. The MSI Infinite RS also looks quite sophisticated with plenty of RGB bling and a striking design with sharp edges. It's definitely one of those cases that isn't shy of showing off its gaming aesthetic.
This particular PC case also looks smaller than a lot of other high-end PCs out there that use a full-tower case. This is among the best configurations available, so you can save a lot of money by downgrading the GPU and CPU.
MSI Infinite RS (13th-gen Intel, RTX 40 series)
The MSI Infinite RS packs top-tier Intel Core 13th-generation processors and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics, including a liquid-cooled variant of the GPU.
Best high-end gaming desktop PC: HP Omen 45L
If you're in the market to buy a high-end gaming PC and if you don't mind spending a good amount of money on it, then we recommend picking up the HP Omen 45L. This particular desktop is available in a bunch of different configurations, but we recommend the one that's powered by Intel's new 12th-gen Alder Lake CPU and an RTX 3080 graphics card. This is a fantastic desktop that has a lot of other things going for it.
In terms of the specs, the HP Omen 45L packs an Intel Core i7-12700K with a base frequency of 3.6GHz and a turbo boost frequency of 5.0GHz. For graphics, the HP Omen 45L packs an RTX 3080 GPU with 10GB of VRAM. It also has 16GB of DDR4-3733 MHz memory and a 500GB WD Black M.2 SSD, along with a secondary 1TB 7200RPM SATA HDD. One of the best things about this particular PC is that it comes with plenty of ports and expansion slots. It has Intel WiFi 6 AX 201 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity. HP has also used an 800W 80 Plus Gold certified ATX power supply for this particular PC.
When it comes to the design and build quality, HP is using a new full tower PC case that comes with what it calls the "Cryo Chamber." This unique cooling chamber houses the liquid cooler radiator. It pulls in fresh air from the surroundings as it is located away from the main internal chamber of the case. This gap between the cryo chamber and the main chassis can also be used as a handle to pick up the case.
The performance of the HP Omen 45L gaming desktop, as you'd expect, is top-notch. We tested a variant of this desktop with a Core i9-12900K and an RTX 3090 GPU, but we think the 12700K and the RTX 3080 combo is going to be just as impressive. Both the Core i7-12700K and the RTX 3080 are our top picks in the best CPU and the best GPU collections, respectively, so you can expect them to show impressive performance in gaming and other workloads.
The Omen logo on the front lights up along with the three RGB fans. There's also a light inside the case that can be configured to your liking. The case also has plenty of ports on the front panel, making it a great option. It's impressive in terms of both design and performance. You can learn more about it in our HP OMEN 45L Desktop review.
HP Omen 45L
The Omen by HP 45L gaming desktop is one of the best options out there with impressive performance, great cooling solution, and excellent design.
Best budget gaming desktop PC: CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR
If you'd prefer to buy a budget gaming PC, then we recommend checking out the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR. CyberPowerPC is a reliable brand in the computing space with a lot of different gaming PC configurations under its belt. In fact, we have a dedicated collection detailing the best CyberPowerPC gaming PCs in case you want to check out those options. However, this particular PC powerful enough to easily handle 1080p gaming with aplomb.
When it comes to specifications, the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR is powered by the Intel Core i5-12400F, which is known to be one of the more reliable options from Intel's 12th-gen lineup. The CPU is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, which is another solid budget offering and is powerful enough to handle 1080p gaming. Finally, 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 500GB PCIe NVMe SSD round out the specifications.
Even though the listing doesn't explicitly mention the PC case, CyberPowerPC appears to be using a Cooler Master PC case for this particular build. The case sports a tempered glass side panel and it has a ton of RGB lighting. We're looking at four RGB case fans in total — three of them are installed on the front, while a single exhaust fan is installed at the back. There's also a mesh front panel on the front which is good for airflow, while fan-based CPU cooler keeps things cool inside the chassis.
In terms of performance, we think the Core i5-12400F and the RTX 3050 combo should be enough to run even some of the modern titles out there. The 'F' suffix in the CPU name denotes that it doesn't have integrated graphics. That, however, shouldn't really be an issue considering the PC has a dedicated graphics card. Intel has also launched an upgraded version of this CPU, but the build involving one of the newer Alder Lake chips might cost you significantly more money.
Overall, there's a lot to like about this particular build from CyberPowerPC. You can't tweak or reconfigure the specs on Amazon, but you can head to CyberPowerPC to add or remove any of the components used in this build. It's also worth pointing out that you get a free keyboard and mouse with this PC, which means you won't have to spend more on those peripherals for your setup. The only thing we recommend adding is an additional HDD to be used as secondary storage.
CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR
The CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR Gaming PC offers a good set of specs and a well-built computer at an affordable price tag.
Best liquid-cooled gaming desktop PC: Thermaltake Reactor 380
While a lot of other gaming PCs mentioned in the collection are fitted with an AIO liquid cooler, we wanted to add a gaming PC with enough room for adding a sophisticated cooling solution. The Thermaltake Reactor 380 gaming PC perfectly fits the bill with a full tower chassis and clean internal layout.
In terms of specifications, the Thermaltake Reactor 380 tower is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card. It also packs 16GB DDR4 memory with 3600MHz memory speeds, and a Seagate FireCuda 520 NVMe SSD 1TB for storage. One thing that we'd like to point out about this particular build is that it's using a B550 Mini-ITX motherboard. While it can handle the Ryzen 7 5800X CPU, it's not particularly suitable for overclocking. The Mini-ITX form factor may also limit the kind of components you can install on the PC in the future.
We recommend picking up a full-tower chassis like this for those who want to upgrade their components; specifically, the cooling system. The chassis offers plenty of room for more sophisticated cooling solutions. The Reactor case is perfectly capable of accommodating a custom loop, too. That, however, might not be necessary for the kind of specs it comes with. Some other noteworthy features of this particular gaming PC include a vertical GPU mount, wireless connectivity, and more.
Thermaltake is also selling a slightly more affordable version of this build with a Ryzen 5 5600X CPU instead of the 5800X. It trades the RTX 3080 for an RTX 3070 GPU, which we think is a good pair for the 5600X over the RTX 3080. Both PCs are powerful enough to run even the most demanding titles out without any issues. It also goes without saying that building a custom PC yourself will cost significantly more money given how expensive the GPUs are right now. And since it's a desktop PC, you can also upgrade the components at any time in the future. It's not an immediate requirement, but we recommend upgrading the motherboard of this particular PC before looking at other potential upgrades.
Overall, we think the Thermaltake Reactor 380 is a fantastic gaming tower. It packs some of the most powerful components you can find (or maybe not) on the market right now. The Ryzen 7 5800X and the RTX 3080 combo is also plenty to handle even the most demanding task including creative workloads applications. The Thermaltake Reactor 380 is available in both black and white color options, so be sure to pick the one that suits your overall setup.
Thermaltake Reactor 380 Gaming PC
The Thermaltake Reactor 380 gaming PC features a full tower case that offers plenty of room for a liquid cooling setup.
Best compact gaming desktop PC: Corsair One i300
The Corsair One has been one of the most reliable compact gaming PCs on the market for quite some time now and the company has done a pretty good job of keeping these PCs updated with new internals. The Corsair One is available in a bunch of different configurations, but we recommend the Corsair One i300 for this particular list. It's our pick for the best compact gaming PCs you can buy on the market right now.
When it comes to the specifications, the Corsair One is powered by an Intel Core i9-12900K CPU which is the top-of-the-line chipset from Intel's 12th-gen family. It's a powerful chip that demands a lot of thermal headroom, but Corsair is pretty confident about keeping the thermals in check. For graphics, the Corsair One i300 packs an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card, which is one of the most powerful GPUs from that generation of NVIDIA cards.
The Core i9-12900K and the RTX 3080 GPU combo should be enough to offer plenty of performance, be it for gaming or other creative workloads. According to Corsair, both CPU and GPU use independent liquid cooling solutions, and the hot air is pumped out of a single 140mm maglev fan. Other specifications of this particular PC include 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 memory, a 2TB NVME SSD, and more. The case also offers other noteworthy features including wireless connectivity, RGB lights, and more.
The case has plenty of ports at the back as well as on the front. This includes both the ports at the back that come with the motherboard and a short selection of front panel ports. It's worth pointing out that a small-sized PC case like this doesn't leave much room for future improvements, so keep that in mind. Accessing the internal components itself can be a little bit of a pain, let alone upgrading them.
Overall, the Corsair One is one of the most powerful compact gaming PCs you'll find on the market right now. It's a little on the expensive side, but you're essentially paying a premium price for the sophisticated hardware and build quality of this particular PC. It's a sleek and potent machine that's designed to deliver the best performance without taking up too much space on your desk. If that's not necessarily a concern then feel free to look at other options mentioned in this collection. Alternatively, you can also step down to a relatively more affordable version of this PC, but you'll obviously be giving up on the high-end specifications too. There aren't too many reliable compact gaming PCs on the market, so this might just be one of the best options for you if you're working with limited space.
Corsair One i300
The Corsair One i300 is powered by up to an Intel Core i9 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics. If you're wanting to save desk space, this is the compact pre-built PC to get.
What's the best pre-built gaming desktop PC?
Buying a prebuilt computer not only saves you the effort of chasing PC parts on the market, but it also relieves you of the hassle of putting it together. And there are plenty of great options out there when it comes to reliable prebuilt gaming PCs. We think both the HP Omen 40L gaming desktop and MSI Infinite RS are two of the best gaming PCs you can buy right now. Those who are looking at budget options can consider checking out the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme PC. Additionally, we've added a couple of high-end enthusiast builds to the collection if you don't mind splurging.
If you're building a new setup from scratch, then be sure to check out some of our collections including the best monitors, best webcams, and more, too. As always you can also join our XDA Computing Forums to discuss your build or get more product recommendations from gaming PC.
