Best Gaming Desktop PC Deals (2023)

What specs should a decent gaming PC have? You’ll want to choose a gaming PC with a solid graphics card. Nvidia GeForce GTX or RTX graphics cards are preferred for gaming. In addition to a great graphics card, a decent gaming PC should have at least 8 GB of RAM, 1080p HD or 4K display resolution and a fast processor.

Games are games, no matter what platform you decide to play them on, so we don’t take sides in the PC-versus-console argument. But if you’re ignoring the massive world of computer gaming, you’re missing out.

Indie scene innovation couples with cutting-edge PC performance to deliver digital experiences you can’t find anywhere else. Getting into PC gaming can be daunting from both a price and a knowledge standpoint. With Black Friday on the way, let us help you make an informed decision with these solid PC gaming desktop deals.

The Hottest Gaming Desktop PC Deals Right Now

• AMD Ryzen Mini PC for $379.00 (list price $499.99)
• HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop for $515.00 (list price $759.99)
• Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gaming Desktop for $742.99 (list price $989.99)
• HP Omen 40L Gaming Desktop for $1,149.99 (list price $1,499.99)
• Skytech Nebula Gaming Desktop for $899.99 (list price $999.99)
• Acer Nitro 50 Gaming Desktop for $845.00 (list price $1,199.99)
• Alienware Aurora R13 Gaming Desktop for $1,526.31 (list price $1,799.97)
• Empowered Sentinel Gaming Desktop for $3,199.99 (list price $3,449.99)
• Lenovo Legion Tower Gaming Desktop for $2,349.99 (list price $2,989.99)

The Best Starter Gaming Desktop Deals

Just getting into the world of PC gaming, or operating on a limited budget? Don’t stress. You can pick up a more than decent desktop for slightly more than a new gaming console. These aren’t going to wow your friends with 120fps 4K output, but they will run the vast majority of the last generation’s games without a hiccup.

AMD Ryzen Mini PC

If you’re not looking for blockbuster output but want to play PC games without much fuss, a mini PC might be the way to go. These desktops have a console-like form factor and are simple to set up. This one has a solid graphics card and can be run in one of three modes: silent, auto, or performance for variable noise and processing power. This configuration has 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro.

AMD Ryzen Mini PC for $379.00 (list price $499.99)

HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop

Taking 32% off the list price of this more-than-competent gaming machine lets it fit nicely into the budget category despite delivering above-average performance. A 4GHz Ryzen 3 processor is the heart of this sleek black tower, with graphics courtesy of an ‎AMD Radeon RX 5500 GPU. It’s more than capable of running most modern games without issue, but you may want to buy a little extra RAM as the loadout it ships with is a little skimpy. This configuration comes with 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.

HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop for $515.00 (list price $759.99)

Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gaming Desktop

We have a higher-end Lenovo Legion tower later on the list, but this one is on clearance and offers some surprisingly potent features for such a low price. The efficient AMD Ryzen 5 5000 Series processor is a few years old but still competitive. Graphics performance comes courtesy of an AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT card, which is also in the midrange in terms of performance. Basically, this is a midrange gaming desktop for a budget price, and that doesn’t happen often. This configuration comes with 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.

Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Gaming Desktop for $742.99 (list price $989.99)

The Best Midrange Gaming Desktop Deals

If you’re willing to drop a little more money, you can walk away with a lot more performance. Midrange machines are typically pegged to the software that’s on the market right now, so if you’re not looking to live on the edge, this is probably the bracket for you. These typically land around the $1,000 range, which might seem steep but they’re easily expandable and will last you a while.

HP Omen 40L Gaming Desktop

This monolithic gaming desktop is enjoying a very tasty price drop of $350 at Best Buy, making it an attractive choice. Boasting a potent AMD Ryzen 7 7000 Series processor for multitasking and next-gen gaming, it can handle current-gen games with ease and is pretty well prepared for the future.

A NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GPU delivers solid 1080p visuals at blazing speeds, and the cooling system is quiet and efficient. This configuration has 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.

HP Omen 40L Gaming Desktop for $1,149.99 (list price $1,499.99)

Skytech Nebula Gaming Desktop

If breaking four figures is your hard limit for PC gaming prices, this one will land right under it, especially when you can take another $100 off. This Skytech Nebula rig is built around an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6GHz CPU that definitely can keep up with whatever you throw at it, as well as an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card. A four-fan array with RGB lighting keeps the insides feeling cool and looking cooler. This configuration comes with 16GB of RAM, a 500GB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.

Skytech Nebula Gaming Desktop for $899.99 (list price $999.99)

Acer Nitro 50 Gaming Desktop

The case for this one looks like an evil robot from an 80s sci-fi movie, and it’s just as scary on the inside. PCMag reviewed the Acer Nitro 50 and called it “a reliable HD gaming machine with few real drawbacks.” Inside, you’ll find a 12th Gen lntel Core i5 processor and GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, industry standard for solid performance. The desktop footprint is impressively small, measuring just 13.4 by 6.4 by 13.8 inches. This configuration comes with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.

Acer Nitro 50 Gaming Desktop for $845.00 (list price $1,199.99)

The Best High-End Gaming Desktop Deals

Ready to get serious? If you’ve got the money to spend, you can pick up a gaming desktop that pumps out incredible graphics at lightning-fast frame rates, even with the latest titles. These packages might not be for everybody, but once you’ve experienced true HD gaming from a top-of-the-line machine, you won’t want anything else. Save massive amounts on these high-end gaming desktops.

Alienware Aurora R13 Gaming Desktop

Running off of Intel’s 12th generation Alder Lake CPU, this is a spendy but serious gaming rig that has a unique case design and some juicy specs. PCMag reviewed it, giving it an Excellent rating and saying that it was “a nice option for many plug-and-play-minded shoppers who want a little flair, and a lot of power.” A clear side window lets you keep an eye on your components, and the ‎Nvidia Ge Force Rtx 3060 Ti GPU pumps out gorgeous visuals. This configuration comes with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB HDD, and Windows 11 Home.

Alienware Aurora R13 Gaming Desktop for $1,526.31 (list price $1,799.97)

Empowered Sentinel Gaming Desktop

The Empowered Sentinel is an absolute beast, but for three grand and change, you’d expect no less. A discount of 7% is pretty meaningful when we get into the high end, in this case working out to $250 off.

Inside the seamless facade of this behemoth, you’ll find an overpowered system in every possible way, from the Intel Core i9-13900KF processor to the GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card.

If you want a future-proof gaming system that can tackle the latest games at the highest quality, this is the way to get it. This configuration comes with 64GB of RAM, a 2TB HDD, a 6TB HDD, and Windows 11 Home.

Empowered Sentinel Gaming Desktop for $3,199.99 (list price $3,449.99)

Lenovo Legion Tower Gaming Desktop

This is an incredibly solid tower at this price point, with a massive amount of RAM, a solid processor, and more. With a 13th Generation Intel Core i7-13700KF processor at the heart of the system that can clock up to 5.3 GHz, this potent machine is great for gaming and creativity.

Graphics are exceptional courtesy of an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. This deal also comes with three free months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. This configuration has 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Home.

Lenovo Legion Tower Gaming Desktop for $2,349.99 (list price $2,989.99)

Gaming Desktop Buying Guide

If you’re ready to pull the trigger on a gaming desktop PC, here are three tips for getting the best deals:

Gaming is one of the most processor-intensive things you can do with a PC, so a fast multi-core CPU is key. All of the desktops we’ve selected for this list prioritize fast speed and multi-core threading for peak performance.

A gaming desktop also rises and falls on the strength of its GPU. To enjoy most modern titles the way the developers intended, you need a graphics card with a good amount of RAM.

All of that power comes with heat. One advantage gaming desktops have is that they are typically designed from the ground up with advanced cooling features to keep the PC running at top performance without overheating.

Frequently Asked Gaming Desktop Questions

What’s Better, a Prebuilt or Custom PC?

Both options have their advantages. Assembling a custom PC gives you total control over every aspect of your machine and lets you spend money on the features that matter to you. However, they can become more expensive than a prebuilt machine due to the economy of scale.

Also, if you plan to assemble your PC yourself, you are taking some risk into your hands. A prebuilt gaming desktop is easier to understand in terms of the specifications of what it can run, and it typically comes with warranties for repair and parts replacement that cover the whole machine.

What Are Good Specs for a Gaming Desktop?

This is a question where the answer changes every year, as game developers are constantly pushing the envelopes of what they can get out of PCs to make their titles immersive and rich.

As of 2023, we’d recommend your gaming desktop have at least 8GB of onboard RAM, although 16GB is better for modern titles. For processors, AMD Ryzen or Intel Core i5/i7 models are solid. For a GPU, you need a card with at least 2GB of VRAM, but more is always better.

What Are the Best Gaming Desktop Brands?

For prebuilt gaming desktops, a few companies are reliable and widely available. Dell’s Alienware division produces solid if sometimes pricey PCs that have a fan following. Asus’s Republic of Gamers line hits the midrange and high-end markets with good machines. Acer’s Predator line is also good, and HP’s Omen models have their adherents.