Good Deals on Gaming Computers (Oct 2022)
If you are in the market for a gaming PC, you typically have one of two options; you can either build one yourself, or you can opt to buy a prebuilt machine. If you are looking for some good deals on gaming computers, you won’t have to look too far on this site! In this post, we will be covering some of the current discounts to be found on prebuilt gaming computers.
There are a lot of gaming PC sales to be found on Amazon; one quick look and you’ll find hundreds of dollars of savings.. But how do you find the best choice for you? As much as I’d like to suggest that you build one yourself, the truth is that graphics cards are still quite expensive, and along with the time commitment to build one can make for a pricey hobby.
That being said, if you lack the time and the money, if you can find a sale on a cheap gaming PC, you’ll be all set for years down the road. To help make it easier to find the best deals, we’ve made this buying guide.
Keep in mind that the prices were accurate as of writing and may differ by country, so feel free to check out Amazon directly for more details. I will try to keep this list updated with anything new that comes up, so feel free to check back often.
Disclaimer Note: Any links found below are affiliate links, which means if you click one that takes you to Amazon, and you make a purchase, we may receive a small commission for the sale.
How we choose our good deals on Gaming Computers
To help ensure that you have all the right information to make that choice, we have organized our list of gaming PCs in four distinct categories: our Top Pick, the Premium Pick, the Budget Pick, and the Runner Ups.
The Top Pick is, simply put, our best overall choice. When we look for the best gaming PC, we are looking for something that has high quality components, a reasonable price tag among others, and lots of potential for upgrades.
The Premium Pick would be our top pick if not for the hefty price tag! When we choose the “premium pick” for a computer, it has to have everything the top pick offers as well as things such as high performance, lots of room for upgrades, or just a few extra things that justify the higher price.
The Budget Pick is our best choice for those who are looking for the bare minimum in a gaming PC. This rig may not be able to run current games on max settings, but at the very least, it is still more than capable of playing games without breaking the bank.
Finally, we have the Runner Ups. For some reason or another, these computers didn’t make the top 3, but this does not necessarily mean that they are bad, they just didn’t check all of the boxes, so to speak. That being said, they might have some unique features that make them stand out among the others.
Things to Consider when looking at deals on Gaming Computers
Before you even think about getting a new rig, it is really important to take a look at some of the following factors. Remember that getting a new PC means having a machine that will probably last you for the next
Budget?
That price tag is probably the most important thing to consider when looking at computers. When it comes to PC gaming, you really do get what you pay for in terms of graphics and performance. Low-end to mid-range gaming computers usually cost less than $1000, while high-end PCs really have no upper limit to the cost.
Much like our cellphones, computers are a very personal kind of technology. Everyone uses their computer for different purposes. Some need a high end PC, while others only need the bare minimum. Remember to ask yourself, what are you looking for in a gaming pc? What kinds of games do you play? These answers will help you decide which rig is right for you.
Laptop or Desktop?
I know, this guide is primarily geared towards desktop computers, but it wouldn’t be fair to leave out laptops. The biggest advantage a laptop has over a desktop is the simple fact that you can take it anywhere. However, the biggest drawback a laptop has, is its lack of future proofing. If you want a newer graphics card down the road, you won’t be able to take apart a laptop as easily as you could a tower, so keep that in mind when looking.
More Reading: Best Place to Buy a Gaming Laptop
Prebuilt or DIY?
In my opinion, choosing to build it yourself or get it prebuilt is like trying to decide whether to do your own car maintenance or just taking the car to the shop to get serviced. If you don’t feel comfortable tinkering with a desktop motherboard, that’s totally fine, but remember that this can factor into the cost of buying it prebuilt.
When I built my own gaming PC, I learned quite a lot about myself as a PC gamer. Even to this day, I still play lots of older games from Skyrim all the way back to the first Diablo. These games are getting on in age, and so a high-end graphics card really doesn’t make sense for me. And so, I was able to save some money in that regard.
Gaming Computer Deals at a Glance
Here’s a brief summary of our recommended computers. If you’d like more details, feel free to keep reading below.
Top Pick
iBUYPOWER Pro Gaming PC (-37% Off)
Why we recommend this one: Currently the #1 Best selling computer on Amazon. With its current sale price of $950, you save about $350 and get a good entry-level gaming PC with plenty of room to upgrade your storage space and memory. It even comes with an additional mouse and keyboard.
The Specs:
- GeForce RTX 3060 12 GB GPU
- AMD Ryzen 5 CPU
- 16 GB RAM
- 500 GB SSD storage
Premium Pick
ZOTAC MEK Hero Gaming PC (-35% Off)
Why we recommend this one: This liquid cooled PC by ZOTAC may be expensive, but the beefy hardware sets you up for 4K gaming with multiple displays right on the spot. It also comes with Windows 11 built-in and has a 1-year warranty on parts. It’s almost $600 off as of writing.
The Specs:
- GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB GDDR6 256-bit GPU
- Core i7-11700KF CPU
- 16 GB RAM
- 1 TB SSD storage
Budget Pick
Alarco Gaming PC (-9% Off)
Why we recommend this one: Even without being on sale, this gaming PC by Alarco retails for less than $600, which is an amazing price for getting into PC gaming on a bugdet. Now, with that being said, it does have a 10 year old graphics card, which means playing newer games at max settings is not feasible; you’ll need to drop the graphics settings to medium if you want to play Fortnite at a steady 60 FPS. This PC also comes preloaded with Windows 10 and supports both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity.
The Specs:
- GeForce GTX 650 1 GB GPU
- Core i5 CPU
- 8 GB RAM
- 1 TB HDD storage
Further Reading: Can Red Dead Redemption 2 run on an old GPU?
The Runner Ups
Dell Optiplex Tower Computer (-14% Off)
Why we recommend this one: Normally, I don’t recommend Dell as a gaming computer. Take one look at that image, and you have what looks like your standard run-of-the-mill office machine. But what it lacks in PC gaming aesthetics, it makes up for with some good hardware specs and a dirt cheap $350 regular price. But if looks don’t matter to you, you might find this machine to be a good way to get started into PC gaming.
The Specs:
- AMD Radeon RX 550 4GB GPU
- Core i7 CPU
- 16 GB RAM
- 128 GB HDD storage
The Final Word on Gaming Computers
Buying a gaming pc doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. Sure, some of the best ones can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars, but if you take your time and keep a close eye out for some deals, you might just find some gems.
If you get a cheap gaming computer, you can always upgrade the parts later on. Generally speaking, a lot of computer parts tend to go down in price over time, especially as our technology continues to evolve and more innovations result in parts losing their competitive edge.
Anyways, I hope this information helps you out.
Thanks for reading, and until next time, happy gaming!