Member Avatar for Reverend Jim

My number two son is looking to replace his old(ish) Alienware laptop with a new gaming desktop. He is leaning toward another Alienware (although desktop this time rather than notebook). Does anyone have any recommendations that aren't in the super-ultimate-deluxe-megabucks category? His reason for going to a desktop system is for the ability to replace components as they become obsolete (primarily video cards). Some newer games will not run on the older video hardware on the noteboook.

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For an upgradeable, Windows-based gaming desktop that is not “mega-bucks,” a practical approach is to build or buy a mid‑tower ATX system around a strong GPU and a good quality, serviceable motherboard and PSU. ’s goal—easy component swaps (especially the video card)—is best met by a standard ATX case, a non‑proprietary motherboard, and a modular PSU; prebuilts are convenient but some use proprietary layouts that limit easy upgrades (echoing ’s DIY preference and ’s prebuilt suggestion as a tradeoff). (techradar.com)

For gaming, prioritize the GPU: it is usually the biggest determinant of frame rates at 1080p/1440p/4K, while the CPU should be balanced to avoid bottlenecks (mid‑range modern CPUs are fine paired with a better GPU). Match the GPU to the target resolution (midrange for 1080p, stronger card for 1440p, flagship for 4K). These tradeoffs are supported by recent CPU vs GPU testing and guides. (tomshardware.com)

A short, practical checklist for an upgrade-friendly build: pick an ATX motherboard with multiple M.2 slots and BIOS flashback, buy a quality modular PSU (80+ Gold, typically 650–850W depending on the GPU target), and start with 16GB dual‑channel RAM while planning 32GB if streaming or heavy multitasking is expected. Reserve room in the case for long GPUs and check connector types (12VHPWR / PCIe cables) before buying a card. (pcgamer.com)

Budget guidance: in current markets a DIY or well‑chosen prebuilt in the $800–$1,500 range typically hits solid 1080p/1440p performance and reasonable upgrade headroom; true 4K capable machines sit higher. Given Microsoft’s end of support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, plan for Windows 11 on new systems for ongoing driver/security support. (tomshardware.com)

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Member Avatar for rproffitt

I'll share my son just replaced his 5 year old laptop with another gamer laptop. Here's the old and the new.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0034NGZWM ( ASUS Republic of Gamers G51JX-X3 later upped to 8GB RAM, SSD )
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01578ZKPO ( ASUS ROG GL552VW-DH71 15-Inch Gaming Laptop, Discrete GPU GeForce GTX 960M 2GB VRAM, 16GB DDR4, 1TB ) and for 120 bucks we swapped out the 1TB HDD for a 512GB SSD.

Actually the old laptop could game quite well even after this many years. But he wanted to play a bleeding edge title called Metal Gear Solid 5. He says it's great now.

OK, desktop. my nod is DIY on that. How about the PC Master Race builds? They change over time so here's their link.
https://www.reddit.com/r/PCMasterRace/wiki/builds

Member Avatar for fallout4player

u can build a pc (desktop) for about 500 bucks to compete with a ps4 or do even better. but if ur willing to pay the price, u can get parts for the pc like a nvidia titan gpu that will run the games at 4k. also the haswell-e intel i7 is really good. theres a model that clocks at 4.4ghz (not overclocked).
also the price to build will vary depending on where u live. theres also a slightly cheaper video card like radeon r9 series or nvidia 750ti.

Member Avatar for CimmerianX

How about this one:

$800.00 built.

Member Avatar for Reverend Jim

Thanks for the suggestion. FYI - even though the link above shows as broken and I can't click on it, if I copy the link address and paste it into my browser it takes me to the referenced page.

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