For most PC gamers, buying a prebuilt gaming rig is far more attractive than it used to be. Years ago it was inarguably cheaper to build your own gaming PC than to buy a boutique gaming rig. That's not the case anymore. It's not uncommon for major brands like Alienware, HP, and Lenovo to offer quality pre-built PCs for cheaper than the cost of building your own PC with the exact same specs.
We've compiled a list of the best current gaming PC deals, both from the manufacturers themselves like Dell (Alienware), HP, and Lenovo, as well as from reliable 3rd party retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. This includes an incredible deal on an iBuyPower Y40 RTX 4070 Gaming PC for $999 at Walmart. These PCs are significantly discounted from their normal retail price and are going to be less expensive than comparable models from other brands.
iBuyPower Y40 RTX 4070 Gaming PC for $999
Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4090 Gaming PC for $3,199.99
Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4070 Gaming PC for $1,699.99
More Dell and Alienware Gaming PC Deals
If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of the brands we'd recommend. Alienware gaming desktops offer a staggering array of options, all built into a custom chassis that's both easy on the eyes and easy on the wallet. Consistent build quality, available inventory, frequent sales, and solid customer service are the main reasons why Dell is at the top of our buying list.
Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 4060 Gaming PC for $1,349.99
More HP Gaming PC Deals
Of the big three OEM PC manufacturers, HP usually offers the lowest price on equivalently configured items. HP carries several different models of gaming PCs depending on how much power you need. At the upper end of the scale, the HP OMEN 45L offers a massive tower chassis with space for up to a 360mm all-in-one liquid cooler as well as a total of four additional 120mm case fans for ventilation. This is also the only model that can be configured with the latest RTX 40 series GPUs. On the other end of the scale, the HP Victus, Envy, and OMEN 25L gaming PCs feature understated aesthetics and a bargain price point. These PCs can still be configured into formidable gaming rigs.
HP OMEN 45L RTX 4090 Gaming PC for $2,899.99
HP Victus 15L RTX 4060 Gaming PC for $779.99
HP Omen 35L RTX 4060 Ti Gaming PC for $1,399.99
More Lenovo Gaming PC Deals
Lenovo Legion gaming PCs may be the priciest of the big three OEM manufacturers, but they are also generally the highest praised among gamers and reviewers alike. The Legion gaming PCs are highly rated for their build quality. People like the fact that Lenovo does not use proprietary components in their rigs, so they're much easier to upgrade with easily obtainable, off-the-shelf components compared to some other popular prebuilt PC brands. Lenovo gaming rigs generally also utilize solid cooling, especially for the CPU, even if you opt for the base models.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8 (Intel) with RTX 4070 Ti Super for $1,849.99
Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 (Intel) with RTX 4080 Super for $2,399.99
Things to Consider When Buying a Gaming PC
Which video card is enough for me?
As a general rule of thumb, you want to size your gaming rig based on (1) the resolution, not size, of your monitor and (2) the games you play. A 4K monitor has 2.25 times more pixels than a QHD (2560x1440) monitor and 4 times more pixels than a 1080p (1920x1080) monitor. Simply put, the more pixels on your monitor, the more power your GPU needs. Some games are also more performance intensive than other games, but that's often scalable by tweaking your settings. This is a rough recommendation:
- 1080p - RTX 3060 to RTX 3060 Ti (RX 6600 XT to RX 6700 XT)
- QHD - RTX 3060 Ti to RTX 3080 (RX 6700 XT to RX 6900 XT)
- 4K - RTX 3080 to RTX 4090 (RX 6900 XT)
If you have a gaming PC already and want to simply upgrade the GPU yourself, check out our picks for the best graphics cards in 2024.
Console vs Gaming PC?
Consoles may have come a long way in terms of graphical improvements, but gaming PCs still remain uncontested when it comes to absolute technical performance. A PS5 or Xbox Series X might be the most powerful consoles ever created, but they seem antiquated compared to the likes of a PC equipped with GeForce RTX 4080 or 4090 video card. Unlike consoles, gaming PCs are also infinitely backwards compatible, and the thousands upon thousands of games available at your disposal via Steam, Xbox Live, Origin, Battle.net, and more puts any console library to shame. Even better, most games that are released for the current gen consoles are often also available for the PC as well, often with even more extensive customization and graphics options.
Gaming PC vs Gaming Laptop?
Gaming laptops have become more and more popular in recent years, but they certainly don't make gaming PCs obsolete. First and foremost, a gaming laptop simply isn't as powerful as an equivalently priced gaming PC. Gaming laptops requires more delicate (and thus more expensive) engineering; because the laptop is such a compact form factor, and gaming components generally draw a lot of power and heat, compromises need to be made. The most powerful gaming laptops are about as powerful as a mid-range gaming PC. The highest end gaming PCs use video cards that are larger and heavier than your average laptop and can draw up to 600W of power all by itself. If you're on the fence between getting one of the other, you will have to weigh your priorities. If you want to know more, check out our in-depth article on the gaming laptop vs gaming desktop dilemma. If price isn't a factor and you're only concerned about getting the best PC for your needs, check out our picks for best gaming PCs of 2024. If you've picked up a new gaming PC, check out the best PC games to play in 2024.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Original article from Eric Song.
