Start a PC gaming journey with $350 off this HP Pavilion pre-built gaming machine

(Image credit: HP)

So, you want to get into PC gaming—a very good choice, if we do say so ourselves (though we may be a bit biased). For those just starting out, BestBuy are offering a very reasonable HP Pavilion pre-built rig with an AMD Ryzen 7 2700 CPU, 16GB of memory, an AMD Radeon RX 580 graphics card, and a 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD storage set up for just $700. That's $350 less than normal and a saving of around 30 percent. Not bad for a system that'll handle most modern games at mid-to-high settings. It isn't the best gaming PC on the market by any means, but it is a very respectable starting point.

If the specs above sound like gibberish to you, that AMD Ryzen 7 2700 CPU is a solid foundation on which to build your gaming system (it features on our best CPU for gaming list, in fact). It's perfect for overclocking your system to give a boost of extra power during play, and it's a quick bit of hardware for non-gaming tasks as well. Meanwhile, the graphics card—a mid-range AMD Radeon RX 580—will manage games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, or Overwatch with ease. You may need to turn down the graphics settings on the latest AAA games, but it'll still put in a solid performance. As for the system's memory, the inclusion of an SSD will speed up boot and load-times significantly. However, the real benefit to buying a pre-built rig like this is simpler than that; basically, the hard work has already been done for you. Although building a PC from scratch can be a lot of fun, having someone else deal with the electronic spaghetti of cable management is always appreciated. If you're concerned about longevity, don't worry. This system can be always be upgraded or added to with better parts in the future. It's essentially a head-start.

Want to complete your setup? Our team has put together some guides to get you started. To begin with, be sure to check out our list of the best gaming keyboards and info on the best gaming mouse. We'd also recommend dropping in on our guide to the best gaming monitor to round out your gaming station.

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As part of our Central Hardware Team, Benjamin looks after many of the buying guides, tech reviews, and deals you’ll see on PC Gamer. He’s also a board game geek with credits that include GamesRadar+ and Metro.co.uk, so follow him on Twitter @TheWordyBen for more nerdy shenanigans.