Best Gaming Desktops 2018
Latest News and Updates (March 2018)
- Looking to get in on the hottest game in the world right now? We've rounded up the best PCs for playing Fortnite.
- We recently reviewed the Lenovo Legion Y520 Tower, a solid, upgrade-friendly gaming PC available at an attainable $899 price.
ALIENWARE AURORA
Best Overall
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- VR READY
- Select models
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- PROCESSOR
- Intel Core i5-8400
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- RAM
- 8GB
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- GRAPHICS CARD
- AMD Radeon RX 560
If you want dummy-proof upgradability with future-proof specs, the Alienware Aurora is for you. This sleek mid-sized tower can be popped open with the push of a button, allowing you to upgrade the storage, RAM and even the graphics card without any tools. It's also beastly enough to power 4K and VR gaming, with support for speedy Intel Core i7 processors and the latest Nvidia GTX 1080 GPUs. Factor in some awesome customizable lighting and a variety of configuration options, and you've got an excellent gaming PCs for newbies and hardcore enthusiasts alike.
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CYBERPOWERPC GAMER EXTREME VR
Best Value
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- VR READY
- Yes
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- PROCESSOR
- Intel Core i5-7400
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- RAM
- 8GB
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- GRAPHICS CARD
- AMD Radeon RX 580
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- STORAGE
- 1TB hard drive
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- ACCESSORIES
- CyberPower keyboard and mouse
The CyberPower Gamer Xtreme VR is an excellent value for folks who want to spend $800 without sacrificing much in the way of power. Packing a Core i5 processor and Radeon RX 580 graphics card, this desktop can run mainstream games at high settings and even handle virtual reality without much of a sweat. Better yet, the Gamer Xtreme VR is very easy to open up, making it a great starting point for gamers who eventually want to upgrade to more powerful parts.
DELL XPS TOWER SE
Best for Upgrading
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- VR READY
- Yes
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- PROCESSOR
- Intel Core i5-8400
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- RAM
- 8GB
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- GRAPHICS CARD
- Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti GPU
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- STORAGE
- 256GB SSD, 1TB hard drive
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- ACCESSORIES
- Dell Keyboard and Mouse
How do you improve on one of the slickest and easiest-to-upgrade desktops around? Simply add Intel's new 8th-gen processors, a handy front-facing USB-C port and tons of customization options at the point of purchase. These new perks are complemented by the same great Dell XPS Tower design, which you can easily open up to swap parts out without the need for tools.
ASUS G11DF
Best Ryzen Gaming PC
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- VR READY
- Yes
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- PROCESSOR
- AMD Ryzen 5 1400
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- RAM
- 8GB
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- GRAPHICS CARD
- Nvidia GTX 1060
If you're looking for a Ryzen-powered gaming desktop at an attainable price, the Asus G11CF delivers excellent bang for your buck. Starting at just $999, this compact and slick PC delivers strong gaming and VR performance via an AMD Ryzen 5 processor and Nvidia GTX 1060 graphics card. The machine is also easy to upgrade, should you ever decide to step up to better parts.
HP OMEN X COMPACT DESKTOP
Best VR Gaming PC
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- VR READY
- Yes
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- PROCESSOR
- Intel Core i7-7820HK
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- RAM
- 16GB
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- GRAPHICS CARD
- Nvidia GTX 1080
Looking for a truly untethered virtual reality experience? The HP Omen X Compact Desktop is uniquely qualified for the job. This sleek, battery powered desktop comes with its own backpack, meaning you can strap it to your back, plug in your VR headset, and enjoy immersive gaming without worrying about tripping on any cords. This tiny PC still manages to cram in an Nvidia GTX 1080 GPU and Intel Core i7 processor, making it simply a great gaming machine whether you're at your desk or exploring virtual worlds.
ORIGIN CHRONOS
Best Living Room Gaming PC
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- VR READY
- Select models
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- PROCESSOR
- AMD Ryzen 3 1200
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- RAM
- 8GB
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- GRAPHICS CARD
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti
The Origin Chronos delivers console-style compactness without sacrificing the power or upgradability you'd expect from a high-end PC. This compact desktop is designed to easily slide into any setup, with removable magnetic legs that allow you to easily lay it flat in your entertainment center or stand it up on your desk. It can be outfitted with the latest Intel Core or AMD Ryzen processors as well as the most powerful Nvidia graphics cards, and is easy to open up once you're ready to upgrade parts. The Chronos can also be customized to your hearts content, with a variety of cool paint and lighting options available.
CORSAIR ONE
Best Compact Gaming Desktop
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- VR READY
- Yes
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- PROCESSOR
- Intel Core i7-7700
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- RAM
- 16GB
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- GRAPHICS CARD
- Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080
The Corsair One finds a wonderful sweet spot between size, noise and performance. This striking, cylindrical gaming PC will look equally attractive on your desk and next to your TV, and runs whisper-quiet even when playing the most demanding games. Speaking of games, the system's Nvidia GTX 1080 graphics card can handle anything you throw at it, and there's a convenient front-facing VR port for connecting your Oculus Rift or HTC Vive with minimal hassle.
ORIGIN MILLENNIUM
Best High-End Gaming PC
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- VR READY
- Yes
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- PROCESSOR
- Up to Intel Core i7-8700K
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- RAM
- Up to 64GB
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- GRAPHICS CARD
- Up to Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti (2)
The latest Origin Millennium introduces a slicker glass-and-aluminum design while retaining the beefy gaming power and plethora of customization options that make Origin’s premium PC such a standout. In addition to looking sexier, the Millennium’s new design makes it a breeze to upgrade without tools. And with support for the latest Intel processors, up to two Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti GPUs and a ton of gorgeous-looking paint and lighting options, the Millennium can truly be built into the gaming beast of your dreams – both inside and out.
How We Test Gaming PCs
Every gaming desktop we review endures a standardized gauntlet of real-world and benchmark tests, in order to measure how each PC stacks up as both a gaming machine and as an everyday computer.
As far as hard numbers go, we currently run the framerate benchmark utilities for Rise of the Tomb Raider, Hitman and Grand Theft Auto V at 1920 x 1080 with graphics maxed out, as well as at 2560 x 1440 and 4K if a system allows for it. On top of that, we simply play tons of graphics-intensive games such as Star Wars Battlefront II, Injustice 2 and Forza Motorsport 7 in order to give you a sense of how these gaming desktops hold up in the real world.
In terms of synthetic tests, we run a gamut of benchmarks that include 3DMark Fire Strike Ultra (for graphics) and Geekbench 4 (for processor performance). We also run the SteamVR Performance Test on all of our machines to evaluate how ready they are for virtual reality. To test a system's hard drive, we measure how fast each PC can copy 4.97GB worth of multimedia files.
What Gaming PCs Cost
The price of gaming PCs varies wildly, depending on what specs you're after. You can find a decent rig for as low as $600, though you'll be settling for entry-level processors and graphics cards at that range. You'll need to pay between $800 and $1,000 to start getting into VR-ready territory, at at least $1,500 for something that can reasonably handle 4K gaming.
If money isn't an issue, there are plenty of boutique manufacturers such as OriginPC and Maingear that allow you to build the exorbitant, custom-painted PC of your dreams for anywhere between $2,000 and $10,000.
Getting VR-Ready
If you plan on gaming in VR, pay close attention to specs. At the minimum, the Oculus Rift requires an Nvidia GTX 960 or AMD equivalent graphics card, an Intel Core i3-6100 or AMD FX4350 processor, 8GB of RAM, two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI 1.3 port and Windows 8 or newer. However, Oculus recommends at least a GTX 970 and Core i5 processor for the best experience.
For the Vive, HTC recommends a Core i5-4590 or AMD FX 8350 CPU, an Nvidia GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 480 GPU, 4GB of RAM, an HDMI 1.4 port or DisplayPort 1.2 or newer, 1 USB 2.0 port and Windows 7 or newer.
You can use Valve's SteamVR Performance Test to ensure your PC is Vive-ready; Oculus offers a more basic system-scanning tool on the Rift's store page.
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