Best Amazon Prime Day PC gaming deals

Almost every gaming laptop around the $1,000 mark comes with just a 512 GB SSD, while this slimline Acer offers double that at a full 1 TB. That RTX 5060 is only of the 85 W variety, owing to that thin chassis, but the rest of the package makes for a great machine for the money. The 10-core Raptor Lake chip is decent, the 16 GB DDR5 is solid, and the 1920 x 1200 screen will hit a peak 180 Hz refresh.

Key specs: RTX 5060 (85 W)| Core 7 240H | 16-inch | 1200p | 180 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

If you're on a budget of around $1,000, this is where it's at right now. That's because you're not just getting the RTX 5060, but also a decent Core i5 CPU and 32 GB of RAM. It's not DDR5, but even 32 GB of DDR4 is rare these days thanks to the memory shortage, so this is a great all-round deal. Use code SSF69524 for the full discount.

Key specs: Core i5 14400F | RTX 5060 | 32 GB DDR4-3200 | 1 TB SSD

$160 for a 180 Hz, 1440p, 27-inch IPS panel is an absolute steal. It's almost the same as the more expensive XV271U M3bmiiprx below, except it lacks FreeSync Pro and has a fixed stand.

Key specs: 27-inch | 180 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

The 8 GB version of the new RTX 5060 Ti is a lot cheaper than the 16 GB one, and while the extra VRAM will be useful in the future, it's certainly not worth paying $180 more for it, despite the clear benefits. This is a great little GPU for the money.

Key specs: 4608 shaders | 2690 MHz boost | 8 GB GDDR7

RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB price check: Best Buy $369.99 | Newegg $379.99 | B&H $394.99 | Walmart $399.99

The oft-forgotten Vector A16 is the cousin to one of our favourite gaming laptops, the Vector 16 HX AI. You shouldn't ignore this one, though, as it's the cheapest RTX 5070 Ti lappy I can find right now. You don't get one of AMD's AI-branded processors, but the Ryzen 9 8940HX is a 16-core/32-thread monster, the screen is very fast, and the SSD is reasonably-sized, too. It's got a slightly plastic-fantastic chassis, but with this sort of hardware for this sort of cash, I'll take it.

Key specs: RTX 5070 Ti (140 W) | Ryzen 9 8940 HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

It might have the standard 'just 16 GB of RAM' caveat that's now standard for mid-range rigs in 2026 given the RAMpocalypse, but we are talking an RTX 5070 rig for just $1,500. And that's with an X3D chip, too, which is still fantastic for gaming even if it is a previous-gen one.

Key specs: Ryzen 7 7800X3D | RTX 5070 | 16 GB DDR5-5200 | 1 TB SSD

It doesn't get much better than this, folks. A 4K, 27-inch gaming monitor for a cent under $200. It's an IPS panel, with a 1 ms response time, and is what's known as a dual mode monitor. That means it runs at both 4K/144 Hz and 1080p/288 Hz. Perfect for blending both competitive gaming with immersive singleplayer gaming.

Key specs: 27-inch | 4K + 1080p (dual mode) | 144/288 Hz | 1 ms | IPS

A 240 Hz OLED display, a 115 W RTX 5070 Ti, a speedy, 24-core Intel chip and it's all wrapped up in a relatively slim and stylish form factor? Yep, this laptop is a real winner for $1,600. I've often marvelled at Acer's new Predator Helios Neo designs (what a sentence) at trade shows, and this sleek customer is a very nice thing to slip in your bag. And then give back, in my case, but you can own one and I can live vicariously through you. Excellent.

Key specs: RTX 5070 Ti | Core Ultra 9 275H | 16-inch | 1800p | 240 Hz OLED | 32 GB RAM | 1 TB SSD |

Price check: Amazon $2,199

The RX 9070 GRE is the latest entry in AMD's RX 9000-series, and for the money, you're getting a great mid-range graphics card. If it stays at this price, then it will be the sensible choice over the RTX 5060 Ti. Let's hope that there's enough supply, as stocks are already looking a bit thin.

Key specs: 3072 shaders | 2790 MHz boost | 12 GB GDDR6

RX 9070 GRE price check: Newegg $549.99 | Amazon $569.99

Ah, what a beauty. This 32-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor is the sort of thing dreams are made of, thanks to its excellent color reproduction, superb contrast, and sheer size. A good 32-inch display is a wonderful thing to game on, and this is certainly one of those. Plus, being a 165 Hz refresh rate model, it's a lot cheaper than the 240 Hz equivalent. In fact, this is the cheapest we've found this screen for to date, making it a mega deal worth some serious consideration.

Key specs: 32-inch | 4K | 165 Hz | 0.03 ms | QD-OLED

Price check: Amazon $809.99

This is the cheapest we've found an RTX 5050 gaming laptop we'd actually buy for quite a while. There are others, but you may well be looking at a 45 W TGP in those cases. For budget gaming laptops I would absolutely make sure to track down the wattage the GPU is specced to run at before making a purchase. The 75 W RTX 5050 isn't terrible, but it's not the highest you'll find, but it will be pretty capable with the 1080p screen attached to it.

Key specs: RTX 5050 (75 W) | Core i5 13420H | 15-inch | 1080p | 165 Hz | 16 GB DDR4 | 512 GB

Almost every gaming laptop around the $1,000 mark comes with just a 512 GB SSD, while this slimline Acer offers double that at a full 1 TB. That RTX 5060 is only of the 85 W variety, owing to that thin chassis, but the rest of the package makes for a great machine for the money. The 10-core Raptor Lake chip is decent, the 16 GB DDR5 is solid, and the 1920 x 1200 screen will hit a peak 180 Hz refresh.

Key specs: RTX 5060 (85 W)| Core 7 240H | 16-inch | 1200p | 180 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

Budget gaming laptops deals are not great right now, indeed finding good RTX 5060 laptops below the $1,000 mark has become virtually impossible. This Lenovo LOQ machine is above that figure, but it does have a decent 100 W GPU, a speedy 1080p screen, and the now miserably familiar memory/storage combo of a 512 GB SSD and 16 GB RAM. The memory side wouldn't be too bad if it wasn't for the fact it's single channel, but in our review that didn't actually harm gaming performance.

Key specs: RTX 5060 (100 W) | Ryzen 7 250 | 15-inch | 144 Hz | 1080p | 16 GB DDR5 | 512 GB SSD

Price check: Best Buy $1,099.99

In these RAMpocalypse-infested times, you have to sacrifice something to get a decent gaming laptop at an affordable price, and in this case, it's the GPU's power limit—just 85 W, which lowers the chip's full capabilities. And the SSD is pretty small, too. At least everything else is nice for the money, and it's plenty skinny. This is the cheapest RTX 5070 machine I can find right now I'd buy with my own cash, although the 1 TB version in the price check below is worth thinking about.

Key specs: RTX 5070 (85 W) | Ryzen 7 260 | 16-inch | 1600p | 165 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 512 GB SSD

Price check: B&H Photo $1,399.99 (Core i7 240H, 1 TB)

This is a lot to pay for an RTX 5060 gaming laptop, but once you take into account the fact you're getting a 240 Hz OLED panel thrown into the bargain, this deal makes a lot more sense—although I have seen it for cheaper in recent months. Being a 1600p display, the 115 W RTX 5060 mobile here will need some DLSS and MFG help to make the most of it at native res, but this is still a slim and sleek machine with a very high desirability factor.

Key specs: RTX 5060 (115 W) | Core Ultra 9 275HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz OLED | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Newegg $1,681.24

The oft-forgotten Vector A16 is the cousin to one of our favourite gaming laptops, the Vector 16 HX AI. You shouldn't ignore this one, though, as it's the cheapest RTX 5070 Ti lappy I can find right now. You don't get one of AMD's AI-branded processors, but the Ryzen 9 8940HX is a 16-core/32-thread monster, the screen is very fast, and the SSD is reasonably-sized, too. It's got a slightly plastic-fantastic chassis, but with this sort of hardware for this sort of cash, I'll take it.

Key specs: RTX 5070 Ti (140 W) | Ryzen 9 8940 HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

The G16 has been a firm favorite here at PC Gamer since Asus started wrapping them in milled aluminium chassis designs, and this one's got that super slim, super sleek feel. What you're getting here for the cash is a very portable form factor, a hyper-premium design, and a 240 Hz OLED. Some of the new models are a little noisy thanks to some saw-toothed fan profiles and hot-running Intel chips, as we found in our review of the RTX 5080 version, but this is still a gaming laptop I'd be happy to call my own.

Key specs: RTX 5070 (105 W) | Core Ultra 9 285H | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz OLED | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

This Legion lappy used to be cheaper, but as the memory crisis pushes gaming laptop pricing ever higher, it's jumped recently. Even at this price, though, it's a very well-equipped machine well worth considering, with an extremely powerful Intel chip at its heart, a beautiful OLED panel, and a 1 TB SSD. It's a shame about the 16 GB of RAM—but it's still plenty to get gaming with, and given the state of the memory market at the moment, it's about the best you can hope for at this sort of cash.

Key specs: RTX 5070 (115 W) | Core i9 14900HX | 15.1-inch | 1600p | 165 Hz OLED | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Best Buy $1,699 (Core Ultra 9 275HX)

This is one of the cheapest RTX 5070 Ti machines I can find right now, but you do pay a price—and it's in the form of a miserably small SSD. Otherwise this laptop has very competitive specs for the cash, and its 1200p screen so should give its Nvidia GPU little trouble in demanding games. It's just a shame you won't be able to squeeze many of them on it without an upgrade.

Key specs: RTX 5070 Ti (140 W) | Ryzen AI 7 350 | 16-inch | 1200p | 165 Hz IPS | 16 GB DDR5 | 512 GB SSD

This is a very powerful gaming laptop for the money, although it used to turn up on discount for a bit cheaper. First, you get that RTX 5070 mobile GPU, which is a very capable chip for a 1920 x 1200 resolution, especially with a 115 W TGP. And second, you get a 16-core, 32-thread AMD processor which is a mobile beast. Throw in 16 GB DDR5-5600 and a 1 TB SSD and you've got a lot of high-powered hardware with a decent saving.

Key specs: Ryzen 9 8940HX | RTX 5070 (115 W) | 16 GB DDR5-5600 | 1 TB SSD | 16-inch | 1200p | 165 Hz

This 16-inch lappy is relatively slim and sleek, being one of Acer's S-line models, which is all the more surprising given the hardware nestled inside. It's got a 1600p 240 Hz OLED display, which is kept fed by a 24-core Intel chip and a 115 W RTX 5070 Ti. Those are some pretty mega components, and you even get 32 GB of DDR5 in the middle of the RAMpocalypse. It's a shame it isn't as cheap as it once was, but given the specs, it's still well worth considering.

Key specs: RTX 5070 Ti | Core Ultra 9 275HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz OLED | 32 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

This Vector is still one of the cheapest RTX 5080 gaming laptops you can find right now, but it has jumped in price recently. Our Dave reviewed the Vector 16 HX AI last year and likes the value proposition you get when you take into account that mega GPU, although it is a bit of a hairdryer on full whack. Still, stick it in Balanced mode and the noise is much more reasonable.

Key specs: RTX 5080 | Core Ultra 9 275 HX | 16-inch | 1600p | 240 Hz | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

Price check: Best Buy $2,450 | Newegg $2,414.55

Our best high-performance gaming laptop pick features a monstrous collection of components. The RTX 5080 is a full-strength 175 W variant, the panel is a 240 Hz OLED stunner, the Intel CPU is mega, and as our Dave found in his review, the gaming performance is simply excellent. It's one of the fastest laptops we've tested to date, yet comes wrapped in a chassis you'd actually want to show off—although it must be said, it's a pretty sizeable machine to lug around. Expensive, too, but at least it's about as fast as it gets.

Key specs: RTX 5080 | Core Ultra 9 275HX | 16-inch | 240 Hz OLED | 1600p | 32 GB DDR5 | 2 TB SSD

Price check: Lenovo $3,199.99

If you're on a budget of around $1,000, this is where it's at right now. That's because you're not just getting the RTX 5060, but also a decent Core i5 CPU and 32 GB of RAM. It's not DDR5, but even 32 GB of DDR4 is rare these days thanks to the memory shortage, so this is a great all-round deal. Use code SSF69524 for the full discount.

Key specs: Core i5 14400F | RTX 5060 | 32 GB DDR4-3200 | 1 TB SSD

This is a pretty decent price for an RTX 5060 Ti rig in the current market, and there are a couple of notable things about it. First is that the Ryzen CPU here might not be the best but it's socket AM5 so you should be able to upgrade to a really good one without switching motherboards. And second, you're getting 2 TB of storage which is fantastic at this price point.

Key specs: Ryzen 7 8700F | RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | 16 GB DDR5-6000 | 2 TB SSD

This build is very similar to the MSI one above, but it has a newer CPU and less storage. So it's pretty much pick your poison on that front. The processor is much faster, both for gaming and productivity, but storage can be expensive, and both CPUs are AM5 so both should be good for upgrading to an X3D chip down the line.

Key specs: Ryzen 7 9700F | RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | 16 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD

You're only getting 16 GB of pretty slow DDR5 memory here, but to balance that out you're getting a decent budget CPU-GPU combo for a very reasonable price. For 1080p and some lighter 1440p gaming, this rig should take you quite far.

Key specs: Core i5 14400F | RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | 16 GB DDR5-4800 | 1 TB SSD

If you're looking for a mid-range gaming PC that's a bit more on the budget side, I'd say this is a good shout. That's primarily because you're getting an RTX 5060 Ti with the full 16 GB of VRAM, meaning you should be set on the video memory front for any game in the foreseeable future.

Key specs: Ryzen 5 9600X | RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB | 16 GB DDR5-5600 | 1 TB SSD

It might have the standard 'just 16 GB of RAM' caveat that's now standard for mid-range rigs in 2026 given the RAMpocalypse, but we are talking an RTX 5070 rig for just $1,500. And that's with an X3D chip, too, which is still fantastic for gaming even if it is a previous-gen one.

Key specs: Ryzen 7 7800X3D | RTX 5070 | 16 GB DDR5-5200 | 1 TB SSD

For the price, this is as high-end of a rig as I've seen in quite a while. Sure, it's a little bit of a glass cannon as it's only rocking 16 GB of RAM and a mid-range CPU, but that 9070 XT is definitely high-end, making this build great for gaming. You'll have to keep your library relatively light, and your background apps closed, but you'll then be able to churn through frames.

Key specs: Ryzen 5 9600X | RX 9070 XT | 16 GB DDR5-6000 | 1 TB SSD

RX 9070 XT gaming PCs like this one seem to be an ideal picking in the current market. This build is offering a relatively high-end CPU and a definitively high-end GPU for a very reasonable price. Just note that it is a bit of a glass cannon thanks to that 16 GB of DDR5 memory. More RAM would be nice, but if you keep other things closed while you game, it should perform really well.

Key specs: Ryzen 7 7700X | RX 9070 XT | 16 GB DDR5-6000 | 1 TB SSD

There's little more I need to do than point at the GPU and the price tag, here. I don't think we've seen a decent RTX 5080 gaming PC for this price—or possibly any RTX 5080 gaming PC—for quite some time. Sure, you're not getting the fastest CPU, so it's perhaps not for those of you that like really CPU-intensive games, but for everyone else this is great value at the high-end.d

Key specs: Core Ultra 5 250KF | RTX 5080 | 32 GB DDR5-6000 | 1 TB

In the current market, this is a decent price for a truly high-end gaming PC. The one caveat to that designator is the processor: it won't give you the same gaming performance as an X3D chip will, and we're certainly in X3D territory at this price range. That being said, the 265F is a decent enough productivity chip, and it won't be a massive bottleneck for gaming. Most games are GPU-bound, after all.

Key specs: Core Ultra 7 265F | RTX 5080 | 32 GB DDR5-6000 | 2 TB SSD

This not only comes with the second-fastest graphics card on the market, the RTX 5080, but also the best CPU for gaming, the Ryzen 7 9800XD. Of course it's not a cheap rig, but given you're getting top-tier components for truly top-end performance, it's a great rig with tons of longevity.

Key specs: Ryzen 7 9800X3D | RTX 5080 | 32 GB DDR5-6000 | 2 TB SSD

Price check: Best Buy $2,856

You're getting not only the fastest consumer GPU on the market, here, but also the absolute best CPU for gaming. What more needs to be said? Well, just that you're also getting a nice amount of fast RAM and storage. It's mighty expensive, but getting top-end performance doesn't come cheap.

Key specs: Ryzen 7 9800X3D | RTX 5090 | 32 GB DDR5-6000 | 2 TB SSD

This Battlemage-powered card is only a fraction slower than the last-gen A770, the most powerful Alchemist model, but it's worth noting that some games still don't like Intel's GPU architecture. You are getting quite a lot of GPU for the money, but it's a tough one to recommend when an Arc B580 costs only a little more.

Key specs: 2304 shaders | 2660 MHz boost | 10 GB GDDR6

Arc B570 price check: Newegg $259.99 | Walmart $259.99 | Best Buy $275.99

Nvidia's lowliest member of the RTX 50-series family isn't going to win many awards. Well, that was before prices for all GPUs went up and while the RTX 5050 is only a little faster than the Arc B570, its performance is more consistent. As things currently stand, it's actually the best budget graphics card around.

Key specs: 2560 shaders | 2587 MHz boost | 8 GB GDDR6

RTX 5050 price check: Best Buy $289.99 | Walmart $299 | Newegg $299.99 | B&H $309.99

Although it can be really fast in some games, the B580 isn't as consistent as AMD and Nvidia's offerings. However, the one thing it is consistent at is sporting an increased price tag and a reduction in stock levels. Only worth considering if you want more than 8 GB of VRAM or Intel's excellent video encoders.

Key specs: 2560 shaders | 2740 MHz boost | 12 GB GDDR6

Arc B580 price check: Newegg $309.99 | Walmart $309.99

The RTX 5060 isn't massively faster than its predecessor, the RTX 4060, but having full support for DLSS 4 is certainly a plus. It's not a bad graphics card, by any means, but it should really be cheaper than this.

Key specs: 2048 shaders | 2540 MHz boost | 8 GB GDDR7

RTX 5060 price check: Amazon $349.99 | Newegg $349.99 | B&H $354.99 | Walmart $359

Nvidia's RTX 5060 has superior upscaling and frame generation technologies, but AMD's little RX 9060 XT has it beat on raw GPU power, including ray tracing. It isn't really worth paying $80 more for the 16 GB version, though, even though the extra VRAM can make a big difference in some games.

Key specs: 2048 shaders | 3320 MHz boost | 8 GB GDDR6

RX 9060 XT 8 GB price check: Best Buy $359.99 | Newegg $359.99

The 8 GB version of the new RTX 5060 Ti is a lot cheaper than the 16 GB one, and while the extra VRAM will be useful in the future, it's certainly not worth paying $180 more for it, despite the clear benefits. This is a great little GPU for the money.

Key specs: 4608 shaders | 2690 MHz boost | 8 GB GDDR7

RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB price check: Best Buy $369.99 | Newegg $379.99 | B&H $394.99 | Walmart $399.99

The 16 GB version of the RX 9060 XT isn't quite as fast as the RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB card when ray tracing is involved, but outside of that, it's generally on par, and you're paying quite a lot less money. That counts for a lot these days.

Key specs: 2048 shaders | 3320 MHz boost | 16 GB GDDR6

RX 9060 XT 16 GB price check: Newegg $448 | Walmart $448 | Best Buy $459.99 | B&H $479.99

The RX 9070 GRE is the latest entry in AMD's RX 9000-series, and for the money, you're getting a great mid-range graphics card. If it stays at this price, then it will be the sensible choice over the RTX 5060 Ti. Let's hope that there's enough supply, as stocks are already looking a bit thin.

Key specs: 3072 shaders | 2790 MHz boost | 12 GB GDDR6

RX 9070 GRE price check: Newegg $549.99 | Amazon $569.99

While the specs suggest it should only be a little faster than the RTX 4060 Ti, the use of super-speedy GDDR7 gives the RTX 5060 Ti a surprisingly big boost. It's probably not worth paying $120 over the MSRP to bag one, though, especially when the RX 9070 GRE is cheaper and faster.

Key specs: 4608 shaders | 2617 MHz boost | 16 GB GDDR7

RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB price check: Newegg $569.99 | Walmart $569.99 | Best Buy $579.99 | B&H $589.99

Although the RTX 5070 is a good deal faster than its predecessor, the RTX 4070, it's less of an upgrade compared to the RTX 4070 Super. DLSS 4 just about tips the balance in favor of the newer model, but it's a bit of a hard sell at this price.

Key specs: 6144 shaders | 2587 MHz boost | 12 GB GDDR7

RTX 5070 price check: Best Buy $609.99 | Newegg $609.99 | Amazon $635.99 | B&H $642.05

The RX 9070 is one of AMD's better GPUs for many years and is not that much slower than the XT version. It's been so popular that it took months for the price to drop to anywhere near AMD's MSRP. Sadly, prices are right back up again.

Key specs: 3584 shaders | 2520 MHz boost | 16 GB GDDR6

RX 9070 price check: Newegg $599.99 | Walmart $599.99 | Best Buy $619.99

The RX 9070 XT is AMD's best graphics card in recent years, but it was hugely overpriced for a long time. While we did manage to enjoy this GPU at a sensible price towards the end of 2025, it's now heading back into the realm of unaffordability for the market it was initially pitched at.

Key specs: 4096 shaders | 2970 MHz boost | 16 GB GDDR6

RX 9070 XT price check: Newegg $699.99 | Walmart $699.99 | Best Buy $699.99 | B&H $794

At its $749 MSRP, the RTX 5070 Ti is an expensive but superb graphics card. Alas, while it's still very good, prices have now risen to ridiculous levels, and overall stocks are quite poor. This 'offer' is the best one of them all, but it's still $230 overpriced.

Key specs: 8960 shaders | 2640 MHz boost | 16 GB GDDR7

RTX 5070 Ti price check: B&H $979.99 | Best Buy $979.99 | Newegg $979.99 | Walmart $979.99

Nvidia's RTX 5080 is now consistently well over MSRP again, but even at $999, it's arguably not worth the price. That's because it's not that much faster than the RTX 4080 it replaces. You do get the full DLSS 4 suite, including Multi Frame Generation, but you're better off waiting until prices become more sensible, assuming they ever do.

Key specs: 10752 shaders | 2640 MHz boost | 16 GB GDDR7

RTX 5080 price check: Best Buy $1,289.99 | Walmart $1,299 | Amazon $1,319.99 | B&H $1,319.99

With a $40 discount, this is the highest refresh rate 1080p monitor you will find at its price point. It's also IPS, which offers better viewing angles and colours than VA and comes with a solid response time too.

Key specs: 23.8-inch | 200 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

This Asus monitor is among the lowest spec you will want to go for any gaming rig right now, but it's awfully cheap, making it a perfect secondary monitor or primary screen for a budget setup. This 120 Hz Full HD monitor comes with a 1 ms response time, so it should be plenty snappy for games too.

Key specs: 23.8-inch | 120 Hz | 1 ms | IPS

Price check: Newegg $100

You might not like the VA panel and its low brightness, but you'll surely like the speed and price tag. 250 Hz, 0.5 ms pixel time, and adaptive sync will all help to ensure you get super-silky gaming.

Key specs: 24-inch | 250 Hz | 0.5 ms | VA

Price check: Best Buy OOS | Micro Centre $116.97

If you want to chase high refresh rates and don't have the love or money for OLED, you can find all you need here. This is a 27-inch gaming monitor for the price of a 24-inch, with a 280 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time. It comes with AMD FreeSync too for a silky smooth response.

Key specs: 27-inch | 280 Hz | 1 ms | VA | 1500R curve

A slightly lower refresh rate than the Nitro below, but the same-sized screen, and for cheaper. This is still super speedy and has a nice snappy response time, too. Either way, you're getting a good deal, especially with this being at its best-ever price.

Key specs: 27-inch | 200 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

Though $140 certainly isn't cheap for a 1080p gaming monitor, you're getting a hurtling fast 240 Hz refresh rate, snappy 0.5 ms response time, and a reasonably sized 27-inch panel in return. This is perfect for competitive play, but also solid for a casual player.

Key specs: 27-inch | 240 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

If you're on a tight budget, this will get you a decently sized 1440p monitor for a real bargain price. It even has a higher-than-60 Hz refresh rate. Okay, 100 Hz isn't spectacular, but it is still notably smoother than 60 Hz. It's also not the brightest screen, rated at 250 nits peak, but the compromises will have to come in somewhere.

Key specs: 27-inch | 100 Hz | 1 ms | IPS

If you want to shave a few extra dollars off your bill at checkout, this gaming monitor from ASRock is a good way to go about it. It's a VA panel, which is good for contrasts but loses out to an IPS in a few ways, but it's around $10 cheaper than a competitive IPS. It's also rated to 180 Hz, which isn't bad.

Key specs: 27-inch | 180 Hz | 1 ms | VA

Price check: Walmart $162.63 (OOS)
OOS

$160 for a 180 Hz, 1440p, 27-inch IPS panel is an absolute steal. It's almost the same as the more expensive XV271U M3bmiiprx below, except it lacks FreeSync Pro and has a fixed stand.

Key specs: 27-inch | 180 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

This Acer monitor is a solid pick for all you prospective competitive gamers, hitting a high refresh rate and low response time sweet spot (0.5-1 ms gray-to-gray). It's IPS too so you aren't giving up quality for those snappy specs.

Key specs: 27-inch | 180 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

Price check: Acer $169.99

Yes, the name of this monitor is ridiculous, but it is a super reasonable price for a large curved 1440p screen. Acer makes solid monitors, and this one, with its 180 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response time, is sure to be plenty snappy. That 1500 R curvature also allows for greater levels of immersion.

Key specs: 31.5-inch | 180 Hz | 1500R | 1 ms | VA

Acer's $200+ 1440p monitor shows its more premium price point in an up to 240 Hz refresh rate and up to 0.5 ms response time. Both of these combine to make a very smooth gaming experience. You just need to make sure you have a good enough rig to match the refresh rate with your fps. This is a little more than the curvy one above, but if you just want a flat 27-incher this is a better bet for 240 Hz.

Key specs: 27-inch | 240 Hz | 0.5 ms | IPS

Price check: Acer $199.99

It doesn't get much better than this, folks. A 4K, 27-inch gaming monitor for a cent under $200. It's an IPS panel, with a 1 ms response time, and is what's known as a dual mode monitor. That means it runs at both 4K/144 Hz and 1080p/288 Hz. Perfect for blending both competitive gaming with immersive singleplayer gaming.

Key specs: 27-inch | 4K + 1080p (dual mode) | 144/288 Hz | 1 ms | IPS

This TUF monitor is at a strong price point, and the 160 Hz refresh rate is reasonably high, too. The only consideration you need to make here is if a 27-inch panel fits your setup. Otherwise, it's a bit of a banger.

Key specs: 27-inch | 160 Hz | 1 ms | IPS

Another dual-mode monitor, this IPS LG UltraGear panel can swap between 180 Hz and 360 Hz depending on your resolution of choice, and comes with neat extras like Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium. At almost half off, its latest price is very reasonable.

Key specs: 27-inch | 180/360 Hz (4K / 1080p) | 1 ms | IPS

The cheapest ultrawide monitor we'd recommend right now, this Acer Nitro is a super solid deal. It's just VA, which means it's not as vibrant as an IPS, and the 120 Hz refresh is just okay, but it's still a great panel for the price.

Key specs: 34-inch | 120 Hz | VA | 1 ms

At its current price, this LG ultrawide is a genuine bargain (though not as good as it has been before). By comparison, Alienware's fancy QD-OLED 34-inch panel is around $800 even on sale. This LG matches its size, resolution, aspect ratio, and refresh rate for less than one-third of the price, although, of course, it is a VA panel, not an OLED. It's also not the brightest gaming monitor ever, but it is a very good deal.

Key specs: 34-inch | 3440 x 1440 | 160 Hz | 1 ms | VA | 1800R curve

Price check: Amazon (OOS)

34-inch ultrawide 1440p gaming remains one of our firm favourites. It's a great compromise between lots of detail and decent frame rates. This Samsung panel gives you all that with 3,440 by 1,440 pixels, 165 Hz refresh, and 1 ms response, alongside a heavy curve. It's not the brightest at 250 nits. But if you can live with that, it's an awful lot of monitor for the money.

Key specs: 34-inch | 3440 x 1440 | 165 Hz | 1 ms | VA | 1000R curve

Okay, this monitor is definitely over the top, being a 49-inch curved ultrawide screen that costs the same as a budget rig. However, for that price, you are getting a good panel, a great refresh rate, and an impressive 5120 x 1440 p resolution.

Key specs: 49-inch | 5120 x 1440 | 240 Hz | 1 ms

Of all the big and wide Samsung monitors on this page, this is the biggest and the widest. It's basically two 4K screens stuck together, and Mini-LED ones at that. It's still a huge amount of cash (and personally, I'd have to buy a whole new desk for this wideboi), but this is a great saving on it.

Key specs: 57-inch | 7680 x 2160 | 240Hz | 1 ms | VA | 1000R curve

Price check: Samsung $2,099.99

Both 1440p and OLED, this 27-inch monitor from Acer has almost everything you may want to pair with your rig. It's even better now that it's $150 off, making it the cheapest OLED on our entire list right now. To top it off, it comes with a 240 Hz refresh rate, up to 0.01 ms response time, and a solid selection of ports with a DisplayPort, and 2 HDMI ports.

Key specs: 27-inch | 2560 X 1440 | 240 Hz | OLED | 0.03 ms

Price check: Best Buy OOS

Even reasonably good value at full price, over $200 off an OLED panel with 1440p resolution and a snappy 180 Hz refresh rate makes this a contender for one of the best priced QD-OLED monitors out there.

Key specs: 27-inch | 1440p | 180 Hz | 0.03 ms | QD-OLED

Price check: Best Buy $499.99

OLED really makes a huge difference to the way games look, and it's fantastic that impressive OLED monitors are finally starting to hit a lower price point. AOC's model has a 1440p resolution with a 240 Hz refresh rate, a semi-glossy panel coating, and fast-as-you-like response times—so it not only looks great, but feels speedy, too.

Key specs: 27-inch | 2560 x 1440 | 240 Hz | 0.03 ms

Price check: Best Buy $519.99

27 inches is a tad small, and the 1440p resolution is pretty much the minimum you want for an OLED panel, but the rest of the specs here are great. High refresh rate, snappy response time, and a super solid price.

Key specs: 27-inch | 1440p | 240 Hz | 0.03 ms | QD-OLED

OLED gaming monitors are mana for your eyes, thanks to their luscious colors, zero backlights that ruin dark areas, and an ultra-fast response time. The original price for this 1440p OLED from MSI was far too high, but this deal solves that problem entirely.

Key specs: 27-inch | 2560 X 1440 | 360 Hz | 0.03 ms | QD-OLED

Price check: Amazon $602.95

Ah, what a beauty. This 32-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor is the sort of thing dreams are made of, thanks to its excellent color reproduction, superb contrast, and sheer size. A good 32-inch display is a wonderful thing to game on, and this is certainly one of those. Plus, being a 165 Hz refresh rate model, it's a lot cheaper than the 240 Hz equivalent. In fact, this is the cheapest we've found this screen for to date, making it a mega deal worth some serious consideration.

Key specs: 32-inch | 4K | 165 Hz | 0.03 ms | QD-OLED

Price check: Amazon $809.99

Big, bold, and beautiful. MSI's MPG 321URX isn't just some expensive monitor for gaming; it's a genuinely fantastic display that's great for work and play. If you want to step up into the world of 4K OLED, stop right here and just buy this screen. We don't rate this the best gaming monitor for nothing, you know.

Key specs: 32-inch | 4K | 240 Hz | 0.03 ms | QD-OLED

Price check: Amazon $896.49

This is one helluva gaming monitor. If you imagine two 1440p panels glued side-by-side, you wouldn't be far wrong, though this is seamless. A single screen for extra-extra-ultrawide gaming at high resolution, or dual monitors without the ugly bezel down the middle. It's also an OLED, shouldn't forget that, either. It checks all the boxes.

Key specs: 49-inch | 5120 x 1440 | 240 Hz | 0.03 ms | QD-OLED | 1800R

Price check: Samsung $1799.99

It's a fair chunk of cash for a slow SSD but if you're looking for lots of storage and don't need a blazing NVMe drive, then this is the cheapest way of putting a 1 TB SSD in your gaming PC. Just don't expect it to sustain full speed under heavy workloads and you'll be fine.

Key specs: 2.5-inch | SATA III 6 Gb/s | 560 MB/s read | 500 MB/s write

This might not be the fastest Gen4 NVMe drive you can find right now, but it's certainly one of the cheapest. And despite not maxing out the spec, it's not exactly a slouch, with 6000 MB/s reads and 5,000 MB/s writes. It's still going to feel plenty fast for many uses, particularly if you're replacing a Gen3 drive or using it as some extra backup space. Great for the cash, I reckon.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 6,000 MB/s read | 5,000 MB/s write

With a sequential read/write of 5,000 MB/s and 4,800 MB/s, this still isn't what you'd call slow and should be fine for gaming, plus it comes from a reliable brand.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,000 MB/s read | 4,800 MB/s write

Price check: Amazon (Out of Stock)

The US75 might not technically have the fastest read and write speeds of all the Gen 4 drives on the market, but it's absolutely no slouch either, and would make a seriously brilliant games storage drive. Or anything else, for that matter.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,000 MB/s read | 6,500 MB/s write

This DRAM-less drive is well-suited for stashing your operating system alongside a few games from your ever-growing Steam backlog. This is the version with a heatsink, which means you can slot it straight into a console, too.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,100 MB/s read | 6,000 MB/s write

Price Check: Amazon (Out of stock) | B&H Photo (Discontinued)

This SSD is no slouch and still offers some of the best-in-class 4K read performance (read our full review here). Though this drops the DDR4 DRAM cache and instead opts for a single-sided design, it's still got the same versatile form factor that perfectly suits this heat-sinkless drive to PCs, consoles, and laptops.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,250 MB/s read | 6,900 MB/s write

Price check: Amazon $192.95

At this capacity and speed, the G50 just about fits the bill for a basic boot drive with room for a few games.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,000 MB/s read | 5000 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $189.99

Okay, so our tests demonstrate it's slightly slower than the advertised speeds, but the actual sequential performance still isn't bad. Couple that with a very reasonable price point, plus its practically frosty temps, and you might well be looking at your next upgrade.

Key specs: NVMe | 7,400 MB/s read | 6,500 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $236.00

Crucial's performance claims are very much peak values, and the real-world numbers are generally lower (as we found when we reviewed the 2 TB version), but it remains one of the best way to boost your Steam Deck's storage and get a handy speed bump, too.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,100 MB/s read | 6,000 MB/s write

Price check: Amazon $209.01

This Team Group drive isn't the fastest compact SSD you can stick in your Steam Deck, but it is a little nippier than the stock drive the Deck ships with.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,000 MB/s read | 3,500 MB/s write | Steam Deck + ROG Ally compatible

Price check: Amazon $299.99

You might not know Silicon Power from Samsung, but this SSD is well-received by our friends at Tom's Hardware. It offers plenty of speed for a Steam library expansion though it's definitely not the fastest SSD out there.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,000 MB/s read | 4,800 MB/s write

Price check: B&H Photo $299.99 | Amazon (Out of stock)

This budget SSD is packing in a lot of space for just under $0.05 per GB, and while it might be QLC memory and comes without DRAM cache, it's still an impressively quick drive for the money, with strong sequential performance.

Key specs: PCIe 4.0 | Up to 7,100 MB/s read | up to 6,000 MB/s write

Price check: Amazon $286.62

It's not be the fastest of drives, but it's difficult to argue with this much storage for this price. With a sequential read/write of 5,000 MB/s and 4,500 MB/s, it's still not what you'd call slow and should be fine for gaming, plus it comes from a reliable brand.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 5,000 MB/s read | 4,500 MB/s write

Price check: Amazon (Out of stock)

This is a good drive for bulking out your storage, especially for a Steam library. It uses QLC NAND rather than TLC, which the slightly more expensive MP44 uses, and that means it is a bit slower. Thankfully, that won't really be a problem unless you're moving huge files around on the regular.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | Up to 7,400 MB/s read | Up to 6,200 MB/s write

Price check: Amazon $509.99

This Team Group boasts some mighty specs for the money, though it's actually the same hardware as in the Lexar NM790. The sequential read/write speeds are extremely high, but it can only sustain them over short bursts. Read our full review of this SSD for more info.

Key specs: NVMe | PCIe 4.0 | 7,400 MB/s read | 6,900 MB/s write

Price check: Newegg $516.66

Our top pick for the best budget external SSD. Not only does this external drive maintain its peak transfer speed for over six minutes, but it's also dinky enough to attach to the end of your lanyard. Thumb drive, who? But without a hard-wearing, shock-proof shell, or even an IP rating for dust protection, perhaps you're better off treating this budget drive like a little prince.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2 | 1,050 MB/s read and write

Price check: Newegg $314.32 | B&H Photo (Discontinued) | Amazon (Out of stock)

Not all external SSDs need to be big and bulky. This Team Group PD20M is just 40 g in weight and 8.2 mm thick, making it very portable. It's also MagSafe-compatible, so you can attach it to the back of an iPhone and extend its storage, with an appropriate cable. As with all fast external SSDs, you'll need a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20 Gbps) port to get the full speed.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2x2 | 2,000 MB/s read and write

This drive comes in an anodized aluminium shell with a rubberized base and is just 65 x 50 mm. There's an integrated lanyard hole too, if you want to wear it, which hides a drive activity light.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen2 | Up to 1,050 MB/s read and write

Price check: Newegg $853.24

This monster drive now unfortunately has a monster price, but it's still a whole lot cheaper than just about any other 4 TB model on the market. Think of it as a huge aircraft hanger for your storage, with tons of room for any data you don't need accessed at blisteringly-fast speeds. It's still likely quick enough for the odd indie game, though, and the perfect place to store your file and photo backups.

Key specs: USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C) | 1,050 MB/s read | 1,052 MB/s write

Okay, so this model doesn't have the properly punchy Z2 Extreme chip of the ROG Xbox Ally X below. As such, it's nowhere near as powerful, and more suited to indie games rather than the demanding stuff. That being said, handheld gaming PCs are rising to silly prices right now, and this one's still got a super-comfortable chassis, a good screen, and the Xbox FSE interface.

Key specs: Ryzen Z2 A | 7-inch | 1080p | 144 Hz | 16 GB LPDDR5x | 512 GB SSD