5 Best Prebuilt PCs for Gaming/VR (December 2021 Guide)

Last Updated: December 4, 2021

In this carefully selected roundup, I hand pick some of the best prebuilt gaming PCs for the money that I could find on the market right now. In PC hardware communities, prebuilt PCs are insulted more often than poor little R2D2 was by C3PO. Makes sense though, seeing as R2 was built by a mass-production droid manufacturer, while smug C3PO was proudly custom built by some whiz kid using spare parts. But I quite dramatically digress. 

Besides the fact that building your own PC is typically the more cost-effective option overall (most prebuilts are overpriced relative to buying each component individually), there are other reasons why prebuilts get a bad name. The convenience of buying a pre-assembled, 100% ready-to-go computer is tempting, but there are various pitfalls you must be aware of in order to avoid buying a dud of a droid.

If you want my opinion on some of the best prebuilt gaming PCs out there right now, let’s cut the ranting and get into my recommendations after having analyzed the current minefield of a market with its many overpriced systems, ticking time-bomb abominations, but the occasional diamond in the rough that represents fair value for money that I can stick my neck out for and recommend.

Important Notes:

• Prices mentioned are in USD (US Dollars)

• At the time of writing, all models below fit into their respective price categories, but if prices change and a certain model no longer fits into its category, it’s safe to assume I no longer recommend that model

This category is an especially tough one, as it’s fairly difficult to find a good prebuilt PC for gaming under $1200 US that’s worth recommending, at least in my completely honest opinion. Most prebuilts in this range have too many limitations for my liking. But if you understand and accept those limitations, and just want the cheapest desktop you can get away with for some decent gaming, this HP Pavilion is, reluctantly, my top pick right now based on current pricing.

First to the good side of things, and a GeForce GTX 1650 Super graphics card paired with the 10th gen Intel i3 10100 processor makes for a very solid entry-level gaming computer that will produce a very smooth 60FPS on high settings in many titles. So long as you stick to 1080p 60Hz, or 1080p 144Hz in less demanding titles (CSGO, Fortnite, League of Legends, Valorant, etc), and with this setup you’re good to go for a good gaming experience.

You also get a fast NVMe SSD, albeit a small one so most people will have to purchase an additional SSD or HDD at some point (256GB fills up quickly, especially if you download a bunch of big modern games as explained in the SSD buyer’s guide for gamers).

Now to the downsides, and the most immediate drawback is the limited upgrade flexibility, as HP prebuilts like this use their own in-house case that doesn’t allow you to just open things up and add whichever modular components you want ’till your hearts content (like you can with other prebuilts on this list). You also can’t migrate the motherboard or PSU to another case, as they are proprietary HP components.

Besides the lack of storage as mentioned, the biggest drawback of the internal components is the RAM – you only get one stick of 8GB running at an average 2666MHz speed, which these days is not enough for modern games, many of which crave 16GB of RAM for maximum performance.

See Also: The Best Refurbished Gaming PCs

For less demanding games, 8GB is fine, but if you want to play more demanding titles, or if you’re doing a ton of multitasking on your system in general, I’d upgrade to 16GB from the get-go (the motherboard has 2 RAM slots, with 1 free if you want to add another 8GB DDR4 to make 16GB in total).

Model Number: TG01-1070m

CPU: Intel Core i3-10100 (4 Core)

CPU Cooler: Intel Stock Cooler

GPU: NVidia GeForce GTX 1650 Super (4GB)

RAM: 1x8GB DDR4 2666MHz (Supports 32GB)

Motherboard: HP Proprietary

Storage: 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD

Power Supply: HP Proprietary

Case: HP Proprietary

Case Fans: 2x

OS: Windows 10 Home

WiFi: WiFi 5 (802.11ac)

Other: Included HP Keyboard and Mouse

Warranty: 1 Year

If you’re chasing the best prebuilt gaming PC between the $1000 and $1500 range, you’ll see a lot of desktops with a GTX 1660 Super, GTX 1660 Ti (slightly faster), or RTX 2060 (slightly faster still). But if you do some digging, you’ll be able to find some with the latest mid-range GPUs from NVidia and AMD, the RTX 3060 or RX 6600, which is a much better purchase.

In other words, if you want the most bang for buck, in the sub $1500 range I would only consider prebuilt PCs that have either of these graphics cards (unless the price is much closer to the $1000 mark in which case a GTX 1660 Super or something along those lines is fine).

At the time of writing this, the best prebuilt gaming PC under $1500 in terms of overall value is this particular CyberPowerPC desktop, which boasts an RTX 3060 but also a very good CPU, the i5 11600KF. It’s also got a healthy 16GB of RAM, though you’d expect nothing else for this price: if you see a system with 8GB of RAM that’s selling in this price range, run for the hills because you can find plenty that do have 16GB.

The speed of the RAM isn’t specified, so you’d assume it’s an average DDR4 speed like 2666MHz which is okay. The system looks nice, and is adequately cooled with 3 pre installed 120mm fans (2 up front, 1 in the back). Storage is okay, with a 500GB NVMe SSD, but some people may want to get an additional SSD or HDD for more room, especially if you want to play a ton of modern games (which can easily eat up space).

In terms of CyberPowerPC as a brand, and whether you can rely on them, I’d rate them as middle of the road. Not the best, but there’s definitely a lot worse out there. The internal components you get are basic, but they’ll get the job done, and you’re free to upgrade your system fairly easily with their machines. So overall, if you want the fastest gaming performance for the money, I can recommend their systems, but only if you strategically choose the best value model – a lot of their systems are overpriced, so you have to pick and choose carefully.

This particular model with the RTX 3060 for under $1500 is the best value I could find from within their range at the time of writing (and also when comparing other brands, most of which are selling RTX 3060 systems for a lot more). It’s well suited for a range of different gaming use cases, whether that’s 1080p 60Hz, 1080p 144Hz, 1440p 60Hz, and VR.

Model Number: GXi1280V4

CPU: Intel Core i5 11600KF (6-Core)

CPU Cooler: Intel Stock Cooler

GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 3060 (12GB GDDR6)

RAM: 16GB DDR4 (2x8GB)

Motherboard: Intel B560 (LGA 1200)

Storage: 500GB NVMe SSD

Power Supply: 600 Watts

Case: CyberPowerPC Onyxia III White Mid-Tower

Case Fans: 3 x 120mm RGB

OS: Windows 10 Home

WiFi: Yes (802.11AC WiFi 5)

Other: Included Keyboard and Mouse

Warranty: 1 Year

If you want the best prebuilt gaming PC with a powerful gaming CPU and GPU (5600X and RTX 3060 Ti), from an affordable and generally reliable manufacturer that includes decent quality components, the Skytech Archangel 3.0 gets my pick based on current pricing and availability.

With this setup you can expect excellent performance for 1080p or 1440p on high settings, and even with 144Hz monitors as the super quick 5600X processor really helps in getting high frame rates. The 16GB of fast 3200MHz memory is also ideal for modern gaming, and for fast productivity and multitasking in general.

The system also looks nice, with a slick white case and 3 included RGB fans, and it comes complete with a gaming keyboard and mouse (albeit basic), included WiFi, a large 1TB NVMe SSD for fast loading of a ton of games and applications, and it’s nice they included an 80 Plus Gold 600 watt power supply (though the exact model is unspecified).

See Also: The Best Gaming Monitors

Overall, the internal components aren’t as high quality as what you could build yourself, but they could be a lot worse. This is arguably among the best value prebuilts you can find in this sort of price range right now, at least in my opinion based on my research.

But do check out the many alternative options as well that I found (listed below), as they may suit you better in terms of price, specs, and design. There’s a fair amount of decent options in the $1500 to $2000 US price range.

Just ensure you don’t get suckered into any prebuilts in this price range that don’t at least have an RTX 3060 or 3060 Ti graphics card. Also avoid ones with older CPUs, as for this price you ideally want to be getting a current-gen CPU like the 5600X, or a previous-gen CPU like the 3700X at the very least (5600X is better for gaming though).

Once you get around the 2K budget range, you’ll start seeing some with a RTX 3070 or RX 6700 XT as well, which are worth considering if you want extra firepower for 1440p, 4K, or VR gaming. For most gamers though, the 3060 or 3060 Ti is better value overall.

Model Number: ‎ST-Arch3.0-0296-AM

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (6-Core)

CPU Cooler: AMD Wraith Stealth (Stock Cooler)

GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (8GB)

RAM: 16GB DDR4 (3200MHz)

Motherboard: AMD B550 (Unspecified)

Storage: 1TB NVMe PCIe (SSD)

Power Supply: 600 Watt (80 Plus Gold)

Case: Thermaltake H200 TG RGB (White)

Case Fans: 3 x 120mm RGB

OS: Windows 10 Home

WiFi: Yes (802.11AC WiFi 5)

Other: Included Keyboard and Mouse

Warranty: 1 Year

For the best 4K or VR experience (or 1440p 144Hz) the ideal setup is having a super powerful NVidia RTX 3080 or competing RX 6800 XT. Prebuilt PCs with these cards don’t come cheap, but the HP Omen 30L is one of the more affordable models at the time of writing that also has a decent set of supporting components. Like almost all prebuilt PCs, it’s got drawbacks though, such as limited upgradeability due to a small proprietary motherboard and average cooling with a subpar, small 120mm liquid cooler that doesn’t give such a powerful CPU as the i9 10850K much leeway. If your new setup will live in a warmish room/climate, I don’t recommend it, as you’ll want something with better airflow and cooling.

But based on current pricing at the time of writing this, it’s one of the better “value” RTX 3080 gaming desktops I’ve seen, and the list of components gets a pass from me. Yep, just a pass, since prebuilt PCs like this always cut corners and doesn’t compare to building your own gaming PC (where you have freedom to only include top notch parts and brands), but a pass by my perfectionist high standards as a lifetime DIYer is a stronger recommendation than it may sound, with most other RTX 3080 prebuilt gaming PCs failing that test due to being way overpriced.

If you know hardware and DIY well, most prebuilt PCs are overpriced to be fair, but some are less so than others. And besides the strong CPU and GPU, this HP does have some other positives going for it such as an efficient Platinum certified power supply (it’s not a high-end brand but Cooler Master PSUs are okay), the latest WiFi 6 standard for full compatibility with next-gen routers, and plenty of storage with a large and fast 1TB SSD from Western Digital and a secondary 2TB hard drive.

See Also: Best PC VR Headsets

Just keep in mind these prebuilt recommendations were based on the prices at the time of writing, and PC prices fluctuate often (especially during this current volatile market) meaning that by the time you read this there may be a better “value” RTX 3080 or RX 6800/XT option. But right now after having searched the market deeply, if your PC will live in a nicely cooled room this particular HP model is worth considering if you want to save a little money over more feature-rich RTX 3080 desktops.

Model Number: GT13-0092

CPU: Intel Core i9 10850K (10-Core)

CPU Cooler: Proprietary HP AiO Liquid Cooler (120mm)

GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 3080 (10GB GDDR6X)

RAM: Kingston HyperX 32GB DDR4 (2x16GB, 3200MHz)

Motherboard: Proprietary HP Z490 (mATX)

Storage: Western Digital Black 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 (SSD) & 2TB 7200RPM SATA (HDD)

Power Supply: Cooler Master 750 Watt (80 Plus Platinum)

Case: Proprietary HP Model

Case Fans: 1x 120mm Front, 1x 92mm Rear

OS: Windows 10 Home

WiFi: Yes (802.11AX WiFi 6)

Other: Bluetooth, HP Keyboard and Mouse

Warranty: 1 Year

Next up is a monster for the hardcore gamers and VR enthusiasts who want the fastest gaming PC possible with a RTX 3090, which is the single best gaming GPU on the planet right now, and which edges out AMD’s top offering as well (RX 6900 XT). Just a reminder for anyone new to PC land that these graphics cards offer diminishing returns in performance compared to cheaper cards like the RTX 3080 and RX 6800 XT – sure, you’ll get extra frames with a 3090, and it allows you to crank up the eye candy in VR or in 4K, but its significantly higher cost than the aforementioned “cheaper” cards isn’t worth it for most people.

With that out of the way, if you don’t care to be cost-effective, out of all the RTX 3090 desktops I found in my search the Skytech Prism II is among the best “value” based on pricing at the time of writing. If it creeps up too far beyond $4000 though, I’d look elsewhere, but for around that price it’s an okay buy. I say okay because pretty much every single prebuilt PC in this price range is overpriced based on the component list you get, but considering the current GPU market of doom it could be your best bet at getting your hands on a RTX 3090 system these days.

See Also: Best 4K 144Hz Monitors for Gaming

The full component list of the Skytech Prism II is decent, but nothing fancy, and it does lack the latest WiFi 6 standard which is annoying for the price. But if you don’t care for that – perhaps you’re still using a WiFi 5 router which can still be blazing fast mind you – then this PC is worth a look. Again, assuming its price doesn’t creep too far beyond $4000 US (prebuilt prices fluctuate often). The system is well cooled with a ton of included fans and a 360mm AiO liquid cooler. Last but not least, you also get a large 1000 watt Gold-rated power supply, a must for such a powerful system.

Model Number: ‎ST-PRISMll-0302-B-AM

CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900X (12-Core)

CPU Cooler: 360mm AiO (Liquid Cooler)

GPU: NVidia GeForce RTX 3090 (24GB)

RAM: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz (2x8GB)

Motherboard: AMD X570 (Unspecified)

Storage: 1TB NVMe PCIe Gen4 (SSD)

Power Supply: 1000 Watt (80 Plus Gold)

Case: Phanteks Qube

Case Fans: 9x RGB (3 on AiO, 3 Top, 3 Bottom)

OS: Windows 10 Home

WiFi: Yes (802.11AC WiFi 5)

Other: Bluetooth, Keyboard and Mouse

Warranty: 1 Year

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