The best gaming PC deals for 2024

Replacing your ageing rig with one of the best gaming PC deals could seriously boost your performance. Thanks to some of the newest and best PCs we’ve seen, you don’t have to raid your non-virtual loot crates to get one either. And by deals, we don’t necessarily mean ‘cheap’ - just a lot more affordable. So, whether you’ve been tempted by one of the latest high-end gaming beasts, or just need a more modest but meaningful upgrade, don’t check out before you’ve seen our pick of the best.

Best Gaming PC deals for 2024

• Best overall gaming PC deal: ACER Predator Orion 3000 PO3-650 Gaming PC - View at Currys
• Best high-spec gaming PC deal: Alienware Aurora R16 Gaming Desktop - View at Amazon
• Best budget gaming PC deal: Acer Nitro N50-650 Gaming PC - View at Amazon

Many new gamers make the mistake of buying a machine that fits into the home PC category thinking that they can upgrade later. Budding pro gamers on a budget think that they can make do with a half-decent graphics card and mid-level RAM on a cheap gaming PC. But, as any experienced gamer knows, skimp on the wrong components and you'll have a great deal on a bad gaming rig. So, is it really possible to bag a deal at the same time as looking after those essential gaming specs?

We have a buyer’s guide to help you narrow things down, including options for deals on high-spec machines as well as budget PCs. We’ve also looked at systems based on what kind of gamer you might be, from light web-based gaming to AAA titles that warrant the latest Nvidia GPUs. Right, let’s gear up and find a piece of the gaming action with the best gaming PC deals on the planet.

Best Gaming PC deals for 2024

Please note: All prices correct at time of writing. Prices, stock and deals subject to change without notice.

Best gaming PC deals in 2024: Buyer’s guide

Don’t fall for hyped-up deals

Great-looking PC deals aren’t limited to sales events like Cyber Monday - although they’re probably the ones to watch out for when it comes to cheaper systems that make huge claims. As always, protect your budget by looking beneath the case design and RBG lighting bling.

Sometimes, the combination of amazing laptop specifications and heavy discounts can lead you to overshoot your budget too. That’s money that you might have used for top-quality accessories and peripherals. You’ll have an amazing rig alright, but then end up with a low-res mouse or plasticky keyboard. So, deals are only deals when they meet your gaming needs. Choose the right gaming PC features for you

Whether you’re upgrading from an older rig or totally new to PC gaming, you’ll probably have an idea of what you want your gaming experience to be like. And that’s important when it comes to the spec of your new machine. Not every gamer needs the same amount of RAM, or graphics capability. If you’re all about high-res graphics and realism you’ll need as much of each as you can get, plus a modern CPU with plenty of processing power. Others might seek out a smaller and simpler lightweight mini PC. Here are some typical types of machines and users to help you think through your options:

Casual gamers

You might dabble in less spec-strenuous titles like Rocket League or Minecraft, but you’ll probably be playing a lot of web-based games and games that offer gameplay over graphical realism. 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive with a modern mid-range processor is a good starting point - but only for lightweight games. Whether it’s because you just don’t need one, or don’t have the budget for one, you can probably enjoy your gaming without a dedicated graphics card - the one included on the motherboard is often fine.

Mid-level or budget gamers

A natural step up from the previous category, you’ll want a little more power for running AAA games at medium resolutions and framerates. It’s also quite likely that a machine in this category could be upgraded in the future, but you’ll need to pay careful attention to the motherboard and power supply. Not having enough expansion slots, room inside the case, or wattage in the power supply could scupper your upgrade plans. A mid-level gamer who’s aspiring to better things in future might have a bit more cash to spend. Thankfully, going for a mid-level / mid-budget rig is going to give you plenty of choice.

The key with any of these options, especially the best budget gaming PCs, is to look after the CPU and RAM first. You'll need a strong CPU and enough RAM (8GB or more if possible) to handle gaming at this level. As for graphics capabilities, we recommend a dedicated card (not the built-in/onboard type) as some of the best gaming PC deals include decent cards that can handle popular titles well.

Serious Gamers

High-end gamers need the best setup that their money can buy. RAM is key to performance - not having enough can be a serious performance bottleneck. The best gaming PCs with 16GB of RAM or more will make playing AAA titles a real pleasure. Team that up with a fast 1TB or more internal SSD for fast loading times and game installs, and you’re halfway there.

Next comes a modern CPU with lots of cores for processing as many operations at the same time as possible.

Needless to say, the jewel in the gaming PC crown is always going to be the choice of graphics card. Avoid the onboard/built-in type and always go for a dedicated card. The latest Nvidia 40-series cards are bleeding-edge and capable of serious framerates and resolutions. Lastly, don't forget to check the system requirements of your favourite games to make sure your new PC can run them at the speed and detail you’d expect.

Don’t cheap out on a monitor

Having bought one of the best gaming PC deals, you’ll need a monitor that’s up to the task. And by that we mean high and variable refresh rates, the clearest panel types with low glare and possibly eye care features too. There are also gamer-centric features like built-in game modes and low latency for minimal lag while playing. Lastly, but the most important, is resolution. Not all games run at 4K, but those that do will need a UHD monitor. Mainly, a screen capable of native 1440p resolution is going to be a great option for most games

Consider a gaming VPN

An antivirus program is always a good idea for protection against active threats, but what about your personal data? And how about protecting all of that at the same time as giving you a monstrously fast connection to multiplayer servers across the world? That’s where you’ll need a Virtual Private Network.

Any of the best gaming VPNs are a secure tunnel to the internet that hides your IP address from would-be hackers and snoopers while prioritising low-latency connections for gaming.

Best gaming PC deals in 2024: FAQs

Are PCs better than consoles for gaming?

The gap between PCs and consoles is closing faster than ever. In many ways, systems like the Xbox Series X are really bespoke PCs due to the custom chip design. Graphics capabilities are, though, always state-of-the-art with PCs - and that’s because GPU development is geared to the graphics card market. As the envelope gets pushed, those features soon make their way to next-gen consoles.

In the end though, unless you’re a serious gaming fan who needs the best of the best, consoles are a brilliant option for gamers looking to play the latest titles without worrying about system specs and constant upgrades.

What should I look for in a graphics card?

The GPU on the card is the epicentre of your rig’s gaming potential. They're also the most expensive part of a PC build after the processor. Brands like Nvidia and ATI are constantly finding ways to deliver more graphics performance, and all of that dedicated graphics power is - much like the PC itself - dependent on a healthy amount of RAM. Or, in this case, VRAM (video RAM). So, the greater the VRAM, the better performance you will have.

High-end gaming PCs will need to have at least 8GB of VRAM, but that’s not to say that casual gamers can’t go for just 4GB here. Mid-level gamers and above should prioritise their GPU processing power and VRAM as much as possible. No amount of grunt on the PC motherboard will get you gaming without the right graphics card installed.

What are the best budget PCs for gaming?

As we mentioned in our line-up, the ADMI Gaming PC, Ryzen 5500 is an brilliant choice here. As one of the best gaming PC deals on price alone, it’s a great example of a really capable budget gaming PC that can run many of the latest games. Just don’t expect the highest framerates and resolutions. That’ll only come with PCs costing three times as much (or by following a good component upgrade path).

Best gaming PC deals in 2024: Jargon buster

RAM - Random Access Memory, or RAM, is a short-term storage used by a computer. Without RAM your software (and CPU) would have no working memory to function. The more RAM your motherboard can support, the better.

CPU - The CPU (or, Central Processing Unit) is crucial. It executes commands and routes instructions to and from hardware and software.

GPU - The Graphics Processing Unit  - part of a graphics card - is a central component for any system.  Whether it’s a dedicated card occupying a slot on the motherboard (or built into the motherboard) they all render images to your screen.

SSD - The Solid State Drive is essentially faster storage technology than a normal HDD with a spinning disc mechanism. With SSDs, data is stored electronically rather than magnetically, which is why they’re so much faster for loading and saving.

HDD - A Hard Disk Drive uses a physical disk and arm that writes and retrieves data magnetically. Despite running slower than SSDs, their capacities are a lot higher and they’re also more affordable.

USB - Universal Serial bus or USB is a connection technology used for adding peripheral devices to your PC. The standard is revised over time, meaning that USB Type-A ports have less bandwidth than Type-C. USB type C can sometimes deliver high power too. That means you can connect and power much larger devices like monitors via one cable.

Chris Duffill is a Tech Product Writer for What's The Best. He specialises in audiovisual, computing, and gadgets. He also writes for Yours. As one of our resident experts in computing, he also specialises in PCs, tablets, smartphones, smartwatches, games consoles and peripherals. His background in video production and digital media also means that speakers, amplifiers, turntables, TVs and streaming entertainment of all kinds are at the centre of his tech expertise. If it plugs in, lights up or makes a noise, he’ll write about it.

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