Hardware purchasing is currently a volatile time, and things are not expected to calm down anytime soon. If you have the money, now is the ideal time to upgrade your home gaming setup before GPUs, RAM, and other chips start to go up in price. We've found nine unbeatable deals on powerful machines from many of the top computer brands, divided into three categories: starter, midrange, and high-end. May's desktop PC deals have the potential to save you a lot of money, regardless of what you're searching for.
The Best Starter Gaming Desktop Deals
Just getting into the world of PC gaming or operating on a smaller budget? Don't stress. You can pick up a more than decent desktop for slightly more than a new gaming console. These aren't going to wow your friends with 120fps 4K output, but they will run the vast majority of the last generation's games without a hiccup.
Skytech Shadow Gaming Desktop
Specs: Ryzen 5 3600 CPU | GTX 1660 Ti GPU | 8GB RAM | 500GB SSD
Let's open up with a seriously budget loadout that won't dazzle at the LAN party but is more than good enough to play many modern games at 1080p. PCMag reviewed the 1660 Ti graphics card and said that it was one of the most cost-effective ways to get into the HD gaming space when it was released in 2019. The Ryzen 5 CPU is competent, and the overall build quality of this entry-level battlestation is impressive, with a tempered glass side panel and tons of LED lighting.
STGAubron Gaming Desktop
Specs: Intel Core i7 CPU | Radeon RX 580 GPU | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD
For a more thrifty alternative, this under-$500 number is perfectly capable for HD gaming at stable frame rates, but don't push your luck with higher resolutions. That price looks even nicer when you see that the PC comes with a mouse, keyboard, mouse pad, and soundbar for one low price. Inside the bright and attention-getting case, you'll find a slate of budget components, including a decent Core i7 processor coupled with 16GB of RAM and a Radeon RX 580 GPU. Plenty of ports and room to expand are a nice touch, and video output through both DisplayPort and HDMI is solid. While it won't blow minds at the LAN party, this is more than sufficient for many gamers. Amazon has an extra $45 coupon right now.
Acer Nitro 50 Gaming Desktop
Specs: Intel Core i5-14400F CPU | GeForce RTX 4060 GPU | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD
Here's a price cut that brings a low midrange PC into the budget category by the skin of its teeth. In PCMag's review of the Acer Nitro 50, they said that the menacing-looking desktop "is a reliable HD gaming machine with few real drawbacks," noting that it gives you reliable 1080p performance at stable frame rates along with a compact footprint that doesn't take up a ton of space. This package also comes with a keyboard and a mouse for extra value.
The Best Midrange Gaming Desktop Deals
If you're willing to drop a little more money, you can walk away with a lot more performance. Midrange machines are typically pegged to the software on the market right now, so if you're not looking to live on the edge, this is probably the bracket for you. These typically land around the $1,000 range, which might seem steep, but they're easily expandable and will last you a while.
Thermaltake LCGS View Gaming Desktop
Specs: Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU | Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU | 32GB RAM | 1TB SSD
Here's a very cool-looking midrange machine with a bold white case involving tons of transparent panels, so you can watch the closed-loop liquid cooling system do its magic as you overclock its components. The internal loadout is good for a PC at this price, with a speedy Ryzen 7 processor at the core of everything, It has one of the absolute best graphics cards you can get in this price bracket with a Radeon RX 9070 XT, which won an Editors' Choice award in PCMag's review for improved ray-tracing performance and stability under pressure. One downside to this unit is a lack of ports, but a USB hub can solve that problem.
Skytech Shiva II Gaming Desktop
Specs: Ryzen 7 5700X CPU | GeForce RTX 4070 GPU | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD
If you put more of a premium on your graphics card, this prebuilt comes your way with a GeForce RTX 4070, which is one of the better-performing units on the market right now at this price range. The rest of the components are capable, including a decent Ryzen 7 CPU, and the case design is really slick with two strips of programmable LEDs running down the front panel, a tempered glass side panel for easy access, and plenty of ports. Take 16% off the retail price right now.
Asus ROG Strix GT16 Gaming Desktop
Specs: Intel Core i7-12700F CPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD
Hitting the lower end of the midrange bracket, this battlestation doesn't dazzle from a silicon standpoint. But it offers enough value to make it worth a look, especially with a 6% discount off retail at Amazon. The processor is solid, an Intel Core i7-12700F with 25M of cache, and the GPU is also decent, but the RAM loadout and storage are a little underpowered. With the amount you're saving, though, you'll find that the case is a breeze to crack open and has plenty of space for more hardware.
The Best High-End Gaming Desktop Deals
Ready to get serious? If you've got the money to spend, you can pick up a gaming desktop that pumps out incredible graphics at lightning-fast frame rates, even with the latest titles. These packages might not be for everybody, but once you've experienced true HD gaming from a top-of-the-line machine, you won't want anything else. Save massive amounts on these high-end gaming desktops.
Specs: AMD Ryzen 9 9900X CPU | Radeon RX 7800 XT GPU | 64GB RAM | 2TB SSD
If you're an AMD aficionado—and you should be, as its CPUs and graphics cards are becoming incredibly competitive in performance for the price—this is a prebuilt that deserves your attention. The MSI Vision R is a massive beast housed in a Montech Air 903 case with a mesh front panel and tempered glass side panel so you can see the RGB LED fans and internal components do their work. The Ryzen 9 processor is ridiculously fast, and the RX 7800 pumps out top-quality visuals. It's all assembled in the United States and comes with a one-year warranty and lifetime service.
Corsair Vengeance i7500 Gaming Desktop
Specs: Ryzen 7 9700X CPU | GeForce RTX 5070 GPU | 32GB RAM | 1TB SSD
This is a very well-reviewed prebuilt that has a lot going for it, not the least of which is a $300 discount courtesy of Amazon. With a potent AND Ryzen 7 9700X processor, it delivers extremely attractive performance, and coupled with Nvidia's just-released RTX 5070 card, you're going to get gorgeous graphics. You can read PCMag's review of that card here to learn more about that GPU's exceptional AI power and competitive gaming speeds. The case looks great and it's a breeze to open up for repairs and expansion.
Asus ROG Strix G16H Gaming Desktop
Specs: Intel Core i9-14900KS CPU | GeForce RTX 4060 Ti GPU | 192GB RAM | 24TB SSD
In terms of sheer horsepower, this is the most dominant PC in this lineup. The only weak spot, ironically, is the graphics card. That's not saying that the RTX 4060 Ti is a bad GPU by any means; it's just not on the same level as the massive 192GB of system RAM and 24TB internal drive. This unit is great for gaming but really shines in content creation as well, able to run the top design, editing, and 3D modeling software with ease. Amazon has a $200 price cut that makes it even sweeter.
Gaming Desktop Buying Guide
If you're ready to pull the trigger on a gaming desktop PC, here are three tips for getting the best deals:
Gaming is one of the most processor-intensive things you can do with a Windows 11 PC, so a fast multi-core CPU is key. All of the desktops we've selected for this list prioritize fast speed and multi-core threading for peak performance.
A gaming desktop also rises and falls on the strength of its GPU. To enjoy most modern titles the way the developers intended, you need a graphics card with a good amount of RAM.
All of that power comes with heat. One advantage gaming desktops have is that they are typically designed from the ground up with advanced cooling features to keep the PC running at top performance without overheating.