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Tom's Hardware
tomshardware.com › desktops › gaming pcs
Best Gaming PCs of 2026 | Tom's Hardware
1 week ago - The best prebuilt gaming PCs that have impressed us in both performance and design.
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PCMAG
pcmag.com › home › best products › desktop pcs
The Best Gaming PCs We've Tested for 2025 | PCMag
November 11, 2025 - AMD furthered its position with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 as a go-to value play for steady 1080p gaming, and the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT, which launched in late 2023, still makes a compelling case as a midrange value.
People also ask

What is the best gaming PC?
My choice for the best gaming PC is the Alienware Aurora R16. It has tons of configuration options, letting you customize your build for your exact needs, as well as your budget. You can choose up to a 14th gen Intel Core i9 processor, up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX graphics card, 64GB of RAM, and up to 8TB of storage. You can also choose to upgrade to a liquid cooling system for better CPU performance. Best gaming PC Starting PriceCPU/GPU RAM/Storage Alienware Aurora R16$3,500Up to 14th-gen Intel Core i9/Up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 or AMD Radeon RX 79
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zdnet.com
zdnet.com › home › home & office › home entertainment › gaming › gaming devices
The best gaming PCs of 2026: Expert tested | ZDNET
Is a cheap gaming PC a good choice?
Yes, you can absolutely find a budget-friendly, sub-$1,000 gaming computer with the storage space and processing power for just about any game. Read here for my top selections of budget gaming PCs. You can also save money on a prebuilt or custom build by opting for an older GPU. While these aren't the newest, shiniest tech, budget gaming PCs still have plenty of juice to run a lot of triple-A titles at decent settings. You can also save by choosing a configuration with less RAM and storage, since you can often swap them out later; this lets you take advantage of component sales that work with
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zdnet.com
zdnet.com › home › home & office › home entertainment › gaming › gaming devices
The best gaming PCs of 2026: Expert tested | ZDNET
What Are the Best Gaming PC Specs for 2025?

Gaming PCs live and die by their graphics cards (or graphics chips, in the case of gaming laptops), the most critical PC component for determining your gaming performance ceiling. Most gaming systems will come preinstalled with a single midrange or high-end graphics card; higher-priced systems will naturally have better cards, since purchase price typically correlates with frame-rate performance and visual quality. AMD and Nvidia make the graphics processors, or GPUs, that go into these cards, which are made by third parties such as Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, PowerColor, Sapphire, and XFX (to name just a few).

Gone are the days of complicated dual-card setups: Today's top-end GPUs, like the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, GeForce RTX 4090, GeForce RTX 5080, and GeForce RTX 5090 are more than powerful enough on their own. Games are increasingly developed to take advantage of the cutting-edge features available in single GPUs like these, but these premium cards will cost you. A tier of less-expensive GPUs in the GeForce RTX 50 series, fortunately, is also available for smaller budgets; you can find a full breakdown below.

Still, you should divert as much of your budget to the best GPU you can afford; the most pivotal decision you'll make when purchasing a gaming desktop is which card you get. Of course, one option is opting for no card at all; the integrated graphics silicon on some modern Intel Core and AMD Ryzen processors is adequate for casual 2D and very light 3D gaming. However, to reliably play 3D AAA titles, you need a discrete graphics card, and these cards are what distinguish a gaming desktop from "just a desktop."

Whether you go with an AMD- or Nvidia-based card is based partly on price and performance. Some games are optimized for one type of card or another, but for the most part, you should choose the card that best fits within your budget. If you're buying a complete gaming desktop, you (of course) don't have to pay for a card in isolation, but this should help you understand how the card factors into the total price. You also have to know what you're shopping for.

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pcmag.com
pcmag.com › home › best products › desktop pcs
The Best Gaming PCs We've Tested for 2025 | PCMag
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GamesRadar+
gamesradar.com › hardware › desktop pcs
The best gaming PC 2026: Find your perfect pre-built powerhouse | GamesRadar+
October 31, 2025 - If you want a gaming PC with a smaller footprint, this is what you should choose. ... The 2023 edition of the Acer Predator Orion 7000 isn't perfect, but if you're looking for a high-end 13th-gen Intel PC with Nvidia graphics, these configurations ...
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Tom's Guide
tomsguide.com › computing › desktop computers › gaming desktops
The best gaming PCs in 2025 | Tom's Guide
November 3, 2022 - The broadly customizable Dell Tower Plus can be a cheap workhorse or a serious gaming PC depending on how you configure it, and the nondescript case doesn't scream "gamer" to everyone who walks by.
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PC Gamer
pcgamer.com › hardware › gaming pcs
Best cheap gaming PC deals | PC Gamer
November 16, 2022 - If you're looking towards Team Red for your next build, this is about as cheap as you'll get for a budget current-gen build. This gaming PC will be great for 1080p gaming and should handle most 1440p games on medium or high settings.
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TechRadar
techradar.com › computing › gaming computers › gaming pcs
I'm a PC gamer and these are the best gaming PCs right now for ...
December 3, 2025 - Stay away from Ultra presets and ray tracing, and you should be fine for the vast majority of games at 1080p. Combined with decent upgradability and a good selection of ports on the front panel, this is an excellent pick for anyone who needs a gaming PC for cheap.
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ZDNET
zdnet.com › home › home & office › home entertainment › gaming › gaming devices
The best gaming PCs of 2026: Expert tested | ZDNET
1 week ago - Whether you're looking for a budget-friendly build or a high-end rig for content creation, we've tested some of the best gaming PCs from HP, Alienware, and more.
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IGN
ign.com › articles › best-budget-gaming-pc
Best Budget Gaming PC 2026: Get a Solid Gaming Rig for Less Than $2,000
2 weeks ago - While you can configure the Alienware R16 to be absolutely ridiculous, this configuration nets you an Intel Core Ultra 7 CPU and an RTX 4060 for under $1,500. You can still get a similar config for cheaper with another manufacturer, but if it ...
Find elsewhere
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CNET
cnet.com › tech › computing › desktops › best gaming pc for 2026
Best Gaming PC for 2026 - CNET
August 25, 2025 - From budget options to not-so-cheap and beyond, our expert-tested picks for the best gaming PCs available in 2025.
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PCGamesN
pcgamesn.com › best-gaming-pc
Best gaming PC 2026
October 3, 2025 - 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 ...
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TechRadar
techradar.com › computing › gaming computers › gaming pcs
The best budget gaming PC in 2025: my top picks for performance on a budget | TechRadar
November 11, 2025 - But if you're going for that understated look while still having the power to play your favorite games, the Dell Tower Plus (EBT2250) is a unique opportunity. ... The HP Victus 15L is a great option for those just getting into PC gaming.
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IGN
ign.com › articles › best-gaming-pc
The Best Gaming PC of 2026: Top Prebuilt Desktops
2 weeks ago - Don't get me wrong: The Tower 7i does fall into some of the same pitfalls of any prebuilt system these days – Lenovo cheaped out a bit on the memory and the motherboard – but because all the components are the standard size, you can just ...
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PC Gamer
pcgamer.com › hardware › gaming pcs
Best gaming PCs in 2025: these are the rigs and brands I recommend today | PC Gamer
November 6, 2025 - Read our full HP Omen 35L review. Save $250iBuyPower Slate | RX 9070 XT: was $1,899.99 now $1,649.99 at Best Buy · This all-AMD build not only rocks the fastest consumer GPU from the red team, but also the best gaming CPU on the market right now.
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ZDNET
zdnet.com › home › home & office › home entertainment › gaming › gaming devices
The best cheap gaming PCs of 2026: Expert tested for budget setups | ZDNET
1 week ago - As an avid gamer myself, I rounded up the best gaming PC models on the market that won't cost you an arm and a leg, with my pick for the best cheap gaming PC overall going to the HP Omen 35L, thanks to its affordable price tag, Intel and AMD-based ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/computers › i need a cheap gaming pc
r/computers on Reddit: I need a cheap gaming pc
May 25, 2025 -

I am not an adult yet so (me is broke) And im relying on my father to get me a pc and a monitor.But a pc is like more than 1000 dollars and there is no way my dad is going to buy that..It obviously isnt going to be the fastest but i need a pc that is not over 450 bucks.I also need to be able to record while playing on the pc.I was going to buy the a stg auborn pc bundle but the bad reviews were a deal breaker for me.The whole point of me getting this pc is so i can make gaming content on youtube,but im on a tight budget.The games i wanna play and record are fortnight, apex,and maybe some roblox.If its not possible its fine ill live without it.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/lowendgaming › insanely tight budget recommendations for gaming pcs?
r/lowendgaming on Reddit: insanely tight budget recommendations for gaming pcs?
April 13, 2024 -

been looking around and i think this is the right place to ask this? apologies if it isn't.

i've been interested in getting a pc for gaming. my laptop is tiny and old and slow and at this point i mostly want to invest a little in something that will serve me well for a while. that being said i am on a very tight budget (and when i say tight i mean i've been looking at mini pcs on Amazon for <$200...) and i'm struggling to figure out whether the pcs i think i can afford will actually be able to do what i want them to.

i'd rather buy a prebuilt, but i am open to building one if it ends up being significantly cheaper. i mostly want to play games like skyrim se, sims 4, stardew valley, etc. and i also want to be able to run heroforge and talespire fairly well. i've tried to make sense of the different processor types and all that but it's all greek to me. any suggestions for cheap pcs that will let me run things like skyrim and heroforge/talespire?

Top answer
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Your best bet is a used am4 system with integrated graphics with this budget. It allows games at playable fps. Hopefully 3rd gen ryzen 5 3400g, if not, ryzen 5 2400g, maybe even 2200g. Now, aside from the first one, those are some low end budget cpu's that barely do the job, and will need upgrading reasonably soon, because nothing older than ryzen 3000 series supports windows 11, and everyone will be forced to update eventually (by Oct 2025). The good thing is, am4 platform is very upgradable, thus very relevant, so you're unlikely to end up just buying someone's e-waste. If you're lucky, you can buy something with a ryzen 5 5500g, that basically mitigates the need to upgrade in the near future, but with your budget it's unlikely. I checked skyrim se minimum requirements, based on them, these cpus with integrated graphics should run them at 30fps, which is playable
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Buy office mini tower with i5, ssd, and 8gb or more RAM, place a 1050 ti low profile or at worst, a DDR5 1030 in it. Costs 200-250$ ish dollars, smokes any iGPU setup. Example: This with 16gb RAM, SSD, Win 10 pro, a warranty and free shipping: https://www.ebay.com/itm/276360872491 And add one of these: https://www.amazon.com/PowerColor-Radeon-6400-Profile-Graphics/dp/B09YTB3KH6 or https://www.amazon.com/ZOTAC-GeForce-DirectX-Profile-ZT-P10300A-10L/dp/B0711NWFJX Unclear where you live, but in most cities in the US, there are second hand stores like Goodwill where you can get a keyboard and mouse for $5, and a flat panel screen for 5-10$.
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Best Buy
bestbuy.com › best buy › category directories › computers & tablets directory › gaming desktops directory
Best Budget Gaming Desktop - Best Buy
Quartz i350 R4 is a compact gaming PC that packs a punch with its powerful components. The Intel Core i5-14400F CPU, RTX 3050 GPU, 16GB RGB memory, and 1TB NVMe M.2 storage ensure smooth and high-performance gaming experiences. The mesh front panel allows for efficient airflow, keeping your ...
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Xidax
xidax.com › blog › post › best-gaming-pcs-any-budget
Best Budget Gaming PCs 2025: Top Picks for Great Gaming PC
This build's specs start at entry level, but you could select an Intel Core i7-14700K (or even an i9-14900K) with an RTX 5070/5080, 32–64GB RAM, 2TB+ SSD, etc., and still stay under $3000.
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PCPartPicker
pcpartpicker.com › forums › topic › 454327-2000-gaming-pc-build-advice-2024
~$2000 Gaming PC Build Advice (2024) - PCPartPicker
... Alright, I'm on it. ... 240Hz 1440p 27" 400nits peak brightness and free sync premium. The next closest monitor with the same specs costs like 330$. ... I would probably go with the adata core reactor II, it is ATX 3.0, is A tier in the PSU tier list, and is cheaper.