What is the best gaming PC? That depends on your needs and budget. Maybe you're after a system that spares no expense to deliver the ultimate gaming experience, or perhaps you're on an ultra-tight budget and just want to achieve playable frame rates in your favorite esports games. Whether you find yourself at either of these extremes or somewhere in between, we've got a gaming PC recommendation for you.
The best gaming PC is the Acer Predator Orion 5000, which packs in an Nvidia RTX 4070 Super while costing just $1,500 at the time we reviewed it. Meanwhile, the best small form factor PC is the Corsair One i500 and, if you're on a tighter budget, our best budget gaming PC choice is the Cyberpower Esports Essential. For more options at a range of prices, check out the list below, and don't miss the Also tested section that includes PCs we've reviewed that didn't quite make our top choices. Meanwhile, if you need more guidance on how to pick your perfect PC, see the how to choose section of this guide, along with the FAQ that answers all your gaming PC questions.
Acer Predator Orion 5000
Best gaming PC overall
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| CPU | Intel Core i7 14700F |
| GPU / graphics card | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Super |
| Motherboard | Acer micro-ATX B760 |
| RAM | 32GB (2 x 16GB) 4,500MHz DDR5 |
| Storage | 1TB SK Hynix PCIe 4.0 SSD |
| Power supply | 800W LiteOn 80 Plus Gold |
- Decent value for money
- Solid 1440p gaming performance
- Fantastic 1080p gaming pace
- Basic motherboard
- Slow DDR5 memory
- RGB customization could be better
The Acer Predator Orion 5000 is a great gaming PC simply because it offers a top-tier balance of components for very competitive prices. Other systems might look slicker and offer other extra features but the Orion 5000 does the basics - while still having plenty of RGB - for a great price.
Its 20-core Intel Core i7 14700F CPU is great for both gaming and content creation, as is its 32GB allocation of DDR5 RAM, and its Nvidia RTX 4070 Super graphics card raced through our gaming benchmark suite. This is an ideal balance of components for a gaming PC right now, even if it doesn't include our best gaming CPU choice, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D.
Even without any help from DLSS, we had this machine running Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p with the Ultra ray tracing preset at 71fps, and this nearly doubles to 114fps with DLSS 3 frame generation enabled. It can even average 72fps at 1440p in this game with these settings, and it happily played F1 2023 at Ultra High settings at 75fps at 1440p too, and 102fps at 1080p. See the how we test section of this guide to learn what settings and games we use for testing gaming PCs.
That's a decent amount of gaming power for this machine's usual $1,749.99 asking price, but this gaming rig can also often be found on offer for just $1,499.99, which is a great price for the spec on offer. There is some evidence of corner-cutting on some aspects of this PC, such as the basic micro-ATX motherboard, comparatively slow DDR5 RAM, and blower cooler on the GPU, but this is otherwise a solid mid-range gaming system for a reasonable price, particularly if you can find it on offer.
Read our Acer Predator Orion 5000 review.
Cyberpower Esports Essential
Best 1080p gaming PC
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| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 8700F |
| GPU / graphics card | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 |
| Motherboard | Gigabyte B850 Gaming WiFi 6 |
| RAM | Up to 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5 6,000MHz |
| Storage | 1TB M.2 SSD |
| Power supply | 600W 80 Plus Gold |
| Case | CyberPower PC-branded Phanteks NV5s |
| Warranty | Two-year limited hardware |
- Decent price and performance
- Load of upgrade potential
- Stylish case and build
- Default config only has 1 x 16GB stick of RAM
Cyberpower PC offers a huge range of gaming PC options, from budget to high-end. The Esports Essential, though, does exactly what it suggests, offering good mid-range performance targeted at those wanting reliably fast frame rates at 1080p.
With its Nvidia RTX 4060 and eight-core AMD Ryzen 8000 CPU, this PC has a really solid foundation for performance. Its CPU provides enough speed for all sorts of tasks and can be upgraded to the best gaming CPU around, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, at a later date.
Likewise, the GPU here provides largely up-to-date Nvidia features such as DLSS 3 frame generation support and thanks to the use of a large, standard-size case, it's easy to upgrade. Just note that the 600W power supply won't support really high-end graphics cards but is ample for a model such as the RTX 5070.
All this and this PC looks amazing in its Cyberpower-branded Phanteks NV5s case. Its double glass panels give you an amazing view inside and you've plenty of RGB fans to light it all up. For just over $1,100 it's a great buy.
Alienware Aurora
Best mid-range gaming PC
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| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF |
| GPU / graphics card | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti |
| Motherboard | Alienware 01CVX5 Intel Z890 |
| RAM | 32GB (2 x 16GB) Kingston Fury 6,400MT/s 44-40-40-80 |
| Storage | 1TB Micron OEM M.2 2230 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD |
| Power Supply | Alienware 1,000W 80 Plus Platinum |
| Case | HP Omen 40L |
| Warranty | One-year parts and labor |
| Dimensions | 7.75 x 18.05 x 16.46 inches / 197 x 458.4 x 418mm |
| Weight | 33.89lb / 15.37kg |
- Superb GPU performance
- Great-looking RGB lighting
- Small desktop footprint
- Easy-access interior
- Not much storage space
- Needs a better CPU
- Messy internal build
The latest Alienware Aurora gaming PC has a lot to like about it, with a great case design that looks fantastic, keeps the system cool, and yet is surprisingly compact too. It's also impressively quiet even under full load.
The $2,349.99 configuration we tested was powered along by an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, which was ample for providing reliable 1440p gaming performance, with it able to stretch to 4K gaming in plenty of games too. This powerful GPU is backed by a plentiful 32GB of RAM too.
However, the CPU used here actually holds back performance a little. Dell (owner of Alienware) is currently partnering only with Intel for CPUs, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF used here was as much as 13% slower than when using the RTX 5070 Ti with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D. The meager 1TB of SSD storage is a bit weak for this price of machine too.
However, this is still a solid option for a gaming PC, with that CPU having far less of an effect on performance the higher you push your resolution and graphics settings (because then your GPU becomes the performance limiting factor) and still being very powerful for workloads aside from gaming.
What's more, Dell regularly offers discounts on its systems. It's reasonably fairly priced as it, but if you can spot a deal on this PC it's going to be a great buy.
Read our Alienware Aurora review for more details.
Corsair One i500
Best mini gaming PC
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| CPU | Intel Core i9 14900K |
| GPU / graphics card | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super or RTX 4090 |
| Motherboard | MSI B760M Mortar WiFi |
| RAM | 32GB (2 x 16GB) Corsair Vengeance 6,000MHz DDR5 |
| Storage | 2TB Samsung PM9A1 SSD |
| Power supply | 1,000W Corsair SF1000L |
| Warranty | Two years parts and labor return to base |
- Gorgeous looking and well-built
- Small footprint
- Superb gaming pace
- CPU can run hot under load
- Very high price
- Noisy fans during gaming
Corsair has outdone itself with the design of the super-compact One i500. With a footprint of just 187 x 300mm, it's gorgeous, with wooden panels flanked by strips of RGB lighting and superb build quality. There's a serious PC beneath this classy exterior too, with an Intel Core i9 14900K CPU and a choice of either an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super or RTX 4090 GPU. That's about as serious as you can get when it comes to specs, and Corsair has even managed to water-cool both the CPU and GPU inside this compact case.
This mini PC shows that there's no need to sacrifice gaming performance in your mission to cut down on desk space. We tested the RTX 4080 Super version, which happily ran Cyberpunk 2077 at 2,560 x 1,440 with the Ultra ray tracing preset at 106fps, thanks to some help from the frame-generation tech in Nvidia DLSS 3. You can even run F1 23 at 4K with Ultra High settings on this rig, which averaged 94fps in our tests.
There are a couple of caveats. The 120mm AIO cooler on the CPU doesn't have enough cooling power to enable the Core i9 14900K to hit its peak boost speeds, though it still runs quickly enough for gaming. It can also make quite a lot of fan noise when running games. Otherwise, this is a fantastic mini machine with amazing gaming performance under its wooden hood.
Read our Corsair One i500 review.
NZXT Streaming Pro PC
Best gaming PC for streaming
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| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| GPU / graphics card | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 |
| Motherboard | AMD B550 |
| RAM | 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4 3, 200MHz |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD |
| Power supply | NZXT C750 750W 80 Plus Bronze |
| Case | NZXT H510 Flow |
| Warranty | Two years |
- Brilliant for streaming
- Lots of good connection options
- Quite pricey
You don't need bleeding-edge specs to be a successful streamer, but it certainly helps. The NZXT Streaming Pro PC packs an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X with eight capable and powerful cores that make it one of the best gaming CPUs for playing games and running a stream simultaneously.
It also comes with one of the best graphics cards, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, allowing you to make use of features such as Nvidia DLSS, NVENC encoding, and Nvidia Broadcast to spruce up your stream.
MSI MEG Trident X2 14th
Best 4K gaming PC
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| CPU | Intel Core i9-14900KF |
| GPU / graphics card | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 (24GB) |
| RAM | 64GB DDR5 RAM |
| Storage | 2TB SSD, 2TB hard drive |
| Case | MSI Trident X2 |
| Warranty | One year parts and labor |
- Incredible gaming performance
- Touchscreen on front of case
- Efficient cooling system
- No glass panels or internal RGB
- Touchscreen has limited use
- Can't configure spec at checkout
Most gaming PCs can be configured to include top-tier hardware but the MSI MEG Trident X2 has the most powerful components in a PC we've yet tested. Its Intel Core i9-14900KF processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics make it as fast as a gaming PC can get at the time of review. You also get a massive 64GB of RAM and 4TB of total storage. The latter is one of the slightly weaker points of the machine considering its price, but it's easy to add more storage later.
The surprisingly compact case has an interesting angular design but doesn't include any glass or see-through panels. Instead, this gaming PC concentrates on delivering huge performance with a clever and efficient cooling system that ducts cool air to the GPU and uses just three other main system fans. Set the PC to Silent mode and it stays remarkably quiet. The touchscreen lets you change volume, control multimedia, and switch between Silent, Balanced, and Extreme cooling modes, but we didn't find this addition a hugely useful feature.
Despite already packing in over $2,000 worth of CPU and GPU, this PC comes in at around $4,000, which is a lot but decent value for the components you get. It'll deliver over 150fps in most games at 1440p and well over 60fps at 4K in even the most demanding titles. Buy it if you need the fastest machine that'll be fast for years.
Read our MSI MEG Trident X2 14th review.
Cyberpower PC Hyper Liquid
Best water-cooled gaming PC
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| CPU | Up to Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 285K |
| GPU / graphics card | Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 |
| Motherboard | Intel: Z690, AMD: X570 |
| RAM | Up to 64GB (2 x 32GB) DDR5 6,400MHz |
| Storage | Up to 4TB Samsung 990 Pro or 8TB WD SN850X SSD |
| Power supply | Up to 1,350W |
| Case | Lian Li O11 Dynamic Evo RGB |
| Warranty | Three-year full-coverage |
- Powerful water cooling
- Stunning design
- Quiet
- High price
- Water cooling prone to shipping damage
If you're really looking to make a statement with your gaming PC and money is no object (or only a small object) then a custom water cooled gaming PC is the way to go, and the Cyberpower PC Hyper Liquid range is a fantastic choice. Available with a huge range of custom options, from cases to CPUs, graphics cards, and of course water-cooling components, you can have the Cyberpower team put you together a stunning system.
Systems are only available with Intel CPUs but you can choose either AMD or Nvidia graphics cards including up to an RTX 5090. You can also choose whether to have the water cooling cover just the CPU or the GPU as well.
These systems do cost a lot, with prices starting from just under $3,000. However, you get an amazing-looking system for that money without any of the hassle of cutting, fitting, and leak testing a water-cooling loop. Plus, you get a lengthy three year full coverage warranty, so you can have true peace of mind for far longer than you typically get with a gaming PC.
Acer Predator Orion 7000
Best RTX 5080 gaming PC
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| CPU | Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF |
| GPU / graphics card | Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 |
| Motherboard | Acer Predator PO7-660 Z890 |
| RAM | 32GB (2 x 16GB) Adata 6,000MT/s DDR5 40-40-40-76 |
| Storage | 2TB SK Hynix OEM PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD |
| Power supply | Acer Predator 1,200W |
| Warranty | One-year parts and labor carry-in |
| Dimensions | 8.62 x 18.05 x 19.88 inches / 219 x 505 x 485mm |
| Weight | 35.62lb / 16.16kg |
- Solid gaming performance
- Decent case and cooling setup
- Well built with a tidy interior
- Expensive price
- Better gaming CPUs are available
- Massive footprint
The Acer Orion 7000 is a great-quality gaming PC with a sturdy chassis, tidy interior, and reasonably slick design. Acer has also balanced airflow and cooling really well, resulting in a quiet-running system that doesn't overheat. This PC might be a massive glowing monolith, but it looks good and it's well built.
Its specs are also impressive, with a great GPU that can deliver reliable 4K gaming. Its memory configuration is also decent, and you get lots of storage. It's also good to see a really powerful AIO CPU cooler used in the build, and the 1,200W PSU gives you plenty of headroom to upgrade to an even more powerful graphics card at a later date.
There are two issues, though. One is the choice of CPU, which would be fine for an all-purpose PC that's largely aimed at productivity, but there are much better gaming CPU choices from the AMD stable right now. The other is the price, which is considerably higher than the cost of a similar-spec PC from either Alienware or an independent system builder. The crucial factor, though, is that we regularly see these systems discounted. For instance, right now this PC is discounted from $3,799.99 to just $3,199.99 on the Acer store. At that price, it's really competitive.
Read our full Acer Predator Orion 7000 review for more detail.
Also tested - gaming PC reviews
How to choose the best gaming PC
There are two questions you might want to answer first before choosing a new gaming PC. The first is deciding whether to get a console or gaming PC (we of course recommend PC) and then whether to build a PC yourself or buy one of the pre-built systems highlighted in this guide.
Building PCs is surprisingly easy, and we've got a comprehensive guide on how to build a gaming PC that takes you through the process step-by-step. However, there's no denying that it takes extra time and effort and there is a chance you'll either pick components that don't work together or you can break something. On the other hand, buying a pre-built PC comes with the reassurance it will just work and you generally get a warranty of typically one to three years. You just pay a little extra for that privilege (typically 5-10% more than buying separately).
With those choices out the way, your next choice is whether to opt for a custom built system or a completely off the shelf model. Custom built systems allow you to configure your components, ensuring you get just the right style and performance you need. Companies such as Cyberpower PC, iBUYPower, NZXT, and Origin PC in the US or Overclockers and Scan in the UK let you choose almost every component of your build. You can find more places to shop in our best websites for custom PC builds guide.
The downside to a custom build is you generally pay a little more, you'll have to wait a few weeks for the system to be built, and there's a chance your component choices won't be well balanced. Completely off the shelf options, meanwhile, can often come with great discounts (especially if they're a little old) and can generally be delivered next day or in just a few days.
Next to decide is whether you want a more traditional large PC or a very compact system. The likes of the Corsair One i500 offer a stunning-looking and powerful system with a very small footprint. However, upgrading later on can be tricky compared to a more traditional case design like with the Cyberpower Esports Essentials or Acer Predator Orion 5000. Meanwhile, the best mini gaming PCs such as the Geekom AX8 Pro are very restricted in how you can upgrade them, but they're absolutely tiny.
Finally we come to the nuts and bolts of picking a gaming PC, which is finding the right components for your budget and needs. For gaming, the most important part of your PC is the graphics card or GPU. Many cheaper and older gaming PCs will have enough power to deliver playable frame rates (60fps or higher) at 1080p in older or less graphically intensive games. Even some integrated graphics (GPUs built into CPUs) systems such as the Geekom AX8 Pro are powerful enough, meaning you can skip buying a graphics card altogether and get a PC for well under $600.
However, if you're looking to turn up the details in the latest games and run at 1440p or higher resolutions, you'll need a more modern, powerful graphics card. We recommend an Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti 16GB (~$475) or AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT (~$320) or above PC to hit high frame rates at 1080p in most games and playable frame rates in less demanding titles at 1440p.
Meanwhile, for consistently high frame latest in modern games at 1440p you'll need to be spending well over $600 for a graphics card alone and around $1,200 - $1,500 on a PC. The Nvidia RTX 5070 or AMD Radeon RX 9070 are our top choices in this price range. And if you're looking to play at 4K, you'll be looking at spending over $2,000 on a PC using cards such as the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, Nvidia RTX 5080 or RTX 5090.
Gaming PC frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Console or gaming PC?
Modern games consoles and gaming PCs are getting ever closer in terms of the core gaming experience they can offer. So, if you mainly play controller-based games, rather than using a mouse and keyboard, for many gamers a console is going to be the more affordable option, at least in terms of up front cost - console games tend to be more expensive.
However, the sheer number of games that can easily and affordably be accessed on PC far outstrips those available on console. Plus, if you at all see value in being able to also use your gaming PC for other tasks, such as web browsing, video watching, work, and much, much more then a gaming PC is a fantastic option. They're incredibly powerful and endlessly versatile, especially if you buy a PC that's easy to upgrade.
What's more, once you've got over the initial hit of buying a PC, future upgrades can be far more cost effective than consoles. The best power supply and best PC case options can last decades, as can case fans, coolers and more.
Buy or build a gaming PC?
If you're just starting out in the world of gaming PCs, it does make a lot of sense to buy a pre-built system like the ones highlighted in this guide. They'll come ready to roll and with a warranty to cover any issues for at least the first year of use. However, building a PC isn't as hard as you might think. Check out our how to build a gaming PC guide to see just how relatively simple it can be.
Why buy a prebuilt gaming PC?
Prebuilt PCs provide convenience and security that can't be matched when building a system yourself. As the components are all pre-assembled ahead of delivery, your new rig will be ready to go as soon as it arrives at your doorstep. You'll also be entitled to additional warranties and potentially technical support if something goes wrong.
Is $1,000 enough for a gaming PC?
Yes, anything from $600 upwards is typically enough to get started in the world of PC gaming. This sort of budget will get you an entry level PC that uses integrated graphics on a CPU, such as the AMD 5600G. The performance of such a machine will be quite limited - you'll be playing games at 1080p or lower with medium or lower graphics settings - but this still opens up access to a playable experience in thousands of games.
Spend around $800-$1,000 and you'll be able to include a more powerful dedicated graphics card for more reliably high frame rates in a wider range of games.
Gaming PC or gaming laptop?
A desktop PC isn't for everyone. If you need portability, a gaming laptop is the obvious alternative. However, if your main concern is having a small gaming PC setup because of limited space, or you mainly game at home and only need to travel with your setup on occasion, a small form factor gaming PC could work for you. You can get tiny PCs, such as the Geekom AX8 Pro, that are hardly bigger than a hard back book. If you have a portable monitor and keyboard and mouse you can get close to the same portability as a laptop with much more upgradability. You can find a wide range of small PCs in our best mini gaming PC guide.
That said, there's no doubt that the best gaming laptop options offer a wide variety of ways to get a complete gaming PC setup in one convenient device. Just be aware that the biggest downside with gaming laptops, other than them generally being less powerful overall, is that they're far less upgradable. Once your CPU, GPU, or RAM is holding you back, you can't just swap that one component, unlike with most desktop PCs. Instead, you'll have to buy a whole new laptop.
How we test gaming PCs
When testing the best gaming PCs we'll carry out benchmarking and consider the design, build quality, components, and noise generated by the system. A PC should look clean and attractive on the outside and inside, where cables should be neatly tidied out of sight, and access to key components shouldn't be obstructed.
We love to see innovative designs that work to improve cooling, looks, and access to components. While we expect the fans in a PC to make some noise when running it at full load, we also expect this to be well-tuned in line with temperatures. A well-built PC will have a carefully-considered airflow system that keeps your components cool under load but remains quiet at other times.
When benchmarking a gaming PC, our primary tests are games. We benchmark Cyberpunk 2077, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and F1 24 to test each PC's performance when enabling the latest graphics features at high settings, including ray tracing, DLSS, FSR, and frame generation. We also test Cyberpunk 2077 without ray tracing to test non-ray traced performance. If the PC is a lower-end option we may also test these games at lower settings to give a realistic picture of the performance you can achieve on these systems when not trying to make games look their absolute best.
Each test is run at least three times, and we discard any anomalous results before calculating the average. We report the average and minimum results and work on the principle that a game is smoothly playable if the PC can generate a 60fps average and at least a 45fps minimum in these titles.
Finally, we also run 3DMark, a synthetic benchmark to compare performance with a final score. You can run 3DMark on your system right now, and then compare the scores from our reviews.
Of course, no one buys a PC just for gaming, so we also run Cinebench to give you an idea of how the CPU performs in each system. This gives you a multi-threaded result, where you can see how a CPU with loads of cores performs in hardcore content creation scenarios, such as video encoding and 3D rendering. A single-threaded result represents single-core CPU usage, which is important for most basic Windows software and many games too.
Our final score and conclusion balance the performance in our benchmarks with the general design and build quality, upgradability, as well as the price and warranty package compared to the competition.
To get the most from your gaming PC, be sure to equip it with the right peripherals for your needs. We'd recommend checking out our best gaming monitor, best gaming mouse, and best gaming keyboard guides as these are among the three most important options for truly making you PC deliver the experience you want.