The top Top 5 Best Gaming PCs of 2024prebuilt gaming computers that have wowed us with their design and performance.
One of the most adaptable methods to play games is with a gaming PC, which offers the ability 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 desired gaming resolution. You might not require a high-end CPU and graphics card if all you want to do is play a few AAA games at 1080p.
However, you should start considering increasing your rig’s savings if you wish to play at 1440p or 4K. Although gaming prowess and CPU power are closely related, performance advantages in multi-threaded tasks like video processing, rendering, and encoding are more noticeable when a processor is considerably more than quad core.
The Core i9-14900K, Core i7-14700K, and Core i5-14600K are among the 14th generation “Raptor Lake Refresh” CPUs that Intel introduced earlier this year. According to our most current testing, AMD’s 7000-series X3D processors continue to be the most potent for gaming.
AMD also plans to release its Zen 5-powered Ryzen 9000 processors in July. According to the company, these processors will offer a 16% boost in instructions per cycle over the previous generation. However, the X3D models—which are perhaps the most intriguing for gamers—should be here later.
Below, we’ll go straight into our tried-and-true selections for the top prebuilt gaming PCs. However, our buying advise follows our best gaming PC selections if you want further tips on what to search for and how to shop.
Table of Contents
- Best Gaming PCs of 2024
- 1. Corsair Vengeance i7500
- 2. iBuyPower Y60
- 3.MSI Infinite RS 13th
- 4. Maingear MG-1 Silver
- 5. Alienware Aurora R15
- How to Choose a Gaming PC
Best Gaming PCs of 2024
1. Corsair Vengeance i7500
A powerful gaming PC with top-notch build quality
Pros
- Exceptional performance
- Quiet operation
- Top-notch build quality
- Two-year warranty
Cons
- Expensive with RTX 4090
- No RGB lighting on RTX 4090 as tested
The Corsair Vengeance i7500 feels like a gaming PC you built yourself, which may be its greatest advantage over creating one. Purchasing a gaming PC may be simpler than building one. The build is done to a very high standard and begins with a Vengeance 4000D mid-tower case.
With an Intel Core i9-14900K and a Palit Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, our evaluation system provided excellent performance. at addition, although if that configuration is expensive, the system has a two-year warranty instead of the typical one-year warranty seen on many prebuilt systems at large box stores.
You can personalize this PC to your heart’s content because it is made entirely of aftermarket components. Here are no exclusive components!
The cost was the only drawback, albeit there were plenty more. RGB enthusiasts, however, take note: whether you like it or not, you kind of expected our review unit’s GPU to have colorful illumination.
2. iBuyPower Y60
Best Mid-range gaming PC
Pros
- Classy case
- Front USB-C port
- 240 mm liquid cooling
- Includes a decent keyboard and mouse
Cons
- Large for a mid-tower
- Wi-Fi 6, not Wi-Fi 6E
With some upgraded specifications, the iBuyPower Y60 is a potent mid-range performance that will continue to serve you well. Although it costs a little more than some comparable desktop computers, its 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage allow you to keep a large number of games and demanding software in the future.
With this prebuilt, you receive a stylish casing (the Hyte Y60) with a vertically mounted GPU and a wrap-around glass to view your components. There is a USB Type-C port on the case, but not on the motherboard itself.
We examined other desktops in this range, but their air coolers didn’t perform well. Although it’s not necessary, the 240 mm liquid cooler in this case was quieter than those of some rivals.
There are drawbacks, particularly with networking. Wi-Fi 6, which is becoming a bit of an outdated technology, is used by this system. It’s always a good idea to hook in Ethernet for gamers, and some might desire to do so, especially for large game downloads.
3.MSI Infinite RS 13th
A Powerful, Quiet PC with Room to Upgrade
Pros
- Liquid-cooled CPU and GPU
- Very quiet
- Top-end performance
- Case feels premium
Cons
- Very large
- Swing-out doors have very little ground clearance
As long as you’re ready to pay for it, the MSI Infinite RS 13th offers top-notch performance if you’re searching for the best of the best. This system combines a liquid-cooled Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 with a 13th generation Intel Core i9 to give incredible performance that is both quiet and upgradeable in the future.
The MSI Prospect 700RL casing is spacious, and all of the components are conventional. It can even be too spacious for some people! However, it can accommodate the nine fans and two radiators that, during our testing, virtually silenced this system.
Although a keyboard and mouse are provided, you should probably get something a little more elegant.
We tested the Infinite, and it performed incredibly well. This is the one to think about if you want seamless gaming and upgradeability from your prebuilt and are willing to give up space on your desk or underneath it.
4. Maingear MG-1 Silver
A Gaming PC Under $1,500
Pros
- Strong build quality
- Fairly affordable starting price
- Neatly, professionally built
- No bloatware
Cons
- Needs more dust protection
- SSD is slow
Many of the gaming PCs we test are quite expensive, high-end devices. But things don’t have to be that way all the time. The Maingear MG-1 Silver impressed us, in part because it’s a mid-range system that doesn’t feel like you’re losing out on much.
Even with more dust filters needed, the chassis still has a somewhat luxury feel to it. Its parts are all name-brand, and its flawless cable management leaves you with plenty of room to upgrade in the future. Furthermore, the system is free of bloatware, so you can start gaming right away without having to spend a lot of time deleting unnecessary programs.
The Solidigm P41 Plus, which was slow at 489.65 MBps in our review unit, was the only part we had a problem with. But our unit’s motherboard did have space for an additional SSD.
We put the Maingear MG-1 Silver Shroud Edition to the test. It includes limited-edition magnetic faceplates. That brings the starting price of $1,149 up by an additional $100, so unless you’re a huge fan of Twitch streamer and esports player Shroud, go with the standard version (which is otherwise the same) and use that money for games.
5. Alienware Aurora R15
Powerful Performance with Improved Cooling
Pros
- Powerful gaming performance
- Lots of ports on the front
- Alienware finally moved to 240 mm AIO cooling
Cons
- Proprietary motherboard and server-style PSU make upgrading harder
- At this price, you should get entirely SSD storage
How to Choose a Gaming PC
Larger isn’t necessarily better: A system with top-tier components can be obtained without a massive tower. A large desktop tower should only be purchased if you like the way it looks and need enough of space for future updates.
If at all possible, upgrade to an SSD; it has no moving components and will speed up your computer significantly more than loading data from a conventional HDD. Seek for a finest hard drive or a larger secondary SSD in addition to a minimum 256GB SSD boot drive.
AMD and Intel are unbeatable: If you choose a chip from the current generation, both manufacturers provide similar overall performance. AMD’s Ryzen processors frequently perform better in jobs like video editing because of their more cores and threads, although Intel CPUs typically perform somewhat better when running games at lower resolutions (1080p and below).
Aim for 16GB of RAM for most users, although 8GB will work OK in a pinch. Don’t overspend on RAM. Dedicated gamers and high-end movie creators handling massive files will demand more, but upgrading to 64 or even 128GB will come at a steep cost.
Purchase a multi-card gaming rig only if absolutely necessary: Choose a system with the highest-performing single graphics card you can afford if you’re a serious gamer. Several games don’t run appreciably better with two or more cards in Crossfire or SLI, and some even perform worse, necessitating the disabling of pricey hardware in order to maximize gameplay. You should only think about a multi-card desktop if you need more performance than what the finest high-end consumer graphics card can provide because of these issues.
It’s crucial to consider the power supply: Is there enough power available in the PSU to support the internal hardware? (Yes, in most circumstances; however, there are some exceptions, especially if you want to overclock a CPU.) Furthermore, take note of whether the PSU will provide sufficient power for upcoming GPU and other component updates. The choices we have for case size and expansion options differ significantly.
Ports are important. You’ll need many of USB ports in addition to the ones required to plug in your monitor(s) in order to attach external storage and other gadgets. For flash drives, card readers, and other commonly used devices, front-facing connections come in quite handy. Seek for a system with USB-C and USB 3.1 Gen 2 connections for further future-proofing.
THE BEST GAMING PC: FAQS
Q. What type of PC is best for gaming?
When purchasing a new gaming PC, there are a few considerations to make because many PCs lack the hardware needed for gaming.
The graphics card is the most significant component. Ensure that the graphics card in any PC you purchase for gaming is relatively new. Really, what you should be aiming for is an Nvidia RTX 3000-series, AMD Radeon RX 6000-series, or Intel Arc graphics card (or GPU).
Next, confirm that the gaming PC has a minimum of 16GB of RAM. Even the greatest RAM, at 8GB, is insufficient to run recent PC games smoothly.
Additionally, you should get a more recent processor, such as one from AMD’s Ryzen 5000 series or Intel’s Core 11000 series. Mind you, you don’t need the best AMD or Intel processor available in these years. The finest gaming CPUs you’ll find are AMD Ryzen X3D-series processors (such the Ryzen 7 7800X3D), but an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 (or AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7) will work just fine.
A 512GB SSD will work just fine to begin with (you’ll just need to organize your game installations a little bit), as storage is not nearly as much of a problem and upgrading to one of the best SSDs is not too difficult.
We would strongly advise staying away from more boutique builds and sticking with bigger OEM manufacturers like Dell, Alienware, HP, Lenovo, Asus, and MSI if you’re not very experienced with managing gaming-specific hardware and PC construction. Although businesses like Maingear and Origin, who both produce amazing systems, are undoubtedly more in the enthusiast category, there’s nothing wrong with them. If that describes you, you’ll enjoy what they produce, but it’s best to stay with more mainstream manufacturers if you have no idea what a BIOS is.
Q. Is it better to build or buy a gaming PC?
The question is whether to build or purchase a gaming computer. Building a system is the sole option for some PC gamers because it allows you to tailor your setup to exacting requirements. Regretfully, it’s becoming more difficult than ever to find the various parts you need to assemble a PC. Even if you might really want to, you might not be able to assemble a bespoke gaming PC.
If that’s the case, purchasing a gaming PC is perfectly acceptable. Purchasing one of the greatest gaming PCs you can afford would just make the task easier if all you want to do is play your favorite PC games. No, you might not be able to precisely modify it to your taste.
Q. Should you get a gaming PC or a next-gen console?
The question of whether to purchase a gaming PC or a next-generation console may not have a clear winner, but there are a few important factors to take into account. Although both pieces of technology can play the most popular games without any issues, consoles such as the PS5 still offer exclusive games like Horizon Forbidden West that are only available on those systems.
Additionally, next-generation consoles come in an all-in-one set that includes the console and at least one controller. However, the greatest prebuilt gaming PC frequently needs a tower PC, monitor, keyboard, and mouse—the majority of which need to be bought separately. When you want to purchase items like the finest gaming mouse, keyboard, and headphones for PC gaming, the price of these equipment only increases.
Component shortages have impacted both gaming PCs and next-generation consoles, making it challenging to locate both newer PC gaming components and consoles. It won’t be as much of an investment if you can get these things at retail, but finding fair prices among scalpers has grown more challenging. Moreover, stock frequently sells out quickly, making it challenging to obtain either device.
So, which is better—a gaming PC or a next-generation console? Not always, particularly if you lack the space to accommodate every component of a PC gaming setup. Choosing between a next-generation console and a gaming PC is still a win-win situation because the greatest gaming PC can perform on par with the newest next-generation consoles.
Q. How expensive should the best gaming PC be?
A decent performer aiming for 1080p gaming should cost at least $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,500. To maintain consistent framerates at 60 frames per second, you will probably have to rely on AI upscaling techniques like FSR and DLSS at this end of the spectrum. You can get your hands on a mid-range system that can reliably game in 1440p and profit from ray tracing for $1,500 / £1,500 / $AU2,300.
A gaming PC’s price can never be determined with certainty, but the RX 4090 and RX 7900 XTX models typically cost $3,500 / £3,500 / AU$5,000 and come with state-of-the-art processors, lots of RAM, and stacked storage. In order to assist you in selecting the best product for your needs, our buying guide covers the entire price-to-performance spectrum, from mainstream to enthusiast.
