Purchasing a new computer for gaming is not all that easy, but most importantly it shouldn’t be a problem financially. We all know how much the gaming industry’s top-of-the-line machines cost, but in the thicket of all there is to offer, there are some very interesting options for just the right compromise.
There are indeed several PCs on the market that, if you make smart choices when it comes to the components, can offer surprising gaming performance at low prices. In fact, if you raise the question further, you can bring home some truly remarkable machines, even capable of countering formidable gaming consoles such as the Xbox One X and PS4 Pro. The times we live in boast a clear advantage, especially since industry leaders have launched extremely powerful devices for purposes such as mining and acquiring cryptocurrencies. This has increased the quality of some products, creating, however, a crowded mid-range to be discovered.
Dell Inspiron 5675
CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 1200 | Graphics Card: AMD Radeon RX 560 | RAM: 8GB DDR4 | Storage: 1TB HDD
For quite some time now, Dell has had its own popular brand of gaming PCs, Alienware, which is well-known for its high-end platforms. This allows them to focus on releasing more practical computers through the Inspiron brand, such as the 5675 model. Equipped with a few components that allow you to play on a 1080p monitor without too many compromises, it’s a quality machine, although not exceptional. But thanks to the extreme versatility of Dell products, updating the peripherals won’t be a problem over time.
Lenovo Legion Y520
CPU: Intel Core i3-7100 – i5-7400 | Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti – 1060 | RAM: 16GB | Storage: 2TB HDD, 256GB SSD
When buying an affordable gaming PC, sometimes you need to make sacrifices to keep the specs to a minimum. Fortunately, there are machines like this one from Lenovo that reduce the amount of compromise to a minimum, even supporting virtual reality platforms. The “VR Ready” label means you can play with Oculus Rift and HTC Vive without any storage problems, given the 2 TB hard drive and the 256 GB SSD. There’s a range of specs you can choose from, so if your budget allows for it, you can tailor the most powerful components for even better results.
HP Pavilion Power 580
CPU: Intel Core i5-7400 | Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 2GB | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 1TB HDD, 128GB SSD
If you have the budget for it, this HP computer is an excellent investment. Once more, it combines high construction quality with some rather decent components that ensure a 1080p resolution gaming experience. The case itself isn’t that stylish, but at this level, you can’t have it all. In addition, the PC offers enough space to update the components and not have to worry about the amount of storage memory you have available. It’s certainly expensive for our list but still costs less than many other models, with hardware specs that don’t create too much of a compromise.
Acer Aspire GX-781
CPU: Intel Core i3-7100 | Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 1TB HDD
In addition to its high-end Predator range, Acer produces some affordable PCs, such as the Aspire GX-781. With a Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card, 8GB of RAM, and a Core i3 processor, there’s enough power to play today’s games in 1080p and, if you need to, make the machine more powerful by adding better hardware later on. The case is unique but not intrusive, a happy medium for entry-level enthusiasts.
Dell XPS Tower Special Edition
CPU: Intel Core i5-8400 or Core i7-8700K | Graphics Card: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti or Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 | RAM: 8GB/16GB DDR4 (2.666MHz) | Storage: 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD or 256GB SSD; 2TB HDD
The Dell XPS Tower special edition is a champion of adaptability. This PC looks like a professional work desktop rather than a machine dedicated to gaming, which is a positive but also a flaw if you want to make your own access to 3D worlds more beautiful and interesting. With its 8th generation Intel Lake processor and a Nvidia GTX 1050, it’s one of the best gaming PCs to purchase in 2018, despite it lacking the aesthetics so dear to gamers.
