Building a PC in 2023 is still complicated, with core components still being hard to source at reasonable prices. While CPU and motherboard supplies are more stable, buying the best graphics card is still difficult in many regions. Even if they’re in stock, MSRP has increased this generation, pricing many out of the market. These are some of the reasons that our build guides recommend buying a pre-built gaming PC for many users. Not only can you be sure of finding all the parts you need, you also get easier warranty service without dealing with multiple vendors. Here are our favorite pre-built gaming PCs on the market today.

Our picks for the best pre-built gaming PCs in 2023

HP Omen 40L
HP Omen 40L
Editor's Choice

Best performance for the price

With a bit more room to breathe, the Omen 40L is a powerful gaming PC powered by up to an Intel Core i9-13900K, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, and 64GB of RAM (upgradeable).

Pros
  • Stylish case
  • 13th- and 12th-gen Intel CPUs
  • Ryzen 5000 CPUs
Cons
  • No Ryzen 7000 options
  • No high-end GeForce RTX 4000 GPUs

The HP Omen gaming desktop is the best overall gaming desktop on the market at the time of publishing. This particular gaming desktop offers decent specs for an attractive price. Starting off with the specifications, the HP Omen 40L gaming desktop is powered by up to an AMD Ryzen 9 5900X or Intel Core i9-13900KF processor. That’s the last generation of Ryzen processors, but they’re still powerful for gaming with high core frequencies and many cores for multithreaded games.

HP has paired these processors with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 for gaming, making it a powerful rig for even newer AAA titles. They now offer some RTX 4000 series cards, although the top option is the RTX 4070Ti, which is more powerful than the aging RTX 3090. This is the option for you if you have a 4K monitor and want the best visual experience. The more affordable builds come with an RTX 3060, which is still more than good enough for 1440p gaming. Other important PC specs include up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM, up to 1TB HDD and SSD, support for wireless connectivity, and Windows 11 out-of-the-box. The HP Omen 40L's case is also among the best we've seen. The case is big enough to allow future upgrades, something many pre-built computers don't consider.

All things considered, there's a lot to like about the HP Omen 40L gaming desktop. The PC is powerful enough to easily last you for a few years. It can handle even some of the most demanding games. It even has the right amount of RGB bling with a clean internal layout. It offers solid specs for the price, saving you the hassle of chasing individual parts for your build. And if you go through HP, you can customize it to your liking.

msi infinite rs gaming pc
MSI Infinite RS (13th-gen Intel, RTX 40 series)
Runner-up gaming desktop PC

A worthy alternative

The MSI Infinite RS packs top-tier Intel Core 13th-generation processors and up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics, including a liquid-cooled variant of the GPU.

Pros
  • 13rd-gen Intel CPUs
  • GeForce RTX 4000 series
  • Multiple options for configuration
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Case doesn't have much space for upgrades

MSI is also a popular brand when it comes to gaming PCs. In addition to PC components and gaming laptops, the brand has a lot of gaming desktops. An ASUS ROG desktop could have fitted into this list, but the MSI Infinite RS can be customized with a larger selection of the latest Intel CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs, with our selected configuration rocking an Intel Core i7-13700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090.

The Intel Core i7-13700KF is a monstrous processor with plenty of cores and threads that can boost to high frequencies, making it perfect for gaming even at 4K. Then there's the graphics card; the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the best GPU you can buy right now. You can't quite enjoy 8K gaming without using DLSS, but there aren't many 8K panels to game on, so 4K performance is what to aim for.

To go alongside these impressive components, MSI installed 32GB of DDR5 system memory and a 2TB NVMe SSD. The MSI Infinite RS also looks quite sophisticated, with plenty of RGB bling and a striking design with sharp edges. It's definitely one of those cases that isn't shy of showing off its gaming aesthetic.

This particular PC case also looks smaller than many high-end PCs that use a full-tower case. To save some money, you could go to MSI's website and choose a lower specification, with the cheapest Infinite RS with an Intel Core i7-13700KF and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070Ti costing $3,000.

hp omen 45l gaming pc
HP Omen 45L
Best high-end gaming desktop PC

A larger case means more space for upgrades

The HP Omen 45L is a mid-tower gaming PC with enough space for the latest and most powerful PC hardware, from Intel 13th-gen and Ryzen 7000 CPUs to Nvidia GeForce 4090 graphics cards.

Pros
  • 13rd-gen and 12th-gen Intel CPUs
  • Nvidia GeForce 4000 series GPUs
  • Ryzen 7000 and 5000 CPUs
Cons
  • Large case might not fit some desktops
  • Expensive at full specifications

The HP Omen 45L packs an Intel Core i7-12700K with a base frequency of 3.6GHz and a turbo boost frequency of 5.0GHz. The CPU is cooled by an AIO liquid cooler. It also has an RTX 3080 GPU with 10GB of VRAM for graphics, 16GB of DDR4-3733 MHz memory, a 500GB WD Black M.2 SSD, and a secondary 1TB 7200RPM SATA HDD. One of the best things about this particular PC is that it comes with plenty of ports and expansion slots. It has Intel WiFi 6 AX 201 (2x2) and Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity.

As you'd expect, the HP Omen 45L gaming desktop's performance is top-notch. Our review tested a variant of this desktop with a Core i9-12900K and an RTX 3090 GPU, but I think the 12700K and the RTX 3080 combo will be just as impressive. Both the Core i7-12700K and the RTX 3080 were previously the top picks in our best CPU and the best GPU collections, respectively, so you can expect them to show impressive performance in gaming and other workloads. The Omen logo on the front lights up, along with the three RGB fans. There's also a light inside the case that can be configured to your liking. The case also has plenty of ports on the front panel, making it a great option. It's impressive in terms of both design and performance. You can learn more about it in our HP OMEN 45L Desktop review.

Since the review was published, HP has upgraded the available configurations. You can now get 13th-gen Intel CPUs, starting from the i7-13700K, and AMD’s latest Ryzen 7000 CPUs, starting with the Ryzen 5 7600X. The latest Nvidia GeForce graphics cards are available, starting with the RTX 4070Ti and going through the flagship RTX 4090. The newer hardware does cost more, though, so you might get more value from picking a prebuilt with last-generation gear.

cyberpowerpc gamer xtreme vr gaming pc
CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR
Best budget

For the price, this is hard to beat

The CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR Gaming PC offers a good set of specs and a well-built computer at an affordable price tag.

Pros
  • Great value for the performance
  • Four case fans to help with airflow
  • Included keyboard and mouse
Cons
  • Needs a second HDD adding for storage
  • 550 - 600W PSU will be underpowered for GPU upgrades

If you'd prefer to buy a budget gaming PC, my personal recommendation is the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR. We have a dedicated collection detailing the best CyberPowerPC gaming PCs if you want to check out more expensive options. However, this particular PC is powerful enough to easily handle 1080p gaming in all but the most resource-hungry titles. The CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR is powered by the Intel Core i5-12400F, one of the more reliable options from Intel's 12th-gen lineup.

The CPU is paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, another solid budget offering, and is powerful enough to handle 1080p gaming. Finally, 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 500GB PCIe NVMe SSD round out the specifications. In terms of performance, the Core i5-12400F and the RTX 3050 combo should be enough to run even some of the modern titles out there. The 'F' suffix in the CPU name denotes that it doesn't have integrated graphics. However, that shouldn't be an issue considering the PC has a dedicated graphics card. Intel has also launched an upgraded version of this CPU, but the build involving one of the newer Alder Lake chips might cost you significantly more money.

Even though the listing doesn't explicitly mention the PC case, CyberPowerPC appears to be using a Cooler Master PC case for this particular build. The case sports a tempered glass side panel with a ton of RGB lighting and four RGB case fans. A mesh front panel on the front is good for airflow, while a fan-based CPU cooler keeps things cool inside the chassis. It's also worth pointing out that you get a free keyboard and mouse with this PC, which means you won't have to spend more on those peripherals to get you going. We only recommend adding another HDD to be used as secondary storage.

ek fluid gaming pc
EK Fluid Gaming PC
Best liquid-cooled gaming desktop PC

Liquid-cooling from the pros

EKWB is one of the biggest names in PC liquid-cooling, so it's only natural to start offering prebuilt gaming PCs. The range of EK Fluid Gaming computers comes with AIO or custom water-cooling options, cooling the latest PC hardware.

Pros
  • Stylish designs
  • Custom water-cooling options
  • The latest PC hardware
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Only available in the US currently

While many of the best gaming PCs mentioned in the collection are fitted with an AIO liquid cooler, we wanted to add a gaming PC with enough room for a sophisticated cooling solution. Anyone who has built or wanted to build a liquid-cooled gaming PC will have heard the name EKWB. It’s one of the biggest names in custom liquid cooling, and now it offers prebuilt gaming PCs built around the best motherboards with plenty of ports and multiple cooling options.

The Fluid Gaming range is generally more expensive than your average prebuilt PC, but EK has some more affordable options. The $2,000 EK 140 Battle gaming PC has an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X CPU, the faster version of the Ryzen 5 7600 we reviewed favorably. That’s paired with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, the current best-value GPU from Nvidia. It also has a 2TB NVMe SSD, 32GB of 6,000MHz DDR5 RAM, and an EK AIO Elite 360mm D-RGB AIO liquid cooler, all placed in a small form factor case. That’s plenty of gaming power for 1440p monitors with high refresh rates, although upgradeability will suffer from the smaller space in the case.

Look to the flagship EK Conqueror liquid-cooled gaming PC for a no-expenses-spared showcase build. This computer looks as powerful as the hardware inside, with a custom water distribution plate on the front panel enabling clean, parallel tube runs and a view into the coolant flowing around the build. It’s powered by the 13th-gen Intel i9-13900K processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, both cooled by EKWB water-cooling blocks. The rest of the specifications include two 2TB NVMe SSDs and 32GB of 6,000MHz DDR5 RAM, perfect for gaming and content creation of all kinds.

msi trident 3 small form factor gaming pc
MSI Trident 3
Best compact gaming desktop PC

Save space on your desktop

The MSI MPG Trident 3 is a super-compact gaming PC with 12-generation Intel Core processors, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000-series graphics, and plenty of memory and Gen 4 NVMe SSD storage.

Pros
  • Small footprint on your desk
  • Powerful hardware
  • Quality after-sales service
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Hard or impossible to upgrade

The MSI MPG Trident 3 is one of the most powerful compact gaming PC pre-builts around. It comes in multiple configurations, and the particular one I'm recommending here has a 12th-generation Intel Core i7-12700 processor with 12 cores and 20 threads, with a maximum boost clock of 4.90GHz. That's plenty of processing power for gaming and productivity, and the 65W chip is perfect for the small form factor of this computer. Heat is always an issue for gaming PCs, and it becomes even more of an issue in smaller cases like this so you'll often find mid-range and lower-power components inside.

MSI has paired that with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card with 12GB of GDRR6 memory. It's a full-sized graphics card too, whereas some smaller PC form factors use graphics chips meant for laptop use. That makes it powerful enough for gaming at 1080p without worrying about in-game settings. It's also powerful enough for 1440p gaming at the base target of 60fps, but you will have to tweak in-game settings on more demanding titles. You also get 32GB of DDR4 memory and 1TB of PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD storage, which is plenty for gaming workloads.

The slimline case can be mounted vertically or horizontally and has five USB-A ports, one USB-C port, Ethernet, and split 3.5mm audio jacks for surround sound output. It does use a proprietary external power supply that's designed for the wattage of the existing CPU and GPU, so future upgrades might be tricky. That's the tradeoff for any small form factor PC, where a smaller footprint usually means reducing the chance of future upgradability.

Untitled design Background Removed 2
Dell Alienware Aurora R15 Gaming PC
Best gamer glow desktop PC

For something a little more eye-catching

The Dell Alienware Aurora R15 is a powerful gaming PC with the latest components from Intel and Nvidia, capable of pushing high frame rates while staying cool.

Pros
  • Stylish case
  • Liquid-cooled CPU
  • Fantastic after-sales support
Cons
  • Custom motherboard and server PSU might limit upgradability

Dell’s Alienware range has been at the forefront of desktop gaming PCs since most other companies were building in boring beige boxes. The latest installment in its range of out-of-this-world PC builds is the Aurora R15, which sports an oval front panel with a glowing eye of RGB goodness.

While most of the prebuilt gaming PCs on this list start at around $2,000, an Aurora R15 can be bought for $1,650 with a 13th-gen Intel i5-13400F processor and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card. That’s rounded up with 8GB of DDR5 RAM and a 256GB SSD for storage. It also has WiFi 6E and Bluetooth and loads of USB and audio ports. That will handle 1080p gaming just fine and has a 750W PSU, so there is a little headroom for future upgrades. It also has a basic keyboard and mouse, so you don’t have to worry about adding those to your budget. The Aurora R15 can be configured up to a 13th-gen Intel i9-13900KF and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, 64GB of DDR5 RAM, 4TB of NVMe SSD, or additional storage drives.

One of the best things about buying from Dell is its after-sales service. The Premium Support this gaming PC comes with gives 24/7 online and phone-based support for hardware troubleshooting and for software that was preinstalled by Dell and onsite technician repairs. One year is included, or you can upgrade to up to four years of coverage. That means, in most cases, you won’t have to figure out how to take your PC to a service center or ship it off. Dell will come to your home to fix things. An upgrade to Premium Support Plus adds accidental damage coverage and extended software support.

falcon northwest fragbox
Falcon Northwest Fragbox
Best portable desktop gaming PC

Gaming prowess -- handled

The Falcon Northwest Fragbox is a portable powerhouse gaming PC with a small form factor build that means it can be carried with ease. With the latest powerful hardware from AMD, Intel, and Nvidia, it's everything you need for gaming or content creation.

Pros
  • Extremely customizable
  • Portable chassis with carrying handle
  • The latest powerful hardware
Cons
  • Expensive
  • Small size might limit future upgrades

Falcon Northwest has been building gaming desktop PCs since before broadband internet, with its first PC running on MS-DOS. It has consistently moved with the times to release updated powerful PCs with the latest and greatest hardware without losing its roots in early LAN party culture. The portable powerhouse that is the Fragbox uses a mini-ITX motherboard to stuff as much cutting-edge PC hardware into a tiny case with a carrying handle.

This is not a gaming PC for the faint of heart (or of budget). A Fragbox starts from $3,523 with a 13th-gen Intel i5-13600K and Nvidia GeForce 4070 FE. Part of the additional cost is that Falcon Northwest only uses premium gaming motherboards, in this case, the Asus ROG Strix Z690-G Gaming WiFi. The CPU gets a 280mm AIO liquid cooler to temper the thermals in the smaller case, and it gets 2TB of NVMe and 32GB of 6,000MHz DDR5 RAM.

The Fragbox can also be configured with AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series processors, with AMD RX 7900XTX graphics cards, or with Nvidia RTX A-series professional graphics. The latter option pushes the price tag to well over $10,000, but likely, professionals who need the power won’t be gaming on their graphics cards. Putting the top consumer-level graphics card, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090, into the mix, the cost comes back down to $5,352 before adding more storage and other upgrades. Again, this is a prebuilt for people who don’t want to compromise on form factor or power. The higher price tag is representative of the technical challenges of the smaller form factor and is for a very small niche of PC gamers who want to be able to pick up their desktop and move it to another location without straining.

HP’s Omen 40L range is the best pre-built gaming PC for most users

Buying a prebuilt computer saves you the effort of chasing PC parts on the market and relieves you of the hassle of putting it together. And there are plenty of great options out there when it comes to reliable prebuilt gaming PCs. I think both the HP Omen 40L gaming desktop and MSI Infinite RS are two of the best gaming PCs you can buy right now. Both have high-end parts, large cases so you can add your own upgrades after the fact, and are from large companies with solid warranties.

HP Omen 40L
HP Omen 40L
Editor's Choice

Best performance for the price

With a bit more room to breathe, the Omen 40L is a powerful gaming PC powered by up to an Intel Core i9-13900K, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, and 64GB of RAM (upgradeable).

Pros
  • Stylish case
  • 13th- and 12th-gen Intel CPUs
  • Ryzen 5000 CPUs
Cons
  • No Ryzen 7000 options
  • No high-end GeForce RTX 4000 GPUs

Those who are looking at budget options can check out the CyberPowerPC Gamer Xtreme PC. Additionally, I've added a couple of high-end enthusiast builds to the collection if you are okay with splurging.

If you're building a new setup from scratch, then be sure to check out some of our collections, including the best monitors, best webcams, and more, too. As always, you can join our XDA Computing Forums to discuss your build or get more product recommendations from gaming PC.