The CYBERPOWERPC Gamer XtremeVR GXiVR8020A Gaming Desktop is our best gaming desktop and it is a VR-ready gaming desktop for all of your VR needs, making it highly compatible with Oculus Rift and HTC VIVE. Its graphics card is an AMD Radeon RX 480 with 4 GB for excellent gaming and it has Wireless 802.11 AC adapters for WiFi as well as USB ports. It also comes with a handy HDMI port as well as a display port for all of your gaming projection needs and it comes with a hard disk drive that has a capacity of 1 terabyte with a speed of 7,200 RPM.
Our step-up pick is the ASUS G11CD-US009T Core i5 Gaming Desktop and its hard drive has a rotational speed of 7,200 RPM. Its hard drive is up to 1 terabytes with 8 GB of hybrid SSD so you get a ton of storage in the long run and it runs on Intel Core i5 processor at 2.7 GHz which is a sixth generation processor. This desktop uses a high quality graphics card, the NVIDIA GTX 960 GPU and web browsing is enhanced due to its Wireless 802.11 AC that comes with Bluetooth 4.0, the latest version of Bluetooth.
The budget pick is the CybertronPC AMD A4-6300 Patriot Gaming Desktop and it uses the Aerocool Strike X One Gaming Mid Tower for its chassis and CPU casing. The hard drive rotational speed is 7,200 RPM and uses SATA connection for its HDD and it uses a standard Wireless 802.11 BGN. Its graphics card is also great which uses Radeon HD 8370D GPU and it also has a specious hard disk drive at 1 terabyte of disk space. It is a dual core gaming desktop for the low budgeted people with a processor of AMD A4-6300 which is a dual core processor at 3.7 GHz and runs on a high standard 64-bit operating system of Windows 10 Home.
A Little Background
Gaming has long been limited to gaming consoles before, but nowadays, more and more people are now investing in gaming desktops and gaming on the PC due to the fact that they are cost effective and less hassling when it comes to upgrading the unit. You also get a ton of selection for various games of various genres and you can even play older games from older consoles without the worry of having to purchase another console just to play that game due to the upgrade ability of any gaming desktop.
Because of this awesome advantage, more and more gamers have been streaming games and buying on Steam and become Let’s Players on YouTube as a hobby or as a proper job with Google AdSense. While console gaming may be more straightforward when it comes to games, it is undeniable that gaming desktops offer you a plethora of options when it comes to game choices and how you want to play the game, such as with VR gear like Oculus Rift.
How We Picked
In choosing the best gaming desktop, we considered the following:
Graphics Card: we made sure that the graphics card is a top of the line brand such as ATI / AMD or NVIDIA GeForce with a great size. Typically, the best size for a gaming desktop is around 1 to 3 GB.
RAM Card: the memory card or the RAM card should be very high at around 8 to 16 GB in its typical size.
Processor: the processor must be at least i3 or i5 or more. Dual core processors are great but quad core processors are better, of course.
Connections and ports: make sure that the gaming desktop has enough room for upgrade and connections, preferably one with HDMI ports, DVI ports and much more.
Pre-installed OS: most gaming desktops have at least Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 for a better performance and gaming experience.
Other important accessories to also consider is the best gaming mouse and best Xbox steering wheel.
Our Pick
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer XtremeVR GXiVR8020A Gaming Desktop
Our best gaming desktop is the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer XtremeVR GXiVR8020A Gaming Desktop and it comes with a hard disk drive that has a capacity of 1 terabyte with a speed of 7,200 RPM. Moreover, it is a VR-ready gaming desktop for all of your VR needs, making it highly compatible with Oculus Rift and HTC VIVE and its processor is an Intel i5 6402P Quad Core at 2.8 GHz.
As for the RAM cards, its memory cards are at DDR4 format with a size of 8 GB. As for the internet connections, it has Wireless 802.11 AC adapters for WiFi as well as USB ports. Moreover, for the OS, it is pre-installed with a genuine Windows 10 Home operating system at 64-bit. With the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer XtremeVR, you can definitely get an awesome 1080p gaming experience with this gaming desktop. In fact, the cooling fins on the memory cards are very flashy and unique.
The power supply is at High Power and provides 600 watts of uninterrupted power, and is also an OEM manufacturer and the case is a Cooler Master MasterBox 5 Black Mid Tower case with a sleek design. Moreover, the motherboard is an MSI B150M Bazooka motherboard and its graphics card is an AMD Radeon RX 480 with 4 GB for excellent gaming.
The CYBERPOWERPC GXiVR8020A Gaming Desktop also comes with a handy HDMI port as well as a display port for all of your gaming projection needs and comes with a total of 6 USB ports (USB 3.0) and 4 USB 2.0 ports. It also has a connection for RJ-45 Ethernet Network (10 / 100 / 1000) and it uses a high quality 7.1 channel audio technology. Its DirectX12 technology is fully optimized for higher FPX for an uninterrupted gaming experience and the sleek red and black design of the gaming desktop will captivate you. The desktop comes with a gaming keyboard and a gaming mouse, both equipped with the same high quality and sleek motif as the gaming desktop CPU.
A great companion for excellent gaming, playing high definition videos and much more, the CYBERPOWERPC GXiVR8020A Desktop comes with an AC power cord as well as user manuals and guides. It is backed by a warranty of 1 year for parts and labor as well as a free lifetime technical support.
Flaws but Not Dealbrakers
The only known flaws and cons about the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer XtremeVR GXiVR8020A Gaming Desktop that are not deal breakers include the fact that it lacks one more PCI-E slot which most gamers might need for crossfire or dual video card potential.
Step-up Pick
ASUS G11CD-US009T Core i5 Gaming Desktop
Our step-up pick, the ASUS G11CD-US009T Core i5 Gaming Desktop, runs on Intel Core i5 processor at 2.7 GHz which is a sixth generation processor. This desktop uses a high quality graphics card, the NVIDIA GTX 960 GPU and its hard drive is up to 1 terabytes with 8 GB of hybrid SSD so you get a ton of storage in the long run. The memory card is also a DDR4 type with 8 GB for the fastest performance so far. Moreover, it is equipped with latest operating system, Windows 10 that is also a genuine version.
Web browsing is enhanced due to its Wireless 802.11 AC that comes with Bluetooth 4.0, the latest version of Bluetooth. Moreover, it is also available in an i7 version with higher specs and its hard drive has a rotational speed of 7,200 RPM. Its optical drive type is a super multi DVD and it also has one audio out port. You can absolutely stream, play games or record with ultra HD 4k quality or even use the gaming desktop for rigorous 3D modeling using the i5 processor.
The performance of the gaming desktop runs quietly at only 26 dB. It is also equipped with USB 3.1 ports and it has two USB 3.0 ports and 2 USB 2.0 ports. It has ports for HDMI out, VGA D-sub, 3 display ports and a DVI port and has standard connections for the RJ-45, microphones headphones and other audio connections. The ASUS Core i5 Gaming Desktop comes with a warranty card, a quick start guide, a power cord as well as a keyboard and a mouse (both connected through USB ports).
Budget Pick
CybertronPC AMD A4-6300 Patriot Gaming Desktop
Our budget pick, the CybertronPC AMD A4-6300 Patriot Gaming Desktop, uses a standard Wireless 802.11 BGN. It runs on a high standard 64-bit operating system of Windows 10 Home and it is a dual core gaming desktop for the low budgeted people with a processor of AMD A4-6300 which is a dual core processor at 3.7 GHz. It also has a specious hard disk drive at 1 terabyte of disk space and its graphics card is also great which uses Radeon HD 8370D GPU. It comes with the necessary keyboard and mouse for an awesome and superior gaming experience.
Tthe CPU casing also looks sleek and rugged for a startup gaming rig and its memory cards accept DD3 type RAMs and has pre-installed ones at 8 GB. It has an 8-channel audio technology system and its LAN is also in gigabit for superior LAN game experiences. It has a standard Network Ethernet connection via RJ-45 at 10 / 100 / 1000 and it has four expansion slots with three of them free.
It comes with 1 PCI slot and a PCI-E slot as well as PCI-E x 16 and two DIMM 240P expansion slots and has connection ports for VGA, HDMI and audio ports. It comes with a power supply that runs at 400 watts of power and uses the Aerocool Strike X One Gaming Mid Tower for its chassis and CPU casing. Its optical drive is a DVD RW dual layer drive with a writing capacity of up to 24X and it uses the AMD 760G chipset for superior power.
The hard drive rotational speed is 7,200 RPM and uses SATA connection for its HDD and its HDD has a data transfer rate of 6 GB per second for transferring your large videos such as game plays, etc. moreover, it is backed by a warranty of 1 year for labor and parts plus a free lifetime technical support at your hands.
Best Energy Star Certified Gaming Desktop
Acer Predator i7 AG6-710-70002 Gaming Desktop
Certified by Energy Star in its quality and compliance with energy saving factors, the Acer Predator i7 AG6-710-70002 Gaming Desktop uses a sixth generation processor, the Intel Core i7 6700K with a speed of 4 GHz and a cache of 8 MB. The graphics card that is used on this gaming desktop is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 which is a GDDR5 type of graphics card with 4 GB of memory and its hard drive is a SATA3 type which has a total space of 2 TB for all of your rigorous space needs.
The HDD has a rotational speed of 7,200 RPM which is a standard and also comes along with a solid state drive or SSD with a size of 256 GB for additional space needs. Its memory card or RAM card has a DDR4 type card package that has been built-in with a total size of 16 GB for the most rigorous PC tasks. The RAM card is also dual channel with 2133 MHz memory and the PC comes with a Gigabit Ethernet as well as a WiFi 802.11 ac. It is also equipped with the latest Bluetooth 4.0 LE and its power supply runs at 730 watts of power.
The gaming keyboard included is the SteelSeries APEX and the gaming mouse is the SteelSeries SENSEI mouse. It has two USB 2.0 ports as well as 6 USB 3.0 ports and it has one HDMI port, one DVI port and a total of 3 display ports for those who like to take gaming up to three screens for an awesome gaming rig. It also comes with Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB5 that is equipped with EAX 5.0 for all of your high quality sound needs and also has a digital media card reader for SD cards.
Running on Windows 10 on its operating system, its optical drive supports Blu-Ray DVDs with up to 8X of speed and is also a Super Multi double layer combo drive for faster reading. It also highly supports PC overclocking and you can also stream, play and record games in full HD at 1080p. You can also get 4K ultra HD or 2k resolutions for an awesome gaming experience. it is backed by a limited warranty of 2 years for pats and labor.
Gaming Desktop with SSD or Solid State Drive
Lenovo X315 AMD-FX 90AY000HUS Gaming Desktop
The Lenovo X315 AMD-FX 90AY000HUS Gaming Desktop has a total of 1 TB of space for its hard disk drive with a solid state drive (SSD) size of 128 GB for additional space needs. It uses a high quality processor, the AMD FX 770K which runs at 3.5 GHz for a solid gaming performance and runs on the latest Windows 10 OS that has been pre-installed for your convenience.
Its memory card is a DDR3 type which has a size of 8 GB and it comes with both Ethernet connections as well as WiFi or wireless connections. Its graphics card is the AMD ATI Radeon R9 360 for superior gaming experience and it also supports 7.1 channel surround sound for the best audio experience alongside the Dolby Advanced Audio enhancement feature. The HDD is a SATA type and its graphics card has a size of 2 GB. It has a total of four USB 3.0 ports and its HDD has a rotational speed of 7,200 RPM. Its optical drive is a standard DVD-RW and it also comes with a mouse and a keyboard for your convenience.
Ideal Gaming Desktop with Sleek White Casing
CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme i5-6600K GXi760 Gaming Desktop
The CYBERPOWERPC Gamer Xtreme i5-6600K GXi760 Gaming Desktop comes with a high quality set of gaming keyboard and gaming mouse for all of your gaming needs. This gaming desktop runs on an awesome processor, the Intel Core i6 6600K at a speed of 3.5 GHz, which is one of the top of the line gaming desktop processors out there. The sleek and clean white casing with blue LEDs inside makes it very unique in its design. It uses the Intel H110 for its chipset and it has also been pre-installed with a 64-bit operating system of Windows 10 Home for all of your latest needs.
It has audio ports as well as ports for DVI and HDMI and has a network Ethernet port of RJ-45 at 10 / 100 / 1000. Its optical drive is a DVD-RW dual layer drive which can write up to 24X and its hard disk drive has a total space of 1 TB for all of your space needs. Its RAM card or memory card is a DDR4 type with a total size of 8 GB for superior gaming experience and its HDD is a SATA3 type.
The DVD-RW optical drive is also a Super Multi drive and its power supply runs at 350 watts. Its memory speed is at 2133 MHz and the video card used is an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 with a size of 2 GB. It also uses high definition audio for all of your superior sound quality needs and it also uses Gigabit LAN for the best LAN games experience. The PC has a total of 2 ports for USB 3.0 and 7 ports for USB 2.0 and you also get a lot of customizable options for further upgrades. It has a warranty of 1 year for labor and parts plus free tech support lifetime.
Ideal Gaming Desktop with LED Fan Control
CybertronPC Hellion Gaming Desktop AMD FX-6300
Pre-installed with the latest operating system, the Windows 10 Home for all of your gaming needs, the CybertronPC Hellion Gaming Desktop AMD FX-6300 has Windows 10 OS running at 64-bit in its system. The unique thing about this gaming desktop is the fact that it has an ingenious LED fan control panel that lets you control and customize the LED fan colors and lighting. What’s more, it is also available in other colors such as black, orange and red other than blue for your LED lighting preference.
Its hard disk drive has a total space of 1 terabyte for superior gaming needs. With a graphics card of NVIDIA GT 740 at 2 GB of size, you can enjoy awesome gaming moments or video editing as well as 3D rendering. Its memory card is at 16 GB and is a DDR3 type of memory card. Another unique thing about this gaming desktop is that it runs on AMD FX 6300 hexa-core processor at 3.5 GHz, in which most gaming desktops rarely have a hexa-core (six cores). You can also have the option of Windows 8.1 instead of Windows 10 and it has a total of 3 expansion slots with one PCI-E slot and PCI-E x 16 slot. It also has four DIMM slots at 240P and it supports Wireless 802.11 bgn as well as RJ-45 Ethernet network at 10 / 100 / 1000.
Its DVD-RW is a dual layer type which can write up to 24X for a solid gaming experience and the surround sound is the deal with this gaming desktop due to its 7.1 channel audio. It comes with the necessary mouse and keyboard and its Gigabit LAN is optimized for gaming. It comes with ports for VGA, HDMI and DVI and uses a mid tower gaming case (Aerocool Xpredator X1) which also comes with a power supply that runs at 400 watts. Its L2 cache is 6 MB and its L3 cache is 8 MB. Moreover, its HDD has a 7200-RPM rotational speed and is a SATA2 type. The unit has a warranty of 1 year for parts and labor with tech support.
Unique Gaming Desktop with Console Style Design
Alienware Alpha ASM100-1580 Intel i3-4130T Console
The unique console design of the Alienware Alpha ASM100-1580 Intel i3-4130T Console makes it really cool and really sleek in its design. It runs on an Intel Core processor at i3 4130T with a rotational speed of 2.9 GHz and its memory card runs with a size of 4 GB and uses DDR3L technology at 1600. Its hard drive has a total capacity of 500 GB with a speed of 5,400 RPM and it runs on Windows 8.1 but it can also be upgraded for free to Windows 10.
With an option for a carrying case is also included, it has a total of four USB ports, two at the back and two at the front. It has two HDMI ports – one input and one output and it supports Bluetooth 4.0, the latest in Bluetooth technology. Its graphics card is a GDDR5 type NVIDIA Maxwell GTX GPU with a size of 2 GB for a superior gaming experience. The HDD is a SATA type hard drive and its wireless technology is a standard 802.11 bgn. Its memory speed is 1600 MHz and you can stream, watch and play games at a stunning quality of 1080p full HD. Its console build gives you a quiet gaming experience and the unit has a manufacturer’s warranty so you are fully guaranteed.
Best Quad Core Gaming Desktop
iBUYPOWER AM-FX01 NVIDIA GT730 Gaming Desktop
The iBUYPOWER AM-FX01 NVIDIA GT730 Gaming Desktop runs on a high quality processor, the AMD FX 4300 with a quad core build with a speed of 3.8 GHz and with a turbo speed of up to 4.0 GHz. Its dedicated video gaming card is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 with a size of 2 GB for a great gaming experience. It also comes with the necessary gaming mouse and gaming keyboard, both of which are specifically designed and tailored to gaming needs.
Pre-installed with the latest Windows 10 Home operating system, its hard drive has a rotational speed of 7,200 RPM and a total size capacity of 500 GB and its memory card runs on DDR3 technology with a total size of 8 GB, which is enough for most gaming requirements. It also has a WiFi USB Adapter or WiFi internal card (802.11 AC) and its optical drive is a DVD-RW that can read and write up to 24X.
Gaming Desktop with Oculus Rift Bundle
Oculus Rift ASUS G20CB-WS71 Desktop Bundle
If you are ready for some serious gaming rig with virtual reality (VR) then look no further than this sleek desktop bundle, the Oculus Rift ASUS G20CB-WS71 Desktop Bundle, which comes with the Oculus Rift itself plus an Oculus ready ASUS desktop tower. The gaming desktop uses the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 for its graphics card and its internal hard drive has a total capacity of 1 TB with a rotational speed of 7200 RPM plus a hybrid solid state drive (SSD) extra space of 256 GB for all of your space needs.
Its processor is an Intel Core i7 6700 with a great speed of 4 GHz and the gaming desktop is super powerful with a case that measures 12.5 liters. The quad core i7 is a latest sixth generation gaming desktop that will send you to the greatest gaming moments possible and a low latency constellation tracking system is built-in with the Oculus Rift’s technology to give you a great sensation of presence within the game itself.
With a mouse and a keyboard, you also get a free game (Lucky’s Tale) when you buy this desktop bundle. You can also use it to watch VR movies and experience other VR moments with its powerful build. The high refresh rate of the Oculus Rift makes it the most high-end VR gear ever with a wide field of view. The desktop runs on Windows 10 Home operating system and has a SATA HDD. Its memory has a speed of 2133 MHz.
The Competition
Other gaming desktops did not have a lot of good specs such as a powerful graphics card, a wide space for the hard drive, a good memory card and other elements. It is important for any gaming desktop to be an excellent gaming rig for the price and not just made up of cheap parts in one package.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What makes PC gaming better than console gaming?
A: According to PC World , multiplayer games for the PC are free, compared to the ones in console. Because PCs have a lot of capabilities, you can go cross-console with emulators and the like. You can play retro games on older consoles and you do not have to waste money in having to buy additional consoles in the long run.
In fact, PC games are also very cheap compared to console games, which you can just purchase for a lower cost over Steam and other places. PCs can also be upgraded at a lower cost compared to standard consoles that cannot do such, unless you buy a new console, giving you the best kind of quality the way you want it to be. The fact that VR and Oculus Rift hits the market also makes PC gaming more preferred than console gaming. Also, mods are also easier to implement for PC games.
Q: What do you consider when buying a gaming desktop?
A: According to Digital Trends , make sure the gaming desktop is just right for your needs and the games you want to play it with. Always check out the specs such as the graphics card, hard disk drive capacity, RAM card, processor speed and the like. The option to upgrade the gaming desktop is a must so make sure you can also connect other stuff there such as cooling systems.
The best HDDs could be around 500 GB up to 1 TB but it depends on how much space you will need in a practical way. In fact, 16 GB is the ideal gaming rig size for the RAM cards but 8 GB of RAM is also good. But for the best 1080p gaming experience, around 1 to 2 GB of video card is more recommended. You can also go for an HDD with an integrated SSD or solid state drive for additional space and better loading times for games.
Wrapping It Up
Overall, the CYBERPOWERPC Gamer XtremeVR GXiVR8020A Gaming Desktop is our best gaming desktop whether you are a beginner gamer, a casual gamer, a YouTube gamer or any kind of gamer who just want a decent gaming rig for starters.
Jen Miller is a former electrical engineer and product specialist with more than 20 years of product design and testing experience. She has designed more than 200 products for Fortune 500 companies, in fields ranging from home appliances to sports gear and outdoor equipment. She founded Jen Reviews to share her knowledge and critical eye for what makes consumers tick, and adopts a strict no-BS approach to help the reader filter through the maze of products and marketing hype out there. She writes regularly and has been featured on Forbes, Fast Company, The Muse, The Huffington Post, Tiny Buddha and MindBodyGreen.