The best gaming PCs are powerful enough to run the most demanding video games and do so in the biggest and most elegant design possible. While these machines arguably epitomize what a PC can be, they often come with steep price tags. Lofty costs aside, the benefits you reap are often worth the cost of entry.
On top of experiencing games at blazing-fast frame rates and ultra-high resolution, these high-priced computers are often well-suited to demanding work in fields like game development, graphic design and animation. If you're interested in what generative AI can do, the beefy GPUs in the best gaming PCs are also well-suited to tasks like generating art via tools like Stable Diffusion.
Right now, our top recommendation is the Alienware Aurora R15. Though it's not the latest model, you can kit it with the latest Intel and Nvidia components. We recommend the Dell XPS 8960 for those looking for a sub $1,000 gaming PC and the powerful Corsair Vengeance i7500 if money is no concern.
We test all the new gaming PCs (in both our testing lab and our homes) to see if they pass muster, and we regularly update this page as systems become available. Read on, and we'll help you find your next great gaming machine.
Disclaimer
Editor's note: We're going to add more gaming PCs to this page soon so be sure to come back to see our picks!
The quick list
Here's a quick overview of the best gaming PCs you can buy right now based on our testing and reviews.
The best gaming PC overall
The Alienware Aurora R15 is our pick for best overall gaming PC. Not only does it pack powerful components, but it's also easy to open should you want to upgrade any of its parts. This rig is a bit pricey but we think it's well worth the investment if you want strong 4K gaming performance.
The best budget gaming PC
The Dell XPS 8960 looks like a normal office PC but it packs enough power to run graphically-intensive games at 1080p. The minimalist style isn't just for show, as it makes this rig easy to open and upgrade. Its relatively small size also makes it easy to place wherever you need it.
Best value gaming PC
The Acer Predator Orion 3000 is a fantastic machine for those who might be new to the world of PC gaming. Its RGB lighting and sharp angles give it flair, but it's still easy to open if you want to upgrade components. But even out of the box, it packs enough power to play most modern titles at 1440p.
The best high-end gaming PC
The Corsair Vengeance i7500 commands a hefty price ($2,500 to start) but its killer performance and sleek appearance justify its cost. This year's model packs the latest and greatest hardware to help it play the most demanding games at high frame rates and resolution. It epitomizes what high-end PC gaming is all about.
Tony is a Senior Staff Writer at Tom’s Guide covering laptops, tablets, Windows, and iPadOS. During his off-hours, Tony enjoys reading comic books, playing video games, reading speculative fiction novels, and spending too much time on Twitter. His work has appeared in publications such as Laptop Mag, PC Mag, and various independent gaming sites.
The best gaming PCs you can buy right now
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The best gaming PC overall
The Alienware Aurora R15 might not be the latest model available, but it still delivers solid gaming performance in an attractive chassis.
This model has been redesigned to run cooler and quieter than its predecessors, which our in-house testing bears out. Though the chassis is large, its oblong shape can sometimes make it difficult to work inside. In addition, some of the internal design choices make it harder than necessary to upgrade components. That said, this also ensures everything is well-organized.
Currently starting at $1,149, this beastly gaming machine is relatively affordable — especially for newcomers to the world of PC gaming. Of course, upgrades will bump up the price, so keep that in mind. You can also opt for the Aurora R16 listed below, though it doesn't look as stylish as the Aurora R15.
Make sure you check our Dell coupons page to find the latest discounts.
Read our full Alienware Aurora R15 review.
The best budget gaming PC
If you want a powerful gaming PC that won't destroy your bank account, then the Dell XPS 8960 is the perfect computer for you. Like its predecessors, this desktop PC seems more at home in an office than in an RGB-drenched gaming room. Don't let its appearance fool you, as this humble-looking PC packs some serious gaming power.
There are many configuration options if you're not happy with the starting model. You can upgrade to Intel Raptor Lake 13th Gen chips and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4000 series GPUs, for example. That will raise the price (naturally), but the starting config with its RTX 4070 graphics card, Intel Core i7-13700 processor, 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD allow you to make even the most graphically demanding games with ease.
Read our full Dell XPS 8960 review.
The best value gaming PC
If you're looking for a gaming PC that delivers excellent performance at a great value, the Acer Predator Orion 3000 is a great mid-sized gaming PC that's powerful, attractive, and now available for less than $1,000.
There are some drawbacks, however. Though powerful, this machine is better at playing games at 1080p than in 4K resolution. We also weren't enthused with the packed-in keyboard and mouse, which pale in comparison to the best gaming keyboards and best gaming mice. This PC also didn't test as well as similarly-priced rigs we've tested, though that might be because it only has 16GB of RAM. Thankfully, the well-organized case is easy to open if you want to add more RAM or any other component.
Read our full Acer Predator Orion 3000 review.
The best high-end gaming pc
The Corsair Vengeance i7500 is one of the most expensive gaming rigs you can buy, with even the entry-level model coming at $2,499. The steep price isn't unjustified considering the excellent performance this machine is capable of. Make no mistake, this is a high-end machine for hardcore gaming enthusiasts.
This machine might be overkill for those who just want 60 fps/4K gaming but is ideal for 120fps gaming. Considering its high-end specs, this machine will handle even the most graphically demanding titles for the next few years. Despite its beefy internals, this gaming PC remains relatively quiet. It's also fetching, with tasty RGB lighting within its non-descript case.
The Corsair Vengeance i7500 isn't cheap but it's worth the money considering everything it has to offer. This machine doesn't cut corners or lack quality-of-life features. It's the gaming rig for dedicated PC gamers.
Read our full Corsair Vengeance i7500 review.
The best gaming PCs compared
Here is a quick look at our testing data for the gaming PCs on this list. The tables below show you how well they run games and their overall performance. The latter is important since a good gaming PC is also great at other tasks like video editing and rendering.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Assassin's Creed Valhalla | Grand Theft Auto V | Borderlands 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alienware Aurora R15 | 200 | 186 | 257 |
| Dell XPS 8960 | 188 | 185 | 185 |
| Acer Predator Orion 3000 | 204 | 186 | 258 |
| Corsair Vengeance i7500 | 230 | 187 | 286 |
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Geekbench 5 (multi-core) | 25 GB File Copy (MBps) | Handbrake (Min:Seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alienware Aurora R15 | 22,494 | 1,340 | 2:17 |
| Dell XPS 8960 | 19,134 | 2,047 | 2:58 |
| Acer Predator Orion 3000 | 21,380 | 1,233 | 2:26 |
| Corsair Vengeance i7500 | 25,562 | 1,774 | 2:10 |
How to choose the best gaming PC
Price: It can be tricky shopping for a good "cheap" gaming PC since the best systems also tend to cost the most. Nowadays, decent PCs can start at over $1,000 and that's usually during a sale. If you want to keep costs as low as possible, look for rigs with at least a 12th-generation Intel Core i5 CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU and 16GB of RAM.
Performance: You'll also need to think about the kind of gaming experience you want. The aforementioned specs should allow you to play most games at medium setting and 60fps so long as you keep the resolution to 1080p. However, if you want to play at 4K and higher resolutions, you'll need a beefier rig with hardware like a 13th (or 14th) Gen Intel Core i7 or i9 CPU, an RTX 3080 Ti (or 3090) or an RTX 40-series GPU starting with the RTX 4070. You'll also want 32GB of RAM to really get things cranking.
Upgradability: Gaming PC components are always evolving, and the best gaming PCs can be easily upgraded with new parts over time. Machines such as the Alienware Aurora are easy to open up and tinker with, even for the less tech-savvy. Compact machines, such as the Corsair One, can be a bit harder to open up. So if you plan on upgrading your investment over time, keep this in mind.
How we test the best gaming PCs
In our search to find the best gaming PC, we run every model we review through a standardized gauntlet of real-world and benchmark tests, in order to measure how each desktop stacks up as both a gaming machine and as an everyday computer.
As far as hard numbers go, we currently run the framerate benchmark utilities for Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Far Cry 6, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Grand Theft Auto V at 1920 x 1080 with graphics maxed out, as well as at 2560 x 1440 and 4K if a system allows for it. On top of that, we play tons of graphics-intensive games like Cyberpunk 2077 to give you a sense of how these gaming desktops hold up anecdotally.
In terms of synthetic tests, we run a gamut of benchmarks that include PCMark 10 (for graphics) and Geekbench 6 (for CPU performance). To test a system's hard drive, we measure how fast each PC can copy 4.97GB worth of multimedia files.
For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom's Guide.
