Best gaming PC in 2022

While building the best gaming PC isn’t too difficult these days, going with a prebuilt machine instead is undeniably convenient. Better still, the market is positively brimming with rigs of every size and spec, meaning you’re basically guaranteed to find a system out there that’ll perfectly cater to your particular needs and budget.

Down below, you’ll find our personal picks for the best gaming PC from big system manufacturers like HP, NZXT, and Corsair to smaller specialist builders such as iBuyPower, Origin PC, and Maingear. All of these options have particular strengths and weaknesses, but all of them are leaders in their fields in one way or another.

Don’t forget that a rig is only part of a gaming PC setup, and it’s no good spending four figures on a new system if you connect it to a subpar display. Investing in the best gaming monitor can really transform how it feels to sit at your gaming desk, but don’t forget to invest in the best gaming chair you can get your hands on too

Here are your options for the best gaming PC:

Best gaming PC

The best gaming PC is the iBuypower Gaming RDY S6MBG201.

If you’re looking for a system that can run the latest games using their ultra settings at a high frame rate, look no further than the iBuypower Gaming RDY S6MBG201. Costing just $1,899 USD, it’s easily our pick for the best gaming PC under $2000 you can buy today.

Peeking inside its custom chassis, you’ll find powerful specs inside including an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 and water cooled Intel Core i7 12700KF, backed up by 16GB of DDR4 3,600MHz gaming RAM. You’ll have plenty of space for your game library, too, thanks to the included 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD.

Best cheap gaming PC

The best cheap gaming PC is the HP Pavilion TG01-2170m.

While it’s true that PC gaming can be expensive, that doesn’t mean that it has to break the bank, and the HP Pavilion TG01-2170m is proof of that. It comes with an AMD Ryzen 3 5300G and Radeon RX 5500 which act as a plenty powerful combo for those starting their journey into the hobby or anyone with a smaller budget.

HP lists the Pavilion TG01-2170m with a starting price of $699.99, but you can often find it on sale with extras like a gaming mouse and keyboard, netting yourself a proper bargain.

Best mini gaming PC

The best mini PC for gaming is the Origin PC Chronos V2.

In crafting the Chronos V2, Origin PC has made a micro machine worthy of the oft used phrase ‘small but mighty.’ Inside its compact chassis, you’ll find the kinds of components that any full fat desktop would be lucky to have, including the best gaming CPUs from both AMD and Intel.

You can also choose between a glass or mesh side panel, allowing you to prioritise the aesthetics or cooling of your new tiny titan. Origin PC also offers a one-year part replacement warranty as standard, in addition to “lifetime 24/7 support and labour.”

Best PC for streaming

The best PC for streaming is the NZXT Streaming Pro PC.

You don’t need bleeding edge specs to be a successful streamer, but it certainly helps. The NZXT Streaming Pro PC packs an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X with eight capable and powerful cores that make it one of the best gaming CPUs for playing games and running a stream simultaneously.

It also comes with one of the best graphics cards too, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, allowing you to make use of features such as Nvidia DLSS, NVENC encoding, and Nvidia Broadcast to spruce up your stream.

Best handheld gaming PC

The best handheld gaming PC is the Steam Deck.

Though it has plenty of competitors, there’s nothing else on the market quite like Valve’s portable powerhouse. Its starting price of $399 makes it one of the cheapest ways to get into PC gaming, and you can fit in your backpack to boot!

Don’t fret if you can’t afford the more expensive models, as the only difference between them is the type and amount of storage that comes preinstalled. However, the 512GB model does also come with a ‘premium’ carrying case and anti-glare etched glass.

Read the PCGamesN Steam Deck review for our full verdict and score.

Best water cooled gaming PC

The best water cooled gaming PC is the Maingear Apex Rush.

If you’re looking for an altogether cooler system in every sense of the word, the Maingear Apex Rush may be just what you’re looking for. It features a custom water cooling solution, which in addition to being stunning to look at also offers better noise and thermals than even the very best CPU coolers.

By bringing your system’s temperatures as low as possible, the Maingear Apex Rush allows you to unlock their maximum potential of its top-tier specs without fear of thermal throttling. Better still, you can choose to kit out your personal rig out with either soft tubing or several styles of hardline cooling, allowing you to craft a system that will feel right at home on your gaming desk.

Best 4K gaming PC

The best 4K gaming PC is Corsair One i300.

High-performance rigs are seemingly a dime a dozen, but the Corsair One i300 bucks the trend of powerful specs coming in a chonky chassis with a sleek and stylish case. Better still, both its Intel Core i9 12900K and Nvidia GPU are water cooled to boost fps as high as possible.

It’s also compatible with Corsair iCue, making it a great addition to your setup if you already own a gaming keyboard or other peripherals that support the software.

Read the PCGamesN Corsair One i300 review for our full verdict and score.

When should I upgrade my gaming PC?

There’s no hard rule on when to upgrade, as rigs with older GPUs are still more than capable of running new titles if you’re willing to turn down the graphical options a little. It all depends on how happy you are with performance, and whether you’re taking full advantage of the refresh rate on your current monitor.