The best prebuilt gaming PC will give you the best bang for the but, backed by high performance hardware that you’d get by building it yourself, without the need to actually do it.
However, you might have to pay a little more for having an expert craft your next gaming rig, but all that can be worthwhile if you’re short on time or expertise. And, that might not be the case always, as we’ve seen some pre-builts ring much lower prices than mainstream gaming PCs, yet they rock similar hardware – sometimes the former has better hardware. In most cases, it gets down to individual preferences and gaming needs.
If you’re just getting into gaming and need to do it at higher frame rates, resolutions, and detailed settings out-of-the-box, a pre-built gaming PC is a great entry into the competitive world of PC gaming. In this list, we detail some of the best pre-built gaming PCs you can buy right now.
Reasons to buy a pre-built gaming PC
- You never have to worry about hardware compatibility, all components in these systems are spec-tested and guaranteed to work from the prebuilt PC manufacturers
- Challenges in accessing gaming hardware and components in response to the Covid-19 pandemic will be a thing of the past, since the PCs come with your choice of hardware, that hard to come in the market for DIY sessions
- If you’re not familiar with building your own gaming PC, a prebuilt PC bridges that gap, by allowing you specify the hardware you need, and comes ready to go out of the box
- Pre-built gaming PC manufacturers offer the option to send back the machines back for fixing, should you experience hardware issues
- Most prebuilt gaming PCs come with additional gaming components, such as a keyboard and mouse, however, these are entry-level peripherals, that you’ll need to upgrade at some point
- Almost all prebuilt gaming PCs come with the latest Windows pre-installed
Best prebuilt gaming PC brands
The prebuilt gaming PC market is full of manufacturers, with each claiming to be the best. Of the many manufacturers, there are a few reputable boutique PC builders, and those are the ones we only have in our list. Perhaps you’re wondering how we know the best-prebuilt gaming manufacturers; well, we have reviewed, purchased, and tested PCs from these brands.
Popular prebuilt PC brands:
- Alienware
- Corsair
- CyberPowerPC
- SkyTech
- iBUYPOWER
- Intel
- Thermaltake
- MSI
- Origin PC
- Falcon Northwest
- Scan 3XS
- Overclockers UK
How we choose
In this guide, we’ve curated gaming PC from a horde of popular PC manufacturers highlighted above, and even scoured the latest prebuilt gaming PCs from brands that specialize in upgrades and PC customizations such as CUK.
Some of the PCs in this list include some that we’ve reviewed, and others we’ve relied on our expertise to identify the specs against the value to identify whether they’re worth your money.
If you have the time and skill, we insist, building you own gaming PC is the best way to you, as you have control over every hardware that goes into it, and it tends to offer much better value.
Here are some of the best pre-built gaming PCS you can buy.
What is the best prebuilt gaming PC brand?
1. Best Prebuilt Gaming PC Overall: Skytech Prism II
2. Best Compact Pre-Built Gaming PC: MSI Trident X
3. Best High-End Pre-Built Gaming PC: Corsair One i300
4. Best Pre-Build Gaming PC Under $2,000: iBUYPOWER Pro Slate Mono 237i
5. Best Pre-Built Gaming PC Under $1,500: CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXiVR8480A11
6. Best Budget Pre-Built Gaming PC: Skytech Blaze II
1. Best Prebuilt Gaming PC OVERALL
- INTEL Core i9 12900K 3.2GHz (5.1GHz Max Boost) CPU Processor | 1TB NVME Gen4 SSD – Up to...
- RTX 3090 24GB GDDR6X Graphics Card (Brand may vary) | 32G DDR5 RGB Gaming Memory with Heat...
- 802.11AC | No Bloatware | Graphic output options include 1 x HDMI, and 1 x Display Port...
The Skytech Prism II is a top-of-the-line pre-built gaming PC. The 12th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3090 GPU bring unmatched gaming performance in a sleek design that you can upgrade yourself down the line.
The Skytech Prism II is a top-of-the-line pre-built gaming PC. The 12th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3090 GPU bring unmatched gaming performance in a sleek design that you can upgrade yourself down the line.
All of the parts are standardized, including the case. With standard parts, it means this is the type of pre-built rig that you can upgrade, tinker with and make your own over the next several years. But for now, you won’t have to upgrade anything, it packs the best of the best, starting with the processor, all the way to the graphics card.
If you don’t have a keyboard and mouse, Skytech includes peripherals that are decent enough to get started, though you’ll likely want to bump up the keyboard to something with manual switches eventually.
You’re paying top-dollar for this Skytech Prism II, but the sheer raw power it delivers and available configuration options available makes it well worth every buck you invest.
Read full review: Skytech Prism II
2. Best Compact Pre-Built Gaming PC
- Intel Core i9-11900K 8C/16T 3.5-5.1 GHz 16MB Cache
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 24GB GDDR6X 384-bit
- 64GB DDR4 (2 x 32GB) 3200 MHz
The MSI Trident X is the dictionary definition of “great things come in small packages” in the world of PC gaming. From design and performance perspectives, it’s hard to ask for more than the Trident X offers: a sleek, compact chassis with powerful enough hardware to run the latest and greatest titles in fabulous 4K resolution.
The only caveat is that you’ll spend a little more for the gaming brilliance: just over three grand, to be precise. Still, if you have the money to spend on a gaming machine, the MSI Trident makes a strong case for itself.
It runs games beautifully and everyday productivity tasks will not pose any challenge to the hardware used here. In addition to that, the machine runs quietly, and upgrades are very simple.
3. Best High-End Pre-Built Gaming PC
- Huge Power, Small Size: Power through the most demanding games and applications with ease...
- Reliable CORSAIR Components: Play in confidence for years thanks to high-quality,...
- 12th Gen Intel Core CPU: The latest in dynamic CPU architecture so you can game and...
The Corsair One i300 is more console that a gaming PC. Its small footprint takes up very little space on a desk with a 6.93 x 7.87-inch base that’s slightly taller than an Xbox Series X. but that miniature piece of kit is a hub of top-end components including an Intel Core i9-12900K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, 32GB RAM and Windows 11 Pro.
Like all other top-tier gaming PCs, this tiny system costs a fortune, but that’s not too much money for a system that will certainly last a lifetime. If you have limited room to work with, and need something petite for modern 4K gaming, the One i300 is a great investment.
4. Best Pre-Build Gaming PC Under $2,000
- System: Intel i7-12700KF 3.8GHz (5.0GHz Max Turbo) ,Geforce RTX 3070TI 8GB , 16 GB DDR4...
- Connectivity: 6 x USB 3.1 , 1x RJ-45 Network Ethernet 10/100/1000 , Audio: 7.1 Channel
- Special Add-Ons: Tempered Glass RGB Gaming Case , 802.11AC Wi-Fi Included , 16 Color RGB...
The iBUYPOWER Pro Slate Mono 237i is big-box gaming PC that feels like one you build. The latest design adds some LEDs to the cooling fans, plus sleek glass front and side panels and still keeps the easy-access panel to get to the most critical components. It comes with a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700KF CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU, that are powerful enough to drive the most demanding PC games and VR headsets alike.
The inclusion of name-brand parts is also nice to see. If there’s anything proprietary about the system, it is very little, and that’s the special sauce that makes this Pro feel a bit more like the best midrange machine than some alternatives.
If you can’t find this particular model, there are a variety of other options, including some with AMD processors.
5. Best Pre-Built Gaming PC Under $1,500
- System: Intel Core i5-11600KF 3.9GHz 6-Core | Intel B560 Chipset | 16GB DDR4 | 500GB PCI-E...
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 12GB Video Card | 1x HDMI | 2x DisplayPort
- Connectivity: 5 x USB 3.1 | 4 x USB 2.0 | 1x RJ-45 Network Ethernet 10/100/1000 | 802.11AC...
Those new to PC gaming or those on a budget will appreciate the entry-level configurations that the CyberPowerPC Gamer brings to the table. The CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXiVR8480A11, in particular, is an affordable point of entry and is highly capable at handling most popular esports and AAA titles available at 1080p, and is customizable enough to get beefier hardware if you have the money.
For a little over one grand, this is an excellent, future-proofed gaming machine that looks good and feels good in-game. Simply put, it’s an affordable powerhouse, capable of running any processor-hungry, graphics-heavy AAA game smoothly in 1080p so that your gaming experience is ultimately immersive. That applies to similarly-demanding applications like video editing.
Read full review: CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme GXiVR8480A11
6. Best Budget Pre-Built Gaming PC
The Skytech Blaze II is a small, mid-tower PC that can play most games at mid or high settings at a very affordable price. If you want to get into PC gaming and not care too much about tinkering, it’s a good choice, and is available in a ton of configuration options.
The Blaze II has lots of ports on the front and on the rear, making it easier to expand with peripherals and external storage. Inside, expansion options include extra room for storage drives, but the pair of a Core i5 CPU and RTX 3050 GPU are still enough for 1080p gaming out-of-the-box.
Read full review: Skytech Blaze II
Which is better – prebuilt or custom?
For gamers, here at ARS Guide, we believe nothing compares to the satisfaction of building your own gaming rig. However, we understand not everyone has the tie and skill to build an own gaming PC, and that makes pre-built PCs better value.
When shopping around, you may think you’ve seen a bargain, but in reality, that pre-built PC comes with a markup (usually around $100-$300 depending on the build you choose) which is the price you pay for someone to do the physical build and the software used therein. Practically, the markup of a prebuilt is essentially the same price of an entire component – maybe a GPU, case, cooling fan, or even a gaming monitor.
Recommended Configuration
Skytech Prism II Gaming PC Desktop – Intel Core i9 12900K 3.2 GHz, RTX 3090, 1TB NVME Gen4 SSD, 32G DDR5 RGB, 850W Gold PSU, 360mm AIO, AC Wi-Fi, Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Last update on 2024-12-30 at 08:57 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
