The best gaming PCs are about to become a lot more affordable, thanks to Black Friday. This tends to be the best time of the year to go shopping for PCs, and it's when we see the best value throughout the year. We've been testing and monitoring prebuilt gaming PCs for years, and we're very excited to see what kind of power you can get for less cash in the next month or so.
Whether you're looking for the latest and greatest Alienware gaming PC, or you're a seasoned pro looking for something to modify as you go, we'd just recommend that you think about futureproofing if you invest a large sum in a gaming PC. There are loads of viable GPUs and CPUs out there just now, and there's never been so many options for DDR5-compatible parts. More than that, PCIe Gen 5 SSDs are emerging, and while you might not need their lighting-quick speeds just yet, it might be worth thinking about compatibility if you don't want to buy again further down the line.
Just keep in mind that the latest graphics cards still aren't the cheapest to buy separately, so getting them in a prebuilt gaming PC can actually be surprisingly good value. Of course, there is the option to assemble newer components and build your own gaming PC from scratch. While there are definitely benefits to doing this, we'd recommend a prebuilt rig for folks who don't have the time and know-how to build. If you're looking for your first rig, a prebuild can definitely save you a lot of bother.
The Quick List
The best gaming PC overall
The new Predator Orion X takes the power and pedigree of previous Orion builds and channels it into a smaller chassis. This is one of the best there is.
The best budget gaming PC
The HP Omen 25L is a great way to get into PC gaming. It's a slightly smaller ATX build that houses affordable but strong components. It doesn't look bad either!
The best value gaming PC
The Refract Gaming Jade is frequently discounted below its MSRP, and with a 4060 Ti and Ryzen 7 7700 inside, there's a lot of value to be had from it.
The best Alienware gaming PC
The Alienware Aurora R15 is the best machine from Alienware that we've tested. It offers extreme futureproofing, and if you like the brand, this isn't to be missed.
The best high-end gaming PC
The refreshed 13th Gen Acer Predator Orion 7000 is the beefiest build we've had our hands on. It isn't without flaws, but it's a monster of a gaming PC.
Best handheld gaming PC
Asus' debut handheld PC is a portable powerhouse that trumps the Steam Deck on performance, but it's pretty pricey. Are you in your handheld era?
Read more below
I've been interested in gaming PCs since around 2019, and since I arrived here at 12DOVE as hardware editor, I've become the team's resident computer nerd. I won't lie, I found it tricky getting into this subset of technology because everything uses confusing naming conventions and it all costs way too much money. That's why I try to make my recommendations and explanations as easy to understand as possible, and my mission statement is to find you the best value for money in an expensive world.
Recent updates
Monday, October 28: In this update, we've removed the now discontinued HP Omen 30L, and added in the Refract Gaming Jade PC, which we've just tested. We've also added a handy glossary to help you understand some computing terms if you're new to this world.
The best gaming PC overall
- Our favourite configuration:
The Acer Predator Orion X is one of the most innovative, powerful, and compact PCs we've had the pleasure of testing. This is a small form factor build, but one that acts nothing like an ITX build at all. If you can afford this little monster, it's the best prebuilt gaming PC in the UK right now.
✅ You want a small PC. This is a small form factor build, which means it'll actually fit on top of your desk if you want it to.
✅ You want something quiet. The liquid cooling in this rig is especially good, meaning that even when the PC is working hard, you're not going to hear it struggle like you would a bulking great mass of a computer.
✅ You're aiming for 4K. An RTX 4080 is a seriously powerful GPU. Combined with an Intel Core i9, you're going to have gaming power for days if you want to play in 4K.
❌ You need a fast SSD. The SSD here is particularly weak, so keep that in mind if you're going to splash out.
❌ You want to upgrade a familiar machine. The layout of this PC's innards is a bit confusing and is like no regular ATX motherboard we've worked with. If you plan to upgrade, you might need to study it closely first.
❌ You're on a budget. Annoyingly, this PC only comes with some of the beefiest, and most expensive parts on the market, so you're going to struggle to afford it if you don't have a serious budget to play with.
Design & Features: Contrary to larger Orion 7000 gaming PCs, the Orion X is remarkably quiet thanks to an AIO cooler that uses a mix of water and air to keep its innards cool. It works surprisingly well, and it would need to since the configuration we tested comprises an unlocked 13th Gen i9 processor and an RTX 4080 GPU.
Despite these being some of the beefiest components you can buy for PCs at the moment, they're housed in a chassis which is as quirky and inventive as ITX cases get. There are three "zones" in the chassis to direct you to different components of the rig, and while this is excellent for cramming big components inside it, it may prove quite difficult to operate on if you want to upgrade it later on.
Performance: Regardless, in general use, gaming, and content creation, this PC performed brilliantly and outshone the larger Orion 7000 in terms of quality of life and value. This is cheaper and arguably performs better thanks to that AOI cooler. There's next to no noise pollution and it won't take up all the space underneath your desk.
Moreover, there's very little you can throw an RTX 4080 at and not win when gaming. the visuals you'll be able to muster up at high frame rates are breathtaking, and combined with an i9 there's so much legroom to play and create in 4K. Rather bizarrely, the SSD you get for your money is the worst bit - a common theme with some prebuilds that manufacturers probably use to keep costs down. CrystalDiskMark showed us a sequential read speed of only 3,622MB/s, which isn't ideal for a PC of this price.
Still, gaming results were spectacular, with even 4K and ray traced Hitman 3 managing to get a benchmarking score of 92fps. That test usually humbles every other rig we test, but the Orion X chewed it up and spat it back out.
For us, it doesn't get much better than this in the prebuilt gaming PC world.
The best budget gaming PC
- Our favourite configuration:
The HP Omen 25L has been a staple of the prebuilt gaming PC market for a few years now, and in a recent reshuffle of HP Omen's PC range, it's had a glow-up. It's the smallest (and thus most affordable rig in the Omen family, and although it can now be found with some serious mid-range components, you can often find it lower down the price bracket with very affordable parts inside.
✅ You want an entry-level option. Although these builds can go up to an RTX 4070 Ti, we see it much more often in the lower-end category for reasonable prices.
✅ You want something from a big brand. HP Omen is a popular, and well-respected brand in the prebuilt PC world, so you're going to have good opportunities for repairs and warranties if you need to make use of them.
✅ You want to be able to upgrade later. An 800W PSU means you have so much room for growth through the years should you want to upgrade your PC's parts later on.
❌ You want good temperature control. Sometimes this rig comes with a liquid cooler, sometimes it doesn't. Either way, temperature control could be better.
❌ You want visible front fans. There is some really nice lighting with this chassis, but it doesn't have that traditional look about it other gaming PCs have.
❌ You're aiming for the highest components. Only going up to an RTX 4070 Ti and i7 processor means you won't hit the heights of 4K gaming you might want to.
Design & Features: the "25L" part of this computer's name is derived from its 25L chassis, which, as you can imagine, is slightly smaller than the now disappearing 30L, and the new 35L. We tested the 30L version of the HP Omen a while back, and although it backed some serious power, its biggest downside was that its case wasn't the best at handling temperatures.
Perhaps the best thing about the Omen chassis is its versatile lighting, which seems very classy and plain in product render imagery, but is capable of lighting up your gaming space with a lot of colour.
An 800W PSU means you have plenty of room to upgrade this machine later on, if you go for a more affordable, entry-level configuration. You'll of course get access to Wi-Fi and Windows 11. In terms of connectivity, the motherboard will give you allowance for 4x USB 2.0 devices, and 2x USB-C connections of varying speeds. You'll get a further 2x SuperSpeed USB-A ports on the top of the case as well.
Performance: With up to an RTX 4070 Ti, there's a lot of possibility for 1440p performance here. Most frequently, however, we see the 25L sporting an Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU, which is geared at 1080p predominantly, but will be capable of 1440p prowess thanks to its DLSS wizardry. When testing that GPU in other machines, we've often found it can produce triple digit frame rates at 1080p, and even near that in some games in 1440p.
When we tested the older 30L version of this machine, we were very impressed with its potential, despite its slight temperature mismanagement and somewhat messy innards. Either way, if you're on a budget, this is a PC you'll often benefit from considering.
The best value gaming PC
Our favorite configuration:
The Refract Gaming Jade PC is a prebuilt machine by the team at OverclockersUK, and it's taken the mantle of "best value" on this list because it can frequently be found discounted, or with fun game bundles being offered alongside it. With fairly beefy mid-range components in there, you get some great value for money, regardless of the resolution you aim to play at.
✅ You want a smaller chassis. The case used here isn't quite as bulky as a lot of the rival gaming PCs of this price range, so if you don't have a lot of space, this is for you.
✅ You want to control RGB lighting easily. We haven't heard of any other gaming PCs that come with handy remotes you can control the RGB lighting with. That's a neat trick!
✅ 1440p if the resolution you're aiming for. With a 4060 Ti inside, there's a lot of room to gallop at all three mainstream resolutions. Quad HD is the natural middle ground for this graphics card though.
❌ You want a quiet PC. This is air-cooled, which means when it's working harder, it's going to make a lot more noise than something with an AIO inside. If you're sensitive to noise pollution, look elsewhere.
❌ A fast SSD is what you need. The weakest part of this rig is its SSD, which didn't score highly when we benchmarked it.
❌ You want a better GPU for the money. The 4060 Ti is a great, and versatile GPU, but with a Ryzen 7 and 32GB of RAM, you could argue for the money a 4070 would fit better.
Design & Features: The Refract Gaming Jade comes in one configuration, and sports a Ryzen 7 7700 CPU, an RTX 4060 Ti, 32GB of DDR5, and a 1TB SSD. Its Micro ATX chassis is a Kolink Citadel Glass case that won't take up loads of room under a desk or next to a TV stand. It's a real-estate efficient machine that's versatile as a result of its smaller footprint.
One downside is that it's cooled only by air. On the front, lie two intake fans which bring cool air across the motherboard. The CPU cooler is a fairly simple fan that steals some of that air before a singular exhaust fan blows it out the back. We wish there was maybe an AIO liquid cooler here to compensate the lack of a third frontal fan, but if you aren't opposed to a bit of noise pollution, this won't really be a problem.
The 650W PSU and space inside the case will allow you to customise and upgrade parts as you go. If getting in about your motherboard is a frequent occurrence for you, you'll be glad to know the glass panel folds open with a simple pull, and no tools are required.
Performance: With a 4060 Ti inside, there's capable gaming performance to be had from the Jade at any of the three resolutions. At 1080p, you've got something that will frequently spit out triple digit framerates, and at 1440p, you're going to find a lot of sweet spots between graphical fidelity and smooth gameplay. There is some room at the top for 4K gaming, if that's your thing. Just remember that with only 8GB of VRAM you're going to need to use DLSS more, or forgo ray tracing to really get playable frame rates. Still, you can see from the table below that in Shadow of the Tomb Raider with DLSS and max 4k settings, the Jade was still able to get over the 60fps mark.
Unfortunately, the SSD inside the Jade does let the side down, as our CrystalDiskMark benchmarking tests only produced a 5,227MB/s sequential read speed, and 4,823MB/s write speed. That's a disappointment for any gaming PC over a grand, and it's definitely the part of this machine we'd recommend upgrading first.
The best Alienware gaming PC
- Our favourite configuration:
The Alienware Aurora R15 is an out-of-this-world powerhouse PC with exceptional gaming capabilities, and it builds upon what made the R13 and R14 so great. While it’s not a perfect system, and Dell’s dedication to using proprietary parts persists, the company’s rig is both reliable and sets itself apart with unique aesthetics. If you’re not into odd-looking PC cases, this system might not be for you, but you’ll want to read on if you’re looking for an eccentric boutique build.
✅ You want a powerful PC. No matter which configuration you go for, Alienware will usually cram as much power into a chassis that's available. If you have the budget for the high-end stuff, you're going to be catered to here.
✅ You're not looking for a standard gaming PC. Alienware is a bit of an outlier in the Gaming PC realm, and it isn't a brand you can easily use as a platform to upgrade later on.
✅ You want something that looks nice. Besides graphics, this is a good-looking PC that's immediately recognisable as a distinct piece of gaming hardware.
❌ You want to upgrade parts later. The layout, and indeed make of this PC won't allow you to upgrade parts easily.
❌ You're not a lover of proprietary parts and software. Seriously, I'm leaning on this warning because it's one of this brand's sticking points. Don't go into this if you don't want to run into some proprietary roadblocks.
❌ You're on a budget. Although this PC comes in different configurations, there are seldom options for budget buyers, even if you find one comprising affordable parts.
Design & Features: As much as we loved the R15’s cutting-edge performance, there are a few quirks to consider before investing in this interstellar system. For starters, its shell won’t be for everyone, as it uses a lot of plastic to give it an unconventional look. As a result, you’ll sometimes hear some weird noises occur as temperatures rise and drop, which is eerie if you’re expecting standard fan acoustics.
Performance: Armed with a monstrous RTX 4090, an Intel Core i9-13600K, and 32GB DDR5 RAM, the Alienware Aurora R15 we reviewed didn't remotely skimp on specs. During benchmarking, the rig made short work of demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Total War: Warhammer 3, and it consistently rolled natural 20s while powering numerous Baldur’s Gate 3 settings. We’re taking frame rates that are consistently within the realm of triple digits, and even ray tracing can’t thwart this cosmic system’s ability to boost fps.
However, one of the R15’s biggest pitfalls is upgradability, as its motherboard isn’t standard. In fact, like a lot of ITX (small form factor) motherboards, it only features two DIMM slots, so your options are limited when it comes to RAM. There’s also not much room to work with inside the case, as Dell has carefully positioned its liquid cooling system amongst other tight-fitting parts. That aside, if you’re more likely to just buy an entirely different rig in the future rather than tinker with one, then the R15 will offer incredible performance long into the future.
The best high-end gaming PC
Our favorite configuration:
The Acer Predator Orion 7000 has been one of the top dogs of the prebuilt gaming PC market for a while now. With the Orion 7000 of 2022 releasing just before the launch of new-gen CPUs, GPUs, and more widespread adoption of DDR5 RAM, Acer made the wise decision to refresh its flagship gaming PC with a new motherboard that could handle the power of these 13th Gen Intel processors.
✅ You want power. The upper allowance of configurations here is wild, and the version we tested is a testament to that. If you want the beefiest parts, this is a reliable option.
✅ You are okay with a more up-to-date version being available. We haven't tested it yet, and it isn't out yet, but there is a redesign of this PC coming soon that may fix many of the problems we had with it.
✅ You don't mind paying a bit more. Acer has some great options on the shelves, but they aren't always the cheapest.
❌ You want something quiet. This is up there with the noisiest PCs we've ever tested, so keep that in mind.
❌ You want good temperature control. I'm not joking, even with all the fan noise, you'll still have to deal with a lot of high temperatures.
❌ You hate proprietary software. It's not super intrusive, but you will need to deal with the odd bit of software that's pre-installed on Acer's computers.
Design & Features: Now fully compatible with 13th Gen CPUs, DDR5, and wielding the Lovelace power of Nvidia's RTX 40 series, Acer has updated its flagship's innards for increased futureproofing.
The version we tested was crammed full of power, housing an unlocked 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900KF CPU and an RTX 4090. Although that rig, in particular, is pricey, and probably one of the most powerful gaming PCs you can get your hands on at the moment, the Predator Orion 7000 can be found in more configurations than ever before, and we're sure as time goes on we'll begin to see a wider spread of builds up and down the price range.
Performance: Having said that, if you're going to buy this monster of a gaming PC, I would strongly, strongly urge you to take a look at the best PC headset for gaming, because by golly are you going to need it. The fans in this rig seem louder than they've ever been, and in all honesty, don't do a great job of keeping the components cool. 13th Gen CPUs are known to run hot, but no one should have to suffer this much noise pollution for temperatures that are still this high.
Finally, I'm a bit baffled by the fact that these newly refreshed motherboards don't have any XMP compatibility. On the other hand, we did recently review the new Orion X and see improvements to the Predator Sense BIOS, so if those improvements have rolled out to other Acer PCs, you could be in luck.
The best handheld gaming PC
- Our favourite configuration:
The Asus ROG Ally is one of the best gaming handheld options out there for PC players, and while we love the Steam Deck, this rival packs more of a punch. Not only can it run more games since it's a Windows 11 device, but it's surprisingly capable at 1080p.
✅ You want to game on the go. A handheld gaming PC is a bit like the Nintendo Switch in that you can buy a dock for it to use at home, but you can also take it on the train, on holiday, or on work trips. There's no limit to where you take your at-home setup with a device like this.
✅ You're like controller inputs. It goes without saying, but if you aren't the biggest fan of using a gamepad, a handheld gaming PC might be a little grating for you.
✅ You aren't married to the original Steam Deck. Although Valve's version was the original, the market really has exploded with new options. If you want a handheld gaming PC but want a more powerful alternative, this is it.
❌ You mainly play at home. If you're not actually in need of something to take with you on the go, you're going to struggle to find a need for a handheld.
❌ You're expecting gaming PC power and high framerates. Handheld tech has come a long way, but if you're expecting those high frame rate gaming sessions to carry over to this device, you might struggle.
❌ You mainly play FPS games. This one might come down to you, but first-person shooters may not feel great on a smaller controller-like device like this, especially if you play competitively.
Design & Features: Equipped with a 7-inch 120Hz 1080p display, the ROG Ally provides visuals above and beyond the handheld norm. For context, the Steam Deck's built-in display sticks to a lower 800p resolution, and the Nintendo Switch is still rocking a 720p screen (albeit an OLED one). Just like its rivals, it's kitted out with integrated controls, but you can also connect it to the best Steam Deck dock and turn it into a mini low-spec desktop rig.
The ROG Ally doesn't look drastically different from other handheld PCs out there, but it certainly looks like an Asus product. Its white shell and RGB accents underneath its thumb sticks stand out compared to Valve's subtle handheld, not to mention its screen is 16:9 rather than 16:10. It's definitely a great-looking handheld, and it's pretty comfortable to hold too thanks to its ergonomic shape and weight distribution.
Performance: Admittedly, the ROG Ally isn't the fastest handheld PC in the West, as that accolade currently belongs to the more expensive Ayaneo 2S. However, it's still a mean machine and can run games like Cyberpunk 2077 at 60fps when using the same resolution and settings as the Steam Deck. If you fancy it, you can dial things up to 1080p to take advantage of the handheld's screen, but it fully depends on whether you prefer higher fps or fidelity.
Ultimately, the Asus ROG Ally is portable for players looking for a proper on-the-go PC experience. That comes with some caveats, as Windows is less optimised for portable play than SteamOS. Nevertheless, if you want all the functionality of your rig within your palms, you'll want to consider this heroic handheld.
Best gaming PCs - frequently asked questions
What is the price of a good gaming PC?
Generally, a good gaming PC can start as cheap as £800-£1,000 depending on what you want to do with it. If you're after one of the best gaming PCs on a budget for 1080p, then it's entirely possible to get a rig in this price range. Things become more complicated when you add 1440p and 4K gaming into the mix, generally hanging around the £1,500 mark depending on the manufacturer.
What is the best PC for gaming?
There are many great gaming PC brands out there in the prebuilt space including Asus, HP, Corsair, and Alienware. In terms of the best of them, that is going to depend on the end-user, as many different PC gamers have different requirements. We've found that Acer and HP make the best mid-range models, with Alienware and Corsair cornering the high-end market.
Is it cheaper to build your own computer?
A couple of years ago it genuinely was cheaper to build your own system with your chosen components instead of opting for a premium prebuild. However, pre-built machines may be the cheaper option in the coming weeks, now that a new 40 series of GPUs is being released. As new machines with those 40 series graphics cards are assembled by manufacturers, it's much more likely that our current picks for best gaming PC that house 30 series cards will drop down in price.
Best gaming PCs: Glossary
Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.
How we test gaming PCs
While we've outlined how we test gaming PCs in our full hardware policy, it's worth giving the rundown here, too. Every PC we test will get run through its paces. We usually use each PC we review as we would our own machines. That means working, playing, and sometimes creating content on it before we come to a verdict.
For general use, this can mean working on it, which can require heavy multitasking power as we write articles, take video calls, and browse international shops to find you the best deals while using VPNs.
Of course, we'll also do a hefty amount of personal gaming on each rig we test, which can be a great barometer for how they compare to the personal machines we use every day. This can involve playing the latest and greatest demanding games or trying to clear a backlog of older titles we never did get to.
Then, there are our more formal performance tests. We'll start with software benchmarks using industry-standard programs. To test the CPU, we'll use Cinebench, to test the RAM, we'll check out some numbers and XMP profiles in the BIOS, as well as CPU-Z. SSD testing is done with CrystalDiskMark, and we use 3DMark to run a PC through its gaming paces.
We'll also run it through the gauntlet of our demanding benchmarking games. We use Hitman World of Assassination, Returnal, Total War: Warhammer 3, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Cyberpunk 2077 for gaming tests. These games all come with their own benchmarking tests within their settings to give us a standardized, fair examination of how each rig compares to another. We'll toggle resolutions and DLSS settings, as well as Ray Tracing to keep tabs on various levels of performance here.
Gear up for the best gaming PCs with the best gaming keyboards, best gaming monitors, and best gaming mouse. Plus, if you're wondering whether you should overclock your PC for gaming, we're here to help.
And for audio upgrades, check out the best computer speakers and best gaming headsets going.
