Looking for the best prebuilt gaming PC in 2024? You’ve come to the right place. Buying a pre-built gaming PC in 2024 can be hard, especially with so many bad pre-builts out there waiting to scam you. So, in this best pre-built gaming PC buying guide, we will get you everything you need to know. We’ll make specific product recommendations for pre-built PCs for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K gaming. Whether you’re looking to dominate in esports games like Valorant or League of Legends, play titles like Starfield at 4K, or just looking for a budget gaming PC to play Roblox, we’ll help you find the best pre-built gaming PC suggested in reddit aswell. Let’s jump into it.
When buying a pre-built gaming PC, you have two options: an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and an SI (System Integrator). SI’s like Skytech, ABS, Cyberpower, iBuyPower, and others use standard PC parts to assemble their PCs. For example, a motherboard from Gigabyte, a graphics card from MSI, and a power supply from EVGA. This means that you can easily upgrade your PC using off-the-shelf parts. On the other hand, OEMs like Acer, Lenovo, and HP manufacture their versions of parts, often using cheaper proprietary connections or BIOS versions that may limit your future upgrades. If you want to upgrade your PC easily in the future, choose an SI, even if it costs just a bit more. If you prefer getting the best deal right now, regardless of future upgradeability, you can choose an OEM or an SI.
Our next choice is whether we want to buy a pre-built gaming PC or if we want to pay to have a gaming PC custom-built for us. If you order a custom-built PC, select every component from a list of components available to the system integrator. A pre-built gaming PC is just one where the system integrator creates a standard build list depending on the available parts. A pre-built gaming PC might list that you’ll get a B650 motherboard, for instance, but not specify the exact model and manufacturer (though some do). In a custom-built PC from someone like iBuyPower, Origin PC, Main Gear, and others, you can choose a B650 Aorus Pro motherboard by Gigabyte. But now you’re relying much more on your knowledge of exactly what parts go together, and they tend to charge quite a bit more for that level of customization. So, what’s the best value? If you feel confident selecting the right PC parts, for instance, getting the best CPU and graphics card combo, and you don’t mind paying a little extra, then having a company do a custom build might be right. But for most buyers, pre-built gaming PCs offer way more value at every budget level, and honestly, that’s what I recommend.
Buying the best pre-built gaming PC is all about getting the right graphics card, also called the GPU, to play at the resolution and refresh rate you want. In 2023, the most popular resolutions are 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, with 1440p becoming the new mainstream over 1080p. Of course, a graphics card that can do 4K can do higher FPS at lower resolutions like 1440p or 1080p. Remember that some games are just easier to run than others. For instance, a gaming PC that runs Fortnite at 1440p high settings might need to be turned down to 1080p for a more demanding title like Cyberpunk 2077.
In 2023, we’ve got a new challenge called GPU video RAM or VRAM for short. Now, that’s the RAM on the graphics card itself, and it’s different from the system RAM. And you can’t upgrade it separately; you’d need a brand-new graphics card. Nowadays, 8 gigabytes of VRAM won’t be enough to run the latest demanding games like Hogwarts Legacy, The Last of Us Part One, or others at ultra or high settings, even at 1080p. You can lower the settings now, but you’ll need more VRAM for smooth gaming on all new releases. Here’s a quick summary: 8 gigabytes of VRAM works great for budget 1080p gaming if you lower settings on harder-to-run titles. 12 gigabytes of VRAM are suitable for most 1440p titles without ray tracing, and for 1440p ultra with ray tracing or all 4K high to ultra settings, we recommend 16 gigabytes or more of VRAM.
Which specific GPU models are you looking for? There are three GPU makers: Nvidia GeForce, AMD Radeon, and Intel. Though right now, Intel makes budget GPUs. Starting at 4K gaming GPUs on the Nvidia side, we recommend the RTX 4080 with 16 gigabytes or the RTX 4090 with 24 gigabytes. With the RTX 4090, it’s currently the fastest overall GPU. You can also consider the RTX 4070 Ti 12 gigabyte, as it is currently playable at 4K without ray tracing, but its future may be limited to 4K due to its 12 gigabytes of VRAM. On the AMD Radeon side at 4K, we recommend any RX 7900 series GPUs, like the RX 7900 XT and their fastest RX 7900 XTX 24 gigabyte.
Moving over to 1440p GPUs, on the AMD Radeon side, we recommend their older but still very good RX 6700 XT 12 gigabyte GPU. On the Nvidia side, we recommend a minimum RTX 3060 12 gigabyte or RTX 4060 Ti 16 gigabyte or faster graphics card. Note that there are 8 gigabyte versions of the 4060 Ti and the 3060, so be careful. For Intel, we’d recommend the ARC A770 16-gigabyte version. For 1080p GPUs, it’s more complicated. Any of the GPUs we’ve already mentioned will work great, and there are a number of 8-gigabyte GPUs that you can consider for budget gaming, which might require you to turn down settings for some of the new release titles. These GPUs include the AMD Radeon RX 6600, 6600 XT, and 6650 XT, as well as the newer RX 760 8 gigabyte model. Nvidia GPUs include the RTX 3050, 3060 8 gigabytes, the RTX 4060, and the RTX 3070, all 8 gigabyte GPUs. The Intel Arc A750 8 gigabyte is also very relevant.
Warning: Many PCs are advertised as gaming computers with garbage graphics cards. Please do not buy these PCs under any circumstances, as you will regret it when you try to play games on them. I would avoid any GPU with less than 8 gigabytes of VRAM in 2024, including the previously popular Nvidia GTX 1660 Super 6 gigabyte. The AMD RX 6500 XT was originally a laptop graphics card that needed to be better ported to the desktop and should be avoided. I also do not recommend the Intel A380, as it’s too weak. And as always, throw those GTX 1650s, 1630s, 1030s, and GT710s into the recycling bin.
Let’s discuss the CPU in your best pre-built gaming PC. Modern CPUs have become very fast, and in today’s pre-built market, you’ll see two tiers of CPUs. A more budget-friendly older lineup like the Ryzen 5600X, 12th gen Intel CPUs like the i5-12600K or 13, 18th, and 14th gen non-K Intel CPUs like the i5-13400. At the more premium tier, you’re going to see the Ryzen 7000 CPUs like the Ryzen 7600X or top-tier Ryzen 7800X 3D, and high-end Intel CPUs from the 13th and upcoming 14th gen with a K in their name, like the i5-13600K. So, which one do you need? Well, it all depends on your graphics card. With the higher end of 1440p and 4K graphics cards, getting a faster CPU will increase your FPS. Meanwhile, at the budget level, we need a budget-tier CPU to get the full GPU performance. While most of these CPUs are fine for amateur-level production work, if you do heavy professional-level production work like high-end video editing, I always recommend getting an 8-core CPU or higher.
Let’s talk about CPU cooling and case airflow for your gaming PC. You don’t want to throttle your PC because that’s bad thermally. For straightforward guidance, low-profile downdraft-style coolers are generally acceptable if you have a Ryzen CPU with six cores or an Intel CPU without a ‘K’. However, we always appreciate seeing at least a budget tower air cooler for a core or more significant Ryzen CPU or i5 Intel CPU with a ‘K’ in their name. At a minimum, we want a budget tower air cooler or a 120mm liquid AIO cooler for a 12 or 16-core count Ryzen CPU or an i7 or i9 CPU with a ‘K’ in its name, like the 13700K. Consider at least a 240mm AIO liquid cooler or big air cooler. Liquid coolers are more common for better shipping protection. For case airflow, look for clear air intakes and how hot air is exhausted. Mesh front panels, such as glass with significant air gaps, are best. You want at least two to three intake fans and one exhaust fan. You can still have pleasing aesthetics with RGB while ensuring good airflow, so don’t settle for a PC that won’t perform its best.
How much RAM do you need for the best pre-built gaming PC in 2024? Well, for just gaming, you want to get at least 16 gigabytes of RAM, and the sticks should be in pairs, either two or four, to get the best performance. In 2024, you want to avoid any system with only 8 gigabytes of RAM. While 32 gigabytes is not necessary, except for a handful of CPU-intensive simulation games with super heavy modding, it is nice to have. However, it’s generally only available at about two-thousand-dollar and above price points. Of course, if you buy from a system integrator, you can always add more RAM in the future; don’t mix and match RAM kits, so make sure to get an identical kit or completely replace the existing one. There’s little for you to do regarding DDR5 versus DDR4 RAM, as the SI or the OEM will put in the correct type based on the CPU. Ryzen 7000 CPUs are DDR5 only, while Ryzen 5000 and Intel 11th and 10th-gen CPUs are DDR4 only. Intel CPUs in the 12th to 14th gen can use DDR4 or DDR5, but it’s locked in when they install the motherboard. I’d worry about this for ultra-high-end pre-built gaming PCs using K SKU 13th or 14th-generation Intel CPUs, where I recommend fast DDR5 if you can afford it without settling for a slower GPU.
Regarding RAM speed for DDR4, I’d recommend getting at least 3200-speed memory. I like 3600 speed if you can find it. For DDR5 memory speed, we’d like to see DDR5 5600 or 6000 for Ryzen and even higher—6000 and beyond—for Intel 13th and 14th-gen systems. Here’s a quick pro tip: system builders’ most common mistake is forgetting to clock up the RAM to the full rated speed using the XMP, DOCP, or XMP profiles. So when you get your pre-built gaming PC, check the RAM speed and ensure it’s running at the advertised speed. If they’ve forgotten to do it, reach out to their customer service and have them walk you through it, or you can use our “How to Set Up a PC” guide to do it yourself in the BIOS.
Best 4K pre-built gaming PC in 2024
Let’s jump into the best pre-built gaming PC for 2024, and we’ll start at 4K. We’re going to start at the very top, and we’re going to work our way down. At the top end, we’re looking to spend anywhere from $3,300 to $3,800. That’s closer to where I’ve seen them. These are two excellent deals that I’ve seen that just popped up. You really can go two different ways at the high end. You can either go to Ryzen or you can go to high-end Intel. Let’s talk about the difference.
Skytech Azure Gaming PC
This particular PC is the Skytech Azure Gaming PC. Azure is just a generic name for anything they put, in this case, the Montex Sky 2. It has a 360mm all-in-one liquid cooler mounted on the top, which is phenomenal. This is going to give you excellent performance, especially with that 7800X3D. It’s got AMD’s 3D V-Cache, which is phenomenal for gaming and will be suitable for quite some time. It’s got, of course, the RTX 4090, the world’s top GPU right now. Hands down, and then some of the other specs are great. One terabyte NVMe SSD and 32 gigs of RAM. It’s RGB RAM. I do like that you’re getting 32 here. I would not settle for 16 gigs of RAM at this price point. You can find some of those PCs out there. And then something, and other nice-to-haves, has a PCIe 5.0 PSU. In my book, that’s good, especially when dealing with an RTX 4090 graphics card. I do like that as well. Overall, it is a super performative gaming PC at 4K.
ABS Vortex X Aqua
Another way to go is with something like the ABS Vortex X Aqua. I need to find out where they come up with these names. ABS is Newegg’s in-house brand. Newegg is one of the leading retailers for electronics, particularly PC parts, and now and then, they take all their PC parts and put them together in pre-built, and ABS is their dedicated brand for their pre-builts. They do a great job on them. I highly recommend them. This is an i9-13900K, so different approaches, just Intel CPU. The 3900K runs neck and neck with the 7800X3D, slightly ahead, but the 3900K has more cores. So, if you’re into heavy professional workloads that need tons and tons of cores, I would lean towards this one. If you’re gaming or primarily gaming, I like the 7800X3D slightly.
It’s better, but it’s like picking between a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. You’re going to get a super-fast, insane supercar either way. Also, the RTX 4090 has 32 gigs of RAM. I do like this about Newegg and their ABS brand. They will tell you exactly what parts you’re getting. They’re going to tell you you’ll get the MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming Trio, which is really nice. I just built a gaming PC with the same card. The MSI Z790 Gaming Edge Wi-Fi motherboard. It’s a really nice motherboard. Got some cool highlights on it as well. But for $3,400, you can’t go wrong with either of the PCs we’ve just looked at. Not everybody has that much to spend on a gaming PC, so let’s drop down a price tier to an RTX 4080. and you’re going to see these start anywhere from about $2,300, and they can go up to about $2,700 or $2,800, depending on all the extras you want. I could show you a bunch of AMD GPU pre-built gaming PCs, but AMD has been late to launch their GPUs, so they’re just late to market right now. It’s everything Nvidia out there.
Skytech Eclipse Gaming PC
What sets the Skytech Eclipse apart from the crowd? Let’s begin with the specs. It’s powered by an Intel Core i7 13700k processor, capable of reaching a blazing 5.4 gigahertz Max boost, paired with an Nvidia RTX 4080 graphics card. Inside, you’ll find a whopping 32 gigabytes of DDR5 RAM with RGB gaming memory and a one-terabyte NVMe Gen 4 SSD, ensuring lightning-fast load times and seamless multitasking. Storage space is also covered, so no need to worry.
The Skytech Eclipse comes in a sleek tower with a front mesh and four RGB fans for maximum airflow. Not only does it keep your components cool, but it also looks fantastic with its RGB lighting. Plus, it’s assembled in the USA, ensuring top-notch build quality. As a bonus, the Skytech Eclipse comes with a free gaming keyboard and mouse. It’s those little touches that make a difference.
Now, onto the fun part – the gaming experience. The Skytech Eclipse can easily handle all your favorite games, whether it’s Call of Duty Warzone, Fortnite, or even the graphically demanding Cyberpunk 2077. This PC delivers ultra settings, detailed 4K Ultra HD resolution, and smooth 60+ frames per second gameplay. Personally tested with the Asus TUF RTX 4080, I’ve maxed out all the settings at 1440p and experienced breathtaking visuals. Cyberpunk 2077, with ray tracing and DLSS enabled, gave me a jaw-dropping experience with frame rates in the 160s and beyond.
Now, addressing the concerns about buying a pre-built PC, Skytech Gaming has earned my trust. The packaging was impeccable, the components well-protected, and the performance flawless. With Skytech, you get a one-year warranty on parts and labor and lifetime free technical support. They’ve got your back every step of the way.
If you’re in the market for a top-tier pre-gaming PC that offers unrivalled performance and reliability, I highly recommend the Skytech Eclipse Gaming PC desktop. It’s a beast that can handle any game you throw at it, and with its premium components and attention to detail, it’s worth every penny.
Best 1440p pre-built gaming PC in 2024
Let’s jump into the best 1440p pre-built gaming PC in 2024. We’ve got tons of great options. Let’s discuss about the cost. How much should you be looking to spend? Any 4K PCs we just looked at would also be great for super high FPS 1440p, but they cost quite a bit more. So if you’re looking for good FPS at 1440p, you’re looking to spend anywhere from about, $1,400 up to about $2,000 we will try to find you best prebuilt gaming pc under $1500. And let’s talk about what you get for that.
CyberPower PC Gamer Extreme
At the higher end, especially something like this CyberPower PC Gamer Extreme. You love these names. It’s got an i7-13700K, and it’s got an RTX 4070 TI. Now, the 4070 TI has 12 gigabytes of VRAM. That’s why the graphics card has 12 gigabytes on it. And you could do 4K 99.9% of titles with this card. There is just a handful where it runs out of VRAM if you have Ray tracing turned on and you’re playing it Ultra 4K. So, I can’t technically call it a no-compromises 4K experience. Just know that 99.9% of titles will be good, but there are titles upcoming that it may struggle with at 4K. 1440p should be great right now. I like this case. It’s a good airflow case on it. It has a 240mm all-in-one liquid cooler that’s front-mounted. Looks amazing. It comes with 16 gigs of system memory, right, and not 32. At this price point, 16 has become more common; though many of the DDR5 kits are 32 gigs, you can still find 32 gigs here and there.
Let’s throw in an OEM PC as well. This is from HP Omen. If you want to swap in more memory in the future, you can do that. They can use XMP memory profiles, making it super easy, unlike other OEMs that don’t. So, I like the HP Omen 40L; this is an excellent airflow case. The specs on this are good – i7 13700k, 16 gigs of memory, and an RTX 47 DTI with 12 gigs of VRAM. Right now, it’s priced at 1,899, often selling for cheaper than some system integrator systems. Just another option out there.
Dropping down another performance tier, we’re now somewhere around 1399 to 1400 for best prebuilt gaming pc under 2000. We’re looking at an RTX 4700, not the TI version. It’s a little slower but still has that 12 gigs of VRAM. Quick note: AMD introduced the 7800 XT with excellent performance, and we expect those to hit the pre-built market, but not until the end of the year.
As we drop down in overall price, we’re also going to drop down in CPU power a little bit, but we’re still at a Ryzen 5 7600X, which is considerably faster than some of the older generation Ryzen 5000 series CPUs out there or Intel 12th or Gen CPUs like the i5 13400. So Ryzen 5 7600X, two thumbs up. The system next to me is a Ryzen 7600 as well. You don’t need to worry about the X versus the non-X CPU; they’re effectively the same in performance. 16 gigs of DDR5 5600, and all the other specs look great. It has a decent MSI B650 motherboard, one terabyte NVMe, and a good cooler.
Now, jumping back to Amazon, we’ve got the SkyTech Nebula. That’s just the name for this particular PC case setup. This is a pretty good setup, but it uses an older CPU, which is fine. It will perform slightly less than the Ryzen 7000 series CPU we just saw. It’s got a Ryzen 5 5600X and an RTX 4070, a similar one terabyte NVMe, and similar 16 gigs of DDR4 RAM. It’s priced at 1299, a reasonable price point. If that is you, I recommend going up to those Ryzen 7000 series CPUs or those unlocked like i5 13600K CPUs.
Let’s jump into the best 1080p pre-built gaming PCs in 2024, and you’re like, wow, look at that, 999, we dropped down like 300.”
And you’re like, “Okay, we also dropped down to an RTX 3060.” Let’s talk about the gap in the market right now. Game developers are releasing games right now at these super high-end levels. These are high-end AAA-type titles. They were anticipating the graphics card manufacturers would start putting more VRAM on their cards. As a result, some of the games that are coming out right now, if you turn them at 10, even 1080p high or ultra settings, will actually run out of VRAM with only 8 gigs. That’s why I recommend at least 10 to 12 gigs of VRAM, even for super high FPS 1080p budget stuff. You’ll be fine; you turn down the settings to medium. For instance, the 3060 8 gigabyte, I’m not recommending the 3060 TI 8 gigabyte. I’m not recommending that. What we’re going for is the 3060 12 gigabyte. It’s about the same performance as the 3060, and the guy has 12 gigs of VRAM. So, two thumbs up there. This is like a 60 FPS 1440p experience or a high FPS 1080p experience. Something like the SkyTech Gaming Shiva 2 with an i5 12400 and the RTX 3060 12 gigabyte. Two thumbs up here. Now, this comes with 500 gigs of NVMe SSD storage and 16 gigs of system RAM storage, which is excellent. I love that. It’s got a budget tower air cooler on it, RGB.
Another great deal I found right now is a Thermaltake. Thermaltake is another company; they mostly make cases, coolers, and fans but also have their own pre-built business. And this is a great one. This is a great case; there are great fans on it. Love the airflow; it comes with an additional tower air cooler, not just a downdraft cooler. Two thumbs up there. There is a slightly less performative CPU, the i5 12400, but at this graphics card level, it doesn’t matter. What our Ryzen 5600 would be fine on, i3 12100 would be fine. It has 16 gigs of DDR4 memory at 3600 megahertz, which I love. You’re doing super well if you can find something cheaper than this.
At this price point, if this is all the money I had to spend, I would pick this up.
