Best gaming PC 2024

Rather than include the more recent Alienware Aurora R16, we’ve included the R15 as the best gaming PC. Why? Because this earlier model still has all the power you could need to play any of today’s most demanding AAA games and it looks infinitely better than the R16 which, let’s face it, is more bland.

The R15, by contrast, has all the striking beauty we expect from Alienware and oodles of top-notch spec to back it up, including a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 13700KF processor with 16 Cores and 24 Threads, clocking 2.50GHz base and a maximum of 5.40GHz turbo, matched with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card to deliver dazzlingly immersive images on all the latest games.

With 16GB RAM and 1TB of storage also under the hood, plus more ports than you can shake a USB stick at, you’re good to game right out of the box.

And with an advanced cooling system, the games can go on for longer free from fear of an overheating meltdown, while the impressive internal acoustics keep things on the quiet even during intensive tasks. Then there’s that side window onto the workings, which, some might say, is cooler still.

While it’s true that PC gaming can be expensive, that doesn’t mean that it has to break the bank, and the HP Pavilion TG01-2170m is proof of that. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 5300G and Radeon RX 5500 which act as a plenty powerful combo for those starting their journey into the hobby or anyone with a smaller budget.

HP lists the Pavilion TG01-2170m with a starting price of $699.99, but you can often find it on sale with extras like a gaming mouse and keyboard, netting yourself a proper bargain.

In crafting the Chronos V2, Origin PC has made a micro machine worthy of the oft-used phrase ‘small but mighty.’ It’s one of the best mini gaming PCs. Inside its compact chassis, you’ll find the kinds of components that any full-fat desktop would be lucky to have, including the best gaming CPUs from both AMD and Intel.

You can also choose between a glass or mesh side panel, allowing you to prioritize the aesthetics or cooling of your new tiny titan. Origin PC also offers a one-year part replacement warranty as standard, in addition to “lifetime 24/7 support and labor.”

You don’t need bleeding-edge specs to be a successful streamer, but it certainly helps. The NZXT Streaming Pro PC packs an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X with eight capable and powerful cores that make it one of the best gaming CPUs for playing games and running a stream simultaneously.

It also comes with one of the best graphics cards, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, allowing you to make use of features such as Nvidia DLSS, NVENC encoding, and Nvidia Broadcast to spruce up your stream.

Though it has plenty of competitors, there’s nothing else on the market quite like Valve’s portable powerhouse. Its starting price of $399 makes it one of the cheapest ways to get into PC gaming, and you can fit it in your backpack to boot!

Don’t fret if you can’t afford the more expensive models, as the only difference between them is the type and amount of storage that comes preinstalled. However, the 512GB model also comes with a ‘premium’ carrying case and anti-glare etched glass.

The Steam Deck isn’t the only handheld gaming PC on the market, but we think it balances specs and price perfectly. If you’re looking for something with a bit more oomph, you may want to wait for the Asus Rog Ally — a souped-up rival that wields “fastest AMD GPU yet” and eGPU support, but it’ll probably cost substantially more.

Read our full Steam Deck review.

If you’re looking for an altogether cooler system in every sense of the word, the Maingear Apex Rush may be just what you’re looking for. It features a custom PC water cooling solution, which in addition to being stunning to look at also offers better noise and thermals than even the very best CPU coolers.

By bringing your system’s temperatures as low as possible, the Maingear Apex Rush allows you to unlock the maximum potential of its top-tier specs without fear of thermal throttling. Better still, you can choose to kit out your personal rig with either soft tubing or several styles of hardline cooling, allowing you to craft a system that will feel right at home on your gaming desk.

High-performance rigs are seemingly a dime a dozen, but the Corsair One i300 bucks the trend of powerful specs coming in a big chassis with a sleek and stylish case. Better still, both its Intel Core i9 12900K and Nvidia GPU are water-cooled to boost fps as high as possible.

It’s also compatible with Corsair iCue, making it a great addition to your gaming setup if you already own a gaming keyboard or other peripherals that support the software.

Read the Corsair One i300 review.