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Nov 03, 2024

The best gaming PC 2024: Take the pre-built route to greatness | GamesRadar+

The best gaming PCs in 2024 are going to be outrageous When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. The best gaming PCs are about to become a

The best gaming PCs in 2024 are going to be outrageous

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

The best gaming PCs are about to become a lot more affordable, thanks to Black Friday. This tends to be the best time of the year to go shopping for PCs, and it's when we see the best value throughout the year. We've been testing and monitoring prebuilt gaming PCs for years, and we're very excited to see what kind of power you can get for less cash in the next month or so.

Whether you're looking for the latest and greatest Alienware gaming PC, or you're a seasoned pro looking for something to modify as you go, we'd just recommend that you think about futureproofing if you invest a large sum in a gaming PC. There are loads of viable GPUs and CPUs out there just now, and there's never been so many options for DDR5-compatible parts. More than that, PCIe Gen 5 SSDs are emerging, and while you might not need their lighting-quick speeds just yet, it might be worth thinking about compatibility if you don't want to buy again further down the line.

Just keep in mind that the latest graphics cards still aren't the cheapest to buy separately, so getting them in a prebuilt gaming PC can actually be surprisingly good value. Of course, there is the option to assemble newer components and build your own gaming PC from scratch. While there are definitely benefits to doing this, we'd recommend a prebuilt rig for folks who don't have the time and know-how to build. If you're looking for your first rig, a prebuild can definitely save you a lot of bother.

Best overall

Best overall

The Maingear Zero Ruby is the best gaming PC we've tested because it manages to blend powerful specs, price, and a great customer experience.

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Best lower-end

Best lower-end

The HP Omen 25L is a great way to get into PC gaming. It's a slightly smaller ATX build that houses affordable but strong components. It doesn't look bad either!

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Best budget

Best budget

iBUYPOWER gaming PCs are second-to-none in terms of getting you excellent builds for the least coin. The Element CL Pro is our current favorite, and even manages to squeeze custom liquid cooling into its cheaper price point.

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Best mid-range

Best mid-range

The HP Omen 30L takes everything we love about the 25L version and cranks it up to pure mid-range 1440p power. If you're looking for a step up, this is it.

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Best SFF

The best small form factor

The Origin Chronos V3 is a new-gen behemoth stuffed inside a mini-ITX case. If you want a gaming PC with a smaller footprint, this is what you should choose.

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Best Alienware

Best Alienware

The Alienware Aurora R15 is the best machine from Alienware that we've tested. It offers extreme futureproofing, and if you like the brand, this isn't to be missed.

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Best 13th gen

Best 13th Gen

The refreshed Acer Predator Orion 7000 is the beefiest modern build we've had our hands on. It isn't without flaws, but it's a monster of a gaming PC.

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Best for upgrading

Best for upgrading

CyberPowerPC is another one of our top-budget brands, and the Gamer Xtreme is an amazing platform to build on if you want to upgrade to new components later.

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Best handheld

Best handheldAsus' debut handheld PC is a portable powerhouse that trumps the Steam Deck on performance, but it's pretty pricey.Read more below

I've been interested in gaming PCs since around 2019, and since I arrived here at GamesRadar+ as hardware editor, I've become the team's resident computer nerd. I won't lie, I found it tricky getting into this subset of technology because everything uses confusing naming conventions and it all costs way too much money. That's why I try to make my recommendations and explanations as easy to understand as possible, and my mission statement is to find you the best value for money in an expensive world.

Our expert review:

Prebuilt gaming PCs don't often appeal to veteran players, and that's mainly because they make upgrading difficult, and because they traditionally used to come with loads of bloatware and pre-installed nonsense. Maingear has been around for a while now, and it bucks those grating trends of the PC world. The Maingear Zero range is a collection of beautifully assembled configurations that are worth every penny of their asking prices thanks to great cooling, solid customer service, and a lot of gaming power.

The "Zero" in this PCs name comes from its motherboard, which was one of the first to features motherboard connecting pins on the back instead of the front. The result is an incredibly clean build that shows very view cables protruding where pristine components should be. There's a wide range of Zero PCs on offer from Maingear, but the version we tested, the Ruby, takes some beefy mid-range specs, and prices them pretty affordably. The RTX 4070 Super powers things here, with a Ryzen 7 7800X3D thrown in for good measure. The liquid cooling is a standout, and something this brand is known for.

If you want the absolute last word in 4K power, you'll probably be better off climbing up the price scale in the Zero range, but the 4070 Super is capable of great things at 1440p and 4K, so much so that I was able to play all of our benchmarking games at the highest resolution, achieving at least 60fps after playing around with a few settings.

In content creation, this PC also proved its worth, with the X3D cache tech from AMD proving very efficient in video editing. I also loved that Maingear didn't try to cut corners like a lot of PC brands by throwing in a less-than-ideal SSD in order to cut costs. The T-Force drive in this machine was as good as any of the top gen 4 drives I've benchmarked, and that's a real show of quality from this brand's builders.

Finally, the lack of any bloat or preinstalled nonsense was such a delight. This is a near perfect-prebuilt PC that will last you well into the future.

HP Omen 25L | RTX 3060 | Intel Core i5-13400F at Best BuyCurrently reduced to $949.99, this HP Omen 25L has everything you need to experience 1080p and 1440P in the latest games without breaking a sweat. As far as budget builds go, you're benefitting from the manufacturer's build quality, and you get some excellent storage for your money here too.Comes with 1-month of Xbox Game Pass

The HP Omen 25L line is the most accessible price-wise of the entire Omen division, which currently features support for the latest Intel 12th gen and Ryzen 5000 CPUs. At around the $1,200 mark, and below, you can expect high performance for both 1080p and 1440p all built inside a sleek chassis. What's more, the HP Omen 25L is easy to upgrade making it easy to swap out parts, such as graphics cards and RAM in the near future.

The one negative that has circulated around the HP Omen 25L, and likely implemented as a cost-saving measure, are small issues with airflow due to the chassis' small size. This could be down to the fact that the Omen 25L lacks the same front intake fan of the larger Omen 30L. If you're aiming for modest components here then thermal throttling is unlikely to be a problem, but it's something to keep in mind all the same.

Our expert review:

iBUYPOWER is one of the best names in the biz for creating affordable gaming PCs without losing an ounce of quality in terms of components. The iBUYPOWER Element CL Pro deftly handles one of the more difficult challenges in the creation of the best gaming PCs: custom liquid-cooling. Normally reserved for only the priciest machines due to expensive shipping costs, the Element CL Pro offers a gorgeous, custom loop liquid-cooled rig at a reasonable price - you can get this beauty for less than $2K.

If you're looking for a pre-built, custom liquid-cooled desktop PC, you'd be hard-pressed to find anything better at the price point

The Element CL Pro is a step above the previous Element CL Plus models because it can now support RTX 3070 cards, and the numbers it churns out prove it handles 4K gaming well. It can't quite hit 4K 60fps for Metro Exodus, but it can easily reach that with Red Dead Redemption 2 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider on the highest graphical settings. The rig reaches 60fps across multiple games at lower resolutions (1440p and 1080p). Simply put - it produces excellent and consistently amazing gameplay.

If you're someone who loves to tinker with your PCs, the Element CL Pro offers incredibly easy access for upgrades and maintenance. An all-glass side panel lets you get to the GPU and CPU with ease and refilling the liquid cooling system is a breeze as it's located outside of the system so there's no need to worry about accidental spillage. The iBUYPOWER Element CL Pro is a gorgeous machine that offers excellent performance at a price that won't hurt your wallet.

Our expert review:

Our favorite configuration:

HP Omen 30L | AMD Radeon RX 6600XT | AMD Ryzen 5 5600G at AmazonA lovely, and affordable last-gen AMD build here. 32GB of DDR4 is hardly going to be an issue for you, especially when you get a combined 3TB of storage to use. The 6600 XT is a fairly entry-level GPU, but it's more than capable of riding you over until you can afford a more up-to-date model.

If you’re not out to build your own PC (or you’ve had no luck with the current GPU market) but still want a powerhouse desktop for some next-gen gaming, check out HP’s Omen 30L line. Custom-built inside a slick Omen chassis, this PC offers a larger platform than the 25L (also on this list) to harness some larger components.

It’s hard to deny that this is an exceptional pre-built gaming system

The HP Omen 30L we’ve reviewed came with some slick, understated RGB lighting, as well as a 10th-gen Intel processor and RTX 2080 Super GPU. This version cost $1,999 (with a year’s warranty included), but pricier models are available with RTX 3000-series cards (though be prepared for all kinds of stock fluctuation given it is the year 2023). The case has two tempered glass panels to showcase your system, with easy access for adjustments and excellent ventilation to prevent overheating.

While the interior isn’t the tidiest we’ve seen amongst the best gaming PCs, the performance speaks for itself. The RTX 2080 Super GPU is still a beast at 1440p and respectable in 4K, too, with its liquid-cooled processor never getting too hot even playing the most demanding titles. HP has proven that it is taking pre-built machines seriously, so the Omen 30L gets a thumbs up from us.

Our expert review:

The Origin Chronos V3 is undeniably expensive, but it packs an RTX 4080 and Intel Core i9 CPU into a console-sized case. That means it's perfect for keeping in your living room or karting off to LAN events, and it's dinky design doesn't compromise gaming PC performance.

We put the Chronos V3 through our usual PC benchmark tests, and found that it can rip through demanding games at 4K with max settings enabled. Better still, it can pull of extraordinary frame rates thanks to Nvidia DLSS 3, and we even managed to achieve well over 100fps in Cyberpunk 2077 with everything cranked up high (although we didn't go anywhere near Psycho mode).

The downside to the Chronos V3 is naturally related to its size, as there's not much room inside that Corsair 2000D case. That might be an issue down the line when you decide to upgrade, especially if graphics cards grow larger than they currently are right now. However, it'll probably be a while before you have to swap out the premium components in this PC, as it's also rocking up to 64GB DDR5 RAM and pretty of storage.

You don't have to opt for the build featured in our review, as you can customise your own Chronos V3 rig to suit your specific needs. Just keep in mind that if you are looking for a budget build, there are cheaper options than this out there with roomier cases.

Our expert review:

The Alienware Aurora R15 is an out-of-this-world powerhouse PC with exceptional gaming capabilities, and it builds upon what made the R13 and R14 so great. While it’s not a perfect system, and Dell’s dedication to using proprietary parts persists, the company’s rig is both reliable and sets itself apart with unique aesthetics. If you’re not into odd-looking PC cases, this system might not be for you, but you’ll want to read on if you’re looking for an eccentric boutique build.

Armed with a monstrous RTX 4090, an Intel Core i9-13600K, and 32GB DDR5 RAM, the Alienware Aurora R15 we reviewed didn't remotely skimp on specs. During benchmarking, the rig made short work of demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Total War: Warhammer 3, and it consistently rolled natural 20s while powering numerous Baldur’s Gate 3 settings. We’re taking frame rates that are consistently within the realm of triple digits, and even ray tracing can’t thwart this cosmic system’s ability to boost fps.

As much as we loved the R15’s cutting-edge performance, there are a few quirks to consider before investing in this interstellar system. For starters, its shell won’t be for everyone, as it uses a lot of plastic to give it an unconventional look. As a result, you’ll sometimes hear some weird noises occur as temperatures rise and drop, which is eerie if you’re expecting standard fan acoustics.

However, one of the R15’s biggest pitfalls is upgradability, as its motherboard isn’t standard. In fact, like a lot of ITX (small form factor) motherboards, it only features two DIMM slots, so your options are limited when it comes to RAM. There’s also not much room to work with inside the case, as Dell has carefully positioned its liquid cooling system amongst other tight-fitting parts. That aside, if you’re more likely to just buy an entirely different rig in the future rather than tinker with one, then the R15 will offer incredible performance long into the future.

Read more: Alienware Aurora R15 review

Our expert review:

Our favorite configuration:

Acer Predator Orion 7000 | Intel Core i7-12700F | RTX 3080While not quite as tanked out as our review unit, this Acer Predator Orion 7000 configuration marries up price and power at $1,949.99, with specs that are ready for the future. This machine is utilizing 16GB DDR5 RAM so it will be technologically relevant for years to come. Features: Intel Core i7-12700K, RTX 3080, 32GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD + 2TB HDD.

The Acer Predator Orion 7000 has been one of the top dogs of the prebuilt gaming PC market for a while now. With the Orion 7000 of 2022 releasing just before the launch of new-gen CPUs, GPUs, and more widespread adoption of DDR5 RAM, Acer made the wise decision to refresh its flagship gaming PC with a new motherboard that could handle the power of these 13th Gen Intel processors.

Now fully compatible with 13th Gen CPUs, DDR5, and wielding the Lovelace power of Nvidia's RTX 40 series, Acer has futureproofed its flagship's innards for the new generation.

There's barely any game you could throw at the refreshed Acer Predator Orion 7000 that it won't crunch up and spit out with ease.

The version we tested was crammed full of power, housing an unlocked 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900KF CPU and an RTX 4090. Although that rig, in particular, is pricey, and probably one of the most powerful gaming PCs you can get your hands on at the moment, the Predator Orion 7000 can be found in more configurations than ever before, and we're sure as time goes on we'll begin to see a wider spread of builds up and down the price range.

Should you buy one of the priciest big-name pre-built gaming PCs on the market? On paper, and when it comes to in-game performances, the answer's a pretty simple yes. There's barely any game you could throw at the refreshed Acer Predator Orion 7000 that it won't crunch up and spit out with ease. If you have the money for it, this is a cracking PC to play games on.

Having said that, if you're going to buy this monster of a gaming PC, I would strongly, strongly urge you to take a look at the best PC headset for gaming, because by golly are you going to need it. The fans in this rig seem louder than they've ever been, and in all honesty, don't do a great job of keeping the components cool. 13th Gen CPUs are known to run hot, but no one should have to suffer this much noise pollution for temperatures that are still this high.

Finally, I'm a bit baffled by the fact that these newly refreshed motherboards don't have any XMP compatibility. Either way, as simple plug-and-play gaming PCs go, this is one of the very best you'll find.

Our favorite configuration:

CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme | RTX 4060 Ti | Intel Core i7-14700FFor the very up-to-date components in this build, the money you pay is pretty fantastic. This is a 4060 Ti build that's very capable thanks to its 16GB of DDR5 and a 14th Gen i7 processor. You won't need to upgrade anything here for a long time to come.

The CyberPower Gamer Xtreme is a great PC to attack the latest games with. CyberPowerPC is another one of our favorite budget brands in the gaming PC space, and when it comes to Black Friday and Prime Day, it's one of the first of our go-to deals-prone ones.

The company has a plethora of great configurations these days, but we especially love the Gamer Xtreme in terms of value. It can now come with DDR5 and up to an Intel Core i7 out of the box. This is great futureproofing, although the highest GPU you'll get is an RTX 3060 Ti. While that might create a few bottlenecks, it's a fantastic springboard for upgrading and servicing later on. With the RTX 4060 now out on the shelves, there's room for upgrading inside. Even so, you're getting the most annoying components you'd need in this PC out of the box. A new mobo, processor and DDR5 can be a real pain to acquire and install, but no need for those here. Upgrading a GPU is as easy as pie.

The Xtreme is also great for anyone looking for a PC to match the capabilities of consoles and something that will complement a PS4/Xbox One or PS5/XSX setup. And the Gamer Xtreme is also modular and upgradeable enough to allow you to quickly adapt when specs for when you need to allow for solid upgradeability and future proof-ness. Again, all without breaking the bank.

Our expert review:

The Asus ROG Ally is one of the best gaming handheld options out there for PC players, and while we love the Steam Deck, this rival packs more of a punch. Not only can it run more games since its a Windows 11 device, but its surprisingly capable at 1080p.

Equipped with a 7-inch 120Hz 1080p display, the ROG Ally provides visuals above and beyond the handheld norm. For context, the Steam Deck's built in display sticks to a lower 800p resolution, and the Nintendo Switch is still rocking a 720p screen (albeit an OLED one). Just like its rivals, it's kitted out with integrated controls, but you can also connect it to the best Steam Deck dock and turn it into a mini low spec desktop rig.

The ROG Ally doesn't look drastically different from other handheld PCs out there, but it certainly looks like an Asus product. Its white shell and RGB accents underneath its thumb sticks stand out compared to Valve's subtle handheld, not to mention its screen is 16:9 rather than 16:10. It's definitely a great looking handheld, and it's pretty comfortable to hold too thanks to its ergonomic shape and weight distribution.

Admittedly, the ROG Ally isn't the fastest handheld PC in the west, as that accolade currently belongs to the more expensive Ayaneo 2S. However, it's still a mean machine, and can run games like Cyberpunk 2077 at 60fps when using the same resolution and settings as the Steam Deck. If you fancy it, you can dial things up to 1080p to take advantage of the handheld's screen, but it fully depends on whether you prefer higher fps or fidelity.

Ultimately, the Asus ROG Ally is a portable for players looking for a proper on the go PC experience. That comes with some caveats, as Windows is less optimised for portable play than SteamOS. Nevertheless, if you want all the functionality of your rig within your palms, you'll want to consider this heroic handheld.

Read more: Asus ROG Ally review

A couple of years ago this question would have been far more straightforward to answer, as, before the pandemic hit, it was always cheaper to build with individual components than opt for a prebuilt. Nowadays it really depends on what PC you're looking to build. There's great value to be had in cheaper components at the moment, and it's possible to build an RTX gaming PC for under a grand. But in the higher-end, prices can skyrocket when you try to assemble the best components. It can save you a lot of fuss, and a lot of money to buy a prebuild.

Despite the fact that a gaming PC will cost you substantially more than the likes of an Xbox Series X and PS5, at least in the majority of cases, we think that the initial investment is justified by the expanse of what the platform offers over consoles. For example, PCs can be futureproofed a lot easier, since you can change out components if and when you need to. You have way more control over what your gaming hardware can do and how it can run games, you also have far more options regarding backwards compatibility, for far more expansive digital libraries. Perhaps the biggest advantage of a gaming PC is that it can used in a myriad more ways than a typical games console can for work, media production, coding, home server, etc.

While there are many gaming PC brands that certainly deserve your attention, we typically view the prebuilt market in two distinct categories - boutique built (ABS, Skytech, iBuyPower, etc.) and manufacturer made (Alienware, HP, Corsair, etc.). If you want something sleek that benefits from a manufacturer's guarantee and extended warranty then the latter is going to be preferable for you, however, should you want minimal bloatware and consumer-level components inside (instead of proprietary parts) then the former is the way to go.

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

While we've outlined how we test gaming PCs in our full hardware policy, it's worth giving the rundown here, too. We treat each gaming PC both as the sum of its parts and the unit together. This means that we're analyzing specific components, such as the speed of the processor, the prowess of the graphics card, the effectiveness of the RAM, and the sequential performance of the storage drives.

Any gaming PC that we have in for the review period generally replaces that of our daily driver unit, meaning that we test them thoroughly, sure, but also use them as PC gamers ourselves. This means that benchmarking is conducted as are regular play sessions, meaning you get a thorough, but also a faithful write-up of models we've had personal experience with.

Make the most of the best gaming PCs with the best gaming keyboards, best gaming mouse, and best gaming monitors.

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Ever since playing Journey at the age of 15, I’ve been desperate to cover video games for a living. After graduating from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in Journalism, I contributed to the Scottish Games Network and completed an Editorial Internship over at Expert Reviews. Besides that, I’ve been managing my own YouTube channel and Podcast for the last 7 years. It’s been a long road, but all that experience somehow landed me a dream job covering gaming hardware. I’m a self-confessing PlayStation fanboy, but my experience covering the larger business and developer side of the whole industry has given me a strong knowledge of all platforms. When I’m not testing out every peripheral I can get my hands on, I’m probably either playing tennis or dissecting game design for an upcoming video essay. Now, I better stop myself here before I get talking about my favourite games like HUNT: Showdown, Dishonored, and Towerfall Ascension.Location: UK Remote

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