The best gaming PCs are still the best way to play games these days. Thanks to the best graphics cards, playing the best PC games allows for visuals that consoles like the Xbox Series X and PS5 just can’t match. The only real downside when it comes to gaming PCs like the MSI Aegis R5, though, is the high prices for current-gen hardware. Let’s just hope Nvidia releases the RTX 4060 Ti soon, because we’ll be waiting a while for new AMD graphics cards.

But even though building or buying a gaming PC is a high up-front investment, you end up saving a lot of cash in the long-run with game deals all over the internet. While consoles only have one digital storefront, you can buy many PC games digitally from dozens of smaller retailers — even if a lot of them need to be redeemed on Steam anyway.

If this sounds good to you, and honestly how could it not, picking out the best gaming PC for your needs is the next step. This is honestly harder than it sounds, because there are just so many options out there. Luckily, I’ve been reviewing computer hardware for years now, and I can share my expertise. And if you don’t like the idea of a hulking PC tower sitting on your desk, you can always grab one of the best gaming laptops instead. I promise they’re nearly as good these days.

How to buy the best gaming PC

• 🎮 Know which games you’re going to play

• 💰 Budget, budget budget

• 📏 Measure how much space you have before you buy

• ⚡ Do you want the best performance, or do you want the best aesthetics?

1. HP Omen 40L

The best pre-built gaming PC. Period.

• Beautiful chassis

• Great component selection

• Kind of pricey

Walmart: HP Omen 40L

HP Omen 40L gaming PC specs:

CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i7-Intel Core i9 | GPU: Nvidia RTX 3060 – Nvidia RTX 3090| RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | Storage (SSD): 512GB, 1TB, 2TB

If you would have asked me a year ago, I never would have imagined that the HP Omen 40L would have been my favorite pre-built gaming PC. I wouldn’t have even imagined that HP would be behind the best pre-built gaming PC on the market, when Alienware is sitting right there. But after reviewing it for TechRadar, I know now that I would have been wrong.

The HP Omen 40L is an absolutely massive gaming PC, configurable with the most powerful processors and the best GPUs on the market – well, at least before the RTX 4080 and 4090 hit the street. But I’m sure those will be included at some point.

But it’s not just the specs – there are hundreds of gaming PCs out there with similar hardware. What makes this stand out from the competition is the level of detail HP put into to building the thing. While the Alienwares and the Lenovos of the world are happy to put a bunch of generic parts in their prebuilt PCs, this HP rig has some top-shelf components, and they’re of course bedecked in RGB lighting.

The chassis itself is gorgeous too. It’s surrounded on all sides with tempered glass, with the front fans circled in these gorgeous white LED lights. I honestly don’t know if they’re RGB because I didn’t ever feel the need to change the color. They simply look great. With all the glass, though, this is one of the heaviest gaming PCs I’ve ever tested, and it’ll be even heavier once it’s upgraded with the latest power-hungry graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD. But, if you’re looking for a solid high-end gaming PC that looks the part, you can’t go wrong with the HP Omen 40L.

2. MSI Aegis RS 13th

A champion gaming PC

• ✅ All off-the shell parts

• ✅ Solid build quality

• ❌ Limited part selection

MSI Aegis RS 13th Gaming PC specs

CPU: 13th Gen Intel Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti – Nvidia RTX 4090 | RAM: 16GB, 32GB| Storage (SSD): 2TB

The MSI Aegis RS 13th doesn’t look as off-the-walls as some of the other PCs here, but the fact that you could build this exact computer by buying components off the shelf is a definite point in its favor.

The chassis is absolutely stunning, with an angled front, plenty of ports on top and a glass side panel. Plus, it offers all the space of a mid-tower machine without taking up much room on your desk. It’s around 75% of the size of the PC I built myself – but that’s just a guess.

The PC is packed with either the RTX 4080 or the RTX 4070 Ti, either of which are more than enough to play all the best PC games at a high resolution. And while the RTX 4080 may have been a bit of a disappointment, it’s still one of the best GPUs around, so you don’t have to worry about it not doing the work.

It’s not all roses though, the PC is held back by a limited amount of configurations. You only get two GPUs to choose from. This is mitigated by the PC being an absolute breeze to upgrade, though.

Read our full review: MSI Aegis RS 13th

3. Alienware Aurora R13

A gaming PC from the future

• 😍 Very unique chassis

• 📏 On the smaller side for a high-end gaming rig

• ❌ Entry configuration is not worth the cash

  Best Buy Deal: Alienware R13

Newegg: Alienware R13

Alienware Aurora R13 Gaming PC specs

CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-Intel Core i9 | GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT – Nvidia RTX 3090 | RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB | Storage (SSD): 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB

One look at the Alienware Aurora R13 and it’ll immediately stand out. There is pretty much no gaming PC on the market that looks anything like it, and if you like the quasi-futuristic aesthetic, that alone may be enough to hook you in. But the design isn’t just for looks. This is a seriously compact gaming PC, considering the level of hardware inside, and will have no problem fitting on pretty much any desk.

But there’s a downside to that, too. When I reviewed it back at TechRadar, right at the launch of the Intel 12th-generation Alder Lake processors, I had a huge problem with the CPU cooler not being able to keep the Intel Core i9-12900K from thermal throttling. To be fair, this wouldn’t be an issue unless you’re using the gaming PC for heavy video editing or rendering, but it is something to be aware of. But if you go for the Intel Core i7, plus an Nvidia RTX 3080 or a similar AMD GPU, you should be in for an incredibly solid gaming experience.

This is one of the most unique gaming PCs out there without breaking into the world of boutique PC builders – and that’s a subject for a whole standalone article. I’ll get around to that.

4. MSI Trident 3

Keeping it slim

• 📏 About the same size as a PS5

• ⚡ A lot of power for a tiny gaming PC

• 💰 Expensive for the specs you get

B&H Photo: MSI Trident 3

Newegg: MSI Trident 3

MSI Trident 3 gaming PC specs:

CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i5-Intel Core i7 | GPU: Nvidia RTX 3050 – Nvidia RTX 3060| RAM: 16GB | Storage (SSD): 512GB, 1TB

I get it, gaming PCs are big, especially some of the options I already listed here. But what if I told you there was a way to get a gaming rig that’s smaller than the PS5? Well, the MSI Trident 3 is exactly that. Now, this gaming rig isn’t the most powerful, but it almost doesn’t matter when it can fit in your existing home theater.

The configurations are also limited to just the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 and RTX 3060 – some of the best value GPUs on the market right now. But, don’t take that to mean this is a budget gaming PC. The thin and light build does carry a premium, with the entry model costing $1,249. That’s a bit more than you could expect to pay for another gaming PC, but then you wouldn’t be getting the extremely slim build.

That makes it a niche gaming PC, but it’s perfect for anyone that wants a super slim PC without giving themselves a migraine trying to build a mini-ITX. Trust me, I’ve been there. I get it.

Why should you trust my gaming PC recommendations?

Not only have I been writing gaming PC reviews for various outlets for years, but building PCs has been my number one hobby since I was a little girl. I’ve built gaming PCs for pretty much everyone I know, and I can’t help but to harshly judge every gaming PC I see. That means if a gaming PC ends up on this list, it doesn’t suck.

Now, I tried to keep the recommendations limited to mass-produced prebuilt gaming PCs from the likes of Dell and HP. I usually point prospective PC buyers to boutique builders like Maingear and Falcon Northwest. If you’re scoping one of those rigs out, absolutely reach out and I’ll help you configure it. However, they can be so expensive that it’s hard to recommend them to a general audience.

Let me help you pick a gaming PC

If you need a hand finding the right gaming PC, or you still don’t know what you’re even looking for. Please feel free to either leave a comment or message us on Twitter. I’ll do my best to reply in a timely manner.