Why Buy a Computer for Gaming?

You may play a fast–paced game with detailed graphics where split–second decisions mean a win or a loss, but if your computer isn’t up to par, all is lost. A gamer is only as good as their computer. Gaming computers are built to process huge amounts of information while playing online role–playing games or first–person shooters. These power PCs come with high–end graphics cards, lighting fast CPUs and even liquid cooling.

Gaming computers are equipped with numerous ports including USBs and FireWire ports on the front of the tower. This makes it easy to plug in all your peripherals including joysticks, steering wheels and other gaming devices.

These are not your typical black box desktops. Gaming computers incorporate style and portability. Many towers have transparent sides, neon lights or innovative designs so they look as good as they perform.

In this site, you’ll find articles on gaming PCs and comprehensive reviews on the best gaming computers that will help you make an informed decision on which computer is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS, we do the research so you don’t have to.™

What to Look for in a Gaming Computer

Gaming computers have high–end graphics cards, processors and lots of RAM—those components needed to enhance your gaming experience. When considering a gaming computer you should carefully evaluate your needs. Most manufacturers provide individual customization, so you can get a desktop that will fit your gaming style and budget.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate gaming PCs.

 

  • Processor – A fast CPU, or processor, will prevent lags in large or complex games like first person shooters or MMORPGs (massively multi–player online role–playing games). Some systems have dual and quad-core processors for extreme gaming.
  • Memory – A large memory allows the computer to quickly access frequently used information or programs. This is critical for gaming. A gaming PC should have between two and eight GB of RAM memory and a sufficient hard drive.
  • Video/Audio – A game is only as good as the graphics card supporting it. Many games have life–like, real–time images that require a high–end graphics card. Most computer manufacturers allow you to upgrade your graphics card. The sound should be a clear as the image.
  • I/O Device – Some computers come with various peripherals including a mouse, keyboard, speakers and a monitor while others don’t. This may or may not be important depending on the buyer. Additionally, some gaming systems come with uniquely designed towers with sleek cases and neon lights.
  • Value/Price – In this review, we looked for computers under $2000. The leading companies are value oriented—providing a lot of computer for a good price.
  • Support/Warranty – The first–class manufacturers provide quality help and support through email, phone and online chat. They also provide practical warranties at no additional cost.

To read the review on the Gateway FX530, the gaming computer our reviewers ranked #1, click here.

 

 
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Acquire the Power

Never be “pwned” again with a computer that will match your “l33t” gaming skills. These desktops have the components to take your gaming to a new level without breaking your budget.

Rank #1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10
Excellent score   Excellent
Very good score   Very Good
Good score   Good
Fair score   Fair
Poor score   Poor
Dell XPS 730x Alienware Area-51 750i Falcon Northwest Mach V Alienware Aurora Gateway FX6800-11 Alienware Micro Express CyberPower ABS M6 Sniper Polywell i790SLI3
Dell XPS 730x Alienware Area-51 750i Falcon Northwest Mach V Alienware Aurora Gateway FX6800-11 Alienware Micro Express CyberPower ABS M6 Sniper Polywell i790SLI3
Reviewer Comments Read Review
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Lowest Price Buy Dell XPS 730x XPS 730x
$1,599.00
Buy Alienware Area-51 750i Area-51 750i
$1,879.00
Buy Falcon Northwest Mach V Mach V
$1,973.88
Buy Alienware Aurora Gaming Build 04/09
$1,549.00
Buy Gateway FX6800-11 FX6800-11
$1,299.00
Buy Alienware Area 51 7500
$2,299.00
Buy Micro Express MicroFlex 92C
$1,899.00
Buy CyberPower Gamer Infinity SLI Ultra
$999.00
Buy ABS M6 Sniper Ultimate X9
$2,699.00
Buy Polywell i790SLI3 Poly i790SLI3
$2,599.00
 
Overall Rating Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Ratings
Processor Very Good Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent Very Good
Memory Very Good Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good
Video/Audio Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent Excellent
I/O Device Excellent Excellent Fair Very Good Very Good Excellent Excellent Very Good Very Good Excellent
Value/Price Excellent Very Good Very Good Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
Support/Warranty Excellent Very Good Very Good Very Good Excellent Excellent Very Good Excellent Excellent Excellent
View Specifications Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!
View Screenshots View Dell XPS 730x screenshots View Alienware Area-51 750i screenshots View Falcon Northwest Mach V screenshots View Alienware Aurora screenshots View Gateway FX6800-11 screenshots View Alienware screenshots View Micro Express screenshots View CyberPower screenshots View ABS M6 Sniper screenshots View Polywell i790SLI3 screenshots
PROCESSOR
AMD       Athlon X2 7750   Dual Core Athlon 64 X2 5200+     Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor  
Intel Core i7-920 Core 2 Quad Q9550 Core 2 Extreme Qx9770 quad-core   Core 2 Quad   Core i7 940 Core i7-920   Core 2 Duo E8500
CPU(GHz) 2.66 2.83 3.2 2.7 2.4 2.6 2.93 GHz 2.66 3.0 3.16
Bus Speed(MHz) 1066 1333     1066 2000       1333
MEMORY
RAM Size(GB) 6 4 4 4 3 2 6 3 2 4
Hard Drive Size(GB) 500 1000 1000 250 500 500 1000 500 150 500
VIDEO/AUDIO
Graphics Card Type nVidia GeForce 9800 GT NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 Nvidia GeForce GTX 260 Dual ATI Radeon HD 4850 NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GS NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT ATI Radeon HD4870 ATI Radeon HD4850 ATI Radeon HD 3870 3 x NVIDIA GeForce 9800GTX
Card Memory(MB) 512 1024 1792 (2 x 896MB) 1024 (2 x 512MB) 256 512 512 512 512 1536
Audio Type Integrated 7.1 Integrated 7.1 Integrated Integrated Sound Blaster X?FI PCI High Def integrated High Def Onboard On–Board
Sound Configuration 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.1   7.1 8 7.1 8 7.1
I/O Devices
CD RW                    
CD/DVD RW Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
CD ROM                    
DVD ROM Check Mark       Check Mark     Check Mark Check Mark  
Media Card Reader         Check Mark   Check Mark     Check Mark
Peripherals                    
Mouse Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark    
Keyboard Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark    
Monitor Size(Inches) not included not included   not included     not included not included not included not included
Speakers not included not included   not included Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark
Ports                    
USB 8 8   8 10 10 8 6 6 6
FireWire(IEEE 1394) 2       3 2 1   2 1
Software
Operating System Vista Home Premium Vista Home Premium Vista Home Premium Vista Home Premium Vista Home Premium Vista Home Premium Vista Home Premium Vista Home Premium Vista Home Premium Vista Home Premium
Windows 7 Capable Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Security Software                    
SUPPORT/WARRANTY
Warranty(yrs) 1 1 3 1 1 1 2 3 1 1
Phone Support Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Email Support Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
Live Chat Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark   Check Mark Check Mark Check Mark
 
Reviewer Comments Read Review
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Lowest Price Buy Dell XPS 730x XPS 730x
$1,599.00
Buy Alienware Area-51 750i Area-51 750i
$1,879.00
Buy Falcon Northwest Mach V Mach V
$1,973.88
Buy Alienware Aurora Gaming Build 04/09
$1,549.00
Buy Gateway FX6800-11 FX6800-11
$1,299.00
Buy Alienware Area 51 7500
$2,299.00
Buy Micro Express MicroFlex 92C
$1,899.00
Buy CyberPower Gamer Infinity SLI Ultra
$999.00
Buy ABS M6 Sniper Ultimate X9
$2,699.00
Buy Polywell i790SLI3 Poly i790SLI3
$2,599.00
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