

AMD and Nvidia make the graphics processors, or GPUs, that go into these cards, which are made by third parties such as Asus, EVGA, Gigabyte, MSI, PowerColor, Sapphire, and XFX (to name just a few). 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 animation performance and visual quality. Read on for a breakdown of our current top, tested models (tower PCs to compacts) for a variety of usage cases, followed by a guide to what to look for in the right model for you. Here’s how to buy your best gaming desktop, regardless of your budget, and our latest top picks in the category. But a couple of well-informed choices will go a long way toward helping you get the right gaming desktop from a standard PC manufacturer like Acer, Asus, Dell, or MSI, even if you’re not made of money. And today, it’s within almost every determined PC shopper’s grasp to get a PC with the graphics power necessary to drive the latest games on a full HD (1080p) monitor at lofty detail settings.īut what kind of PC can make major 3D games look and run better than they do on the Sony PS5 or the Microsoft Xbox Series X? If you have deep pockets, your answer could be a custom-built hot rod from an elite boutique PC maker such as Falcon Northwest, Maingear, or Velocity Micro.

Enthusiasts know that nothing beats the quality of gameplay you can get with a desktop built for gaming. PROS Powerful 4K gaming performance Unique front-panel Gaming Dial Rare inclusion of desktop Thunderbolt 3ĬONS Love-it-or-hate-it looks Expensive given the hardware and plastic build Tricky to upgrade No CPU auto-overclocking featuresĭespite the allure and simplicity of gaming consoles and handheld devices, PC gaming is still very alive and very much kicking. PROS Sky-high performance potential Innovative cooling Highly expandable All industry-standard parts Customizable lighting Case available separatelyĬONS High-end models get pricey Doesn’t offer DDR5 memory No front USB-C portīest For Gamers in Love with Sci-Fi Styling PROS First-class build quality Ultra-compact and quiet Stellar gaming performance Fully upgradable Excellent standard warrantyĬONS Only high-end configurations available PROS Blistering performance Available “Alder Lake” Intel Core i9, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti options Pristine custom build Professional aesthetic Robust US-based supportĬONS Pricey, particularly for base model Conservative, professional design may turn gamers off PROS Redesigned chassis with side window Blazing-fast CPU performance thanks to new 12th Gen Core i9 “Alder Lake” chip RTX 3090 GPU delivers top-end frame rates, even at 4K Midrange starting price with plenty of configuration optionsĬONS Pricey as configured Loud fans under load Plastic case (even with window) not as premium feeling as high-end metal buildsīest For Top-Notch Content Creation and Gaming Speed PROS Lavish performance Compact and classy Available hardline cooling Customizable to the ninesĬONS Expensive No front USB-C port External wireless antenna PROS Neatly organized, compact case Room to expand inside Highly configurable Good valueĬONS GeForce GTX 1650 Super graphics and 8GB RAM limit performance to basic 1080p play Default power supply caps future expansion options PROS Chart-topping performance as configured GeForce RTX 3090 ensures high-refresh 1080p and 1440p gaming, 60fps at 4K Clean, well-assembled build with attractive lighting Plenty of room for upgrades and expansionĬONS Sky-high price as tested high starting price, too One big and beefy tower SSD a bit behind the pack on PCMark 10’s Storage test PROS Reasonable price Top-notch gaming performance Custom-built looks Quiet cooling fansĬONS No custom configurations available Included SSD is large but could be faster No Thunderbolt 4 port PROS Six-core CPU and 6GB GPU for under $1,000 Stylish case with customizable lighting Quiet under loadĬONS Inadequate 8GB of RAM as tested Could use a front USB-C portīest For All-Around Value in 1440p Gaming We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page.
