The PC gaming industry has been booming in the last few years, and there is no better time to jump ship than now. Statistically speaking, many new PC gamers chose to go down the prebuilt gaming PC path as it is convenient to buy an off-the-rack PC.
Since prebuilt gaming PCs are mostly targeted at the new audience, they have a stigma around them for being expensive. This, however, cannot be further from the truth. As is the case with many industries, the prebuilt gaming PC industry has also moved on and is a far cry from the past.
If you are in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC which you are as otherwise, you won’t be on this article, then fret not. You can easily get a good PC for just $800. Yes, you read it correctly; $800 is the target I have set for the five gaming PCs that will be a part of this article.
In a Hurry? These are the Best Prebuilt Gaming PCs Under $800
*For more info on the gaming PCs below, click the “Jump to review” button to go to our review of that PC.
Best Overall
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Best Overall
1. Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i is a shining beacon sign that stands out among the other gaming PCs. The design of this PC is unique, and you rarely see it on prebuilt gaming PCs. Apart from looking good, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i has the latest specs and hardware making it a compelling buy. Hence it ranks as the best gaming PC under $800 in our roundup.
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Gaming Experience
You cannot get a better gaming experience in the $800 price range than provided by the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i. Since it is an entry-level price range, many PCs come with compromises but not the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i.
This gaming PC can play any game you want at 1080p resolution without breaking a sweat. For our reviews, we test each PC with a diverse range of games, and the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i came out on top with the best framerate out of other gaming PCs.
In the more demanding games which push the PC to its limit, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i gave 45 FPS in Red Dead Redemption 2, 50 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 60 FPS in Elden Ring, and 95 FPS in GTA V.
Next up on the choking block are battle royal games. This PC gave 84 FPS in Fortnite, 96 FPS in CoD: Warzone, 128 FPS in Apex Legends, and 127 FPS in PUBG: Battlegrounds. Both the single-player story games and the battle royal games were played at the highest graphic settings.
This PC performed the best in Esports games because they are less demanding than the other genre of games. I was able to get 265 FPS in Rainbow Six: Siege, 275 FPS in Overwatch 2, 370 FPS in Valorant, and 324 FPS in CS: GO. For the Esports games, low graphic settings were used to maximize framerate.
Specifications
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i hits a home run in the specification segment. This PC is powered by Intel’s 12th generation Core i5-12400 processor, which has 6 cores and 12 threads.
The 12th generation Core i5-12400 is a major improvement over its predecessor and provides exceptional performance for both gaming and other CPU-intensive tasks.
Having 6-cores also makes the CPU future-proof. With this CPU, you should be able to play games two or more years down the road without any problem.
The performance you get from the Core i5-12400 comes at a trade-off. This processor can get quite hot. So, to keep the temperature under control, this PC comes with an air cooler that manages. The cooler manages to keep the temperature of this processor below 80°C, avoiding overheating.
For the graphics card, this PC comes with the Nvidia RTX 3050, which is the latest entry-level card from Nvidia. The RTX 3050 has 8GB VRAM, resulting in a very good performance.
The only negative aspect of this PC is that it comes with only 8GB RAM installed. Modern games and applications require at least 10-12GB RAM, so 8GB RAM will be a limiting factor for performance.
Thankfully, Lenovo has not skimped on the storage drive. The Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i comes with a 512GB SSD which has fast read and write speeds. The storage capacity, however, could be better because 512 GB storage space will only allow gamers to install 3-5 modern games.
Case Design and Connectivity
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i has a unique design. The front panel has vertical metal slits that run through the middle, giving the front of the PC a sharp and aggressive stance.
An LED strip also runs through the middle of these metal slits. The contrast between the rough texture of the metal and the delicacy of the RGB strip adds a distinct flavor to the design of the PC.
Unlike other gaming PCs, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i does not provide a side glass window. This might put some gamers off.
Coming to connectivity, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i has decent connectivity. Gamers can connect all their peripherals and accessories to this PC without any restriction.
At the front of the PC, you will find 2x USB-A ports, 1x USB-C port, a combo 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack, and a power button. Although most PC headsets come with a separate cable for microphone and headphone input, this issue is easily fixable with a cheap splitter. So, I won’t knock this PC off for not having a separate microphone and headphone jack.
Having only two USB-A ports on the front can be an issue in certain situations. However, the USB-C port can be used to expand the connectivity in those far and a few situations. There are additional USB-A ports on the back of the PC as well.
Rear connectivity includes 1x USB-C port, Ethernet LAN, HDMI, DisplayPort, and additional 3.5mm audio ports for connecting surround sound speakers.
Aesthetics and Salient Features
The Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i is about premium feel and attention to detail. This PC does not have the flashy RGB lightning that we have come to expect from gaming PCs.
If you want a gaming PC that feels sophisticated in its construction, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i fulfills that pretty well.
When it comes to salient features, this PC has many goodies to keep you entertained. The main selling point of the PC is that it comes with three months free Xbox Game Pass subscription.
Game Pass has tons of games you can choose from, so the issue of purchasing games by spending the extra money to enjoy your new gaming PC has been sorted with the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i.
This gaming PC also comes with a free keyboard and mouse bundle, which will also get you started with gaming without spending any extra money. This PC also includes built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth with Windows 11 support right off the box for easy connectivity.
All in all, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i is an amazing gaming PC that can play any game you want, and it comes with many very useful features. It narrowly beats the CUK Mantis V2 for the first spot despite having a slightly worse framerate because it comes with new hardware, better features, and a premium build.
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2. CUK Mantis V2
The CUK Mantis V2 is a large gaming PC with great specs. However, the main selling point of the PC is the ability to add future upgrades to this PC without needing a complete overhaul. So, it makes a great foundation for a gaming PC that you can use for a long time. It can cope with any modern game or application that you throw at it, and later down the line, you can easily upgrade it when you get deeper down the rabbit hole of PC gaming.
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Gaming Experience
The CUK Mantis V2 offers a fantastic gaming experience. There is nothing wrong with this gaming PC; it can play any game you throw at it. Such is the charm of this gaming PC that you will feel the urge to turn it on and fire up a game.
The PC also performed quite well in my benchmark testing. For consistency, I played the same games on this PC played on the other prebuilt gaming PCs in this roundup.
CUK Mantis V2 gave 54 FPS in Red Dead Redemption 2, 58 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 56 FPS in Elden Ring, 104 FPS in GTA V.
The benchmarks for the battle royal games were pleasantly surprising, to say the least. This PC gave 72 FPS in Fortnite, 102 FPS in CoD: Warzone, 108 FPS in Apex Legends, and 118 FPS in PUBG: Battlegrounds. Both the single-player story games and the battle royal games were played at each game’s highest graphic settings.
Esports games posed no threat to this PC. I was able to enjoy high refresh rate gaming on my 144Hz monitor and got 258 FPS in Rainbow Six: Siege, 238 FPS in Overwatch 2, 235 FPS in Valorant, and 305 FPS in CS: GO. For the Esports games, low graphic settings were used to maximize framerate.
In some games, this PC provides a better framerate than the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i because it has a more powerful GPU. However, in the more CPU-intensive games, the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i takes the lead because it has a better-performing CPU.
Specifications
Despite being on older generation hardware, I find the specs of this PC to be very good.
At the heart of the PC is the Intel Core i5-10400F processor, which has 6 cores and 12 threads. The Core i5-10400F is outdated now and has been replaced by the 13th-generation Core i5.
Despite that, the performance of this process is very competitive, and it can easily play games or run any application you throw at it.
The performance difference between the 10th-generation Core i5-10400F and the 12th-generation Core i5-12400 is about 20% in absolute performance figures.
The Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card that comes with this PC is also outdated now. However, it is still the fastest GPU in this roundup. The performance of the RTX 2060 is also not too shabby. It still carries enough punch to play the latest games without any hiccups.
This PC also comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM, which is a step up from the 8GB RAM found in the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i. Having 16GB allows for greater flexibility, and you can multitask without any performance degradation.
The 512GB SSD storage is standard for a gaming PC at this price. However, this storage capacity is not acceptable, and manufacturers need to provide at least 1TB of storage space. With 512GB storage space, gamers will not be able to install more than a handful of games.
Had it not been for the three-generation old processor, this PC would have ranked much higher and possibly clinched the first spot.
Case Design and Connectivity
At first glance, you will find the case of the CUK Mantis V2 to be large and difficult to handle when taking it out of the box.
That aside, the case in itself is very well put together. It has a brushed metal front with a cutout in the middle. The cutout is reserved for the LED light strip. This case has many design similarities with the case of the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i.
However, it is a lot peppier as compared to the industrial case of the Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming 5i. This PC case comes with a tempered glass side window through which all the hardware of the PC is visible.
I am quite pleased with the air vents this PC has. This PC comes with strategically positioned air vents along the top, side, and front of the PC, resulting in very good airflow.
As for the connectivity, this PC comes with all the ports that you will need on a daily basis. The front I/O of the PC includes 2x USB-A ports, 1x USB-C port, a separate 3.5mm microphone and audio jack, a reset button, and a power button.
The remaining ports are located at the back of the PC, and they include HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet LAN, and additional USB-A and audio ports.
Aesthetics and Salient Features
The main area where this PC falls flat is the aesthetic. This PC looks like an ordinary gaming PC. There is nothing unique and special about it.
Sure, the LED strip at the front gives the PC a little flair. However, that is not enough to brighten up this gaming PC’s dull and boring look. So, if you are heavily invested in aesthetics and want your gaming PC to look good, the CUK Mantis V2 is not the PC for you.
That being said, this PC comes with many features that gamers will find very helpful. The CUK Mantis V2 has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, which work quite well with no signal drops.
This PC also comes with Windows 11 support out of the box. To get you started with gaming right away, CUK has also bundled a gaming keyboard and mouse with this PC for free.
To top it all off, this PC comes with an industry-leading three-year warranty for parts and labor. No other company besides CUK provides such a long warranty with their gaming PCs, ensuring peace of mind for the gamers.
Overall, the CUK Mantis V2 is a great buy if you can ignore this PC’s rather dull and boring look. It does everything else quite well.
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3. Empowered PC Stratos Micro
The Empowered PC Stratos Micro is a sub-compact gaming computer that punches above its weight – quite literally. This gaming PC is the smallest in this roundup. Despite that, the size constraint does not affect this PC in any way whatsoever. It has great specs and features but missed the top spots because of some small drawbacks.
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Gaming Experience
The gaming experience of the Empowered PC Stratos Micro is similar to the gaming PCs ranked above it. This speaks volumes about the capability of this small and compact gaming PC.
The Empowered PC Stratos Micro has enough performance to play any game you throw at it without needing to lower the graphic settings. In terms of gaming benchmarks, this gaming PC impressed me a lot.
Empowered PC Stratos Micro gave 47 FPS in Red Dead Redemption 2, 46 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 52 FPS in Elden Ring, and 98 FPS in GTA V.
In battle royal games, this PC did considerably well. I got 80 FPS in Fortnite, 91 FPS in CoD: Warzone, 92 FPS in Apex Legends, and 98 FPS in PUBG: Battlegrounds. All of the above-mentioned single-player story games and battle royal games were played at the highest graphic preset.
In Esports games, I was able to get 235 FPS in Rainbow Six: Siege, 238 FPS in Overwatch 2, 280 FPS in Valorant, and 315 FPS in CS: GO. The Esports games were played at low graphic settings to maximize framerate.
Specifications
The Empowered PC Stratos Micro has decent specs for the price. At the heart of the PC is the Ryzen 5 5300G processor, which is the main component holding this PC back from being ranked higher on the list.
The Ryzen 5 5300G comes with only 4-cores and 8-threads as opposed to the 6-core and 12-thread processors found on other gaming PCs in this list. Modern games are getting complex, so a 4-core and 8-thread processor may be adequate for the current games. However, having 4-cores and 8-threads is not futureproof.
The Ryzen 5300G does not produce a lot of heat. Therefore, the stock air cooler that this PC comes with does a decent job of keeping the temperature of this processor below 80°C.
For the graphics card, this PC comes with the Nvidia RTX 2060, which is a very capable entry-level graphics card for 1080p gaming. Despite being two generations older, this GPU still packs a punch and can play any game you want.
The Empowered PC Stratos Micro comes with 16GB, which is sufficient for gaming and multitasking. I may sound like a broken record for saying this, but avoid gaming PCs with 8GB RAM because modern games require at least 10-12GB RAM.
Along with an increasing RAM requirement, modern games also require a lot of storage space. This gaming PC comes with a 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD, which does not provide enough storage space for games.
Rounding up the specs section is a 450W bronze-rated PSU. The quality of the power supply is good. However, due to limited power capacity, future upgrades will be compromised.
Case Design and Connectivity
The case design of the Empowered PC Stratos Micro is nothing new. It has the typical glass sandwiched design with front and side panels.
One unique design aspect of this gaming PC is that the front glass panel is not attached directly to the PC’s frame. The two-inch gap between the front glass panel and the frame allows air to enter the case.
There are other ventilation holes scattered throughout the case as well. Overall, resulting in a glass sandwich case that does not restrict airflow.
Coming to connectivity, I’m not too impressed with the connectivity of the Empowered PC Stratos Micro. This PC comes with only two USB-A ports on the front, which can restrict your options if you want to connect more than two USB peripherals to the PC.
There is also no USB-C port on the front to expand connectivity, which is another major drawback of this gaming PC.
Gamers do, however, get additional USB-A ports and a single USB-C port on the back of the PC. Other ports on the back of the PC include Ethernet LAN, HDMI, and DisplayPort.
Aesthetics and Salient Features
The look of this gaming PC boils down to whether you like RGB lighting or would prefer a more muted and minimalist gaming PC.
You will find plenty of RGB lighting on the Empowered PC Stratos Micro, covering each and every inch of the PC case. This results in a gaming PC that has an in-your-face design.
Moving onto the salient features, the biggest highlight of this gaming PC is that it comes with a 3-year warranty, which is quite reassuring if you are new to PC gaming.
Compared to other gaming PCs, this PC comes with an external Wi-Fi adapter which does not work quite as well as built-in Wi-Fi. Therefore, the connection could be more reliable, and the signal strength needs to be improved.
To get you started with gaming right away, this gaming PC comes with Windows 11 out-of-the-box with updated drivers. It also comes with a gaming keyboard and mouse bundle.
Overall, the Empowered PC Stratos Micro is a great option for anyone looking for a gaming PC that provides a good mix of performance and looks. If your needs don’t revolve around very complex workloads and you can live with the 4-core processor, consider the Empowered PC Stratos Micro.
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4. ASUS ROG Strix G10CE
The ASUS ROG Strix G10CE is a great attempt at a gaming PC from a mainstream brand. ASUS is more known for its custom PC parts and laptops. This prebuilt gaming PC from the brand embodies the same spirit as other ROG Strix machines that Asus makes. Despite being great fun to use gaming PC, you are paying the “ROG Strix tax” on this machine.
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Gaming Experience
The ASUS ROG Strix G10CE provides a decent gaming experience. However, I would be lying if I said the gaming experience is comparable to the top two gaming PCs.
This PC can play any you want. However, if you want to get more than 60 FPS in demanding games, be prepared to drop the graphic settings a notch. The 1080p gaming benchmarks of this PC are as follows.
The ASUS ROG Strix G10CE gives 52 FPS in Red Dead Redemption 2, 49 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 58 FPS in Elden Ring, and 102 FPS in GTA V.
In battle royal games, I was not expecting this PC to perform this well. It delivered 60+ FPS in all games. During testing, I got 72 FPS in Fortnite, 82 FPS in CoD: Warzone, 85 FPS in Apex Legends, and 82 FPS in PUBG: Battlegrounds. All of the above-mentioned single-player story games and battle royal games were played at the highest graphic preset.
In Esports games, this PC has able to stretch its muscles. When testing, I was able to get 226 FPS in Rainbow Six: Siege, 238 FPS in Overwatch 2, 292 FPS in Valorant, and 283 FPS in CS: GO. The Esports games were played at low graphic settings to maximize framerate.
Specifications
The specs of this PC are decent. However, truth be told, I was expecting a little better at this price point.
At the heart of this PC is the Intel Core i5-11400F processor. This 6-core 12-thread offering from Intel delivers great performance, despite being a couple of generations older. Price to performance, the Core i5-11400F is still one of the better mid-range processors, especially when combined with the Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti.
The GTX 1660 Ti is a fine entry-level graphics card from Nvidia. It provides solid performance. However, it has been replaced with upgraded models. So, you are getting an older generation CPU and GPU in this gaming PC.
However, that is not as bad as it sounds. Both the Core i5-11400F and the GTX 1660 Ti are still very capable. However, they no longer provide the industry-leading performance in this category and price segment that they were once known for.
As far as other specs are concerned, the ASUS ROG Strix G10CE comes with 16GB RAM, which is more than enough for gaming and multitasking. Like every other gaming PC in this list, this gaming PC comes with an insufficient storage capacity of only 512GB. Since the storage is in the form of an SSD, you do get fast read and write speeds.
Case Design and Connectivity
ASUS does things its own way. They never follow the latest design trends or imitate other companies’ designs. As a result, the ASUS ROG Strix G10CE is a one-off gaming PC. You will not find a similarly designed gaming PC in the market.
This makes the design of this PC very unique and instantly recognizable. Once you see this PC, you will always be able to tell it apart from other gaming PCs, which is not something you will hear me often say, especially in the case of a sub $800 prebuilt gaming PC.
The connectivity is the part where ASUS has neglected proper attention. As a result, the connectivity of this gaming PC is quite underwhelming. Not only does this PC severely lack ports, but to make things worse, the ports were hard to reach when I was seated in my gaming chair.
Connecting multiple devices to this PC is quite cumbersome, and it especially shows its pain when you want to use the front USB because only two are available. Another major drawback is that this gaming PC does not come with a USB-C port or a front headphone jack, which greatly limits connectivity.
Besides the two front USB-A ports, you only get power and a reset button. The rest of the ports are located at the back of the PC, and they include a power plug, additional USB-A ports, DisplayPort, 2x HDMI, 3.5mm audio ports, and an Ethernet LAN.
Aesthetics and Salient Features
The ASUS ROG Strix G10CE has a daring design. This PC demands attention due to aggressive body lines. I also like the fact that ASUS is using a silver finish instead of the typical black or gray. The silver finish is more elegant and gives the PC a premium look.
Like other gaming desktops in this price range, the ASUS ROG Strix G10CE also supports Wi-Fi connectivity out of the box. It uses a built-in Wi-Fi module which provides stable and fast Internet speeds. Disconnections are also far from few, which is a great plus for gaming.
As for the other features, this PC comes with a keyboard and mouse bundle. The quality of the peripherals isn’t anything special, but hey can’t turn down a free goodie now.
All things considered, the ASUS ROG Strix G10CE should be in your consideration if you are looking for a well-built gaming PC that has a distinct design without much fluff. Although the performance is great, the main thing holding this PC back is connectivity. Also, it is not the most powerful gaming PC, so for gamers that are chasing maximum framerate, the above-mentioned PCs are a better option.
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5. iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140
The iBUYPOWER Pro Gaming PC SlateMR is a classic example of form over function. This PC prioritizes a fancy exterior and looks rather than the specifications. As a result, the iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140 has to settle for the last spot in this $800 gaming PC roundup.
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Gaming Experience
The gaming experience of the iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140 is not that good. This PC often struggles to play the current demanding games, and one can only imagine how much it would struggle to play games in the future.
Therefore, as suggested by our benchmark testing, this PC is not the one you buy to get the best framerate.
iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140 PC gave 37 FPS in Red Dead Redemption 2, 40 FPS in Cyberpunk 2077, 45 FPS in Elden Ring, and 78 FPS in GTA V.
In battle royal games, this PC gave 68 FPS in Fortnite, 74 FPS in CoD: Warzone, 79 FPS in Apex Legends, and 72 FPS in PUBG: Battlegrounds. The highest graphic preset was used for the single-player story games and the battle royal games.
The frame rate for Esports games sailed past triple digits. I was able to get 174 FPS in Rainbow Six: Siege, 189 FPS in Overwatch 2, 276 FPS in Valorant, and 286 FPS in CS: GO. The Esports games were played at low graphic settings to maximize framerate.
Specifications
The specs are the main weak point of this gaming PC. The only good thing about the iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140 in the spec segment is that it is powered by the Ryzen 5 5600.
The Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from AMD that is capable of unleashing enormous performance. However, the other specs don’t provide the needed support for its processor to perform at its best.
The Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card used in this PC is very underwhelming. The Nvidia GTX 1650 stands no chance against the RTX 3050 and the RTX 2060 used on other gaming PCs. It is at least 35% slower than its competitors. As a result, the gaming performance of the Nvidia GTX 1650 is subpar.
The iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140 also comes with only 8GB of RAM, which is insufficient for gaming and multitasking.
The storage drive used in this PC is a 500GB M.2 NVMe SSD. Although the NVMe SSD has excellent read and write speeds, it does not provide sufficient storage capacity. So, gamers will be limited to installing only a handful number of games.
Case Design and Connectivity
iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140 has hit a home run when it comes to the case design. This gaming PC has a glass sandwiched case with both front and side panels.
This design is the new trend, and many gaming PC manufacturers are adopting this design philosophy. The glass panels help highlight the RGB lighting, which this gaming PC has plenty of already.
As for the connectivity, this gaming PC does not do quite well in that regard either. The front I/O of the PC consists of 2x USB-A ports, a separate 3.5mm headphone and microphone jack, and a power button.
Not having a USB-C port on the front is a major letdown and restricts connectivity. Luckily, the USB-C port is on the back of the PC, including additional USB-A ports, HDMI, DisplayPort, and Ethernet LAN.
Aesthetics and Salient Features
The aesthetic of this gaming PC is dominated by RGB lighting. The four RGB fans help spread the RGB lighting uniformly around the case, and the glass panels help accentuate the RGB lighting, resulting in a PC that looks striking to the eye.
If you are a fan of RGB lighting, you will love the look of the iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140. However, if you are like me and come across many gaming PCs, this RGB craze gets a bit too generic because it is on every other gaming PC.
Either way, one cannot deny that the iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140 will capture your way even if you love RGB lighting or not.
Coming to the salient features, there is not much to talk about with this gaming PC. It contains the usual goodies like a gaming keyboard and mouse bundle. However, the keyboard and mouse quality could be better.
Like every other PC in this roundup, this PC also comes with built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. iBUYPOWER also provides a 1-year warranty and lifetime technical support with this PC.
All things considered, the iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140 nails the aesthetics. It is a gaming PC you want to show off to your friends or gaming buddies. If you want to do that, get the iBUYPOWER Pro SlateMR 2140, but in terms of performance, the other PCs in this roundup are a better option.
Are Prebuilt Gaming PCs Under $800 Worth it?
This is a very pressing matter to clarify because you will always think you have ended up with a PC that isn’t good enough.
In the PC gaming community, you will be misguided a lot. I have personally come across multiple posts all singing the same tone – $800 prebuilt gaming PCs aren’t worth it. The truth, however, is quite the opposite.
People make this statement without realizing the fact that the prebuilt PC gaming industry has moved far away from its early days. The fostering of strict competition in this industry has led to more aggressively priced products.
There are a ton of options to choose from, and the majority of the PCs provide fantastic value. You will still occasionally find overpriced gaming PCs every now and then. But the majority of the offering here provide fantastic value for now. Don’t take my word for it; you have already seen my picks for the best $800 gaming PCs and will agree on how each PC is.
What to Look for in a Gaming PC Under $800 – The Buying Guide
The buyer’s guide is the section you do not want to miss out on if you are a beginner in the PC gaming space looking for your first prebuilt machine. In this section, we will highlight some main points regarding the characteristic of a gaming PC which will help you understand the PC better.
Graphics Card
The graphics card is the component of a gaming PC that directly controls the gaming performance and the frame rate you will be getting in your games. Hence depending on the graphics card, you get to have great sway over your overall gaming experience as well.
Due to this relation, it should be obvious by now that the primary focus should be on getting the best graphics card possible. Obviously, within reason, as there are some PCs out there that will offer a good graphics card but skimp on the rest of the specifications, which is something you should keep in mind.
As for this price range, aim for the Nvidia RTX 3050 or GTX 1660 Ti graphics card. These pretty much represent the best this segment has to offer, and you can go with either of the two.
Processor
The processor is the brain of the system, so it indirectly affects every ongoing task in the PC. The processor market has always been dominated by Intel, but now somebody has risen to the throne.
AMD has proven that you do not need the fortune to get a high-performing processor. Today we are lucky to be at a time that all processors available in $800 PCs are capable of gaming. Normally in the $800 price range, it is a wise choice to go with a 6-core processor and avoid a 4-core.
The 6-core processor I would recommend is the Intel Core i5-12400 or AMD Ryzen 5 5600, as it is simply the best you can get at this price.
RAM and Storage
The RAM and Storage equate to the temporary and permanent storage capacity of the PC, respectively. Ideally, for a prebuilt gaming PC, you are looking at 16GB RAM. But unfortunately, due to our $800 budget limitations, most prebuilt PCs will only offer 8GB RAM.
With 8GB RAM, you are teetering at the edge, so upgrade to 16GB as soon as you get the chance. As for the storage, equip your PC with at least a 1TB storage drive. Being a gamer, you would know that each game can occupy upwards of 100GB of disk space, so having the ability to install at least ten games at a given time is essential.
Connectivity
Connectivity is crucial when it comes to prebuilt gaming PCs. As gamers, we require a lot more ports to plug in our peripherals than other users. Dual monitor setups are also the rave lately; hence before buying a PC, you should confirm that it has all the ports that cater to your needs.
Aesthetics
Now let’s be real, who does not love an aesthetically pleasing PC. Gaming PC is all about the customization and the flash that comes along with it.
I know gamers have divided opinions on going full overboard with fancy lighting and whatnot, but we all can agree that a well-put-together design can most definitely increase the appeal of that given PC.
If it is your first time buying a prebuilt gaming PC, look around, explore all your options, and see what the design and customization are all about. When you have seen enough, form an opinion on which aesthetic approach you prefer and just go with it.
These were some of the characteristics that I wanted to evaluate early on. Now with this set and done, let’s jump right into the list.
Related PC Guides
Check out our GPU-focused prebuilt PC guides below.
- Best RTX 3060 Prebuilt Gaming PC
- Best RTX 3070 Prebuilt Gaming PC
- Best RTX 3080 Prebuilt Gaming PC
- Best RTX 3090 Prebuilt Gaming PC
Check out our aesthetics-focused gaming PC guides below.
Conclusion
This puts a decisive end to our list of the best pre-built gaming PCs under $800. It takes some know-how to filter out the good PCs from the overpriced ones, but don’t worry; I have done that part for you. Therefore, every PC on the list is good, and there is something for everyone.
This diversified list contains PCs that target different market segments, so choose the appropriate one that best fulfills your needs. At the end of the day, the PC is for you, so do not chase after something you don’t want.
These are the final thoughts I wanted to iterate on before I close off this article. I hope this article helps you find the best prebuilt gaming PC under $800 that fits your criteria.
