Best Gaming PCs in the UK

Review & Comparison, Last Update January 15, 2024
In our gaming PC review we offer a brief guide to help you choose a computer for enjoying video games. We highlighted the most important features that make a gaming PC stand out among the rest while enriching the gaming experience and adding to gaming functionality. ...Read more ...Read less
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BEST 2024
PROS
CONS
OUR VERDICT
CPU
Motherboard
GPU
RAM
Storage
PSU
Features
Cooling
Warranty
 
PROS

The tempered glass side panel is easy to remove to clean the case inside and to add any parts. The 9th generation CPU can execute concurrent floating points, operate with integers, add adaptive shading tech, and is fitted with improved unified memory architecture.

CONS

The fans are not necessarily quiet. 

OUR VERDICT

As long as the price reduction stays, the ADMI (9400F) Gaming PC is among the most appealing gaming PCs within its segment. The machine not only refuses to sacrifice its focal points (GPU and CPU) but also is not even willing to concede any RAM and storage space.

detailed parameters
CPU

Intel Core i5-9400F (6-core, up to 4.1 GHz)

Motherboard

H310 chipset

GPU

GeForce RTX 2060, 6GB

RAM

16GB DDR4

Storage

240 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD

PSU

550 W

Features

Case with a tempered glass side panel, RGB lighting, Windows 10 installed

Cooling

Airflow fans

Warranty

1 year

PROS

Online shooters will play at ultra settings without frame skipping or lag. The computer will not lose its relevance for a long time and is comparable in power to the new generation consoles.

CONS

The 15 kg weight is a bit too heavy for such a system.

OUR VERDICT

A good choice for most gamers as a good all-around plug-and-play computer. It will easily perform tasks of any complexity in addition to gaming (office applications, video, photoshop, etc.). The RTX 2060 graphics card will deliver good performance in new games for years to come.

detailed parameters
CPU

Intel Core i5 9400F (6-Core, up to 4.1 GHz Turbo)

Motherboard

H310M Chipset

GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, 6GB

RAM

16GB DDR4

Storage

240 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD

PSU

500 W

Features

Case with Tempered Glass Side Panel, RGB Lighting, Windows 10 installed

Cooling

Airflow fans

Warranty

1 year

PROS

Can easily run almost all online shooters, including PUBG, CS GO and Fortnite. Popular MOBAs like Dota and LoL will run at high settings. The Vega 11 graphics card will provide good performance and doesn't need additional cooling. Due to its compactness, the system unit does not take up much space on or under a desk.

CONS

The lack of an SSD can cause inconvenience to users who are accustomed to installing WIndows on separate media.

OUR VERDICT

A budget gaming PC that will run most modern games at a high level of graphic detail and will completely playable framerates. An excellent choice as a gift for a child, the model is also suitable for any office or content creation tasks.

detailed parameters
CPU

AMD Ryzen 5 3400G (Quad Core 4 GHz)

Motherboard

Asus A320M-K

GPU

AMD RX Vega 11

RAM

8 GB DDR4

Storage

1 TB HDD

PSU

500 W

Features

Case with Tempered Glass Side Panel, RGB Lighting, Windows 10 installed

Cooling

Airflow fans

Warranty

3 year

PROS

A good build for comfortable play and work, with exceptional ease of use. There is a lot of space inside the case, which provides a lot of room for further improvements and upgrades. Virtually silent operation, thanks to a good cooling system.

CONS

Some users have problems with setting LED backlight.

OUR VERDICT

A stylish and affordable option for high-performance gaming and everyday tasks. The six-core processor paired with an SSD will ensure fast loading of all applications and games, and also allows you to forget about any performance problems while playing.

detailed parameters
CPU

Intel Core i5-9400F Processor (6 cores, up to 4.10 GHz Turbo)

Motherboard

H310 Chipset

GPU

Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650, 4GB

RAM

16GB DDR4

Storage

240 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD

PSU

400 W

Features

Case with Tempered Glass Side Panel, RGB Lighting, Windows 10 installed

Cooling

Intel Standard Cooler, 3x RGB LED Fans

Warranty

2 Years Parts & 3 Years Labour

PROS

The GPU adopts HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort interfaces, enabling multi-screen use and letting you work with premium monitors as well as high-end TVs. With the provided 450-watt PSU covering the system's needs, this machine will work pretty much without increasing the energy bills.

CONS

The rig comes without a built-in Wi-Fi module. 

OUR VERDICT

The Fierce PC (CRUI594F16) is a humble system. Its performance is not quite so humble though. Even the graphics card approaching the low-end price spectrum does not prevent this gaming PC from running most games at ~50 fps on ultra or, at the very least, high graphics presets.

detailed parameters
CPU

Intel Core i5-9400F (6-core, up to 4.1 GHz)

Motherboard

H310 chipset

GPU

GeForce GTX 1650, 4GB

RAM

16GB DDR4

Storage

240 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD

PSU

450 W

Features

Case with a tempered glass side panel, RGB lighting, Windows 10 installed

Cooling

Airflow fans

Warranty

3 years

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ADMI (AD-974-573)

Tried and Tested Hardware

On sale now, the ADMI (9400F) Gaming PC makes an offer that most gamers will not be able to refuse. When you look at the model's specs and its price tag and then back at the specs since the two do not make that much sense, this machine becomes an easy choice to make. We're not saying that the rig is without its flaws, that's not the claim we're making. The claim we're making is that the flaws are negligible, with the biggest being the fans producing more noise than you'd expect from the company's normally quiet builds. We're not necessarily enthusiastic about the bronze-rated 550-watt PSU since that means future upgrades will also require you to invest in a new power supply unit but, again, this is not that important.

What's important is that this desktop PC runs most games and should be able to run them for the next few years. First and foremost, what allows this machine to handle all titles, both relatively old and the ones that have just hit the virtual shelves, is the six-gigabyte GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card. This tried-and-tested GPU leaves very little to be desired, even when you set the in-game presets to the highest graphics settings and refuse to settle for 1080p.

The card easily keeps the fps around 100-110 at 1440p when you're playing Fortnite and even sits at around 60 fps with the same resolution and settings running games like Borderlands 3 that's not been optimised at all (shame, Gearbox Software, shame-shame). From The Division 2 to Final Fantasy XV, the card produces great results (around 70 fps), keeping the gameplay smooth and fluid.

Review of ADMI (AD-974-573) Gaming PC (i5 9400F, RTX 2060 6GB, 16GB RAM, 240GB SSD + 1TB HDD)

The 9th Generation

The CPU slot holds the six-core Intel Core i5-9400F with its 4.1 GHz clock speed. The 9th generation, this processing unit features concurrent floating-point execution, handles operations with integers, incorporates adaptive shading tech, and the newest unified memory architecture, doubling its predecessor's cache. With only six cores, the CPU is not necessarily brilliant at multitasking but, as far as games are concerned, this is more than you need to keep them running without hiccups.

Even storage- and RAM-wise, this machine punches above its weight, featuring 16GB DDR4 RAM and pairing the obligatory 240GB SSD stick with 1TB HDD, which means you can have the games you play the most loading within seconds and have enough storage space to have as many as you want concurrently installed.

Bringing this home, the ADMI (9400F) Gaming PC looks great, performs great, and comes at the price where you do not expect gaming PCs to display anything worth talking about.

ADMI (AD-974-573) Gaming PC (i5 9400F, RTX 2060 6GB, 16GB RAM, 240GB SSD + 1TB HDD) in the use
Last updated price £879.95
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B07YY1QGB8

 

Fierce PC (CRUI594F16-12)

Good All-Around Computer

Computers tend to be used for more than just a single purpose. Even hardcore gamers who enjoy having a great gaming computer will also want to do much more than just play games on it. School projects, work, and content creation are all some of the uses that people use their computers for, and as such, they want a computer that excels at all of these tasks. If this is the same for you, then you should take a look at the Fierce PC CRUI594F16-12 High FPS Gaming PC.

This computer is a great choice for most gamers as a good all-around plug-and-play computer. It will easily perform tasks of any complexity in addition to gaming, such as running the office applications that you need for work or school, video production software, Photoshop or other art programs, and many other types of software.

The NVIDIA RTX 2060 graphics card that is included in this computer is probably the highlight here, and will deliver good performance in new games for years to come. This graphics card includes a whopping 12 GB of RAM, which along with its overall fast performance will ensure that your games will run well even at high resolution and with ultra-high settings, putting it in stiff competition with even the latest video game consoles. You can say goodbye to low framerates or other performance issues in your favourite games.

Review of Fierce PC (CRUI594F16-12) High FPS Gaming PC (Intel Core i5 9400F, RTX 2060 6GB, 16GB RAM, 240GB SSD, 1TB HDD)

High Performance Processor

The graphics card is only one component of a good gaming PC, and even the fastest ones won't be able to do much for you if you don't have a good processor that is fast enough to keep it constantly fed with game data. With this computer, that won't be an issue at all, thanks to the Intel i5 9400F Six-Core Processor running at up to 4.1 Ghz. Not only will your games run blazingly fast with this six-core processor, but you will also find this computer able to handle most other heavy-duty tasks with ease. Video production, for example, is one task that really benefits from both the high-performance GPU as well as the six available cores, so you can create your stunning YouTube videos in no time flat.

Along with the hardware already mentioned above, this system comes with 16 GB of RAM and two storage drives. The 240 GB SSD drive gives you lightning-fast loading times with your operating system and favourite games, and the 1 TB hard drive ensures you have plenty of storage space for your large gaming library and other files. The system resides inside of a CiT Raider RGB Gaming PC Case with awesome RGB lighting effects around the three front fans as well as the rear fan, and the transparent side panel lets you revel in the cool-looking interior. Altogether, this gaming PC from Fierce PC will serve you well in both work and play.

Fierce PC (CRUI594F16-12) High FPS Gaming PC (Intel Core i5 9400F, RTX 2060 6GB, 16GB RAM, 240GB SSD, 1TB HDD) in the use

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $0.00
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B08CDVXX4Z

 

ADMI (AD-6350-FLCN-1050-B8)

Budget Gaming PC

Not everyone can afford a high-end gaming PC. Many gamers end up having to save up money for months just to get a gaming PC that can run their games at an acceptable level. But what if there was a good budget gaming PC that could give you excellent performance without having to pay an arm and a leg for it? The good news is, there already is one, and it is the ADMI AD-6350-FLCN-1050-B8 Gaming PC. This budget gaming PC gives you good enough performance to run your games at a high level without you having to save up a ton of money just in order to afford it.

What really helps this PC in delivering top-tier performance at a budget price is the AMD Ryzen 5 3400G Quad Core 4.2GHz CPU with the AMD RX Vega 11 graphics integrated into the processor. For those who aren't familiar with the AMD Ryzen line of processors, these CPUs from AMD give you high levels of performance at a price point much lower than that of their Intel counterparts. Thanks to this, you can run your games at high settings without having to worry about low frame rates or laggy performance in your favourite games, all while still having a PC that runs your other software without any hitches. And the best part is, this PC is quite affordable compared to most of the others on this list.

Review of ADMI (AD-6350-FLCN-1050-B8) Gaming PC (Ryzen 5 3400G, Vega 11 Graphics, 8GB, 1TB HDD)

Play Online Shooters

One thing to keep in mind with this system is that it is a budget PC, and while its total performance is quite good for the price, it simply won't be a match for some of the high-end systems on this list. Having said that, though, you certainly won't be disappointed with this PC's gaming performance. This computer can easily run almost all online shooters, including PUBG, CS GO, and Fortnite. In addition, popular MOBAs like Dota and League of Legends will run well at high settings. The Vega 11 graphics card will provide good performance and doesn't need additional cooling, as it is integrated into the CPU.

As for the rest of the system, it comes with 8 GB of RAM, which should be enough for playing most games, and includes a 1 TB drive for plenty of storage space. One obvious fault here is that unlike the other systems on this list, it doesn't include an SSD, so boot and loading times will not be as good as some other systems. On the flip side, the case will have plenty of space inside for upgrading the system, so adding more RAM and an SSD in the future should not be a problem at all. As an added benefit, the case has a smaller footprint, so it should easily fit on or under your computer desk without taking up much space. Overall, this budget gaming PC is the perfect option for those who want good gaming performance but just don't have the money for higher-end systems.

ADMI (AD-6350-FLCN-1050-B8) Gaming PC (Ryzen 5 3400G, Vega 11 Graphics, 8GB, 1TB HDD) in the use

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $0.00
Stock May be out of stock
ASIN B01M68HE2V

 

CyberpowerPC (CGS480VR1173)

Gaming in Style

Gamers can be a finicky bunch, especially when it comes to their gaming rigs. Just having a powerful computer with a high-end graphics card is only part of the equation. Another part that is equally important to many gamers is having a PC that not just runs powerful, but looks powerful and stylish too. The creative minds at CyberpowerPC are well aware of this, and this is reflected in their latest product, the Wyvern Gaming PC. This computer comes with high-end hardware packed in a stylish case that will look good in any gamer's room, making their computer the envy of their peers.

Within this very stylish case is a six-core Intel Core i5-9400F Processor running at up to 4.1 Ghz, giving you exceptional performance whether you are gaming or performing other tasks with your computer. The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 4GB Graphics Card gives you the capability to run your favourite games at high settings without having to worry about performance issues affecting your gameplay. Coupled with the very capable graphics card is 16GB of 2400MHz DDR4 RAM, letting your computer run every game smoothly, as well as providing enough memory for lots of multitasking. In short, if you like to run a lot of applications at once, this computer will be hard to slow down no matter how heavy your tasks are.

Review of CyberpowerPC (CGS480VR1173) Wyvern Gaming PC (Core i5-9400F, GTX 1650 4GB, 16GB RAM, 240GB SSD, 1TB HDD)

Highly Upgradeable

One of the most important elements of any gaming PC is that it must be easily upgradeable in order to help keep up with more and more demanding games. With this particular PC, upgradability is definitely not a problem. The case is quite spacious inside, with the motherboard allowing for plenty of expansion for future upgrades, along with a beefy 400 W power supply that should be able to handle any future graphics card upgrade along with all of the other components with ease.

On the storage front, this computer already comes with plenty, including a fast 240 GB SSD that should help speed up the basic operations of the computer, as well as a 1 TB hard drive that provides plenty of space for storing your games and other data. Adding additional storage as well as other external devices is a breeze thanks to the 4 USB 3.1 ports included in the system. For networking, the computer includes both an RJ-45 Ethernet port as well as built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi for fast network connections. If there is any fault with this particular system, it would be that the RGB backlighting may be a bit tricky to set to your liking, but once you have it figured out, that's a problem you should only have to deal with once. Outside of that, this gaming PC gives you both the internal and external experience that any gamer is looking for.

CyberpowerPC (CGS480VR1173) Wyvern Gaming PC (Core i5-9400F, GTX 1650 4GB, 16GB RAM, 240GB SSD, 1TB HDD) in the use

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price £704.40
Stock In stock
ASIN B074J9L6M6

 

Fierce PC (CRUI594F16)

Respectable Budget Performance

The Fierce PC (CRUI594F16) hits and, barring an exception or two, does not miss. Taking into account the price first, this is not the system that we would recommend taking lightly. Will its hardware be able to tussle with gaming PCs' that cost twice as much? Of course not. But, again, as long as you keep the price tag in mind first, this machine will not disappoint. To get the ball rolling, gaming computers always start with their respective graphics cards, hence the system's GeForce GTX 1650.

Unless you start comparing this GPU with much more expensive upper echelon cards, its 1080p performance is nothing to sneeze at. Ditch ultra presets, set the game to High graphics settings (the difference between them is seldom huge anyway), and you'll be able to play most games at ~50 fps. Having said that, even at the highest presets, Battlefield V will average ~47 fps, Destiny 2 will run without dropping below 58 fps (besides the 99th percentile frame), Forza Horizon 4 should work at ~51 fps on average (again, even without going from ultra to high presets).

Sure, you will face some issues with poorly optimised titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider (~32 average fps count at ultra presets) and Metro: Last Light Redux (pretty much the same numbers) but this is not something you can solve without ponying up much more than what the people behind this gaming PC are asking for.

Review of Fierce PC (CRUI594F16) Gaming PC (Intel Core i5 9400F, GTX 1650 4GB GPU, 16GB 3000MHz DDR4 RAM, 240GB SSD, 1TB HDD)

Enabling Multi-Screen Use

Setting the GPU aside, the computer's most expensive component is the Intel Core i5-9400F processor. Loaded with 6 cores that reach 4.1 GHz each, the CPU will be able to hold its own against the graphics card. But, not unlike its i5 stablemates, the subject processing unit is not great at multitasking, so you'll have to close a few windows before starting a game and you won't be able to stream without investing in a secondary system.

Continuing with the system's flaws, the machine comes without an integrated Wi-Fi module. Admittedly, they're not expensive and you can always purchase yourself, but we wouldn't mind seeing it added to the build initially next time. On the upside, the above-mentioned GPU adopts HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort interfaces, so you can work with multiple screens, including high-end monitors and massive LCD TVs.

Rounding the system up is its low energy use. Because the included 450-watt PSU covers the computer's needs with relative ease, this rig will not make your energy bills skyrocket, which is not something you can usually say about gaming PCs.

Fierce PC (CRUI594F16) Gaming PC (Intel Core i5 9400F, GTX 1650 4GB GPU, 16GB 3000MHz DDR4 RAM, 240GB SSD, 1TB HDD) in the use
Last updated price £749.90
Stock In stock
ASIN B08DNY7598

 

What Is a Gaming PC?

For many people playing computer games is a favourite way of relaxation. However, the capabilities of conventional computers may not suffice for wholly enjoying modern games, as one needs a specialised powerful gaming personal computer. The main distinguishing feature of these gaming PCs is their higher performance comparing with conventional computers. Moreover, often the gaming PCs are not only distinct in their performance but in their innovativeness as well. Whether it be the appearance of the pre-built PC or its components, everything is aimed at providing comfort, production of appearance and design, and performance maintenance. All these factors serve the purpose of offering maximum immersion of the user into the world of computer games.

For fans of mobile gaming, our gaming laptops review will surely be of much interest.

What Features to Compare

Gaming Performance

The first thing you should pay attention to when choosing the equipment of this type is general and gaming performance. It is the foremost parameter that distinguishes the gaming PCs. Let us take a closer look at this parameter and figure out its influence. The major impact on general and gaming performance has the CPU (central processing unit) or simply the processor as all the software is processed by this unit: it feeds the other main PC components the data for further processing and maintains the operation of all the peripherals. With that, the more capable the processor is, the higher the PC performance will be. Processor key performance parameters are its clock frequency, which is usually measured in gigahertz (for example, 3, 3.5 GHz, the higher the better if comparing the CPUs of one architecture or one generation), and the number of processing cores, which in most cases is divisible by two (2, 4, 8 cores, the more cores there are, the higher the overall performance is).

Random Access Memory (RAM)

The second factor affecting the general and gaming performance is the amount of random access memory (RAM) installed in the system, which is measured in gigabytes (GB) and in most cases is divisible by two (2, 4, 6, 8 Gb or more), though there are some PC configurations that have the odd number of RAM amount (1, 3 Gb, etc.). The RAM performance is also influenced by its type or generation (DDR, DDR 2, DDR 3) and operating frequency measured in megahertz (1866, 2000, 2133, 2400 MHz or higher). The higher the frequency the higher the RAM performance if to compare the RAM of one type or generation, e.g. DDR 3 RAM. The performance comparison of different types of RAM, e.g. DDR 2 and DDR 3 based solely on their frequency is incorrect though as these types of RAM have different data bandwidth\data processing capability per 1 MHz of frequency. However, considering the certain trend for the unification of the components used in the industry at the moment, when comparing different computer for gaming models we are most likely to deal with the same and most recent type of RAM. If to bear in view the comparatively insignificant (and diminishing with the frequency growth) influence of RAM operating frequency on the system performance, we conclude that the bigger the amount of RAM installed the better the PC general and gaming performance and multitasking capabilities.

Video Card and Video Adapter

Last but not the least PC component, which determines a PC general and gaming performance is its video card or video adapter. Gaming performance-wise, the video card in most cases is of the greatest importance for a gaming PC. Video card performance parameters are somewhat aggregate of CPU and RAM parameters as video cards have their specialized processors called GPUs, which also have their clocking frequencies (the higher the GPU’s clocking frequency the higher the GPU performance, within one GPU generation), number of computational blocks (these blocks are smaller and more numerous than the CPU cores, but the same logic of more GPU blocks for higher performance applies) and the amount of video memory or video RAM, which is also measured in gigabytes (1, 2, 4 Gb – the more the better). There are video cards of different generations or architecture and the more recent the architecture is the more capable the GPU is performance-wise and features-wise.

Features

After defining the General and Gaming performance factors, we should focus on distinguishing features of a gaming computer. Thus, gaming PCs combine not only powerful standardised components but peculiar and unique solutions by a vendor. Each of the models included in our gaming PC review is a unique solution from the point of view of ergonomics, functionality and communication with external devices. Distinguishing features, for example, can consist in the availability of special ergonomic solutions, proprietary technologies and functionality, branded components. With that, these peculiar gaming PC features serve for offering maximum gaming experience and gaming interaction.

Form Factor and Cooling

Eventually, after dealing with the inner components and features in our gaming computer review, it is necessary to delineate the form factor and cooling. Form factor usually refers to desktop gaming PC’s system unit or computer case and determines its dimensions and inner parts arrangement (which affects such important feature as computer case cooling needed for continuous operation at high loads). The most commonly used computer case form factors are (from the largest to the smallest) Full Tower, Mid Tower, Mini Tower. Form factor and cooling determine the gaming PC expandability or the capability of its basic hardware to be upgraded or its features to be expanded by the addition of various equipment. That being said there are so-called all in one gaming PC models, which have a very tight integration of desktop gaming PC main component, computer case, with such important input/output devices as a display, a keyboard, and a PC mouse.

Sources:

1. Matt Smith WHAT MATTERS (AND WHAT DOESN’T) WHEN BUYING A GAMING DESKTOP, Digital Trends. July 27, 2015.

2. How to Choose Parts for a Gaming PC, wikiHow.

3. PC Gamer buying guides, PC Gamer. April 8, 2016.

4. Jimmy Thang The Most Graphically Demanding PC Games, GameSpot. April 28, 2016.

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