The Xbox Series X is shaping up to be the 4K gaming machine that it promises to be, and the PS5 is expected to follow suit. However, if you want the best-looking games imaginable, there are various reasons to buy a gaming PC instead. For starters, you can just get more raw graphical power crammed into a gaming desktop, especially if you choose a computer with one of Nvidia’s Ampere graphics cards, such as the RTX 3080 or RTX 3090.
While gaming desktops may be more complicated, purchasing a desktop computer isn’t too dissimilar to purchasing a new console, especially with us to assist you. There is a rig for everyone, whether you want a low-power setup for DoTA or the most powerful machine on the market. If you aren’t ready to create your own desktop, purchasing a pre-built can provide an excellent starting point, which you can then improve with a new processor, memory, or storage.
1. Asus ROG Strix GA15 G15
This pre-built Asus gaming PC will make you forget about the ludicrous barrier to obtaining graphics cards that has existed in the last year. That’s because this $1,600 PC includes some very strong components, including an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card, which would probably account for more than half of the cost of this build if purchased secondhand.
Right next to the RTX 3070 is an Intel Core i7-11700F processor with 16GB of RAM. In other words, you’ll have more than enough muscle to handle whatever kind of games you throw at this machine. Whether you’re looking for high framerates at 1080p or even 4K gaming, this system is up to the challenge. Asus even included plenty of storage with the rig, including 512GB of high-speed NVMe storage to run the OS and your favorite games, as well as a 1TB hard drive for your extended collection.
2. HP Omen Gaming Desktop
HP also provides some enticing value. If you’re on the AMD side of the fence, this is the gaming PC for you. It’s actually only slightly more expensive than the Asus ROG Strix GA15 G15 we recommended, so if you don’t care about platforms, go with that one for the improved graphics card. However, if you want real processing cores at a reasonable budget, the HP Omen Gaming Desktop provides them.
This system is outfitted with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X octa-core processor and an Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti graphics card.
Those components have a lot of performance potential. And, with a 1TB NVMe SSD drive inside, you’ll have all of your games loading at lightning speed. With a width of only 6.5 inches, this PC won’t take up a lot of room on your desk.
3. Zotac Zbox Magnus One
Making a gaming PC isn’t as difficult as it may appear. Building a small gaming PC, on the other hand, is a significant problem. Even experienced builders often struggle to get everything to fit properly while keeping critical factors like ventilation in mind. As a result, Zotac has made it a lot easier to choose a decent one. The Zotac Zbox Magnus One is an amazingly small gaming PC that packs all the power you need for competitive gaming.
The Zotac Zbox Magnus One features an Intel Core i7-10700 processor with 16GB of RAM, as well as the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card. This rig is up to the task of gaming at 1080p and 1440p with great frame rates or 4K with superb graphics. It also has enough of storage for your favorite games. All of this is housed in a chassis that is less than a third of a cubic foot in size.
4. Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10
If you’re willing to spend the money on one of the most proficient gaming desktops money can buy, the Alienware Aurora Ryzen Editon R10 is a great choice. This machine is outfitted with an octa-core AMD processor and Nvidia’s latest RTX 3080 graphics. Not only will you be able to experience true 4K 60fps PC gaming, but you’ll also be able to extract high-quality ray tracing effects from this gaming desktop’s GPU without sacrificing frame rate.
Of course, that is only for the basic specification. Dell allows for significant upgrades, such as a jump to the 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X and up to 128GB of memory. With this much graphics and computing power, the Alienware Aurora is more than competent of gaming and should function as a good video production machine. Alternatively, if you max it out, this gaming desktop might easily serve as a streaming PC with no discernible impact on its gaming capabilities. If you’re not in a hurry to buy a computer, Alienware will release a new version of this PC before the end of the year.
5. Dell XPS Tower Special Edition
If you’re willing to spend the money on one of the most proficient gaming desktops money can buy, the Alienware Aurora Ryzen Editon R10 is a great choice. This machine is outfitted with an octa-core AMD processor and Nvidia’s latest RTX 3080 graphics. Not only will you be able to experience true 4K 60fps PC gaming, but you’ll also be able to extract high-quality ray tracing effects from this gaming desktop’s GPU without sacrificing frame rate.
Of course, that is only for the basic specification. Dell allows for significant upgrades, such as a jump to the 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X and up to 128GB of memory. With this much graphics and computing power, the Alienware Aurora is more than competent of gaming and should function as a good video production machine. Alternatively, if you max it out, this gaming desktop might easily serve as a streaming PC with no discernible impact on its gaming capabilities. If you’re not in a hurry to buy a computer, Alienware will release a new version of this PC before the end of the year.
6. Maingear Turbo
Do you want a gaming PC that will make folks look twice? The Maingear Turbo may be the right choice for you.
This mini PC may appear unassuming due to its small stature and understated appearance, yet a short peep through the tempered glass side panel reveals what makes this machine purr.
Inside is an AMD Ryzen 9 5900X Processor with a 240mm liquid cooler attached. You’ll also get 32GB of RAM operating at a blistering 3,600MHz. The new Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 (read our review) graphics processor inside is the icing on the cake. This mix of components will allow your tiny PC to tackle almost any gaming task you throw at it, including seamless 4K gaming.
7. MSI Trident 3
Because of their ability to fit easily into media centres and TV stands, gaming consoles have had an advantage over gaming PCs. As a result, they’ve become a popular addition to living rooms for gaming.However, the MSI Trident 3 flips the script. This small gaming PC is designed to become your new best friend in the living room.
The MSI Trident 3 is only 3.8 inch thick, 13.9 inch tall, and 9.9 inch deep. What’s smaller than that? A PlayStation 5 console.
This PC also includes a substantial amount of high-performance hardware. To handle most games, there’s a competent six-core Intel Core i5-11400F processor teamed with 16GB of DDR4 memory. Meanwhile, the RTX 3060 on the inside will provide excellent images. You’ll be fine if you’re using an older 1080p TV, but you can also use this with 4K TVs, switch to ultra-wide modes on TVs that support it to lower the resolution and get faster speeds, or rely on the DLSS that the RTX 3060 can support for an experience that’s nearly indistinguishable from native 4K without the performance hit that higher resolution brings.
8. Corsair Vengeance a7200 Series Gaming PC
If you intend to game and broadcast on the same machine, you’ll need a lot of power beneath the hood. It is provided by the Corsair Vengeance a7200 Series. This variant, like the Intel-based Vengeance i7200, comes fitted into a Corsair 4000D Airflow case for outstanding airflow to keep your system cool even under pressure, not to mention a slew of fans.
Corsair includes a water-cooled AMD Ryzen 9 5900X with sufficient CPU cores to handle gaming and streaming at the same time in this configuration. Meanwhile, with Nvidia ShadowPlay, the RTX 3080 Ti can produce excellent graphics in your games while also assisting with streaming. There’s also plenty of storage and RAM onboard, allowing you to retain a large game library and run a few background programs while gaming.
Where Can I Find the Best Gaming PC in the UK?
Having your gaming PC prebuilt can save you a lot of time and trouble, and this is true no matter where you are in the world. We cheated a little bit here because many of the items on our list can be purchased and transported to the UK. Newegg, for example, will ship numerous excellent pre-builts all the way from the United States to the United Kingdom. Shipping and PC costs are both modest, so you shouldn’t have any problems in the future.
What to Look for in a Gaming PC
Below, I go through the essential specs you should prioritise when purchasing a gaming PC, as well as how to get the most out of your prebuilt rig purchase. I also discuss a few additional possibilities that you might find interesting.
Prebuilts are the safest method to get into gaming and, perhaps, the most cost-effective gear you can buy. When you buy a system, you’re not just receiving the hardware inside, but also the time savings of not having to seek down the best processor to best RAM for your system and putting it all together yourself and hoping it works properly.
That being said, just as with building your own PC, you want to make sure you’re spending your money wisely. First and foremost, you should prioritize acquiring the graphics card you require for your gaming display or 4K TV. If you’re merely playing games on a 1080p display, you don’t need much more than an Nvidia GTX 1660.
To play the most recent games comfortably at any resolution, you should only need an Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5 processor with at least four cores.
System memory and solid-state drives might be the most expensive components of any system. Those who are willing to upgrade their system once it arrives should select a configuration with the smallest storage and RAM capacity possible, as purchasing these components separately can frequently be more cost-effective.
If the latter proposal appeals to you, perhaps a bare-bones system is what you’re looking for. Barebones PCs are less expensive since they have all of the major components, such as the CPU, GPU, and power supply, but they frequently lack storage, memory, and an operating system as a trade-off.
Finally, if you want more control over what goes into your system, work with a boutique PC builder. Origin, Maingear, DigitalStorm, Falcon Northwest, PC Specialist, and a plethora of other firms provide fantastic PC building services that allow you to choose exactly which components go into your gaming PC. From there, they create your system with the kind of cable management that most people can only dream of, all while guaranteeing that everything works perfectly out of the box.
If all of this seems a little overwhelming, NZXT provides its own PC building service called BLD. Instead of selecting every component for your PC, you select the games you intend to play, and the service provides you with many configuration options that will allow the games to function smoothly.
Similarly, iBuyPower provides an Easy Builder service that works in a similar manner. Users can choose from a small selection of games such as Fortnite, GTA V, Apex Legends, WoW, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Battlefield V. Users may then specify whether they want to play at 1080p or 1440p resolution, as well as their budget, and the system will provide a few settings to choose from.
Aside from the ability to select the components you require, prebuilt PCs have a number of features and software packages that you may find useful. Many gaming PCs in this category enable overclocking and even have a one-click option to improve your system’s performance. Of course, downloading overclocking software such as MSI Afterburner or EVGA Precision X is simple. Furthermore, your workstation may come with system monitoring software that simplifies the process of obtaining and updating drivers.