Building your own gaming rig might seem daunting, but thankfully, excellent pre-built gaming PCs offer a fantastic alternative. While you miss the DIY satisfaction, you gain valuable time—time better spent gaming! Gone are the days of subpar pre-built systems; today's options deliver long-lasting performance, often at a lower cost than sourcing individual high-end components like the latest graphics cards and processors from brands like Alienware, MSI, or HP. Many also offer easy component upgrades later on, exemplified by the spacious HP Omen 45L.
TL;DR – The Best Gaming PCs
1. Lenovo Legion Tower 7i
See it at Lenovo
2. HP Omen 45L
See it at HP
3. iBuyPower Trace 7 Mesh Gaming Desktop
See it at Amazon
See it at Best Buy
4. Alienware Aurora R16
See it at Dell
5. Asus ROG NUC
See it at Amazon
Choosing a gaming PC is more involved than selecting a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S. Consider your gaming style and target games; budget PCs won't max out Cyberpunk 2077. Balancing processor, storage, memory, and cooling is crucial to avoid bottlenecks. Fortunately, many manufacturers handle this, minimizing guesswork.
Note: The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, launched at CES 2025, and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT (March 2025 release), will soon be featured in many pre-built PCs on this list or their upcoming refreshes.
Whether you need a budget-friendly option for indie games, a space-saving mini-PC, or a top-tier 4K powerhouse, this list caters to diverse needs. Click here for UK options.
*Contributions by Danielle Abraham and Georgie Peru*
*For additional savings, check out the best gaming PC deals.*
Lenovo Legion Tower 7i – Photos
7 Images
1. Lenovo Legion Tower 7i
Best Gaming PC
The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i boasts incredibly powerful hardware and is easily upgradeable. See it at Lenovo.
Product Specifications:
CPU: Intel Core i9-14900KF
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti – RTX 4080 Super
RAM: Up to 32GB DDR5 @ 4,000MHz
Storage: Up to 2TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD
Weight: 37.48 lbs
Size: 19.37 x 8.31 x 18.27 inches (H x W x D)
Pros: Extremely solid performance for the money; Easy to upgrade
Cons: Ships with very basic memory and motherboard
The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i stands out due to its price, offering high-end performance at a cost significantly lower than similarly specced systems from HP or Alienware. While not as flashy, it delivers a robust gaming experience.
2. HP Omen 45L
Best Current-Gen PC
Experience seamless performance with an Intel Core i9 CPU, Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, and 16GB RAM, all kept cool by a robust system. See it at HP.
Product Specifications:
CPU: Intel Core i7-14700K – Intel Core i9-14900K
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti – RTX 4090
RAM: 16GB DDR5 – 64GB DDR5
Storage: 512GB – 2TB SSD (System); 1TB – 2TB 7200 rpm hard disk (Secondary)
Weight: 49.82 pounds
Size: 8.03 x 18.5 x 21.85 inches (W x D x H)
Pros: Great cooling system; Excellent case for upgrades
Cons: Very heavy
The HP Omen 45L's spacious case makes it exceptionally easy to upgrade, supporting even custom water cooling and high-end graphics cards. While pricey, the superior case alone justifies the cost for long-term use and upgradeability.
3. iBuyPower Trace 7 Mesh Gaming Desktop
Best Budget Gaming PC
This affordable PC offers powerful processors for 1080p gaming and high-bandwidth DDR5 RAM. See it at Amazon and Best Buy.
Product Specifications:
CPU: Intel Core i7-14700F
GPU: Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti
RAM: 32GB DDR5 5,600MHz
Storage: 1TB SSD
Weight: 35 pounds
Size: 19.3" x 8.66" x 18.9"
Pros: Excellent 1080p gaming; Includes keyboard and mouse
Cons: Not ideal for 4K gaming
The iBuyPower Trace 7 Mesh Gaming Desktop provides exceptional value, offering strong 1080p performance, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and includes a keyboard and mouse—a great entry-level option.
4. Alienware Aurora R16
Best High-End Gaming PC
Push your gaming limits with powerful processors, impressive cooling, and 32GB RAM for high frame rates in 4K. See it at Dell.
Product Specifications:
CPU: Intel Core i9-14900KF
GPU: Nvidia RTX 4080 Super
RAM: 32GB DDR5 5,600MHz
Storage: 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD
Weight: 33.9 pounds
Size: 16.46" x 7.75" x 18.05"
Pros: Extremely powerful; Excellent multitasking
Cons: More mainstream design
The Alienware Aurora R16 delivers top-tier performance with its powerful components and robust cooling, ideal for 4K gaming and demanding tasks.
Asus ROG NUC – Photos
7 Images
5. Asus ROG NUC
Best Mini Gaming PC
The Asus ROG NUC is surprisingly powerful for its size, featuring a mobile-class RTX 4070. See it at Amazon.
Product Specifications:
CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 – Intel Core Ultra 9
GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 – Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 (Mobile)
RAM: 16GB – 32GB DDR5
Storage: 512GB – 1TB PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD
Weight: 5.73 pounds
Size: 10.62 x 7.09 x 2.36 inches (W x D x H)
Pros: Compact size; Solid 1080p performance
Cons: Uses mobile-class hardware
Despite its compact size, the Asus ROG NUC delivers impressive 1080p gaming performance, making it a great option for a home theater PC or a space-constrained setup.
Where to Get the Best Gaming PC in the UK
Many options from this list ship to the UK, including through retailers like Newegg.
MSI MEG Trident X2
See it at Newegg
How to Choose a Gaming PC
Prioritize your graphics card based on your monitor's resolution (e.g., RTX 3060 Ti for 1080p). An Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5 processor is sufficient for most modern games. Consider upgrading RAM and storage yourself for cost savings; barebones systems are an option if you're comfortable with that.
Boutique builders offer customizability, while services like NZXT BLD and iBuyPower's Easy Builder simplify component selection based on your preferred games and budget.
Gaming PC FAQ
Should you buy a gaming PC or a gaming laptop? Desktops generally offer better performance, upgradeability, and longevity.
Is it easy to upgrade your prebuilt gaming PC? Most modern pre-builts use standard components for easy upgrades.
Should you buy a gaming PC or a console? PCs offer a larger game library, greater upgradeability, and superior performance.
Can you find a good gaming PC for under $1,000? Yes, but expect compromises in performance.
Should you build your own gaming PC? Building your own offers customization and potential cost savings, but requires technical knowledge.
