The best pre-built desktop gaming PCs for playing Valheim

Valheim is a Viking-themed survival game that's taken the gaming world by storm and is arguably one of the best PC games. While the game itself doesn't require substantial PC specifications, you will still need a gaming PC or laptop capable of handling this challenging title. We've rounded up some desktop recommendations here to get you started.

Mid-tier Gaming PC

Staff Pick

Dell Alienware Aurora R12

Dell includes plenty of performance inside its Aurora R12 desktop PCs. We're talking 11th Gen Intel processors, starting with an Intel Core i5-11400F CPU, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER GPU, 1TB HDD, and 8GB of RAM. You can configure the PC to have up to an Intel Core i9-11900KF, NVIDIA RTX 3090, and 128GB of RAM.

From $1,078 at Dell

Budget Gaming PC

CyberPowerPC Gamer Master

This is a more affordable choice from CyberPowerPC and comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 CPU, which is more than enough to handle Valheim. There's also an AMD Radeon RX 570 GPU, 8GB RAM, 240GB SSD, and a 1TB hard-disk drive (HDD). The best thing about this case is the standard design, which allows you to upgrade to your heart's content.

From $650 at Best Buy $999 at Walmart

Gaming Laptop

Razer Blade 15 Base Edition

You can absolutely play Valheim while not at a desk. All you need is a gaming laptop, and the Razer Blade 15 is the best of the best with powerful hardware and excellent display options. This model we selected here comes with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, NVIDIA RTX 3070 GPU, and 16GB of RAM. But you can improve the specifications if you have more funds to spare.

From $1,700 at Razer

High-end Gaming PC

HP OMEN 30L

If money isn't a concern, you can always choose the HP OMEN 30L. It's a monster of a gaming rig with the most affordable configuration rocking an Intel Core i7-10700K CPU, NVIDIA RTX 2060 SUPER GPU, and 16GB of RAM. You can configure it up to an Intel Core i9-10900K, NVIDIA RTX 2080 Ti, and 64GB of RAM, depending on how well you want the game to run. It's one of the best gaming desktop PC choices available today.

From $2,000 at HP

Build it Your Way

NZXT Starter PC Series

NZXT makes some excellent cases and cooling solutions, but the company also runs its own custom PC build service, allowing you to pick and choose parts and receive a complete NZXT PC ready on which to play games. The prices are pretty good, too, allowing you to save on a neat-looking gaming rig.

From $999 at NZXT

If we're to choose a PC for Valheim

Valheim is a visually stunning game, but it's not a heavy, demanding PC title with high system requirements. This makes it possible for you to use a gaming PC with only an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and an AMD RX 500 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10 series GPU. It's very likely your current PC will be able to run the game, but if you need a new rig our collection here will serve you well.

If we were to choose a single PC to recommend, it would be the HP Omen 30L. It has the looks, as well as the internal components to match. It's somewhat affordable too, containing an RTX 2060 SUPER GPU and Intel Core i7 processor. It's possible to even upgrade the PC at a later date with a more capable Intel Core or AMD Ryzen CPU and NVIDIA GPU if you want to play some more demanding games.

Should you have the available budget and wish to go all out from the get-go, the HP OMEN 30L can be kitted out with vital components like the powerful Intel Core i9-10900K CPU and powerful NVIDIA RTX graphics cards. This machine will easily Valheim.