Monday, May 31, 2021
If you thought you had to build a gaming PC to get the most out of it, you'd be wrong. There are amazing pre-built rigs out there whatever your gaming needs, like the HP Omen Obelisk, that give you all the fun without any of the fuss. And you're not excluded from upgrading it yourself, either.
Best overall: HP Omen 30L
The HP Omen 30L is more compact than its predecessors but still powerful and ultra-impressive. In an era where building your PC is so common, many manufacturers are trying to think outside the box with their desktop rigs. However, HP just grabbed the box, made it look like the sort of PC you might put together yourself, then proceeded to stuff it with LED lighting and all the hardware you can shake a stick at.
On the one hand, you might say the design is a little uninspiring, but to the PC gamer, this is a machine where the function is the primary concern, and ease of access is paramount. You simply pull the glass side panel off, and you have free access to all internal components, all of which can be upgraded over time.
The Obelisk boasts the high-end of the NVIDIA RTX GPU lineup with the new RTX 3080 as the top-end solution, CPUs from Intel's 10th Gen desktop lineup, DDR4 RAM from HyperX, SSD storage, and Intel's Optane memory if you wish. Literally, everything is replaceable, including the case fans, and the bottom line is that this is a PC any enthusiast would be happy with. HP did the hard work for you, though.
Reasons to buy
- User upgradeable
- Powerful
- Straightforward design
- Affordable entry model
Reasons not to buy
- A little noisy
- Lackluster cabling
Best overall
HP Omen 30L
No-fuss rig enthusiasts will love
The 30L does away with needless fancy design and packs powerful parts into an easy-to-access case that makes it easy to game on.
Runner-up: Alienware Aurora R12
Just like its parent Dell brand, Alienware has been making some amazing hardware recently. The Alienware Aurora R12 is one such example, revived and reborn with a whole new design that's both striking and clever.
Thanks to touches like the swing-out vertically mounted power supply, you get more space for other goodies. You can squeeze in a pair of graphics cards as well as a liquid cooler for the CPU. You also get plenty of space for additional drive bays. It's a little awkward to work in, but there's still a significant opportunity for user upgrades. Or, if you prefer, spec up an entry-level or beast mode build from the factory.
It isn't even that expensive at the entry level. While you're not getting the most powerful parts on the cheaper models, the ease of upgrade means you're not limited by what you can initially afford. Adding more RAM or a new graphics card is completely tool-free and takes just a couple of minutes.
The Aurora offers something for everyone: those on a tighter budget, those looking for ridiculous power, those hoping to upgrade in the future, and everyone else in between. This PC also sits atop our list of the very best desktop PCs for VR.
Reasons to buy
- Lots of configurations
- User upgradeable
- Powerful
- Fairly compact
- Inexpensive entry point
Reasons not to buy
- Awkward internal design
Runner-up
Alienware Aurora R12
The latest Alienware Aurora is an incredible thing
The latest Aurora comes with 10th Gen Intel processors and up to an RTX 3090 GPU for insane power in a stylish and compact body.
Best budget: CyberPowerPC Gamer Master
A more affordable choice from CyberPowerPC, this gaming PC is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 3 3100 CPU, which is more than enough to handle most PC games released today. There's also the choice between an AMD Radeon RX 570, RX 580, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 for the GPU, depending on how much you're willing to spend.
Accompanying the very capable CPU and graphics card are 8GB of DDR4 RAM, 240GB SSD for your operating system (Windows 10 in this case), and a massive 1TB hard-disk drive (HDD) for all your games. The 240GB SSD is also great for storing your favorite PC games with minimal load times.
The best thing about this case is the standard design, which allows you to upgrade to your heart's content. Everything is standard, from the motherboard to the PSU, allowing you to quickly replace a part should one fail down the road.
Reasons to buy
- Standard components
- Good performance
- Great low price
- Lots of ports
Reasons not to buy
- Not the best thermal performance
Best budget
CyberPowerPC Gamer Master
Great value with room to upgrade
CyberPowerPC allows you to choose mid-range components at a reasonable price with the Game Master gaming system.
Best AMD PC: Dell Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10
While the entry-level configuration may not be worth shouting about, only coming with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and AMD Radeon RX 5300, the choice available is perfect for anyone looking for an AMD-powered gaming PC. You can configure the R10 with up to an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 GPU, and 128GB of RAM.
This PC is very similar to the Intel-powered R12 from Dell, allowing you to upgrade components like the RAM and GPU at a later date if you wish to bump the performance up a little. The R12 caters to a number of price points, allowing anyone to pick up a configuration that matches their needs, display, and budget.
Reasons to buy
- Powerful configurations available
- Can be upgraded
- Up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090
- Attractive futuristic design
Reasons not to buy
- Can get real expensive
- Entry-level a little underpowered
Best AMD PC
Dell Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10
It's the Dell Aurora R12 but with AMD
If you'd prefer to take advantage of the power of AMD Ryzen, Dell has you covered with the excellent Alienware Aurora R10.
Best for work: Dell XPS 8940
While RGB is all the rage these days in gaming PCs, such a thing isn't suited to an office environment, home, or work. Some just want a powerful PC that can game without it screaming, "I'm a gamer." That's where the superb Dell XPS tower comes in, which has been a sleeping gamer hit for some time.
It's pretty stylish to look at, although it's a bit boring by the standard of most gaming PCs. XPS is Dell's professional brand, and the 8940 fits right into that, except it's also packing some serious horsepower for gaming.
Dell has a whole host of configurations to choose from, all of which offer dedicated graphics from NVIDIA, including the RTX 2060 or now even the RTX 3070. It has also been updated to offer 10th Gen Intel processors up to a Core i9, and since it uses standard parts, much is upgradeable. Dell also uses superfast NVMe SSD storage, so this is a desktop PC that can hang with the best of them.
Reasons to buy
- Lots of configurations
- Easy to upgrade
- Powerful
- Optical drive
Reasons not to buy
- Can get expensive
- Entry-level a little underpowered
Best for work
Dell XPS 8940
Looks like an office PC, games like a champion
If you want a PC to game on that doesn't look like a teenager designed it, here it is. The Dell XPS is sleek and powerful.
Best compact PC: MSI MPG Trident 3
There is a fashion for large gaming PCs with mad cases and more RGB lights than a Vegas hotel, but not everyone wants or has the space for a colossal rig. It's also not necessary anymore, with some truly amazing and small gaming PCs like the MSI Trident 3.
It's about the same size as a games console and yet can still have up to an eight-core i7 processor and up to an NVIDIA RTX 2060 Super GPU inside it. That's pretty remarkable, and when you add 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, you wonder why you'd ever want a large PC again. If you often take your PC on the go to LAN parties, this is a perfect option.
Parts are upgradeable, though due to the unique design of the Trident 3, you'll have to put in a little work. But even if you're not down for that, what you get out of the box is plenty to keep you gaming for years to come, and the entry-level model is both capable and affordable.
Reasons to buy
- Compact build
- Lots of gaming power
- Good price
- Lots of ports
Reasons not to buy
- Tough to upgrade
- Pricey
Best compact PC
MSI MPG Trident 3
Compact yet powerful gaming PC
Looking to cut some space for yourself on the desk? Look at MSI's MPG Trident 3, which is a very compact gaming PC.
Conclusion
There are a lot of great pre-built gaming PCs out there but it's hard to do better than the HP Omen 30L right now. You can either save money now and upgrade it down the line or spec it up out of the box with all the power you could ever want. It's easy to live with and trades wild design for user-friendliness.
What's also very apparent right now is that there's a good selection of affordable gaming PCs, too. Even the Omen 30L can be had for a very attractive entry-level price. It's no longer necessary to build your PC to get the best deals.
And the Omen 30L is so well designed that beginners and enthusiasts alike will fall in love with it. It can be all the PC you need for many years to come.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Richard Devine Richard Devine is an Editor at Windows Central. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you'll find him covering all manner of PC hardware and gaming.
Rich Edmonds is a staff reviewer at Windows Central, which means he tests out more software and hardware than he cares to remember. Joining Mobile Nations in 2010, you can usually find him inside a PC case tinkering around when not at a screen fighting with Grammarly to use British words. Hit him up on Twitter: @RichEdmonds.
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