Decent computers for gaming

The issue with all gaming PCs and parts right now is availability. And that's currently hitting Alienware as hard as the everyone else.

Picking up a new Aurora R12 rig today means you're not going actually to receive it for a month at best. There's a reason Razer is desperate to follow Corsair's lead; it's one of the biggest names in PC gaming hardware right now.

Through continual product expansion, and some super-smart acquisitions, Corsair now has its fingers in pretty much every facet of our hobby. In fact, CPUs, motherboards, and GPUs are the only places you won't find a Corsair logo, but with its impressive line of premium gaming PCs, that logo will still contain all three: the very finest of all that technical jazz.

And if you're looking to kick start your career as the next big Twitch streamer, Corsair's integration of Elgato streaming tech in its PCs means they're a great option for the budding stream-star.

What makes this system stand out is the optional Elgato 4K60 Pro capture card in the specific "Streaming" machines. Sure, you can just use OBS Studio or Nvidia's Shadowplay or whatever it's calling itself these days , but there will always be some overhead to deal with. Using a professional capture card can really take the load off. And that's especially good for broadcasting a livestream. Since Corsair acquired Elgato, it now has access to some of the world's best streaming hardware for its Vengeance rigs.

Pair that with Corsair's classic component quality, and you have a recipe for not only great gaming PCs but fantastic streaming rigs, too. You've got to hand it to Corsair; it sure knows how to build a fine PC. But the Vengeance gaming PCs are more straightforward, and that means they're also far easier to upgrade down the line.

Corsair's chassis are among the best around, and they're most accessible for DIY projects, which makes the Vengeance machines a great first PC with a view to getting into the upgrade game later on. The only issue with that is Corsair doesn't really lend itself to the more affordable end of the PC spectrum.

Read our full Corsair Vengeance A review. Hewlett Packard has been around since before the Second World War, and that historical expertise is evident in the design and construction of the Omen line of gaming PCs.

You can also take that configuration to the memory and storage requirements, too, allowing you to really tailor your system. HP Omen rigs are on the more restrained side of PC gaming, so you won't find an over-elaborate liquid cooling system or a massive suite of spectacular RGB lighting. Omen systems are appropriately named dense black blocks of computing power. If you value smooth lines and compact design over the flash and spectacle of RGB, you'll appreciate the dark, slightly brooding aesthetic of the HP lineup.

We haven't specifically reviewed the latest range of gaming systems from HP, but we've been testing its gaming PCs since the Obelisk range, and we've always appreciated its no-unnecessary-frills approach to system-building and the value proposition of its rigs.

Origin PC's Chronos machine is a slight form factor build that can house the most powerful gaming components around. And, to be honest, that you can squeeze a core Ryzen 9 X and an Nvidia GeForce RTX in there means you could have yourself one hell of a powerful workstation, too. That next-gen hardware is now available in the Chronos V2 design. But that leads to the path of supreme expense.

Origin PCs aren't cheap, but they are well-built and super-customizable, and you could still create a far more affordable gaming machine from a Ryzen 5 X and an RTX pairing. If you're not sold on the actual Origin Chronos chassis and maybe fancy a little more Perspex in your build, you can go for the lovely Fractal Define Nano S instead.

There's also the Fractal ERA if you're the serious type. That will negate any potential thermal issues you might encounter dropping high-end components into the smaller confines of the Chronos case. If you prefer gaming on-the-go, you'll want to take a look at our best gaming laptop guide. It's wild what you can stuff into such a small chassis nowadays and have it run reasonably cool and quiet, too.

You'll have to adjust your expectations for CPU temperatures perhaps a little above your comfort zone during intense operations, but there's nothing these chips aren't built to handle day in, day out. It's an impressive PC given its small stature—you could happily sit this PC on your desktop and still leave plenty of room for your gamer drinks and tinted glasses. Read our full Corsair One A review. One of the most significant advantages of building your PC is the ability to hand-pick every single component in the system.

This enables you to take your time shopping around for deals and finding the best combination of parts to fit your budget and performance needs. Despite the powerful parts, the computer is largely quiet thanks to an effective cooling system that draws in cool air through the sides to cool the components, and then expels hot air with a fan on the top.

This can, however, make the system difficult to upgrade later, as everything is really packed into the liter chassis. The downside to top-of-the-line components is the price. The Maingear Vybe is a gorgeous desktop thanks to options for automotive paint and a minimalistic design.

Between that chip and an RTX Ti, the system provides incredible gaming performance. One big area you may want to configure differently is our review unit, which used a budget Intel P SSD, but you can make this thing to order, including AMD Ryzen options. If you prefer something a bit smaller that's still a splurge, the Maingear Turbo has the same build quality, though you can only get it with Ryzen CPUs.

Read: Maingear Vybe review. The Dell G5 is small for a mid-tower, and can play most games at mid or high settings at an affordable price. The G5 also has a lot of ports on the front and on the rear, making it easy to expand with peripherals and external storage. Inside, expansion options include extra room in hard drive cages and m. Read: Dell G5 review. It's been awhile since we reviewed the G5 desktop, though Dell is still using a similar chassis albeit with optional RGB lighting now.

The latest design adds more airflow with an intake fan, plus sleek glass front and side panels and still has an easy-access panel to get to the most critical components. Oh, and of course the new intake fan has some sleek RGB to go with the new logo and the rest of the system. The version we tested, with a 10th Gen Intel Core i9 and an RTX proved powerful in our gaming benchmarks and productivity tests.

The addition of name-brand parts is also nice to see. That's the special sauce that makes it feel a bit more like an enthusiast machine than some alternatives. Right now, we're going through a global component shortage, which has made it difficult to buy the best CPUs for gaming , the best GPUs and really anything that goes in a gaming PC at all.

In turn, people are turning to buy anything they can, including full-built gaming PCs, even if they only need a few parts. This is especially the case with Nvidia's RTX graphics cards. We haven't been able to review all of these PCs, so shop with caution, but we're keeping an eye on the market so you can see what may be available since our last update. If you're looking for a system that's among our best gaming PCs or something similar, you may find savings by checking out the latest Newegg promo codes , Corsair coupon codes , Dell coupon codes , HP coupon codes , Lenovo coupon codes or Razer promo codes.

Andrew E. Freedman is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware focusing on laptops, desktops and gaming. He also keeps up with the latest news. Follow him on Twitter: FreedmanAE. Included in this guide: 1. We test visuals for depth, color, and clarity, which enhance the gaming experience. When we test a gaming laptop, we want to know if it runs hot. We evaluate the cooling fan to determine how effective it is at keeping the system from getting too hot during gaming, which can lead to performance lag.

Sound quality is an important element of the gaming experience. We compare desktop and laptop models in our testing process. Desktop computers offer optimal gaming performance and are easy to upgrade, while gaming laptops are portable and appeal to gamers on the go. Storage is important to gamers, as modern game files typically consume a lot of space. We note the internal storage space when we test and consider how easy it would be to add additional space.

We focus on desktop towers, which many gamers like to display while they play their favorite games. We determine how easy a gaming computer is to upgrade. This is a key factor for gamers who like to improve their equipment and increase storage space. Solid state hard drives are fast, but expensive. If you abhor load screens, an SSD is almost a must.

But you can save a good chunk of cash by going with a hard disk drive. Other Products We Considered. The BestReviews editorial team researches hundreds of products based on consumer reviews, brand quality, and value.

We then choose a shorter list for in-depth research and testing before finalizing our top picks. These are the products we considered that ultimately didn't make our top 5. Blaze II. Gaming PC. Predator Orion Stratos Micro Gaming PC. Gamer Xtreme VR. Gamer Supreme Liquid Cool. Archangel Gaming Computer. Shiva Gaming PC Desktop.

Shadow Gaming Computer. Our Top Picks. A powerful gaming PC with a minimalistic, compact design to fit anywhere in the bedroom or office. Shop Now. The HP Pavilion is an inexpensive gaming computer for playing games with detailed graphics and a reliably lag-free online performance. Top Pick. A gaming machine that is equipped with one of the best GPUs on the market to handle features like Ray Tracing.