Prebuilt gaming PC companies ranked One of the most adaptable ways to play games is on a gaming PC, which allows you to upgrade and select only the components you require. When purchasing a gaming PC, there are several factors to consider, including power, size, components, and the resolution you want to play at. You might not require a powerful CPU and graphics card if all you want to do is play a few AAA games at 1080p.
However, you must start planning to save more money for your equipment if you want to play at 1440p or 4K. Although CPU power is also correlated with gaming prowess, moving beyond a quad-core processor will mostly result in performance benefits in multi-threaded workloads like video processing, rendering, and encoding, not in gaming.
You might now be able to purchase a prebuilt gaming PC with one of the top graphics cards for gaming without having to pay a significant premium or wait weeks or months for your system to arrive because component shortages have become less of an issue.
New CPUs are beginning to appear at this time of year. The Ryzen 7000 series CPUs from AMD, which have emerged as their most powerful gaming chips to date, were just released. To compete, Intel’s 13th Gen “Raptor Lake” chips have generally outperformed their rivals in terms of value. While some of these new desktops are equipped with the most recent DDR5 memory, some are still using DDR4. An alleged “Raptor Lake Refresh” is expected later this year.
Nvidia is now releasing its newest RTX 40-series graphics cards, beginning with the RTX 4090, RTX 4080, RTX 4070 Ti, and RTX 4070. Nvidia just introduced the RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 4060 for more affordable prices, and there are reports that an RTX 4050 Ti is on the way. Although you won’t get some features like DLSS 3, you might still find systems with the RTX 30-series, which Nvidia has advised coexists with its 40-series.
Although Intel released the Arc A770 and A750, which provide power on the low-end and mid-range, prebuilt are less popular with these chips. Additionally, AMD’s top-of-the-line 7900 XT and 7900 XTX are recent strong performers in the mix.
New motherboards, cases, SSDs, and even prototype GPUs and motherboards with back ports were on display at Computex 2023. By the end of the year, it’s possible that some of these components will appear in pre-builts.
We’ll get right to our tested selections for the top prebuilt gaming PCs below. However, if you want more suggestions on how to purchase and certain features to look for, our buying advice is provided below our top gaming PC recommendations.
Top Prebuilt Gaming Computers
- MSI Infinite RS 13th
- Alienware Aurora R15
- Corsair One i300
- Lenovo Legion Tower 7i
How to Pick a Gaming Computer
- Bigger isn’t necessarily better: You can acquire a high-end system without needing a big tower. Only get a large desktop tower if you enjoy the way it looks and want plenty of space to install upgrades in the future.
- If at all possible, invest in an SSD because it has no moving components and will make your computer much faster than using a regular HDD. Look for a minimum of a 256GB SSD boot drive, ideally combined with a best hard drive or a larger secondary SSD for storage.
- You can’t go wrong with AMD or Intel: Both vendors provide equivalent overall performance as long as you use a current-generation processor. When playing games at lesser resolutions (1080p and below), Intel’s CPUs typically perform slightly better, while AMD’s Ryzen processors frequently perform better due to their additional cores and threads when handling jobs like video editing.
- Avoid purchasing more RAM than you require; while 8GB may work in a pinch, 16GB is recommended for most users. Serious game broadcasters and those working with enormous files in high-end media creation will want more but will have to pay a premium for alternatives up to 64 or even 128GB.
- Buy a multi-card gaming setup only if necessary: Get the highest-performing single graphics card you can buy if you’re a passionate gamer. With two or more cards in Crossfire or SLI, many games don’t run noticeably better, and some even perform worse, necessitating the disabling of an expensive piece of hardware in order to get the optimal performance. Due to these difficulties, you should only think about a multi-card desktop if you need more performance than the greatest high-end consumer graphics card can provide.
- The power source is crucial: Does the PSU provide enough power to support the internal hardware? (The answer is generally “yes,” but there are a few exceptions, especially if you want to overclock a CPU.) Also, consider whether the PSU will provide enough power for future GPU and component updates. Our top picks’ case sizes and expansion possibilities differ greatly.
- Ports matter. You’ll need lots of USB ports in addition to the connections required to put in your monitor(s) so that you can bring in other accessories and external storage. For flash drives, card readers, and other regularly used devices, front-facing ports are particularly practical. Look for a system with USB 3.1 Gen 2 and USB-C connections for additional future-proofing.
- Nvidia’s RTX 4090, RTX 3090, RTX 3080, and RTX 3070 GPUs are among the graphics cards that have decreased in price and are now simpler to find. Despite this, you might still need to do a little bit of research to find what you want for your PC due to supply chain concerns.
- For the majority of consumers, price is the deciding factor when purchasing a PC. When big-box desktops are on sale, you can occasionally discover nice bargains, but you’ll be limited to the parts picked by manufacturers like HP, Lenovo, or Dell. A custom-built computer has the advantage that you can change the component arrangement to fit your needs and price range. However, we are pleased to note that more builds than ever before are coming with standardized parts, allowing you to upgrade them in the future.
The top picks from Alienware, MSI, and other manufacturers, tested and compared, are the top 5 gaming PCs.
It doesn’t have to be difficult to get a gaming computer. A prebuilt setup from a company like HP, MSI, or Alienware is a wonderful one-stop approach to get the most out of your gaming PC and ensure you’ll have access to popular parts like RTX 30 and RTX 40 series graphics cards, even though building a PC isn’t as difficult as it may sound.
While Intel used to be the best processor (CPU) for office and gaming PCs, AMD is now demonstrating its real capability with the new Ryzen 7000 CPUs and GPUs. However, you should be aware that AMD parts run a little hotter than their Intel counterparts, so make sure you have enough cooling alternatives, such as additional case fans or even a liquid cooling solution.
In light of this, I used my expertise as a player and content creator to identify the top gaming PCs on the market, ranging from affordable picks to high-end models with comparable price tags. The Alienware Aurora R14 Ryzen Edition, our top pick, includes an exceptional chassis, an AMD Ryzen 9 5900 processor, and 32GB of RAM. Read on to explore alternatives from other well-known gaming manufacturers, like MSI, HP, and more.
The top gaming computers for 2023
- Alienware Aurora R14 Ryzen Edition
- Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i
- HP Omen 25L
- Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8
- Corsair Vengeance i7400
What gaming computer is best for you?
You can afford the sarcastic response. Jokes aside, I’d think RAM and storage configuration are your top priorities, followed by pricing. A prebuilt PC with at least 8GB of RAM and a storage drive (either a solid-state drive or a conventional hard disk drive) with at least 256GB of capacity is what you should pick. The RAM in your system is more crucial than the graphics card model since it renders game content, not the system memory.
Customers “try to over-spec a lot when going for pre-built PCs,” according to Krishna Madala, a former professional coach for Overwatch eSports teams like Singularity Esports and the Samsung Morning Stars, and games like League of Legends “could run[… on a standard Dell tower with integrated graphics and still get 60fps.” Mandala advises a system with at least 16GB of RAM, a 512GB storage drive, and a CPU and GPU that are within the previous two or three tech generations if you’re searching for a quality gaming PC at a fair price.