The best prebuilt gaming PCs: Get Ryzen 5000, GeForce 3080, and Radeon RX 6800 right now

You won't save cash compared to DIY, but you won't need to rely on luck to get your hands on the latest and greatest, either.

Credit: iBuyPower

At the moment, stock for Nvidia’s RTX 30-series and AMD’s Radeon 6000 graphics cards disappears in seconds—when they’re even available for purchase. Same goes for AMD’s Ryzen 5000 processors. Most people who’ve tried to score one of these recently launched components have struck out, forcing them to wait out the next several months with a placeholder part, or making do with an older alternative.

Another option exists if you’re in the market for a whole new PC, however. Prebuilt desktop computers provide a compromise solution: They ship much sooner than supply will improve (likely spring 2021), and while you’ll pay a markup over MSRP, reasonable vendors impose minimal surcharges on the parts themselves.

Expect to pay $150+ more for a prebuilt PC over DIY, as these systems have the cost of marketing and labor folded in. (Between $150-$300 is what we’d call reasonable.) Price comparisons assume MSRP for the new RTX, Radeon, and Ryzen parts and are current as of December 2, 2020.

Below is a list of the best online shops to check out, with notes on what to expect from each. These vendors largely use off-the-shelf parts and let you truly customize the configurations, but we’ve also included those that at least allow some flexibility in CPU and GPU selections. Be warned: You’ll still need to pay close attention to your configuration to get the most for your money.

The best prebuilt PCs for Ryzen 5000, GeForce RTX 30-series, and Radeon RX 6000 hardware

Note: Some of these stores still offer “Cyber Week” deals currently, which include free shipping and/or accessories like headsets or RGB keyboards.

iBuyPower

www.ibuypower.com

iBuyPower website PCWorld
  • Best for: RTX 3060 Ti; Ryzen 5000 (except 5950X)
  • Avoid: Radeon 6000; RTX 3080, RTX 3090; Ryzen 5950X

Few other vendors match iBuyPower’s freedom of choice—its configurator doesn’t skimp. You get nearly the full range of processors and graphics cards from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia to pick from, along with a very healthy selection of other components. This system integrator uses off-the-shelf parts and clearly identifies their manufacturers, making it easy to research performance now and then upgrade items in the future. The sample system we configured (the AMD Ryzen 7X Gaming Elite with a 3700X and RTX 3070) costs about $350 more than a comparable DIY build.

For systems using all in-stock parts, expect a shipping date in late December. Any PCs with components marked as “pre-order” will ship based on supply.

CyberPowerPC

www.cyberpowerpc.com

CyberPowerPC website PCWorld
  • Best for: RTX 3060 Ti, RTX 3070; Radeon 6000; Ryzen 5000 (except 5950X)
  • Avoid: RTX 3080, RTX 3090; Ryzen 5950X

CyberPowerPC is iBuyPower’s main competition, and for good reason. It also features a wide selection of off-the-shelf components for customizing a system, with parts on offer matching those commonly found in DIY builds. CyberPower even edges out iBuyPower slightly in its CPU spread, along with providing one option its rival doesn’t: laser engraving. Compared to a similar DIY build, the sample system we mocked up (the Gamer Ultra 3070 with an 3700X and RTX 3070) will set you back an additional $280.

Of the prebuilt vendors we looked at, CyberPowerPC alone offered reasonable prices for Radeon 6000 series parts. Currently estimated ship dates fall at the end of December.

NZXT BLD

www.letsbld.com

NZXT BLD website PCWorld
  • Best for: RTX 3060 Ti
  • Avoid: Other RTX 30-series cards
  • Unavailable: Radeon 6000; all Ryzen processors

NZXT keeps its custom PC service very simple. You can only choose from its cases and CPU coolers, and other components are limited in their selection—currently, no AMD parts are available. The company is transparent in its pricing, charging the MSRP for off-the-shelf parts along with a $99 building and service package, which includes a 2-year warranty and a guaranteed level of game performance.

When pitted against a DIY build, you’ll spend about $165 more for its $1,500 custom system configured with a 3060 Ti. Shipping for our sample system had an estimated date of December 16.

Alienware

www.dell.com

Alienware gaming desktops website PCWorld
  • Best for: RTX 3080, RTX 3090
  • Avoid: RTX 3070
  • Unavailable: Radeon 6000; Ryzen 5000

Make no mistake, the Alienware name will cost you. Our sample configuration of the Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 with a 3700X and 3070 came in at a staggering $500 over a similar DIY configuration ($2,165 vs. $1,617) and offers limited upgradability. But you’ll pay no surplus outside of the brand’s luxury tax when deciding between RTX 30-series cards: The difference in cost closely matches their list prices.

So believe it or not, our sample Alienware PC still slightly beat other vendors in price for the RTX 3080 and RTX 3090—and more key to this recommendation, had consistent stock. Our estimated delivery date was January 11.

Honorable Mention

Micro Center

www.microcenter.com

Micro Center PowerSpec website PCWorld
  • Best for: RTX 3070
  • Unavailable: Everything else

Should you be lucky enough to live near a Micro Center—and don’t mind a prebuilt PC with a fixed configuration—you can currently pick up one of the store’s PowerSpec systems. The RTX 3070 models come paired with either an Intel Core i7-10700K or Ryzen 7 3700X, and cost between $100 (3700X) and $200 (10700K) more than a similar DIY build.

The catch, of course, is that these systems must be available for pickup at your local store. But all things considered, if you live reasonably close to a Micro Center location, you can’t get your hands on a 3070 much faster than this.

Other vendors we considered

Maingear, Origin PC, and Digital Storm build beautiful custom computers, but they don’t save any money over scalpers’ prices for new hardware—nor do they ship instantly. Only consider them if you no longer care about price and want a gorgeous, luxurious PC that comes with incredible customer service.

Velocity Micro has limited new hardware to chose from and also charged an $800 premium over DIY for a no-frills PC with a 5600X, B550M motherboard, and RTX 3070.

Puget Systems is well-known for its expertise, but you pay handsomely for it. Our sample system with a 5800X and RTX 3070 ran up a bill $800 higher than our competing DIY build.

Micro Center’s custom PC build service requires that the parts be in stock at your local store. Sadly, listings for RTX 30-series, Radeon 6000, or Ryzen 5000 components are sold out.

Join the newsletter!

Or

Sign up to gain exclusive access to email subscriptions, event invitations, competitions, giveaways, and much more.

Membership is free, and your security and privacy remain protected. View our privacy policy before signing up.

Error: Please check your email address.
Keep up with the latest tech news, reviews and previews by subscribing to the Good Gear Guide newsletter.
Alaina Yee

Alaina Yee

PC World (US online)
Show Comments

Most Popular Reviews

Latest Articles

Resources

PCW Evaluation Team

Cate Bacon

Aruba Instant On AP11D

The strength of the Aruba Instant On AP11D is that the design and feature set support the modern, flexible, and mobile way of working.

Dr Prabigya Shiwakoti

Aruba Instant On AP11D

Aruba backs the AP11D up with a two-year warranty and 24/7 phone support.

Tom Pope

Dynabook Portégé X30L-G

Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.

Tom Sellers

MSI P65

This smart laptop was enjoyable to use and great to work on – creating content was super simple.

Lolita Wang

MSI GT76

It really doesn’t get more “gaming laptop” than this.

Featured Content

Product Launch Showcase

Don’t have an account? Sign up here

Don't have an account? Sign up now

Forgot password?