Best Gaming PCs 2019: Prebuilt Desktop PCs Made to Game

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Pay, Plug, and Play. By Kevin Lee

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Building a gaming PC will almost always get you the most bang for your buck—not to mention teach you a lot about PCs in the process. But as someone who has built and bought countless PCs (for myself, family friends), I know the build it yourself route isn't for everyone.

Sometimes you'd rather have something that works right out of the box, with a number you can call if your system doesn't boot properly. Not to mention when you go with a prebuilt system, you usually get components guaranteed to work, an interesting and/or unique chassis, and warranty support too. If this is what you're looking for, then here is my list of the best gaming PCs you can buy right now.

TL;DR – These are the Best Gaming PCs 1. Asus ROG Strix GL12 Best Gaming PC CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K ● GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM) ● RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2,666MHz) ● Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD (7,200rpm) ● Weight: 24.25 pounds ● Size: 7" x 15.7" x 18"

The Asus ROG Strix GL12 features practically all the modern accoutrements you see from a modern gaming PC such as integrated RGB lighting, a tempered glass side panel, and even a PSU shroud to cover up the power supply. One of the more unique features of the Asus ROG Strix GL12 is it includes hot swapable 2.5" drive, making it easy to add a new SSD or hard drive to expand this system's storage.

Beyond its appearance, this is a wholly modern gaming PC packing a 9th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with a Nvidia RTX 2080. All that power tucked inside allows you to play modern, ray traced games for years to come. And thanks to a heavy discount, this compact gaming PC is actually reasonable priced for the hardware included.

2. CyberPower Gamer Xtreme Best Budget Gaming PC CPU: Intel Core i5-9400 ● GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 (6GB GDDR5 VRAM) ● RAM: 8GB DDR4 ● Storage: 120GB SSD, 1TB HDD ● Weight: 24.25 pounds ● Size: 7.9" x 18.5" x 17.9"

We get it, PC gaming is expensive. Not everyone has the budget for a balls-to-the-wall gaming monstrosity, and that's okay. There are some decent budget-friendly gaming PC options out there. Right now, I think the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme is a tough option to beat, with a six-core Intel Core i5-9400 CPU and Nvidia GTX 1660, all for only $800.

It won't play everything maxed out at 4K, but for 1080p gaming at medium to high settings, it'll do the job—and it comes with a gaming mouse and gaming keyboard to boot. There's even a small SSD included on the base model, which you could always upgrade down the road or buy a more powerful versions of the Gamer Xtreme VR with a bigger drive. Also, since CyberPowerPC's rigs tend to use lots of off-the-shelf parts and tool-less installation methods, swapping in better parts down the line is a breeze.

3. Corsair One i40 Best Compact Gaming PC CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K ● GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM) ● RAM: 32GB DDR4 (2,666MHz) ● Storage: 480GB NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD (5,400rpm) ● Weight: 16.27 pounds ● Size: 7.87" x 6.79" x 14.96"

The Corsair One isn't the smallest PC on the market, but its power-to-size ratio is as good as it gets from a desktop with this footprint. And while it isn't cheap, it's actually a decent value, considering the parts inside, and how compact it is.

The design of this prebuilt PC is cool without being too flashy, as it sports some subtle lighting and small triangular vents along the side. Meanwhile, processor and graphics card are liquid cooled for cool and quiet performance, and it comes with six USB ports, four of which are USB 3.1.

There are three models and the lower-end variant featured above comes with an Intel Core i7-9700K processor and Nvidia RTX 2080. If you need even more power consider the One i160, which has a more powerful i9-9900K CPU and RTX 2080 Ti GPU than the i140 model linked above. For the most out-of-this-world performance, you might want the One i180 model, which ups the power again with an 12-core Intel Core X CPU.

Even the base model can handle VR like a champ and 4K gaming at playable frame rates, and while it isn't as upgradeable as a larger system, it's a solid contender for any gamer looking for a compact, quiet, and powerful rig.

4. Alienware Aurora Best Upgradeable Gaming PC CPU: Intel Core i7-9700K ● GPU: Nvidia RTX 2080 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM) ● RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2,666MHz) ● Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD, 1TB HDD (7,200rpm) ● Weight: 32.67 pounds ● Size: 8.35" x 14.19" x 18.6"

Alienware likes to promote its lavish Area 51 PC, but the more subdued Aurora line is more affordable and has something for everybody. Models range from basic to burly, with the base model packing a six-core Intel Core i5-8400 CPU and an AMD Radeon RX 560 graphics card. That's a pretty basic system, but you can customize a PC to be as bad as you want it to be. Dell has options for the RTX 2080 or RTX 2080 Ti, as well.

One of the main reasons that this is on our list is Alienware has designed the entire chassis to be tool-less, so upgrades or swapping hardware are literally just plug-and-play affairs. That's a very handy feature to have for anyone who likes fiddling inside their PCs, and though you won't need to upgrade for awhile, it'll be a cake walk when you do.

5. Dell XPS Tower Special Edition Best Sleeper Gaming PC CPU: Intel Core i7-8700K ● GPU: Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti (6GB GDDR6 VRAM) ● RAM: 8GB DDR4 (2,666MHz) ● Storage: 256GB NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD (7,200rpm) ● Weight: 22 pounds ● Size: 7.09" x 14.02" x 5.22"

If you prefer a gaming PC with a more unassuming design, the Dell XPS Tower Special Edition puts powerful gaming hardware into a sleek-but-plain chassis, so no one will know you're not using it for work. The base model come with a six-core Intel i5-8400 CPU and Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti. That'll handle basic gaming just fine, but Dell also lets you customize your rig to include up to an i7-9900K and GTX 1080. That version will run you around $3,000 but there's a lot of options in between, including 4K and VR-ready configurations.

The case is surprisingly compact, but it still boasts four USB 3.1 ports on the front and seven USB ports around the back. What's more, you get the same tool-less design as the Alienware Aurora for super easy upgrades. If you want a gaming PC that doesn't look like a typical gaming PC, the reserved Dell XPS Tower line is a great option.

6. Zotac Mek Mini Best Mini Gaming PC CPU: Intel Core i7-8700 ● GPU: Nvidia RTX 2070 (8GB GDDR6 VRAM) ● RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2,666MHz) ● Storage: 240GB NVMe SSD, 2TB HDD (7,200 rpm) ● Weight: 15.7 pounds ● Size: 5.35" x 10.27" x 10.19"

Smaller than any other gaming PC on this list, the Zotac Mek Mini is the tiniest PC we've seen. Despite its small size, it still packs a wallop with an Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 2070. These two powerhouse parts make this a very capable machine for 1440p and even 4K gaming—depending on the title.

The Zotac Mek Mini is the perfect desktop to take on the road, and thanks to its incredibly small size, it can fit basically anywhere. While you might think upgrading such a tiny thing will be a pain, flipping a single switch grants access to the system's memory and storage. Best of all, it's priced at a very agreeable price of $1,600.

7. MSI Trident 3 Best Console-Style Prebuilt PC for Your Living Room CPU: Intel Core i7-8700 ● GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 (3GB GDDR5 VRAM) ● RAM: 8GB DDR4 (2,133MHz) ● Storage: 1TB HDD (7,200rpm) ● Weight: 6.9 pounds ● Size: 2.83" x 9.15" x 13.63"

Let's say you're a big fan of PC gaming, but you like the couch-friendly experience of the Xbox One S or PS4 Slim. Nothing quite beats kicking back with a gamepad at the end of the day, but consoles still can't beat the PC's do-anything nature, high level of configurability, or cheap Steam Sale games. Enter the MSI Trident Mini PC, which proudly boasts its console-sized dimensions.

It's available in a few different versions, with prices ranging from $800 to $1,200 depending on the CPU and GPU you select. The above model is right in the middle of the lineup with a Core i7-8700 and GTX 1060, so it would be great for 1080p gameplay. It's VR-ready, too, so if you want to explore the virtual worlds from the confines of your living room, the MSI Trident 3 is, well, great.

8. Origin PC Genesis Gaming Desktop The Most Customizable Gaming PC CPU: Intel Core i9-9900K ● GPU: Nvidia Titan RTX (24GB GDDR6 VRAM) ● RAM: 64GB DDR4 (3,000MHz) ● Storage: 2TB NVMe SSD, 10TB HDD (7,200rpm) ● Weight: 40 pounds ● Size: 9.75" x 24.8" x 23.82"

This Origin Genesis gaming PC can be tricked out in countless, insanely awesome ways. If a single RTX 2080 card isn't enough, why not 2? Or how about a pair of "Origin Cryogenic Liquid Cooled 11GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Ti" cards? That option is a few extra thousand dollars, but the sky's the limit with an Origin PC. The sheer volume of customization options make this a great choice for your next PC.

What to look for in a Gaming PC

Below I go over the basic specifications you should prioritize when buying a gaming PC and how to get the most of your purchase of a prebuilt rig. I also explain a few alternative prebuilt gaming PC options you might find of interest as well.

Prebuilt gaming PCs are the most surefire way of getting into gaming and arguably the most cost effective hardware you can buy. When buying a system, you're not only getting the hardware inside, but time savings of having to track down the best processor to best RAM for your system and putting it all together yourself and praying it actually boots.

That said, just like building your own PC you want to make sure you're spending your money where it's needed most. Firstly, you should prioritize you're getting the graphics card you need for the gaming monitor or the 4K TV you're gaming on. There's no need for anything better than a Nvidia GTX 1660 if you're just playing games on a 1080p display.

Likewise, you should only need an Intel Core i5 processor with at least four cores to play most modern games comfortably at any resolution.

System memory and solid-state drives can be the biggest money sink for any system. Those comfortable with upgrading their system after it arrives, should choose a configuration with the smallest storage and RAM capacities possible, as buying these components yourself can often be more cost effective.

If that last suggestion resonates with you, perhaps a barebones system is what you seek. Barebones PCs can be much cheaper since they come with all the major hardware—such as the CPU and GPU—installed, but they usually lack storage, memory and an operating system as a trade-off.

Lastly, if you want more control over what exactly is going into your build, go with a boutique PC builder. Origin, Maingear, DigitalStorm, Falcon Northwest, PC Specalist, and many more companies offer excellent PC building services that let you pick exactly which components go into your gaming PC. From there, the build your system with the sort of cable management some can only dream of while ensuring it all works properly.

In case this all sounds a little overwhelming to you, NZXT rolled out its own PC building service called BLD. Instead of picking each and every part that will go into your PC, you chose the games you'll actually play and the service gives you several configuration options that will be able to run the games for a smooth experience.

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Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam