Best Gaming Desktop Computers 2016

Gaming Desktop Computers

 

Whether you’re a member of the PC Master Race or not, it’s no secret that playing video games is best done on a PC Desktop. And for that reason, taking into account price, upgradeability, and performance, we’ve put together a shortlist of reviews, selecting the 5 best gaming desktop PCs for you to buy.

Walyou's
Rank
#1 GUA3100A Cyberpower#2 SkyTech Shadow
AMD-1060-I
#3 GXiVR8020A Cyberpower#4 SkyTech Archangel GTX750TI#5 GUA880 Cyberpower
Graphics
AMD Radeon R7 240 2GB Video Card
GeForce GTX 1060 3GB
GDDR5
AMD Radeon RX 480 4GB Video Card
GTX750 TI 2GB Video Card
NVIDIA GeForce GT720 1GB
USB Ports6xUSB 2.07xUSB3.0
2xUSB 2.0
6xUSB3.0
4xUSB 2.0
2x 3.0 6xUSB 2.06xUSB 2.0
Amazon Rating
Price$505.99$849.99$719.99$599.99$489
Link to BuyBuy NowBuy NowBuy NowBuy NowBuy Now

 

#1 Best Gaming Desktop: CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra GUA3100A

Why it’s in the top 5: When it comes to a starter PC, the price and the specs can’t beat what you get with the CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra GUA3100A, which seems like it was made to make the transition into PC gaming as comfortable, and affordable, as possible.

In our opinion, the CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra GUA3100A is the best gaming desktop to buy when you take price and performance into account. It’s perfect for new gamers who are just getting into PC gaming, and is set up to be upgraded with plenty of space up top to add components. Pretty much any PC game will run extremely smooth on it, especially on low settings, and as we mentioned, you can easily upgrade it for the more demanding features. Buy it on Amazon.

#2: SkyTech Shadow AMD-1060-I Desktop Gaming Computer

Why it’s in the top 5: With almost instantaneous boot time and close to 0 bloatware when you start it up for the first time, the SkyTech Shadow AMD-1060-I is the ideal gaming desktop for gamers who want to cut the BS and get straight to business.

If it wasn’t for the price, the SkyTech Shadow AMD-1060-I would be on the top of our gaming desktop list. However, at its price range, it’s probably the best PC around. It’s extremely fast, it’s very clean in terms of software and hardware when you get it, and like the other computers on this list, it’s very simple and welcoming for upgrading. Plus, I love the blue. It’s not the most silent of machines, but it’s worth making the effort. Buy it on Amazon.

#3: CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR GXiVR8020A Gaming Desktop

Why it’s in the top 5: The combination of the price ($720), the performance thanks to a terrific video card and the surprising quality of build make the CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR gaming desktop an incredible way to introduce gaming to new PC users.

For the price, the CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR GXiVR8020A gaming desktop PC is close to ideal, especially for new PC gamers. Basically, the RX 480 ensures you’ll be able to run pretty much every possible game on it. Buy it on Amazon.

#4: SkyTech Archangel Gaming Computer

Why it’s in the top 5: For this price ($599.99), it’s probably difficult to find a better PC for both gaming and rendering videos (or something in that ballpark) than the SkyTech Archangel gaming computer.

Our second SkyTech creation on the list, and just a tad less impressive than the Shadow. The SkyTech Archangel gaming computer stands out not just because of it’s slick white exterior, but it’s simply an excellent device, regardless of the price (and excellent one) you pay for it. Your games, or any other activity you choose to use it for, will run quickly and smoothly. Buy it on Amazon.

#5: CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra GUA880 Gaming Desktop

Why it’s in the top 5: Again, when it comes to new PC gamers, it’s hard to beat this price and get this quality in terms of graphics and speed. The CyberpowerPC GUA880 gaming desktop is the cheapest PC on this list, but it’s more of an advantage than a deterrent, as long as you know what you’re getting, which we’re here to help you do.

CyberpowerPC’s GUA880 gaming desktop PC rounds up our top 5. It’s cheaper than the others on the list for a reason: It’s initially built for lighter gaming and not the heavy-duty graphic demands of high-end stuff like Witcher 3 on its ultra settings. But for the more casual PC users who aren’t that huge on gaming, or simply want something a little more low-tech to upgrade from, it’s a fantastic purchase. Buy it on Amazon.

 

Top 7 just doesn’t sound as good as Top 5, but there were a couple of desktops we were considering putting into the list. If one of our ‘5 Best’ doesn’t sit right with you or you’d like to see a couple of more options, here they are:

First Runner-Up: CUK Trion VR Ready Gaming PC

The CUK Trion gaming PC is probably the ultimate gaming machine. You can run games at 1080p 60 fps or even at higher resolutions smoothly and crisply. It can render videos in minutes. A great thing to own if you’re on your PC all the time. But there’s a price to pay for this kind of quality, which is why we left it out: You can buy it on Amazon for $1949.99.

Second Runner-Up: SkyTech Archangel 960-I Gaming Desktop

While I love SkyTech PCs, the Archangel 960-I was left out because it’s a tad inferior to the five we let in, considering the price and performance. For computers at under $700, it does as good of a job as any pretty much. I also slightly prefer something other than the red & white combination. You can buy it on Amazon for $689.99.

Famous Last Words

Look, you can’t go wrong with the seven computers on the list here. If money isn’t a problem and you’re looking for the cream of the crop, get the CUK Trion gaming PC. However, it didn’t make our top 5 for a reason: Most of us, even avid gamers, don’t want to pay that much. PCs like the SkyTech Shadow AMD-1060-I are going to run any game extremely well. And if you’re looking for lighter gaming or consider yourself a noob, there’s nothing better than the CyberpowerPC Gamer Ultra GUA3100A, which doesn’t set you back too much. Obviously, you can dive into the vast world of gaming desktops and try to find the perfect fit for you out of the countless options. But if you stick to our recommendations, regardless of the gaming desktop you choose, I’m pretty sure you’ll be more than satisfied.

Mean-Looking Alienware Area-51 Comes with Intel Octa-Core CPU, DDR4

Alienware Area-51

Alienware’s gaming notebooks and desktop PCs may not be the best performing ones on the planet, but in terms of design, they really don’t have any competitors. The latest iteration of the Area 51 gaming desktop PC also packs some hardware innovations besides the otherworldly shape.

Area-51 must be every hardcore gamer’s dream. It’s devilishly good-looking, packs next-gen hardware components, and ensures a perfect environment for pwning n00bs. Intel unveiled yesterday the Haswell-E line of processors, and Alienware was among the gaming PC builders to showcase a model build around them. With that comes support for DDR4-2133Mhz memory, which while not the fastest, provides plenty of bandwidth for gaming and other power-hungry software applications.

Alienware’s latest gaming PC comes in several different configurations. One of the distinguishing aspects is the number of GPUs the system is equipped with. That ranges from one to four, but regardless of how many graphics cards are used, Area-51 will be able to display images at 4K UltraHD resolution.

As far as the included CPU is concerned, it can have either six or eight cores, depending on the budget of the buyer. All that processing power is used along up to 32GB of 2133 DDR4, which compared to DDR3 has 20% more bandwidth, and is 20% more power-efficient.

Frank Azor, the general manager of Alienware, explained how it took the company a long time to get here, and that the new Area-51 is the result of many years of hard work: “We’re excited to reveal the reimagined Alienware Area-51, a system that is the result of 18 years of innovation fueled by our love of gaming. We questioned everything and then began working on a system based on how we actually use our full-tower desktops rather than based on what was quick, easy or comfortable for us to design. The Area-51 features the all-new Triad chassis, designed from the ground up to deliver on exactly what gamers want, state-of-the-art performance, scalability and ease of use. ”

The new Alienware Area-51 is expected to be shipped in October in the U.S. and just in time for the holiday season around the globe. Depending on the preferred configuration, the price may differ significantly, but one thing is certain: such a beautiful chassis, packed with the latest hardware, definitely won’t come cheap.

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