2026: The year of the RAMpocalypse. The streets are empty, the sirens are blaring, and we're peeking through the blinds looking for scraps of memory. At least, that's how it feels.
I spend plenty of time writing about how dreary it's looking out there because of the memory shortage, so it's only right that I balance out that doom and gloom with some positivity. So, I've made it my mission today to scour around for some pre-built gaming PCs that are doing their damnedest to fend off those rising memory prices.
I've managed to whittle the list down to seven PCs I'd consider, ranging the whole performance spectrum from an RTX 5060 build to an RTX 5080 one. All of these have 32 GB of RAM, which is the ideal for a gaming rig. 16 GB is a little light, even for a budget build, and 64 GB is overkill, especially for these shortage prices.
If my own money were on the line, I'd be eyeing up that RTX 5070 Ti Lenovo build, especially given all the talk about these particular GPUs becoming an increasingly scarce, but not completely dead, resource. If I were looking to save a little more money, the ABS build with a 16 GB RTX 9060 XT would be catching my eye.
Saying that, all seven of these ae great value in the current market. Prices aren't expected to improve any time soon—they're only going in one direction, as far as we can tell—so it's likely these will be some of the best prices for well-rounded builds for quite some time.
Quick list
- MSI Codex R2 - RTX 5060 - $1,079 @ Newegg
- Lenovo Legion Tower 5i - RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB - $1,220 @ Best Buy
- ABS Cyclone Ruby - RTX 9060 XT 16 GB - $1,235 @ Newegg
- ABS Cyclone Aqua - RTX 5070 - $1,425 @ Newegg
- Lenovo Legion Tower 5i - RTX 5070 Ti - $1,799 @ B&H Photo
- iBuyPower Slate 9 - RX 9070 XT - $1,800 @ Newegg
- Andromeda Insights AI 50 Ultra V3 - RTX 5080 - $2,750 @ Best Buy
The deals
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There are cheaper RTX 5060 gaming PCs out there, but we're now at a point with the memory crisis where getting 32 GB of DDR5 RAM—not to mention 2 TB of storage—is well worth a fair amount of extra cash. You're also getting a pretty recent and decent budget CPU.
Key specs: Core i5 14400F | RTX 5060 | 32 GB DDR5 | 2 TB SSD
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As far as 2026 prices go, this is fantastic for a budget gaming PC, primarily thanks to the 32 GB of DDR5 RAM you're getting during a memory shortage. The RTX 5060 Ti is a great GPU for 1080p and even 1440p gaming, too, even if it is the version with 8 GB of VRAM.
Key specs: Core Ultra 7 265F | RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB | 32 GB DDR5-5600 | 1 TB SSD
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The 16 GB version of the RX 9060 XT is a great little GPU. It goes toe-to-toe with the RTX 5060 Ti, offering great 1080p and decent 1440p performance. This one's got 16 GB of VRAM, too. Throw in a current-gen CPU and 32 GB of fast DDR5 RAM—during a memory shortage, no less—and you have a reasonable deal, here. Use code ABS5DEAL for the full discount.
Key specs: Ryzen 5 9600X | RX 9060 XT 16 GB | 32 GB DDR5-6000 | 1 TB SSD
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With graphics cards and memory rapidly rising in price at the moment, your best bet of picking a decent GPU at a decent price is within a full build. And this ABS Cyclone comes with both a 12 GB GPU and a full 32 GB of DDR5-6400 in the package. The CPU might be old, and thirsty, but it will still deliver some solid gaming performance for the money. Use code ABS5DEAL for the full discount.
Key specs: Core i7 14700F | RTX 5070 | 32 GB DDR5-6400 | 1 TB SSD | 650 W PSU
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This would be a decent price even for an RTX 5070 Ti gaming PC without the health dose of RAM and storage. But with those two, this is a veritable bargain. The RTX 5070 Ti is a midrange GPU bordering on high-end territory, meaning which makes this rig good enough for almost any kind of gaming you might want to do.
Key specs: Core Ultra 7 265F | RTX 5070 Ti | 32 GB DDR5-5600 | 2 TB SSD
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$400 off a full AMD build, sporting an RX 9070 XT and a proper 3D V-Cache CPU? Yes, that'll work for me. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D might be a little older now, but it's still one of the best value gaming CPUs around, but the RX 9070 XT is the finest graphics card AMD has created in the longest time. You're also getting 32 GB of the expensive stuff, and an it'll-do 1 TB SSD.
Key specs: Ryzen 7 7800X3D | Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB | 32 GB DDR5 | 1 TB SSD
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RTX 5080 gaming PCs might be increasing in price, but here you're at least getting a well-rounded rig worthy of that high price. That's thanks to the current-gen X3D chip sitting alongside the GPU. We reckon it's the best processor for gaming on the market right now, and that makes this whole rig a tempting prospect.
Key specs: Ryzen 7 9800X3D | RTX 5080 | 32 GB DDR5-6000 | 2 TB SSD

1. Best overall:
HP Omen 35L
2. Best budget:
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i
3. Best high-end:
Corsair Vengeance A7500
4. Best compact:
Velocity Micro Raptor ES40
5. Alienware:
Alienware Area-51
6. Best mini PC:
Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.

Jacob got his hands on a gaming PC for the first time when he was about 12 years old. He swiftly realised the local PC repair store had ripped him off with his build and vowed never to let another soul build his rig again. With this vow, Jacob the hardware junkie was born. Since then, Jacob's led a double-life as part-hardware geek, part-philosophy nerd, first working as a Hardware Writer for PCGamesN in 2020, then working towards a PhD in Philosophy for a few years while freelancing on the side for sites such as TechRadar, Pocket-lint, and yours truly, PC Gamer. Eventually, he gave up the ruthless mercenary life to join the world's #1 PC Gaming site full-time. It's definitely not an ego thing, he assures us.
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