There is no such thing as future-proofing, especially in technology, where it evolves so rapidly. However, Alienware Area-51, which wields some of the best hardware that's available today, will get you through a few years of high-end 4K (3840x2160) gaming without a sweat. The formidable gaming desktop usually sells for around $8,579.99, but Dell has slashed the price by 30% to bring the price down to $5,999.99.

• Check out the Alienware Area-51 Gaming Desktop deal on Dell

The Alienware Area-51 is the closest thing to a perfect gaming system by today's standards. Equipped with a Core Ultra 9 285K processor, it has 24 cores (eight P-cores and 16 E-cores) at its disposal. That's more than enough firepower to move any AAA games at 4K. While the chip is impressive in its own right, the GeForce RTX 5090, Nvidia's current flagship gaming graphics card, is the best technology has to offer for 4K gaming right now.

Despite being in the middle of a memory and storage shortage, the Alienware Area-51 doesn't compromise on either aspect. It has 64GB (2x32GB) of high-speed DDR5-6400 memory that exceeds the memory requirements of modern titles. As for storage, the gaming system provides a 4TB PCIe 4.0 SSD that will suffice for a long time while you grow your gaming library.

The gaming system resides inside Dell's custom Alienware case with a tempered glass side panel to show off the internals. It also uses a 360mm AIO liquid cooler to cool the Core Ultra 9 285 K. Meanwhile, a 1,500W 80 Plus Platinum-certified power supply keeps every component in the Alienware Area-51 well fed and provides headroom for future upgrades, whether it's more memory, a bigger SSD, or even a next-generation graphics card.

With the most affordable GeForce RTX 5090 starting at $3,999 and memory and SSD prices spiraling out of control, the Alienware Area-51's current $5,999 price tag looks pretty good if you're not into building your own system from scratch. The Alienware Area-51 features top-tier hardware and comes with Dell's Alienware Care 24/7 customer support with on-location repairs.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

If you're in the market for a mid-range gaming PC that won't break the bank, this HP Omen deal might be worth checking out. HP has slashed $1,075 off this Omen 35L gaming desktop with an RTX 5070, Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, now just $1,724. With 32GB of RAM alone worth $400 in today's PC part economy, this is a pretty good deal on a middle-of-the-road gaming PC.

● Check out this deal on HP's website

As mentioned, this is a pretty decent spec PC, with only the CPU leaving a little bit to be desired. Certainly, at its inflated $2,799 MSRP, this would be a dud, but at just over $1,700, it's much better value.

While the RTX 5070 will chew through titles at 1440p, as you can see from our CPU testing data below, the 265K is a little underpowered when it comes to gaming. With that being said, it still easily offers over 100 FPS at 1080p in our 16-game testing suite, and thanks to its price, it has one of the highest FPS/$ value ratings of any CPU on the market. Nvidia's DLSS 4 support will also give you extra coverage to offset the 265K's shortcomings, thanks to multi-frame generation, if you decide to push up to 1440p or higher.

These CPUs are also much better at multi-threaded performance, beating out even AMD's big-gun X3D CPUs in tasks like Cinebench and Blender. As such, the 265F is a decent all-rounder that won't break the bank and is perfect if you want a PC for gaming and productivity.

If you'd be happy to spend a bit more, then the monstrous RTX 5080 variant with AMD's leading 9800X3D chip is also still on sale with a massive $1,100 discount. For $2,499 (30% off), you get the chip, 5080 with 16GB of VRAM, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD. For the price, many users will consider that worth upgrading, but if you're on a budget, the 5070 model is definitely worth considering.

As for the original 5070 model. It comes with 32GB of DDR5 6000 RAM, the sweet spot for gaming, and a $400 commodity in the current market. You also get an 850W power supply, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, integrated LAN, and more. As part of HP's July 4 sale, you also get a free copy of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

You can also join the Tom's Hardware deals Discord for up-to-the-minute hardware deals.

The ultimate starter toolkit for a PC builder or hobbyist is now on sale at Amazon. This Strebito 144-in-1 kit is just $39.99 right now, knocking 20% off the usual price for a set that includes both precision and electric screwdrivers, as well as 22 different maintenance tools and 120 magnetic driver bits.

● Check out this deal at Amazon

If you're looking to build or repair any kind of electronics, this Strebito kit will gives you everything you need, and at a fair price. A set that comes with two drivers, plenty of bits, built-in LED lighting, and a whole array of cleaning, scraping, and adjusting tools to help you with any job you're working on is a good set to have at your disposal.

The two drivers you're getting here suit different types of repair jobs. The mini electric screwdriver comes with a 350 mAh battery, which should charge within an hour over USB-C.

With a 200 RPM and adjustable torque between 0.15 and 0.5 Newton-meters, the electric driver is a good option for any fiddly repairs, and includes a built-in LED light to help you in those dark PC cases. Meanwhile, the precision screwdriver that also comes with this kit unlocks up to 7 Newton-meters of torque for seriously tricky screws that need a lot more pressure.

You don't need to worry about missing bits, either. There are 120 different bits in this set, covering major head styles, including flathead, Phillips, Torx, and Pozidrive. The kit comes with a magnetizer/demagnetizer tool to make it even easier for your drivers to grab hold of the screws, but it can also weaken them for those sensitive PC builds. The 5.7 x 3.3-inch magnetic project mat will help you to keep everything organized while you're building. A number of brushes, scrapers, a suction cup, and more round up the 22 additional repair tools included in this kit, which will prove useful if you're taking apart a laptop or smartphone, for instance.

The $39.99 price for this Strebito 144-in-1 precision screwdriver set makes it an unmissable option for yourself or as a gift for a PC builder, DIYer, or hobbyist in the making. Strebito offers a lifetime guarantee for this kit, so if you run into any issues, you'll be covered, too.

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Taiwanese authorities have been stepping up their investigation into the alleged AI GPU smuggling by some Supermicro employees, and it was recently reported that the police “raided” the company’s Taipei office. However, Digitimes reports that the firm is pushing back against this characterization, with Supermicro insisting that it’s cooperating with the investigation. Instead, it voluntarily gave investigators access to the workstations and electronic devices of the employees suspected of violating U.S. export controls while also placing them on administrative leave.

“Supermicro’s offices in Taiwan were not raided by any government authorities,” Supermicro Chief Revenue Officer Matt Thauberger told customers and partners in a written statement. He also confirmed with the Taiwanese government that the company was not the target of any investigation and that it has been cooperating since May of this year. "We have zero tolerance for anyone who violates the law or our internal policies," he also wrote in the letter.

Supermicro insists that it is cooperating with officials in the investigation and even gave them access, and as such the police intervention wasn't technically a “raid.” It remains unclear, though, how long the company knew about the pending police action before the authorities arrived on the premises.

This investigation is part of Taiwan’s push to investigate the alleged smuggling of Nvidia AI chips into China through its territory. The island does not have any laws that echo the U.S.’s export controls, so it’s using a loose interpretation of other regulations. This is similar to what Singapore is doing, which recently seized a $42 million mansion and $772k stashed in a bank account that are owned by alleged AI GPU smugglers. But because it also does not have export control laws like Taiwan, the accused are instead charged with fraud and money laundering.

Aside from the case brought against Supermicro employees in Taiwan, three other individuals linked to the company, including its co-founder, Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw, have been arrested in the U.S. on charges of conspiring to violate the Export Controls Reform Act. They allegedly used a hairdryer to soften the glue on thousands of serial numbers on the banned servers and moved them to dummy units to make them harder to track. They were then reportedly shipped via a Thailand-based government-related entity before landing in Chinese tech giant Alibaba’s warehouses.

Although Supermicro isn’t directly accused in these two cases, the fact that many of its employees are being investigated and charged is probably raising concern among its partners and customers. It has even gotten to the point that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has urged it to fix its export compliance controls. This is likely the reason why the company has taken moves to clarify the situation, which has already caused its stock price to slide by 8% in U.S. trading.

A 4K-capable gaming PC for under $1,400 is an absolute steal in the current market, which is why you won't want to sit on this deal from Walmart. The retailer has slashed $520.99 off this CyberPowerPC rig with an Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD, bringing the price down to just $1,349 right now.

● Check out this deal at Walmart

The boom in AI has caused prices for new gaming PCs, along with the components used to build them, to skyrocket. That makes this $1,349 price tag one you can't ignore if you're looking for a budget-friendly rig. While it can't compete with the epic 9800X3D and RTX 5090 combos you'll spot on sale for thousands of dollars more, you're still getting a seriously good spec sheet for the money, with one of Intel's best CPUs in recent years, along with the formidable mid-tier RTX 5070 from Nvidia.

Our review of the Intel Core Ultra 5 250KF made clear that Intel had produced a worthy CPU for budget gamers here. Cheap and cheerful, the 250KF (the F meaning it lacks an integrated GPU, which isn't a problem here) is an efficient workhorse that competes with the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X for gaming, while offering productivity scores that rival CPUs that are twice as expensive.

This is not a processor that is expected to rival the highest-end processors, but our CPU benchmarks confirm it isn't underpowered, either. It sits just 1% off the 9600X, and 9% behind the 7600X3D for gaming. With the RTX 5070, especially using DLSS, the 250KF won't be a huge bottleneck at the high end. It comes with 18 cores, with six performance cores and 12 efficient cores, and a boost clock speed of 5.3 GHz.

Coupled with the CPU, however, is the impressive Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070. Our RTX 5070 review makes clear that this is a powerful GPU for gaming and a solid, mid-tier option for buyers to consider. That's why it joins our best GPU list as the best all-rounder Nvidia GPU for gamers from its current generation.

You're getting a GPU that comes equipped with 6,144 CUDA cores and 12GB of GDDR7 VRAM, operating on a 192-bit memory bus. This will deliver high frame rates at 1080p, even with high-to-ultra graphics presets. 4K and 1440p are possibilities here, too, although the most intensive games will require you to tweak your graphics settings.

Luckily, Nvidia's current-gen Blackwell GPUs like this one unlock the latest Nvidia features, specifically DLSS 4 and multi-frame generation. Yes, AI-generated frames are controversial, but in a budget rig, it'll help you push over 4K with decent and playable frame rates.

One small area of compromise in this budget-focused rig is the RAM capacity. It's DDR5, but you're only getting 16GB. That's still the baseline for a gaming PC, so it isn't terrible, but it won't offer you the breathing room that 32GB can offer, although there is room for upgrading in the future. 1TB of SSD storage, however, is a good addition here, offering Gen 4 speeds and giving you enough space for at least a few big game installations.

The rig itself is all white, with a stunning wrap-around glass frontage to give you full view of the internals. It's liquid-cooled, with plenty of RGB fans to keep the system cool while you work or game, and you get a free keyboard and mouse thrown in to set yourself up with, too.

All in all, you won't find a lower price for an equivalent spec than the $1,349 price tag for this CyberPowerPC gaming rig. With the performance offering 4K-capable gameplay for under $1,400, along with space for further upgrades in the future, you'll have a rig with longevity. That said, a price this good means this rig won't be around for long, so jump on it quickly.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, gaming chair, or CPU Deals pages.

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When the Steam Machine was first unveiled, aesthetic customization was one of its biggest talking points beyond the hardware itself. At the time, Dbrand showed off a case modeled after the iconic Weighted Companion Cube from Portal 2 and later sold it for $99 — all without ever asking Valve permission for the use of its IP. Therefore, as expected, the case is now gone, and every order will be subsequently refunded.

RIP Companion Cube from r/dbrand

This is pretty characteristic of Dbrand, a company that prides itself on its edgy corporate branding where it often doesn't care about playing by the rules. That's fine as long as the rule-breaking is limited to cursing out your customers on social media, but it doesn't work when you violate copyright law. If anything, Valve was generous with allowing Dbrand to get away with selling the case for this long without repercussions.

That's precisely the takeaway from the company's official statement (embedded above) where it calls Valve "direct, fair, and respectful throughout." Valve's legal team reached out to Dbrand and asked it to shut down the entire operation; halt sales immediately and take down the sales page and all promotional content. Dbrand complied and even extended a hand for an official collaboration, but Valve turned down the offer.

The popular skin manufacturer has previously found itself in similar hot waters with Sony and Nintendo. You may remember the famous "Darkplates" saga where the company similarly took advantage of an open customization feature and started selling faceplates for the newly-launched PS5. On the other hand, it also sold unofficial Zelda skins for the Switch OLED, literally called "Clone of the Kingdom."

It's one thing to produce accessories with original designs, but it's a completely different thing to use said company's IP as the design, regardless of the engineering efforts behind it. That's why the Darkplates eventually came back, but the Zelda skin can't. And it's also why a Portal 2-themed case can't realistically exist without asking the company who owns Portal. Valve had to draw a line somewhere to protect its IP and avoid creating precedence for future litigation.

Anyhow, this machoistic corporate strategy has worked wonders for Dbrand's online following, but even the fans called out this move as comically stupid. Beyond the copyright violation, the chance of an official partnership is now gone, too. Dbrand said the Companion Cube case became its second-fastest selling product ever, implying things would've certainly worked out had Dbrand approached Valve ahead of time.

Meta PCs has announced preorders for Steamroller, the first prebuilt gaming PC running on SteamOS. The system features standard PC components that are broadly similar to those offered by Valve in the base variant of the Steam Machine. Priced at $1,299, the Steamroller is available for preorder now, with shipping set to begin on July 3, 2026. Buyers can also opt for an extended warranty, with two-year and three-year plans available for $180 and $240, respectively.

The Steamroller uses the Jonsbo D32, a well-ventilated m-ATX chassis with an AMD Ryzen 9600X, which is a 6-core, 12-thread CPU capable of boosting up to 5.4 GHz. Meta PCs mentions that the B650M/B650M Wi-Fi m-ATX motherboard will vary in brand and styling, meaning not all Steamroller PCs are alike, though they shouldn’t vary in terms of performance. For graphics, the system comes with AMD’s last-gen Radeon RX 7600 based on the RDNA 3 architecture with 8GB of GDDR6 memory. The system also includes 16GB of DDR5 RAM at 5600 MT/s, a 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD, a 240mm AIO liquid cooler, and a 650W Gold power supply unit.

In terms of hardware, the Steamroller seems competitive with Valve's new Steam Machine. Since it includes standard PC components, one also gains the ability to upgrade almost any component in the future, unlike the Steam Machine, which only allows you to swap the RAM and storage. That said, the Steam Machine is more compact, measuring at 152 × 162 × 156 mm (6.0 × 6.4 × 6.1 inches), justifying its console/living room PC purpose.

Another aspect to consider is practicality. The Steam Machine supports HDMI CEC, a protocol that allows it to communicate and control compatible devices such as your TV and soundbar. This allows you to power on the Steam Machine and your TV simultaneously, and even switch to the correct input, without leaving your couch or reaching for a remote. Unfortunately, HDMI CEC is not supported on most PCs, including the Steamroller. The Steam Machine also features standby and quick resume functionality, which allows you to put the system to sleep and jump back into your game almost instantly.

The Steamroller is essentially aimed at potential customers who want a gaming PC running on SteamOS with the flexibility of standard PC hardware. While it may lack some of the living room-focused features available on the Steam Machine, it makes up for them by offering a system that is easier to upgrade and repair, while also offering a way to experience SteamOS without assembling an entire system.

With the AI boom rapidly pushing up the cost of individual parts for a gaming PC, buying a pre-built rig is often the better choice from a value perspective. That's because of deals like this HP Omen 35L gaming PC, fitted with a 9800X3D, RTX 5080, 32GB DDR5, and 2TB of SSD storage for just $2,499.99 right now. HP has slashed $1,100 off its list price for this 4K-capable machine, making it a seriously affordable option for any gamer.

● Check out this deal on HP's website

It would be almost impossible to pick up the individual parts in this machine for the same cost right now. SSDs, RAM, GPUs: they're all much more expensive now than they were 12 months ago. The RTX 5080, the gaming powerhouse behind this PC, would set you back half the cost alone.

Luckily, you're getting power for value in this recently refreshed HP Omen 35L gaming PC. This isn't old stock, and the specs are top tier, with the RTX 5080 paired nicely with the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. This machine is a visually understated option, avoiding endless RGB for a cool, black style that is a little more refined.

The power of the 9800X3D and RTX 5080 is seriously formidable. Starting with the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D has a big reputation among gamers. It was (until very recently) the most powerful for gaming in the world, beating every other chip due to its massive cache capacity, and continues to be the top choice in our best CPU shortlist. This 8-core, 16-thread processor uses AMD's latest Zen 5 architecture, and has a boost clock speed of up to 5.2 GHz.

It's fully unlocked, meaning you can overclock it: a nice improvement over original 3D V-cache chips. It's that 3D V-cache that gives it that extra gaming performance, as our CPU benchmarks confirm. The boosted L3 cache means that your CPU doesn't need to fall back onto slower system RAM, reducing latency and delivering higher and more stable frame rates for better gaming performance overall.

This is a CPU with little downside for modern gaming, and is uplifted further by the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 installed here. The RTX 5080 is the second-place GPU for Nvidia's latest generation, featuring 10,752 CUDA cores and 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM.

Our GPU benchmarks confirm what a powerhouse option this is. 4K gaming isn't going to be a problem here, with high frame rates expected. It has the raw power you can expect, but it also unlocks the added functionality provided by DLSS 4, allowing you to shift up your graphics presets, even in resource-heavy games. That isn't a problem for the RTX 5080 right now, but it does ensure longevity for this GPU. The RTX 5080 is a card that will smash through modern gaming for years to come.

The rest of the specs in this HP rig are strong, too. Built-in WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity, along with 2.5G Ethernet, are included. There's also a 2TB SSD, offering Gen 4 speeds, with a good amount of space included for documents, games, and movies.

You don't need to settle for a compromise on the RAM front, either. The HP Omen 35L includes 32GB of DDR5 RAM, dual-channel, offering speeds of 6,000 MT/s. Dual-channel RAM, split across two 16GB modules, means you're ensuring the best bandwidth between your RAM and CPU. HP has been known to sell single-channel rigs before, so this is good to see. The 35L also comes with a 240mm AIO liquid cooler to keep this powerful rig cool.

You won't find a better option than the $2,499.99 sale price for this HP Omen 35L gaming PC right now. The AI boom isn't slowing down, and component prices continue to rise, so this might be the best price you'll find for a spec this good for some time. Expect to see this one sell out fast, so if you want it, make sure to order it quickly.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

If you're not already familiar with Hoto, then you should be; they make excellent tools, a few of which are amazing for PC hobbyists and 3D printing aficionados. Perfect for many tasks, the Hoto cordless rotary toolkit is now only $29.95 in this Amazon deal, saving over $20 (40%) off the list price of $49.99. The tool comes with a staggering 35 different accessories for dealing with everything from drilling to sanding, cutting, and even polishing. There's an attachment for every occasion.

• Check out this Hoto deal at Amazon

The Hoto cordless rotary tool uses a high-speed motor that has five speed modes that operate between 5,000 and 25,000 RPM. This helps with being able to use the tool for varying tasks and also gives you fine detail when working on your creations. You can use the rotary tool for sanding, polishing, cutting, and carving, a lot of the prerequisites for finishing off a 3D printed model to a high finish. The rotary tool is battery-operated, using USB-C for charging. Simply connect the charging dock to power via USB-C and then place the tool in the dock when you need to top up the power.

Twist the end of the Hoto rotary tool to switch between five speed settings. You can use the tool as a drill to make small holes, or use one of the sanding attachments to smooth out the joins in your 3D printed projects. A shadowless LED light at the top of the tool illuminates your work, so that you don't miss any blemishes. There's even a protective dust shield that attaches to the tool, to keep mess to a minimum and also protect you against small bits of material flying towards your face or eyes.

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With widespread disappointment regarding the availability and pricing of Valve’s Steam Machine, influencers and creators have been mixing up ‘alternatives’ of various shapes and sizes. However, we think the Terk Box v1.1 looks like the closest alternative yet in design and spirit. The work, as spotted by Hackaday, appears to be a collaboration between Jacob Terkelsen, an ex-Tom's Hardware contributor currently working for AMD, and a 3D printing and SFF PCs enthusiast who goes by the handle of 3DCatt.

If you are a 3D printer owner, you can grab the source files for the Terk Box v1.1 direct from Printables.com. There you will find a parts list, which details the various screws, riser cables, and numerous other parts you will need. The .STL source files are all there, too, of course, under a Creative Commons license.

Specific component brands don’t seem to be suggested by the makers, which is probably due to the set of standards embraced by the various PC parts makers. However, we do note in the user comments some people may have had a hard time fitting their GPU. 3DCatt says the max length that will fit is “about 180mm long.” That isn’t all, though, as the recommended PCIe riser cable wasn’t long enough for some, depending on the GPU model. AMD’s Terkelsen chipped in that the build was suitable for his RTX 5060 LP graphics card, but he requested more room for a front 140mm case fan, among a few other tweaks.

The current revision of the Terk Box measures 167 x 168 x 225mm. That may be close enough to the official machine (152 x 162 x 156mm) to justify the extra effort of doing this instead of finding an off-the-peg compact Mini ITX case. Some of the compromises with the Terk Box v1.1 appear to be the fussiness with GPU choice we mentioned above, and the less-than-ideal positioning of the CPU socket in relation to the PSU. However, both 3DCatt and Terkelsen have hinted at refinements on the way to v1.2.

Since they have already strayed from the cubic confines of Valve’s actual Steam Machine, I feel they shouldn’t feel too shackled to the design they currently have. I’ll be watching further developments with interest.

In summary, this is a design much closer in stature and spirit to the original Valve effort, but it is definitely a work in progress. With the various component constraints, the DIY price for this won’t be the most compelling, either. Readers who are 3D printing and PC DIY aficionados, and we must have a few of those, might be able to contribute to the project with suggestions, tweaks, and remixes.

Leading Japanese capsule toy maker Tarlin International has announced an official collaboration with “the four major manufacturers” of the PC components industry. The teased result means that gachapon fans will be able to get their hands on tiny models of ASRock, Gigabyte, MSI, and Intel parts (plus fans, PSUs, and cases), accurate enough “that you can assemble and play with.” In 2026, PC building has become so expensive that perhaps Tarlin’s latest wares will fill an emotional vacuum in the market.

In the image above, you can see Tarlin has inked some kind of official licensing deal with ASRock, Gigabyte, MSI, and Intel. There’s already been four series of networking equipment gachapon launched by Tarlin, for some context.

As far as we can see from the social media posting, the new Tarlin gachapon series includes three branded miniature motherboards: the ASRock Z890 Steel Legend WiFi, the Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7 Plus, and the MSI MEG Z890 Ace. Premium stuff. Intel’s Core Ultra 7 270K Plus seems to be the only CPU choice. There are also case fans, a PSU, and a tower case for your minuscule components PC build.

Tarlin’s eccentric gachapon pedigree

Compared with gachapon rivals like Bandai and Takara Tomy, Tarlin has carved a niche, eccentric furrow in the industry. It has a reputation for turning everyday, mundane, or highly technical objects into accurate scale miniatures.

Examples of other incredibly niche Tarlin-produced capsules include its Temporary Toilet Series, a realistic Articulated Crayfish, and its series of Cisco rackmount network gear toys. In this context, it's “serious spec” PC component capsule toys, which are made to such exacting precision that they can be assembled to make tiny tower PCs, aren’t so unusual.

In 2024, we spotted a Japanese capsule toy machine filled with Intel CPUs. One gacha chancer acquired an Intel Core i7-8700 CPU after inserting 500 Yen (around $3.25) and twisting the customary knob.

If the ridiculous pricing of hardware got you down, or you're simply too lazy to build a PC yourself, Corsair has two very good options for you. The Vengeance a7500 and Vengeance i7600 have just gone on sale with discounts up to $300. You can add up to two or more eligible Corsair peripherals (anything from a mouse or keyboard to a mousepad) to unlock major savings and complete your gaming loadout.

• Check out the Vengeance a7500 deal on Corsair
• Check out the Vengeance i7600 deal on Corsair

The Vengeance a7500 is a great gaming system if you're on a tight budget or just dipping your toes into PC gaming. The Ryzen 5 9600X and GeForce RTX 5060 do all the heavy lifting for the Vengeance a7500. The dynamic duo has what it takes to deliver a very enjoyable gaming experience at 1080p (1920x1080). It can also hold its own at 1440p (2560x1440) if you're willing to compromise a bit on the image quality.

Despite the memory and storage shortages, the Vengeance a7500 comes with 16GB (2x8GB) of Vengeance DDR5-5200 memory and a Corsair 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD. A Nautilus 240mm AIO liquid cooler cools the processor, while the Corsair 3500X provides a cozy home for all the components.

The Vengeance i7600 definitely has the necessary firepower to take your gaming to the next level. The combination of a Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti excels at 1440p (2560x1440) and even 4K (3840x2160) as long as the image fidelity is kept within reasonable limits.

Competing in a higher-end tier, the gaming system features 32GB (2x16GB) of Vengeance DDR5 memory while retaining the Corsair 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD, Nautilus 240mm AIO liquid cooler, and Corsair 3500X mid-tower case.

If you want to save even more money on a Corsair gaming system, the refurbished and revival series offers discounts of up to 30% or more. The former is like new and includes original parts and accessories, whereas the latter may have minor cosmetic imperfections and may not include non-essential parts or accessories. Corsair professionals restore and test these systems so they're ready to go. The refurbished and revival systems are always available.

The promotion on the Vengeance a7500 and Vengeance i7600 will be available to all U.S. buyers until July 19. The gaming systems come with a free copy of Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight, which has a value of $69.99, and a two-year limited warranty.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

PC building during the RAMpocalypse and NANDpocalypse is challenging, to be sure, but you can still put together a great and relatively affordable box that will last during Prime Day thanks to abundant deals on core components. Yes, memory and SSDs are pricey, but we can dull some of the pain with deep discounts elsewhere.

For a $1000 budget, we've put together a great 1080p gaming PC with a 10-core Core i5-12600KF CPU and an RTX 5060 Ti 8GB graphics card for the best 1080p bang-for-the-buck you can find (and an RX 9060 XT 16GB alternative for $100 more if 8GB is a bridge too far).

Yes, the Core i5-12600KF is getting up there in years, and its P-cores lack the extra L2 of 13th and 14th Gen CPUs, but it boasts higher clocks and a higher TDP than non-K 13th and 14th-gen parts for better multi-threaded performance. For this low price, we'll deal.

$1,000 Prime Day gaming PC: Quick list

• Intel Core i5-12600K 10-Core Processor: $179.97 at Newegg
• Thermalright Assassin X 120 Refined SE CPU cooler: $17.89 at Amazon
• ASUS B760M-AYW WIFI D4 II Intel B760 (LGA 1700) mATX motherboard: $89 at Newegg
• Silicon Power 32GB (2x16GB) DDR4-3600 kit: $198 at Newegg
• Silicon Power UD90 1TB PCIe NVMe Gen4x4 M.2: $144.99 at Silicon Power
• MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 8GB: $309 at Newegg with promos
• (Upgrade) XFX Swift AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT: $419 at Woot
• Cooler Master MasterBox Q300L Micro-ATX PC Case: $32.99 at Amazon
• ASRock PRO Series PRO-750G 750 W PSU: $54.99 at Newegg

Crucially, this PC still features 32GB of RAM for no-worries gaming with the latest titles and 1TB of storage for adequate room for files and games. Cheaper prebuilts might include just 16GB of RAM and a claustrophobia-inducing 512GB SSD. This is a PC that will last, and that matters in today's tight market.

The RTX 5060 Ti 8GB is selling for less than the slower RTX 5060 8GB right now, so you may as well take the free performance boost if you were only going with an 8GB card to begin with. The 5060 Ti gives you access to leading DLSS 4.5 upscaling across a huge swath of games, as well as MFG in titles that don't overrun its VRAM.

On top of the 5060 Ti 8GB's much higher baseline performance than the Steam Machine's GPU, DLSS 4.5 is a secret weapon for this build, thanks to its far superior image quality versus FSR on top of its AI-powered performance boost.

A quality Cooler Master case and 80 Plus Gold power supply make this a 1080p gaming build you (or a lucky kid or family member) can depend on for a long time to come.

$1,000 Prime Day gaming PC

All those parts should add up to about $1029.76. If you're seeing higher totals in your cart, make sure to apply every available promo code and redeem every mail-in rebate you see to get the lowest possible prices during these Prime Day sales. Happy building!

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Mini PC specialist Geekom has a ton of Amazon Prime Day deals with a multitude of diminutive computers with discounts as deep as 34% off. Among the plethora of discounts, we're pleased to also have a special stacking discount code for last year's flagship Geekom A9 Max with AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, slicing a further 8% off this already discounted, sturdy, premium aluminum build mini PC.

• Check out this deal on Amazon
• Don't forget our extra 8% off code: THA9MAX26

This A9 Max (2025) 'Strix Point' model features a Zen 5 architecture CPU with 12C/24T, plus Radeon 890M graphics on board. The system comes complete with 32GB DDR5, a 1TB SSD, and Windows 11 Pro. Originally priced at $1,399.00, the Prime Day sale reduces it to $1,189.15, and our exclusive Tom's Hardware discount code (8% off code: THA9MAX26) slices another 8% off, resulting in a checkout price of $1,094.

For those who insist on the latest silicon, Geekom has also put its A9 MAX 2026 Edition on sale at 21% off. That means this fresh Ryzen flagship, which has been upgraded to an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, is reduced from $1,699 to $1,349. Remember, this has 32GB DDR5 RAM and with a 2TB pre-installed SSD it offers double the storage capacity of its predecessor in the deal above. We have one of these 'Gorgon Point' mini PCs in the labs now, and hope to be able to share the review with your shortly.

Both of those machines are above $1,000, but Geekom has cheaper mini PCs on sale for Prime Day, as well. For a barebones systems, the Geekom A5 with the Ryzen 5 7430U, 16GB of user-upgradable memory, and a 512GB NVMe SSD.

Digging deeper in the Prime Day bargain bin, we also spotted the Geekom A5, which promises to do everything from "business, home server, creative work & casual gaming." It is listed at 14% off for Prime day cutting its price from $439 to a far more attractive $371. In tech specs terms, so you can judge use-case claims for yourself, this 200kg pressure-rated NUC-a-like mini PC packs an AMD Ryzen 5 7430U APU which features Zen 3 cores in a 6C/12T config plus Radeon Vega 7 graphics. It also comes with 16GB DDR4 RAM installed (expandable to 64GB), and a 512GB NVMe SSD (expandable with an extra M.2 2242 slot and room for a 2.5-inch SATA drive).

The PC is on sale for just $371, which is shocking considering it still comes with an all-metal frame. In addition, it comes with an extra M.2 2242 slot to expand your storage, along with a 2.5-inch SATA bay.

For a bit more power, the Geekom AX8 comes with a newer Ryzen 7 8745HS processor, along with 16GB of DDR5 and a 1TB SSD (plus a sleek blue finish on the metal chassis).

We also remember when mini PCs used to be a great niche for finding real bargains, and hunters of such rarities can still get perfectly serviceable mini PCs from Geekom under $600 during the ongoing RAMpocalypse if they aren't averse to older silicon.

For example, the Geekom A8 Mini PC with AMD Ryzen 7 8745HS processor, 16GB DDR5 RAM (upgradable), 1TB NVMe SSD, and Windows 11 Pro is currently 15% off at $585.65 via that Amazon Prime Day link. Though slightly older, the AMD APU in this still offers Zen 4 CPU cores in a 8C/16T configuration, and Radeon 780M graphics. Most buyers won't miss the absence of an NPU.

As with the A5, you can upgrade your RAM and storage with the AX8.

Above are our five picks from the spectrum of mini PCs that Geekom has put on sale for Prime Day. However, we didn't even mention any of the firm's Intel models, like the passive Geekom iX 12, on sale for 15% off at $296, which is designed to bring mini PC power to home lab VPN, firewall, virtualization, and edge computing applications.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, gaming chair, or CPU Deals pages.

We're keeping an eye out for the best deals on prebuilt gaming PCs that you can find available online. Given the rising prices of PC components, there has never been a better time to buy a pre-built system. In a world of expensive RAM and SSDs, it can also be a great way to get your hands on brand-new gear cheaper than MSRP prices.

There are two ways to get into PC gaming: buying the individual parts and building your own rig, or purchasing a prebuilt system from a system integrator or big box store. Purchasing a ready-made gaming PC can save you the time and labor of building your own rig from scratch, and these days, it can also save you a pile of cash.

We select deals based on our in-depth knowledge gained from thorough reviews, expansive benchmarks, and extensive historical price analysis of pre-built gaming PCs. We're checking deals around the clock to find the best options and keep this page up to date. For more options on gaming PCs, check out our lists of the best gaming PCs and the best PC builds for gaming.

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Gaming PC Specifications to look for

When looking for a new gaming PC, you need to pay special attention to specs. More recent and more powerful components are better, but this increases the overall price of the system. You can sometimes find gaming rigs that have last-generation parts that will still play games well and save some cash.

GPU: A choice between Nvidia, AMD, or Intel in your system will determine how well the computer game graphics are displayed on your monitor. Nvidia has the most powerful GPUs, with the likes of the RTX 5090 and RTX 5080, but AMD's RX 9070 XT is also a great mid-range card. See our GPU hierarchy for an idea of GPU performance.

CPU: Either AMD or Intel will get the job done, but AMD currently rules the roost in pure gaming benchmarks, with the 9000-series X3D processors providing the best performance.

Memory: At a minimum, you'll want 16GB of RAM. Operating systems and browsers can swallow a huge chunk of your available system RAM before you even boot your game. Having 32GB of memory is ideal for gaming if you can splurge.

Storage: With the size of AAA games constantly expanding, you ideally want a minimum of 1TB of storage, preferably in the form of a fast M.2 SSD. You can do better than a spinning hard drive.

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SOLD OUT: This deal has proven popular and is now out of stock at Amazon. A good alternative is the same Corsair Vengeance i7500 PC, but with an RTX 5080 and 32GB DDR5 RAM instead, for $3,299.99. That's still plenty of serious power for you to play games at 4K, but for $1,500 less than the sold-out model here.

If you're trying to build the best gaming PC that money can buy, right now, a pre-built is foten a better option. That's true of this Corsair Vengeance i7500. This RTX 5090 monster is currently 25% off at Amazon, and costs $4,799. That's cheaper than buying the GPU ($4,199) and 64GB of RAM ($913) all by itself.

● Check out this deal on Amazon

At the heart of this PC is the Intel Core i9-14900KF. Despite its age, this is still one of the fastest CPUs around, and in our testing, it's the best Intel CPU you can buy right now for gaming. While it can't quite match the heady heights of AMD's coveted X3D range, it's the perfect partner for the RTX 5090 GPU, which is the real star of the show here, and the fastest gaming GPU on the market by a country mile. Couple that with 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, and you've got yourself what constitutes a bargain in 2026.

The Core i9-14900K (the KF version doesn't have integrated graphics) is Intel's Raptor Lake Refresh flagship. It features 24 cores and 32 threads, comprising eight performance cores and 16 efficiency cores. Base clock speeds are 3.2 GHz, with boosted speeds of up to 6GHz.

As mentioned, the real star of the show here is the 5090 GPU, which is simply the best gaming GPU money can buy. It blows the competition out of the water thanks to its 32GB of GDDR7 VRAM, 21,760 CUDA cores, and hefty power draw.

These premium parts are complemented by 64GB of DDR5-6000 Corsair Vengeance RAM (worth $913 in the current economy) and a 2TB SSD. The PC is housed in Corsair's 3500X case, featuring wraparound tempered glass and fans aplenty to keep everything cool. A Corsair Nautilus RS ARGB liquid cooler cools the CPU, and all of the fans come with RGB for a sleek gaming aesthetic.

As noted, the GPU and RAM in this build are currently priced at over $5,000, so this is a pretty incredible deal if you want to get a gaming PC that should last you for several years to come.

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Servers running x86 processors from AMD and Intel used to rule the market, both unit and money-wise, less than a decade ago, but fast forward to today, Arm-based machines command well over 45% of the server market, according to data released by IDC. While technically x86 machines still control 52% of the market in terms of revenue, the real winner is a different category altogether: GPU- and ASIC/FPGA-accelerated systems, which generated over 70% of the global server revenue in the first quarter of 2026.

Server market reaches $122.6 billion in a single quarter, Dell leads the game

IDC estimates that the global server market generated a record $122.6 billion in revenue in the first quarter of 2026, up 30.4% year-over-year, as spending on AI infrastructure remained particularly strong.

Sales of ODM Direct servers — custom machines ordered by hyperscalers that run merchant or custom silicon — accounted for 50.2% of the revenue (down from 64.1% in Q1 2025) and reached $61.53 billion, up modest 2.1% year-over-year*. By contrast, sales of standard servers from well-known brands grew at a much higher pace, which suggests that branded vendors such as Dell, HPE, Supermicro, and others won a larger portion of AI infrastructure deployments than they did a year earlier. That was probably made possible by accelerating enterprise AI deployment and sovereign AI projects, which tend to buy machines from branded vendors, as well as hyperscalers increasingly turning to well-known suppliers for AI hardware.

When it comes to vendor rankings, Dell remained the largest server supplier by revenue with a 16.5% share of the market after its revenue surged 244.1% year-over-year to $20.3 billion, which was driven by exceptionally strong AI server demand. Supermicro remained in second place with $9.3 billion in revenue and a growth of 128.9%.

Lenovo ranked third with $5.6 billion and 36.5% growth, while IEIT Systems (which is a part of the sanctioned Inspur Group) dropped to fourth after revenue declined 7.0% to $4.0 billion. HPE was No.5 with $3.7 billion in revenue, up 17.2%. Other vendors — from Asus to Atos and from ASRock Rack to Gigabyte — commanded 14.8% of the market with $18.11 billion in revenue, up from 13% and $12.21 billion in the same quarter a year ago.

Arm-based machines rapidly gain revenue share

As AI servers dominated the market in Q1 2026, systems with various types of accelerators accounted for over 70% of the revenue. However, the rise of Arm-powered machines is the elephant in the room that is hard to miss, as it represents a tectonic shift in the whole market, both to the Arm instruction set architecture (ISA) in general and custom-built Arm CPUs designed by hyperscalers.

Non-x86 platforms generated $58.7 billion in revenue, a 107.6% increase year-over-year, which lifted their share of the market to 47.9%. Most of the non-x86 systems are Arm-based AI machines (think Nvidia's NVL72) as well as systems running custom CPUs, AWS, Google, and Microsoft, just to name a few. Still, also keep in mind IBM Z mainframes and IBM Power Systems (including storage) that use CPUs featuring proprietary non-x86 and non-Arm ISAs and which still generate $1 billion or more in revenue. IDC claims that Arm-based machines accounted for more than 95% of non-x86 revenue, so it is safe to say that Arm-based machines commanded over 45% of server revenues in Q1 2026.

One of the reasons why Arm-based machines now command a huge chunk of the server market is because they are used inside such systems as Nvidia's NVL72 'Blackwell' that sell for up to $6.5 million per unit. Each NVL72 rack-scale solution carries 36 compute trays with two Blackwell GPUs and one Grace CPU per unit, so while unit-wise each we are only talking about 36 processors, dollar-wise one NVL72 machine is as expensive as 928 entry-level 1P server (for $7,000) for cloud or edge applications or 433 higher-end 2P servers (for $15,000) for cloud or virtualization applications.

Given the fact that Nvidia will continue bundling its own Arm-based Vera CPUs with NVL72 'Vera Rubin' machines that will be more expensive than their Blackwell ancestors, we will not be surprised that Arm-based machines will account for well over 50% of the server market revenue in the second half of this year or in 2027. Also, keep in mind that Nvidia plans to sell server racks featuring only Vera CPUs for agentic AI applications, which will further drive sales of Arm-based machines.

Accelerated servers: The real winner

Since AI servers dominate server sales, it is not surprising that sales of accelerated servers are increasing. Systems equipped with GPUs produced $68.9 billion in revenue during the quarter (up 24.8% compared to the same period a year earlier) and accounted for 56.2% of all server sales. Servers based on other accelerator types, including custom ASICs and FPGAs, expanded to $17.7 billion, up 122.1% YoY. As a result, accelerated servers earned $86.6 billion in Q1 2026, which is around 70.6% of all server revenue.

X86 servers remain unit volume champions, but suffer from shortages

In contrast, x86 server revenue declined 2.9% to $63.9 billion, though IDC attributes this weakness to supply limitations rather than deteriorating demand. The market research firm claims that the industry's primary constraint is no longer customer appetite for general-purpose servers, but rather the availability of key components, including CPUs, DRAM, NAND memory, and hard drives.

Without any doubt, x86 servers remain working horses for the industry. In fact, many of them use accelerators, including ASICs, FPGAs, and GPUs, as they are used for a wide range of workloads, including AI, supercomputing, simulations, encryption, video transcoding, and many more.

AMD and Intel shipped nearly 20 million EPYC and Xeon SP processors for data center systems in 2025, according to Dean McCarron, the head and principal analyst at Mercury Research. He believes Nvidia is on track to ship four million Grace and Vera CPUs this year, which is considerably lower compared to shipments of AMD and Intel. It is hard to estimate how many custom Arm-based CPUs are deployed by AWS, Alibaba, Google, and Microsoft, but it is safe to say that we are talking millions of CPUs here; otherwise, the companies would not be able to justify development and production of custom silicon.

From a volume perspective, x86 servers remain the most popular machines, and it will probably take some time before ARM can challenge x86 in mainstream general-purpose servers. Nonetheless, it is safe to say that Arm-based data center CPUs are catching up with x86 parts in terms of volumes.

Summary

The global server market hit a record $122.6 billion in the first quarter of 2026 as AI infrastructure spending continued. Accelerated systems powered by GPUs, custom ASICs, and FPGAs generated more than 70% of server revenue, while Arm-based platforms — including Nvidia's Grace Blackwell as well as custom CPUs from Arm, Google, and Microsoft — captured nearly half of the market.

Although x86 servers based on AMD EPYC and Intel Xeon processors remain dominant in shipment volumes, supply shortages of CPUs, memory, and storage components constrained revenue growth, which further enabled Arm-powered AI-optimized systems to gain share. But while at 20 million data center processors per year, x86 volumes are untouchable for Arm today, things may change in the coming years. Nvidia is on track to ship 4 million CPUs in 2026, and other developers of custom Arm-based CPUs are certainly not standing still.

*There is one significant difference with IDC's 'ODM Direct' classification. IDC classifies revenue according to which company invoices the customer, not necessarily who manufactures the hardware. As a result, while many AI servers are built by ODMs like Compal, Foxconn, or Quanta, they are sold under brands like Dell or HPE. As a result, while the latter get more business from enterprises or sovereign AI deployments, this does not mean that big ODMs are losing business; they are actually gaining it, as the appetites of hyperscalers like AWS, Google, Meta, or Microsoft are not going anywhere, just demand from new entrants emerges.

Amazon has posted a limited-time half-price deal for a comprehensive precision electric screwdriver plus tools, which packs away into a slim book-like hard case. The TanSon Precision Electric Screwdriver 71-in-1 cordless rechargeable 3.7V portable repair tool set has been slashed from $99.99 to $49.99 for Prime Day.

I've just been using a similar non-powered multi-bit tool set for a laptop screen replacement job today, and wished I had an electric version to save some time. Also, I had just one pry tool, so I am eyeing this comprehensive all-in-one selection with some envy.

• Check out this deal on Amazon

Inside a 110° retractable flip-top workbench case, you get a whole host of tools and repair accessories. Central to the product is the electric screwdriver itself. This is a cordless unit with a 500mAh battery inside, which you recharge via USB-C. Its knurled aluminum frame includes a display to show stats like battery remaining and torque settings. TanSon reckons you can (un)screw 1,100 fastenings with a single charge. Other attractions of the compact driver include its quad-LED light array to make sure the work tip is visible. With its selection of 42 steel bits, this cordless 200 RPM marvel should help you cut precision tinkering work time way down.

Augmenting the capable rechargeable driver and array of bits, there's a very handy selection of complementary tools in the carry case. The Amazon listing for the TanSon 71-in-1 cordless screwdriver toolkit confirms there are a magnifying glass, a suction cup, four plastic pry bars, a metal pry bar, a set of pointed tweezers, plus bent tweezers, a plastic scraper, a metal scraper, a shell opening pick, five spare picks, a magnetic pad, and an anti-static wrist strap in the pack, as well as the instruction manual.

Not everyone needs such an extensive set of tools as the TanSon kit above. So we've also put together a handpicked selection of tech toolkits of different styles and sizes. Follow that link, and you'll find alternative bargain tool kits priced from $25 to $80.

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Building a PC is a great experience. We sit there with a spreadsheet and multiple browser tabs, poring over the best CPUs, the best GPUs, PC cases, motherboards, RAM deals, and many more components.

The package arrives, and we are excitedly tearing into the boxes, putting the parts on the table, and we are ready to build! We reach into the toolkit and dig out the rusty old screwdriver we used to open a paint can back in 2014. We then spill standoffs and screws over the floor, ready for an unsuspecting foot at 2am!

But wait, it doesn't have to be like this! We've all done this, made the mistakes, and now we share my knowledge and that of the Tom's Hardware staff so you don't have to.

So tool up, and let battle commence!

• Check out all the PC tool deals on Amazon

Precision Kits

All the gear, and lots of ideas?

You need to start somewhere, and these kits have pretty much every tool that you could need to maintain a PC, all in a handy case. In my office/workshop, I have a general set of screwdrivers for general tasks, and a set of Hoto screwdrivers and bits for servicing my PC and any other parts I review.

Whether you call them Hex or Allen wrenches, this part of our toolbox is often overlooked. Why? Because we get one in every set of flat-pack, DIY furniture that's why! You can get cheap sets of Hex wrenches, but they are ultimately made from a material softer than Play-Doh, or have the power to strip a head. You need a good set of Hex wrenches and this set from Wera is awesome.

German made precision, strength, and a ball head to enable access to awkward screws. Grab this set now, and thank yourself later!

Everyone should own these great electric screwdrivers!

At least five Tom's Hardware editors own a Hoto screwdriver. I am one of them. It should be difficult to extol an electric screwdriver. After all, it is really just a motor that spins and screws / unscrews. But Hoto's new Pixel Drive is easy to glorify!

The main screwdriver chassis is chunky and features a rubberized finish to prevent it from slipping from your hands. The twist power ring offers three levels of torque, and the simple push-button forward/reverse is a joy to use. Throw in a bonus LED light ring, and you are ready to build and maintain PCs and have plenty of power to put up those shelves in the living room. All of the details are displayed on the LED display, so you know how much power you are putting down, and how much the screwdriver has left!

Screw Kits

Don't screw up your next PC build!

Let's be honest. We've all scrabbled around for a spare stand-off or screw to secure a motherboard to a chassis. We've cannibalized other components to ensure that our main rig has everything it needs to keep the motherboard in place and the GPU firmly attached to the case. But what if we just spent less than $10 for 400 screws?

That's right, for less than $10, we can have 400 screws, stand-offs, and insulation rings to secure every part of our PC.

In the kit, there are:

• Hard drive screws
• Motherboard screws
• Chassis fan screws
• SSD screws
• Insulation gaskets
• High-strength chassis screws (think GPUs)
• M2 screws
• Flat Phillips screws
• M3 Stand-offs
• Chassis hand twist screws

I bought myself a similar pack years ago since I deal with motherboards and system components on the daily, and it has proven its worth on more than a few occasions.

For less than $10, just throw it into your basket without thinking!

Flashlights

Save money on this 'illuminating' flashlight deal

A good flashlight is one of the most rewarding tools that we can own. It lights up the dark, helps us see obstacles and what we are working on, and could be used to signal planes, should you be trapped on the island from Lost.

Air dusters and cleaners

Clean the filth from your PC!

Air blowers/dusters are a popular choice for quickly blowing out fans and filters to remove any collected dust and fluff. They can also blow out the crumbs that linger under your keyboard. Air blowers are a great alternative to single-use compressed air cans.

The Wolfbox MegaFlow 100 (MF100) may sound like a 1990s Euro Rock tribute act, but it has 150,000 RPM of power to blow dust out of your PC at 45 meters per second!

This convenient blower is battery-powered and supports USB Type-C charging. The MF100 fully charges in 2.5 hours and provides up to 100 minutes of runtime on the first setting. The MF100 is small and compact, weighing only 0.66lb, so it can be easily stored when not in use. The MF100 is also supported by a 24-month guarantee and 24/7 customer service.

Not everyone wants to buy an $80 air duster. There are plenty that cost less that still move a lot of air and come with several attachments that are plenty useful for cleaning out your PC.

I clean out my desktop PC once or twice a year and my blower did a great job, but there were times when the amassed collection of dead skin cells, dog and cat hair, and other fluff was too much for my much weaker air duster. So I bought some cans of compressed air, and not the dollar store stuff either! I don't use them often, but they are handy when you need a little more power in a precise point.

Sometimes compressed air or turbo-force USB-powered jet fans aren't enough, and so you must get your hands dirty. Cleaning any electronic components should be done with care. Components aren't as static sensitive as their predecessors but we should take care not to trash our kit.

These nylon anti-static brushes come in a range of sizes and shapes to clean dust from components and inside drive bays, and to keep caked-on dust from your fan blades. It also includes a keycap puller and tweezers to deep clean the harrowing scene that lurks under your keyboard.

The final cleaning product that you need for building and maintaining PCs is Isopropyl Alcohol, IPA. Yes, 99% is overkill; heck, it's medical grade for first aid use, but if you really want to eke it out, get some distilled water and water down your mix to 70%. I don’t because it works well as it is.

My top tip, though, is not to spray it when the components are hot. There is very little risk of fire, but it will evaporate rather quickly. That said, in the electronics hobbyist world, rapidly evaporating IPA is used to identify super-hot chips, typically those that have shorted.

Thermal pastes

Thermal paste etiquette — pea-sized blob, an X, or a smooth layer like peanut butter?

Let's all agree that, however you apply thermal paste, that is the right way, ok? Thermal paste / TIM or thermal pads bridge the hot side of a component to a heatsink or heatpipe, which wicks away heat, keeping the component cool.

Thermal material is essential to keep your system cool, and I asked the team what they use. Our Editor-in-Chief, Paul Alcorn, said that MX-6 is his go-to thermal paste. So I looked around and found this handy kit that contains 4G of thermal paste and six handy wipes. The wipes are essentially isopropyl alcohol on a cloth, and they are used to prepare the surface for the new paste. They will wipe off the old paste, dust, dead skin (ewww) and leave the surface ready for pasting!

If you spot something better, or want to tell me I am wrong, hit the comments!

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Mini PC specialist GMKtec recently launched the EVO-X3, heralding it as a “next-gen AI workstation,” with early access registration beginning tomorrow (Monday, June 22). The firm also took to social media this weekend to show that the successor to the GMKtec EVO-X2, which we reviewed in February, had earned AMD CEO Lisa Su’s signature of approval. This is not entirely surprising, as so did the X2. So, let’s take a closer look at the new GMKtec EVO-X3.

Actually, the tech specs of the EVO-X3 aren’t very different from its predecessor. We can say with certainty that its design has been thoroughly revamped, though. Look at the difference between the generations. This is a good thing, as most of our reviewers ‘Cons’ regarding the EVO-X2 were drawn from its design and build. Specifically we grumbled about the cheap-feeling case, tricky internal access, and fan noise. A smart redesign would have addressed all these points, but we’d have to get some hands-on time with the new revision to be sure it delivers more than a cosmetic change.

The new GMKtec EVO-X3 is again built around the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 'Strix Halo' processor. Interestingly, a switch to the Ryzen AI Max+ 495 'Gorgon Halo' must have been deemed counterproductive. Many tech enthusiasts were underwhelmed by the AMD Ryzen AI 400 series refresh, too. We also know there are two launch configurations, both with 128GB of LPDDR5X-8000 RAM, but one having a 2TB SSD, the other 4TB. The machine is advertised as featuring two M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 slots for up to 8TB of SSD storage.

As hinted above, the big change between generations appears to be in the build. GMKtec now boasts of the “silent triple fan thermal system” which makes the whole unit somewhat like a triple fan graphics card in a steel wrapper. GMKtec says that “The system is engineered to balance performance, efficiency, and thermal stability, making it suitable for continuous professional workloads across AI and creative scenarios.”

For ports, we note the EVO-X3 packs in an OCuLink connector, USB4 for data, power delivery and video out, and HDMI 2.1 video out. Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 are also on board. There are also a few USB-A ports, an Ethernet jack, and a headset jack.

Prices up, a lot

The GMKtec EVO-X2 launched at $1,499 as tested with 64GB RAM and 1TB SSD. Today, EVO-X2 machines with this configuration are currently being sold for $1,999 on Amazon.com. However, the GMKtec EVO-X3 entry price is far steeper, admittedly with more RAM and storage. It is advertising the 128GB RAM and 2TB SSD version at $3,600, and the 128GB RAM plus 4TB storage version at $3,849. Both of those are said to be pre-launch discounted prices. Signing up for the early access registration can get you an additional $20 off those marked-down prices.

GMKtec told us that the pre-launch is live tomorrow, with purchased units being sent out from July 6.

Putting together a brand-new gaming PC right now is a tough ask because of the skyrocketing prices of pretty much every piece of hardware. That's why turning to laptops and prebuilts can be a more practical choice, and we've found a great deal on a 1440p-ready system that doesn't cut corners. Asus' ROG GM700 is on sale for $1,199.99 on Newegg, pairing a Ryzen 7 8700F CPU with an RX 9060 XT GPU for solid performance across all workloads.

• Check out this deal on Newegg

The Ryzen 7 8700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from AMD's Zen 4 family. It can boost up to 5 GHz, and since it sits on the AM5 socket, you have a decent upgrade path ahead of you, too. Technically, this is a laptop chip repurposed for desktop use — a Ryzen 7 8700G without integrated graphics —, so it's slower than AMD's similar 8-core options, but it's still a perfectly capable CPU in its own right.

The RX 9060 XT, on the other hand, needs no introduction. We call it "the best enthusiast value graphics card" in our top GPUs roundup. This is the full-fat 16GB model, so you're getting more VRAM than the competition at this price point. Thanks to its RDNA 4 architecture, features like FSR 4 are available right away, and the GPU performs better than the RTX 5060 Ti 8 GB, its direct MSRP rival.

Other than the main components, you're getting 32GB of DDR5 memory and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, all on a midrange B650 motherboard with Wi-Fi 6. The case looks rather nice; it has a strong front I/O, preinstalled ARGB fans, and RGB accents across the PSU shroud. Speaking of which, there's a 600W 80+ Gold power supply powering everything.

Asus says the case is tool-free, so the company is already setting you up for a potential upgrade path when prices normalize a bit. Overall, the Asus ROG GM700 is a competent gaming PC that feels more like a DIY system than a prebuilt. For just $1,199 on Newegg right now, you're getting it for less than it would cost to put all these parts together yourself.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, gaming chair, or CPU Deals pages.

Ever since buying out VMware in 2023, Broadcom has raised prices for existing customers. Although the play did result in massively increased revenue for VMware, it also triggered a slow but steady exodus away from the platform, as enterprises everywhere balk at the price tags and/or sue Broadcom.

UK supermarket chain Tesco is the latest entity to up and replace VMWare across its fleet of 40,000 servers, a move it expects to complete in 2027, Ars Technica reports.

This marks the largest publicly known migration off the platform in recent years, and arrives against the backdrop of the $134-million (£100m) lawsuit that Tesco filed last year against Broadcom. In the filing, Tesco claims that Broadcom committed a breach of contract by not honoring the perpetual licenses it bought in 2021, and that Broadcom's actions are at odds with multiple competition laws. Tesco also named VMware itself and Computacenter, the reseller, in the suit.

Tesco's story is a familiar one since the Broadcom acquisition. Much like other customers, the supermarket chain had reportedly bought perpetual licenses for vSphere Foundation and Cloud Foundation, plus support services until 2026 with a four-year extension option. In 2023, Broadcom bought VMware and stopped perpetual licensing in lieu of subscriptions.

This resulted in highly elevated pricing figures for Tesco, apparently to the tune of a 175% price hike for VMware and a 350% upcharge for mainframe software. After the 2025 lawsuit, the situation predictably deteriorated further, and Broadcom stopped supporting Tesco's VMware suite, forcing the chain to find an unnamed third party for that job. CEO Hock Tan's shop goes as far as to refuse security updates to customers without subscriptions, too.

There's no word on which software Tesco's systems administrators have selected for the job, though the Ars Technica report says that the choice appears to be incompatible with both Veeam and Zerto, suggesting it's a lesser-known offering. Additionally, TechRadar notes that HP Enterprise just announced it's offering its customers a year's free licensing to Morpheus VM Essentials, along with a $1 license for Zerto migration software. The timing is interesting, as HP is looking to snag former VMWare customers.

Ever since the Broadcom acquisition, VMware has forced subscription bundling for support contracts, effectively doubled per-core pricing, specified a 72-core minimum for purchase (thereby nuking small business setups), added a three-year contract minimum, and enforced penalties for late renewals. Moving an entire server infrastructure off a hypervisor platform is significant. Even still, a few corporations have done so, and others are reportedly considering switching away.

You won't want to wait around to pick up this incredible deal on an RTX 5080 gaming PC from Dell, because Best Buy have knocked $1,390 off the price tag for this Alienware ACT1250 gaming PC, bringing the cost down to just $3,159.99. That's a huge saving on a high-end rig with one of the best GPUs you can buy, alongside a 24-Core Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB SSD for storage.

● Check out this Alienware deal at Best Buy

This is a powerful pre-built that, as it stands, is over $1,000 cheaper at Best Buy right now than buying the same spec from Dell directly. The RTX 5080 is ready for 4K gaming, so expect to hit the high frame rates with this rig, and while gamers aren't in love with Intel Arrow Lake CPUs generally, the 285K is still a formidable option at this price point.

You just won't find as good a sale right now on any gaming PC, at least that we can see. On an Alienware PC, the $1,390 discount makes it a must-buy option if you're looking for an upgrade, because you'll struggle to find a rival that can offer performance like this for less than $4,000. This is a PC that will offer you longevity and will allow you to play games without compromising on performance for years to come.

The main focus of this pre-built gaming PC has to be the graphics card: it's a powerhouse. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 is the second most powerful consumer GPU from the current generation on the market right now, as our GPU benchmarks will confirm. Specs-wise, it comes equipped with 10,752 CUDA cores and 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM, which are specs that only the RTX 5090 at the very top can beat right now. This is a card that has the power to handle 4K gaming with ease, even with ray tracing. You can expect high frame rates with high and ultra graphics presets enabled, with Nvidia software like DLSS 4 able to help you in the real crunch moments in any game, thanks to multi-frame generation.

Processor-wise, you're getting the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K CPU in this build. It has the 24 cores that we've already mentioned, comprised of eight performance cores, which are best for high-performance gaming. You're also getting 16 efficient cores for multi-threaded tasks with the 285K, too. It comes fully unlocked and fully overclockable, and the 285K's performance cores deliver a standard clock speed of 3.7 GHz, but it boosts up to 5.7 GHz. Admittedly, this Arrow Lake CPU hasn't lit up the world, and has trailed pretty far behind AMD's top-spec alternatives like the 9800X3D. Luckily, the raw power of the RTX 5080 is a formidable presence and will offset that in this build, heavily compensating for any shortcomings.

Elsewhere in this Alienware ACT1250 rig, you're not settling for any compromises. You're getting 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM, which is about what we'd expect from a 4K-capable rig like this, but it does leave you room to upgrade further down the line (at least, once the prices come down). Storage isn't an area you'll be compromising on, either, with 2TB of SSD storage thrown in. That's good enough to cover Windows and several big game installations, or plenty of indies, depending on your preference.

Other goodies include WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 support, along with a 2.5G Ethernet port for high-speed networking, so you won't be slowed down by latency dips in-game.

The $3,159.99 sale price for this Alienware ACT1250 gaming PC is an absolute steal for a top-spec machine fitted with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080. That $1,390 saving isn't one you can afford to ignore if you're thinking about upgrading, but we'll be expecting to see this deal sell out fast. If you want it, make sure to get your order in quickly.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

The best gaming desktops don’t just chase raw speed – they deliver the right balance of power, style, and value. CyberPower’s Gaming Desktop GXi3800BSTV2 ($2,309.99 as tested) comes out swinging with a stylish new case, complete with analog lighting knob, a spotless interior, and plenty of RGB for a showroom look. Backed by an Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, it’s built to impress, and despite a few concessions, it’s hard not to admire how much CyberPower gets right for the money.

Design of the CyberPowerPC Gaming Desktop GXi3800BSTV2

The biggest draw for this particular CyberPower configuration is its MA-01 case. It offers analog RGB controls and hidden fans and radiators for a strikingly modern look. Though the fans aren’t truly hidden – they’re concealed behind plastic grates to give the impression that they’re not there – it adds a level of polish and cleanliness to the interior lines.

CyberPower did its best to avoid directly visible LEDs for a soft look and mostly succeeded; The LEDs in the CPU water block are an exception. It missed a minor opportunity to add more RGB lighting by using standard DIMMs rather than RGB-lit ones, but this tower arguably already runs over the line of too much RGB. Everything is visible through the artfully curved panel, which highlights the obvious about this case – it’s designed to be seen and shown off.

The three lighting dials are unlabeled. Starting from the top are controls for colors, brightness, and patterns; the latter includes breathing, strobing, and rainbow effects. (This seems to be the more basic version of the MA-01 case; on other versions, the dials are for Red, Green, and Blue for finer control.) Changing the color mix takes just seconds. You can also press in on any knob to achieve an all-white look. It’s easy to create a unique look without using software. (In fact, you can’t use software to control the lighting on this PC since the individual RGB elements are only recognized as a generic RGB strip in the Asus Armoury Crate app.)

Build quality is where this case, or at least this version, shows some budget elements. While it didn't creak or bend when I picked it up, the rolled steel panels feel thin. Additionally, the viewing panel, which CyberPowerPC says is tempered glass, feels plasticky and is not as clear as it could be. Last, the analog knobs feel cheap, and the bottom one tended to fall off in my testing. Size-wise, this case is decidedly in mid-tower territory at 9.5 x 17.7 x 20.9 inches.

CyberPowerPC Gaming Desktop Specifications

Ports and Upgradeability on the CyberPowerPC Gaming Desktop

CyberPower’s desktop offers respectable input and output, starting on the lower front panel with one USB-C and two USB-A ports and a 3.5 mm audio jack. This port placement should work well if this desktop is on top of a desk. The power button is on the adjacent side next to the case lighting control dials.

Around back, the Asus B860M Max Gaming AX motherboard offers USB-C (20 Gbps), four USB-A 3.2, four USB 2.0, DisplayPort, and three 3.5 mm audio jacks. At least one truly high-speed port like USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 would have been ideal. Also, Wi-Fi 6 from the built-in RealTek RTL8851BE wireless card is several years out of date.

Getting inside this CyberPower’s case isn’t straightforward. Both side panels look like they should pull off, but they are actually screwed in at the top. The top grate, which doesn’t have any obvious fingerholds, must be popped off to access the two Philips-head screws securing each panel. Removable dust filters line the right panel.

Motherboard expansion slots include one PCIe 5.0 x16, two PCIe 4.0 x16 supporting x4, and one PCIe 4.0 x16 supporting x1. Memory can be expanded with four DIMM slots. There are also three M.2 slots, one of which is PCIe 5.0. The other slots support PCIe 4.0, with one on the front and one on the back of the board. The latter is accessible by removing the tower’s right panel. You can also see the 3.5-inch drive cage in the lower chamber.

The 850-watt power supply isn’t modular, leading to a mass of tied-off cables, but it easily supplies enough juice for the components in this PC. CyberPower’s cable management is acceptable, with cables routed and bundled neatly enough for a mass-market PC.

Gaming and Graphics on the CyberPowerPC Gaming Desktop

The CyberPower we tested features a Core Ultra 7 270K Plus processor, Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics, and 32GB of DDR5-6400 RAM.

For some informal play, I launched Crysis Remastered. Playing at a 3840 x 2160 resolution with everything at “Can it run Crysis?” settings, I saw between 75 and 85 frames per second (FPS) outdoors, with slight dips in the jungle and wide-open landscapes with lots of shadows. Overall, the gameplay was exceptionally smooth.

We used two gaming desktops for comparison: the Acer Nitro 65 ($2,069.99 as tested) combines a Ryzen 9 9900X with an RTX 5070 while the iBuyPower Y40 Pro ($1,899.99 when we tested it, but very difficult to find now) pairs a Ryzen 9 7900X with an RTX 5070 Ti.

Starting in Shadow of the Tomb Raider at the Highest detail preset, the CyberPower and Acer tied the 1080p numbers at 209 FPS and were within one frame at 4K. Naturally, the RTX 5070 Ti-equipped iBuyPower dominated both, with 228 FPS at 1080p.

The story was similar in CyberPunk 2077 at Ray Tracing Ultra settings. The CyberPower achieved 71 FPS at 1080p but fell to 21 FPS at 4K, being within one FPS of the Acer in both instances. The iBuyPower surged ahead, with 87 FPS at 1080p, but even it couldn’t make a playable time of it at 4K, with just 29 FPS.

In Far Cry 6 at Ultra settings, the CyberPower led the 1080p scores with 141 FPS, well ahead of the Acer (132 FPS) and iBuyPower (125 FPS). Things evened out at 4K, with the CyberPower and Acer at 81 FPS and 82 FPS, respectively, and the iBuyPower about 25% faster, at 102 FPS.

Red Dead Redemption 2 at Medium settings was a disappointment for CyberPower, with its 126 FPS at 1080p noticeably trailing Acer (141 FPS) and especially iBuyPower (161 FPS). The gaps narrowed at 4K, though CyberPower was still last – it scored 51 FPS next to the Acer’s 54 FPS.

CyberPower redeemed itself in Black Myth: Wukong at Cinematic settings, its 55 FPS at 1080p overtaking the Acer (50 FPS) while being behind the iBuyPower (66 FPS). It tied the Acer with 25 FPS at 4K though it couldn’t catch the iBuyPower (32 FPS).

Overall, though CyberPower’s Core Ultra 7 270K Plus didn’t give its RTX 5070 enough of a boost to overcome the iBuyPower’s RTX 5070 Ti, it still produced impressive numbers, often leading the RTX 5070-equipped Acer by a decent amount.

Equipped with the RTX 5070, this CyberPower offers ample horsepower for gaming at 1080p/1440p and 4K, though fluid playability at 4K in the most demanding titles may require reducing the visual quality settings.

To stress test gaming desktops, we simulate half an hour of gaming by running 15 loops of the Metro: Exodus benchmark at RTX settings. The CyberPower desktop averaged 138 FPS with only a few tenths of an FPS variance between runs, indicating stable thermal performance. The Core Ultra 7 270K Plus ran at an average temperature of 48 degrees Celsius while the P-cores ran 5.34 GHz at and the E-cores 3.77 GHz. The RTX 5070 ran at 61 C and had an average core clock of 2.74 GHz.

During testing, the desktop’s fans were noticeable but not intrusive; while gaming, I could hold a conversation with someone sitting next to me without the fan noise becoming a topic.

Productivity Performance on the CyberPowerPC Gaming Desktop

Equipped with a Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, the CyberPower proved formidable in our productivity testing.

While the rig's single-core score of 3,317 points in the Geekbench 6 benchmark was imperceptibly behind Acer's 3,348 points, it handily outclassed the iBuyPower’s older Ryzen 9 7900X and its 2,953 points. But it truly showed its strength in multi-core, with 22,485 points to Acer’s 18,282 and iBuyPower’s 17,226.

CyberPower slotted into the middle of our 25GB file transfer test, with 1,616.52 MBps to lead iBuyPower’s 1,501.6 MBps and trail Acer’s 1,719.57 MBps.

Last, this CyberPower dominated our 4K-to-1080p Handbrake test, completing the transcode in just 1 minute and 45 seconds. The iBuyPower (2:29) and Acer (2:51) were well off its pace.

Keyboard and Mouse with the CyberPowerPC Gaming Desktop

The GXi3800BSTV2 includes RGB-centric wired peripherals that might tide you over if you’re sticking to a budget. The CyberPower Nohi 02 keyboard is a basic desktop keyboard with a few notable extras. Though it’s described as a mechanical-like feel, its rubbery keypresses say otherwise. I nonetheless found it comfortable for extended typing and gaming. The layout is as expected and there's a handy volume scroller at top left.

The keyboard's RGB backlighting is bright and vibrant. No peripheral software is included, but you can switch between different lighting patterns using Fn and one of the number keys (1-9). Effects include a respectable assortment of wave, color shift, sweep, solid color, and several breathing variations. Lighting can be toggled with the key next to right Alt, effect speed with Fn + plus or minus, and brightness with Fn + Page Up/Down.

The CyberPower Elite M2 wired mouse is also basic. It’s only for right-handers, featuring two buttons on the left side. There are five sensitivity settings – the DPI numbers aren’t published – which you toggle pressing the button behind the scroll wheel. Average in size, the mouse fits my medium hands well and offers tactile, engaging clicks. The RGB effects illuminate the palm reset logo and the semicircle around the palm rest. Various color cycling patterns are available – simply hold down the DPI button to switch between them.

Software and Warranty on the CyberPowerPC Gaming Desktop

CyberPower’s software loadout is minimal. Asus Armoury Crate provides hardware monitoring and software overclocking but little else – the RGB devices in this desktop are only recognized as an addressable strip, and can’t be controlled there. (That’s what the knobs on the tower are for.) Otherwise, besides the default Windows 11 apps, there’s no extra software.

This CyberPower from Best Buy carries a one-year parts and labor warranty while systems purchased from CyberPower include two years of parts and three years of labor.

CyberPowerPC Gaming Desktop Configurations

Our CyberPower review unit features a Core Ultra 7 270K Plus processor with 360 mm liquid cooling, an Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics card, 32GB of RAM, a 2TB SSD, and Windows 11 Home for $2,309.99 from Best Buy.

Best Buy didn’t have any other CyberPower desktops with the MA-01 case, though CyberPower offered many configurations starting at $1,699, which gets you a Ryzen 7 9700X and an RTX 5060 Ti. The top preconfigured model ran $3,815 with a Ryzen 9 9950X3D, an RTX 5080, 32GB of RAM, and a 4TB SSD. CyberPower also offers built-to-order models starting at $1,245.

Competing desktops with an RTX 5070 bracketed our CyberPower review unit’s price. At Best Buy, an Asus ROG G700 was $2,409.99 with a Core Ultra 7 265KF while an HP Omen 35L was $1,999, though it dropped to a Ryzen 7 8700F and a 1TB SSD.

To compare CyberPower’s prices to what it would cost to build a similar PC yourself, I mock-configured several systems using the AI PC builder on Newegg, landing within $100 in most instances. That's a pretty nominal premium to have the system built and ready to go.

Bottom Line

CyberPower’s GXi3800BSTV2 earns its place among the better prebuilt gaming desktops. The company's MA-01 case gives it a distinctive look, and the analog lighting controls mean you don't need software to dial in a unique theme. Equipped with a Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, 360 mm liquid cooling, and an RTX 5070, it produces strong gaming performance without getting too loud. You even get decent peripherals.

Some concessions were made to hit its price: the case relies on plastic instead of tempered glass, wireless is limited to Wi-Fi 6, and there are no Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports. Even so, it still makes for a compelling value, even next to DIY builds. For gamers who want a flashy tower with the performance to match – and the convenience of a full-system warranty — the GXi3800BSTV2 is an easy system to recommend.

Correction, July 1, 2026: CyberPowerPC tells Tom's Hardware that the viewing panel on the MA-01 is tempered glass, not plastic. We have addressed this, but still feel that the window did not seem substantial.

Data center water use is one of the hot topics right now in the U.S. and is one of the primary reasons why such projects are being blocked across the nation. However, Amazon claimed that it’s improving its water efficiency and that it uses the least amount of water on a per kWh basis among the AI tech giants, including Microsoft, Google, and Meta. Aside from that, it also said that despite using 2.5 billion gallons of water across the world in its data centers, it said that that amount is still a fraction of what other industries in the U.S. are using annually.

Amazon pointed at EPA data from 2017 that said Americans use 9 billion gallons of water daily just for landscape irrigation. This amounts to nearly 3.3 trillion gallons of water every year just for watering plants and gardens and doesn’t even include the irrigation needed for food production. This makes its 2.5-billion-gallon water consumption a literal drop in the bucket, amounting to just 0.075% of water used for keeping gardens green and thriving.

These gardens, however, have a direct benefit in that they could potentially keep ambient temperatures lower (versus an all-cement environment) and add to the aesthetics of the immediate area — the only question is how many people these developments benefit. Moreover, many new data centers in the U.S. are reportedly being built in areas suffering from water issues. While the overall data center water consumption might seem small if you look at the larger picture, we still cannot turn a blind eye to its potential effects on the local community.

For example, a Meta data center has allegedly caused a Georgia town’s deep-well water source to muddy — a sign that the level of the local water table is hitting low levels, allowing mud to be siphoned by the residents’ water pumps. Another site reportedly sucked 29 million gallons of water in 15 months, which caused low water pressures for residents. Reports like these make it harder for other data center projects to secure permits from local governments to start construction, especially as communities fear that these issues could happen in their area, too.

Amazon boasts water efficiency improvements

As the pushback against data centers’ egregious resource consumption has become front-and-center in many permitting fights, Amazon is showing that it’s taking steps to reduce its water consumption and claims that it’s on track to being “water positive” by 2030. It achieved this by implementing innovations in its data centers to reduce water use without reducing performance.

The company says that it mostly uses air cooling for its data centers, which uses up a lot less electricity compared to water cooling. But when ambient temperatures rise, it switches to Direct Evaporative Cooling, with the company spraying water on an absorbent medium, which the company describes as “a sophisticated, giant sponge,” and then runs the hot air through it to reduce temperatures by five to 10 degrees. It says that this is more power efficient than using chillers, reducing power use by about 20% to 25% during the hottest time of the day when power usage by other users is at its highest, too.

It also said that it raised the temperature thresholds in its data centers. While this meant that its servers ran hotter compared to previous years, it didn’t impact on the longevity of their hardware and they were still able to deliver the same amount of computing power as before. Through trial and error, the company discovered that it could keep running its servers using air cooling only, with its water-cooling systems only kicking in once the ambient temperature reaches 85 degrees F (or more than 29 degrees C). This resulted in 50% reduction in water use, says Amazon water specialist Beau Schilz.

Efforts like this are essential for data center operations to become sustainable. After all, despite the pushback against new data center projects, we cannot forever put a moratorium on them as AI’s demand for compute is increasing. But until AI hyperscalers can earn back the trust of the people and prove that they can build infrastructure without increasing costs for everyone else and hoarding the resources that communities need for their survival, then they can only expect opposition to continue.

Researchers from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) collaborated with Google to recycle “old” Pixel smartphones and give them a second life as a low-cost data center. According to Google Research, retired smartphones are part of the “embodied carbon” that is associated with manufacturing and its carbon footprint. In fact, humanity’s penchant for mobile devices and replacing them every few years is one of the biggest contributors to e-waste, so the group from UCSD planned to give these discarded devices a second life as a “general-purpose computing platform.”

The study revealed that smartphones from just three years ago still deliver a higher single-core performance compared to servers like the Asus RS720A-E11, which can be equipped with Nvidia H200 or Nvidia RTX Pro 6000 GPUs and two AMD EPYC server processors, that you frequently find in the most powerful data centers. While the latter delivers performance that a mobile device can’t even dream of, the fact that the former still scored higher in the SPEC benchmarking suite on a per-core basis meant that researchers could still use them for compute tasks with a little creativity.

The first thing they did was to strip these gadgets of non-essential components — displays, batteries, cameras, speakers, chassis, etc. Only the motherboard remains, as it plays host to the SoC needed for running compute. The Android operating system is then replaced with a general-purpose Linux distro used in data center applications, which removes unnecessary bloat found in the original consumer device and allows for the deployment of orchestration software like Kubernetes. Benchmarking results revealed that 25 to 50 old phones wereequal to the computing power of a single dual-socket server-class CPU.

UCSD determined that a 20-phone cluster can support one application that a 75+ student class requires. So, instead of hosting it on the cloud, which would entail additional costs and resource use on the data center side, it could instead run these apps on a local deployment of these used smartphones. The research team plans to use 2,000 phones to build a local data center that can support “a hundred such classes at once.” Aside from getting the advantage of running apps locally and owning the hardware needed for them, the group also says that it’s only a “fraction of the usual cost,” likely referring to building a local server made from new components. This is especially true today, with the increased pricing for memory and storage chips.

The research team says that it expects to launch the full system later this year and is looking to see how consumer parts can withstand continuous use in a data center application. But even if the experiment is successful, we don’t foresee AI hyperscalers switching to servers made from used phone parts as they would often want to work with fewer parts and the reliability delivered by specialized hardware. Still, this is a great option for universities and educational institutions, as well as smaller entities that do not have the resources to secure brand-new parts and compete against tech giants with billions of dollars to burn.

This isn’t the first time scientists have looked at giving old phones a second life — another group of researchers looked at converting old phones into “tiny data centers” last year, even using one set of four old devices for underwater monitoring. After all, even though the SoCs found in these devices are considered “outdated” by modern standards, they should still be more than capable enough for many mundane tasks. NASA even repurposed the Qualcomm 801 SoC, a mid-range chip from 2014 and found in the Ingenuity Mars helicopter, to help the Perseverance rover find its way around the Red Planet like some sort of processor for a makeshift GPS. And for smartphones that no longer work, people are finding ways to extract the gold and other resources found on their boards for recycling.

Prebuilt gaming PCs might not be the most respected in the community, but during these dire times, they've become an essential lifeline. Where individual parts are skyrocketing in price, a bundled desktop can save you quite a bit of money, time, and frustration. As such, we've found an incredible deal on Skytech's King 95 prebuilt, which has an RTX 5060 Ti with 16GB of VRAM, a Ryzen 7 7800X3D, and 32GB of DDR5 RAM — all for just $1,499 at Walmart right now.

• Check out this deal on Walmart

These parts need no introduction; the Ryzen 7 7800X3D has gained legendary status in the industry. It was the first CPU on the AM5 socket to feature 3D V-Cache, and the rest is history. Even today, with the advent of Zen 5-based X3D chips, the 7800X3D holds its ground in modern titles and can handle pretty much any GPU with ease. It also offers a great value proposition that's sometimes lost in Ryzen 9000 SKUs, thanks to its 8-core config.

The other side of the coin is the RTX 5060 Ti, and thankfully, you're getting the upgraded 16GB variant here, which we've previously given a positive rating. It sits in the middle of our GPU hierarchy, overkill for 1080p gaming but perfect for 1440p across every title. The extra VRAM helps a lot in ray-traced workloads, and the 4,608 CUDA cores are enough to handle all sorts of productivity or professional tasks as well.

The rest of the system includes 32GB of DDR5 RAM with RGB lighting, a 1TB M.2 SSD, a 360mm AIO liquid cooler, and a standard motherboard with Wi-Fi, so you can easily upgrade parts in the future. All of that is encased in Skytech's own 'King 95' chassis with a fishtank design and powered by an 850W 80+ Gold PSU. There are also three fans mounted inside for proper airflow.

The reviews are overwhelmingly positive on the Walmart listing, so we decided to whip up a comparable system on PCPartPicker, and the total came out to almost $1,800. You're saving around $300 even if you get the best prices on individual items. As a full package for just $1,499, the Skytech King 95 is an amazing deal that doesn't cut corners to hit an enticing price point. It strikes the right balance between performance and cost.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, gaming chair, or CPU Deals pages.

AMD's Ryzen AI Halo Developer Platform is finally here, with preorders for the powerful $3,999 mini PC now live in the U.S. through Micro Center. The company’s new developer platform is effectively an answer to Nvidia's DGX Spark, as both systems are designed as compact AI workstations capable of running large language models locally. First unveiled at CES 2026, the developer kit is available in two variants that feature identical hardware but ship with different operating systems- Linux or Windows 11 Pro.

Notably, the DGX Spark was originally introduced at the same $3,999 price point last year. However, Nvidia recently increased the price to $4,699 due to the ongoing global supply constraints affecting LPDDR5X memory and NAND flash. Apart from pricing, the Ryzen AI Halo Developer Platform offers native Windows support, whereas the DGX Spark is limited to Linux-based environments. This gives users greater flexibility, including the option to dual-boot and use both operating systems.

The Ryzen AI Halo dev kit is powered by the flagship Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor, featuring 16 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock speed of 3 GHz and a max boost clock speed of 5.1 GHz. It also features 128GB of unified LPDDR5X-8000 memory, 16MB of L2 cache, and 64MB of L3 cache, onboard RDNA 3.5 Radeon 8060S graphics with 40 compute units, and a dedicated NPU capable of 50 TOPS.

The mini-PC measures 149 x 149 x 43.18 mm, has an aluminum chassis, and includes a 2TB M.2 SSD, while wireless connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. As for I/O, it is strikingly similar to what Nvidia offers, including a 10 GbE LAN, four USB-C ports (one for power input), and an HDMI 2.1b port. Unfortunately, there is no NVLink, which, in Nvidia’s case, allows two DGK Spark machines to pair. To cool the Strix Halo chip inside AMD, it uses a unique cooling solution that includes a baseplate, direct-touch flat heatpipes, an aluminum channel heatsink, and two lateral airflow blower-style fans.

If you are a developer or simply interested in experimenting with local LLMs, Micro Center is currently accepting preorders for the Ryzen AI Halo Developer Platform, with local pickup available on July 10. Those looking for alternatives can also consider the Corsair AI Workstation 300, a slightly larger AI-focused system based on the same Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor. It is also currently listed at a lower starting price of $2,699 for the 1TB storage model and $3,399 for the 4TB model.

A seriously powerful gaming rig could be yours with a $750.99 discount, but only if you're quick. Walmart has slashed the price of this 4K-capable Skytech gaming PC, dropping it to just $2,249 for specs that include an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti.

● Check out this deal at Walmart

Skytech, the gaming PC builder behind this machine, have created an option that sits near the top of the food chain when it comes to performance. There are no shortcuts here, and no compromises to accept, with the 9800X3D one of the best CPUs available to buy for gaming right now, coupled together with a current-gen, high-end performer in the RTX 5070 Ti.

Our 9800X3D review makes clear why this eight-core processor is a powerhouse for gaming, but you can sum it up simply to one core facet of its design: 3D V-cache. AMD's game-changer technology hugely boosts the amount of L3 cache capacity in these chips. When you're gaming, this means that the CPU doesn't have to fall back to the slower system RAM as often, reducing latency and giving you much better and more stable frame rates while you play.

The 9800X3D isn't at the top of our CPU benchmarks anymore, but it was a previous chart-topper, and it's still one of the fastest options for gaming you can buy right now. Intel isn't rivalling these XED chips yet, either. If you want a gaming PC with the potential to game at 4K, the 9800X3D is a formidable option, as all eight cores can utilize that boosted L3 cache.

Skytech have included a powerful GPU in this build, too. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU this rig ships with has 8,960 CUDA cores, along with 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM. 1080p is a distant memory, as this is a solid, mid to high-tier GPU that can handle 1440p and 4K. It comes equipped with support for the latest Nvidia tech, including DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation. If you want 4K with all the trimmings, like ray tracing is enabled, MFG will ensure you can get the highest possible frame rates in those system resource-heavy games.

Expect high and ultra graphics presets to be the standard, but you may need to adjust your in-game settings in the most intensive games from time to time. With 16GB of VRAM, the RTX 5070 Ti does give you extra breathing room to hit the higher frame rate counts compared to slower, cheaper rival options.

Ultimately, the 9800X3D and RTX 5070 Ti are a very formidable match for a gaming PC at this price point, and will ensure a rig that'll handle modern gaming for years into the future. The other specs aren't bad, either, with 32GB of DDR5 memory, rated at 6,000 MT/s, which is about standard for a rig like this. A 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD, meanwhile, means you've got enough space for Windows, plenty of games, and the rest of your important documents.

Along with a case featuring a wrap-around glass panel, there's also a 360mm AIO cooler with ARGB fans to help keep this top spec PC cool while you game. A free keyboard and mouse are included to get you started, too.

The $750.99 in savings that you'll be making on this $2,249 Skytech gaming PC is one that you won't want to miss. The AI-fueled price rises recently mean that 4K-ready gaming rigs like this one are just getting more and more expensive, so take advantage of a deal like this one while you can.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

A Redditor and PC gaming enthusiast says their PC might have saved their life, after the rig deflected a bullet fired through the wall of their house by their neighbour. According to the post, the neighbour claims that the firearm was accidentally discharged by her dog, sending the projectile into the house. u/angelbabyzz says police state the PC changed the trajectory of the bullet — which she found under her pillow — and that it would have otherwise hit her while she was sleeping. On a positive note, Angelbabyzz is now planning how to spend their $3,500 insurance payout on a new gaming PC build.

Neighbour shot my PC through the wall from r/pcmasterrace

While trying to make sense of what was happening, Angelbabyzz recalls that their neighbor arrived sobbing and shaking. They claimed that their dog had discharged the firearm, shooting through the wall, tearing through the tower PC on the other side. Images shared by the Redditor show the tower PC full of shattered glass and detritus. Among the most seriously damaged contents are G.Skill Trident Z RGB memory modules. These, and the motherboard RAM sockets, appear to have been heavily impacted by a weighty-looking lead slug.

If this tale isn’t already bordering on the bizarre, two further details push it firmly into truth-is-stranger-than-fiction territory. Firstly, Angelbabyzz’s neighbor claims that their dog “accidentally discharged” their firearm. Secondly, the police told the Redditor that “the PC changed the trajectory of the bullet, and it would have hit me while I was sleeping if the PC hadn’t been there.”

Good neighbors

Despite their recent brush with death or serious injury, Angelbabyzz is sympathetic with her trigger-happy dog-owning neighbor. The Redditor feels “she is appropriately paying her dues in this situation and won’t be pressing for anything further.” This is on account of the “constant apologies,” as well as her gun being confiscated, the criminal charges, and the insurance / monetary penalties the neighbor will face.

After three days of cleaning up broken glass, Angelbabyzz now has the much more pleasant problem of shopping for a replacement PC with a $3,500 budget. So, after recalling their hair-raising story on Reddit and sharing the gruesome images, they are now asking for build recommendations on PCMR.

In some replies to the original post, Angelbabyzz reveals that they found the bullet under their pillow, but their SSDs are said to be completely undamaged. That might be a reference to the Samsung SATA drive we can see in some of the images.

While the RAM kit is probably the worst damaged component, we think it is worthy of keeping to frame in a presentation case - ‘My Trident Z saved my life.’ G.Skill offers a lifetime warranty on its RAM, but it only covers defects in materials and workmanship.

It's tough times for PC enthusiasts, with some individual component prices having risen to astronomical highs. While we sit here waiting for the AI bubble to burst and pray the prices of our favorite PC parts come back down to more affordable prices, the alternative option for a new PC is to go the prebuilt route. Spotted at Walmart with a $500 discount is the Gigabyte Aorus Prime 5 desktop gaming PC, now listed at only $1,999, the cheapest we've seen this particular model. It's a good price for a gaming rig that includes a 16GB Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, AMD Ryzen 7 9700X processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB SSD for storage.

• Check out this deal at Walmart

When we compare the prebuilt to some of the prices of individual components, we can see more of the value of this Gigabyte Aorus deal. The RTX 5070 Ti GPU alone in this build cannot be found for less than $979 right now, accounting for almost half of the price of this desktop. 32GB of DDR5 RAM is also priced at $385 in the current market, and the 2TB SSD is worth at least $200. That's over $1,500 worth of parts before you've factored in the case, liquid cooling, motherboard, Windows 11, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X, worth $304.

The RTX 5070 Ti in our review sits comfortably near the top of the charts in this latest generation of graphics cards. The results show a generational improvement in performance over the older 4070 Ti super, and not that far behind the more powerful and more expensive RTX 5080. The 5070 Ti crucially comes with 16GB of VRAM, making it more futureproof and giving it some longevity for gaming.

Try putting together a similar PC build yourself, and you will see straight away how good a deal this current $1,999 Gigabytre Aorus Prime 5 offer is. The gaming PC has liquid cooling, RGB, and plenty of RGB fans, plus a fairly sleek black case with a smoked tempered glass side panel. I'm not a fan of the "Team Up, Fight On." logo on the side panel, but that can be easily modified. You also get less hassle with warranties if something should go wrong. No need to troubleshoot individual parts, and liaise with retailers and manufacturers. The whole unit is under one umbrella. A much better experience if you're not comfortable with taking your PC apart.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

A lucky HVAC technician seems to have stumbled upon the PC of former AMD CEO Rory Read while at a customer's house. The client apparently ran a computer shop back in the day, so they had a bunch of unused equipment in the basement, which somehow included this PC. The case is doused in various signatures, including one from Dr. Lisa Su, accompanied by a message that reads "To Rory - All the Best from Team AMD."

I think i have Rory Read's (former CEO of AMD) PC from r/Amd

We looked at Dr. Lisa's signature on special edition Ryzen chips from a few years ago, and it matches the signature on the PC, but of course, there's no way to officially verify the authenticity. Looking at the case itself, it's a Xigmatek XEN6329 Mini-ITX chassis that currently goes for over $1,000 on the aftermarket. Moreover, the hardware inside looks quite dated, with the GPU likely being an ITX variant of the R9 285 from Sapphire.

That card came out in 2014, so it lines up with Read's tenure at AMD, and further suggests this computer was a parting gift from the higher-ups. For some reason, it was never used because it's completely dust-free and in new condition even after twelve years. The OP explained that the box still had all the packing materials intact and that the computer even came with a wrapped Windows 8.1 CD that was never touched.

Comment from r/Amd

The leading theory in the comments inferred that Read pawned off the PC at a computer shop, where it sat for years before being salvaged. Or perhaps it was sent for a repair, setup, or some maintenance before he decided to use it, although this seems less likely. Being a high-level executive, there's a chance he simply never looked for it again. Speaking of which, it's important to know the lore behind this PC's potential recipient to understand its value.

Rory Read was the head of AMD between 2011 and 2014, responsible for leading a course-correction that navigated the company through its darkest times. AMD had just suffered a disastrous launch in the form of its Bulldozer CPU architecture that fell flat against Intel's offerings, and the chipmaker had basically no stake in mobile computing during its biggest boom.

Read came in and secured partnerships with both Sony and Microsoft for their next-gen consoles — a partnership that still runs to this day. He also brought legendary chip architect Jim Keller back to AMD to work on the Zen architecture alongside Mike Clark. He then recruited Dr. Lisa Su in 2012 and personally mentored her to eventually take over the company, believing that an engineer needs to lead AMD long-term.

Read's job was only to stabilize the falling tower, stop the bleeding, if you will, and never to actually run the company long-term. He's known as a sort of turnaround specialist in the industry, having previously performed similar duties at IBM and Lenovo. In a way, he paved the way for AMD's incredible comeback, positioning the chipmaker perfectly for a resurgence under another competent leader.

Coming back to the PC itself, it includes signatures from other AMD executives of that era, such as Mark Papermaster, Rajan (Raj) Naik, Devinder Kumar, Colette LaForce, John Byrne, and Darrell Ford. That seems like way too much effort for someone trying to fake a collectible. Therefore, even though we can't be certain, this is one of the coolest pieces of PC industry memorabilia, one that shows the intersection between business and engineering.

You won't want to ignore this impressively cheap rig from a specialized PC builder that's on sale at Walmart. This iBuyPower Element Pro gaming PC is now just $1,449, featuring an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD, netting you a saving of $550 in total.

● Check out this deal at Walmart's website

Under $1,500 for any gaming PC is a smart deal, especially one that features an AMD 3D V-Cache CPU at its core. The 7800X3D is a processor that continues to deliver brilliant performance for serious gamers, even if its been superseded by newer chips like the 9800X3D and 9850X3D. That said, it continues to be a formidable force that few others can rival, outstripping plenty of its newer Intel rivals, as our AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D review shows.

If you're buying a gaming PC right now, you can't find a better alternative than to buy a rig with an AMD X3D chip installed. The 7800X3D is an eight-core processor, with all eight of its cores able to take advantage of a boosted 96MB of L3 cache. The L3 cache is important, as the improved memory here reduces latency significantly, limiting how often the CPU has to fall back on using the slower system RAM while you're playing games, giving you higher and more stable frame rates overall.

It's rare to see a PC this cheap fitted with one, as builders will often choose non-X3D options like the 9700X instead. With the 7800X3D installed here, you're going to be better placed to have a machine that will have the power and performance to play modern games for years into the future. As our CPU benchmarks below show, the 7800X3D continues to rank highly, with few models able to compete with it.

It isn't just the 7800X3D that is keeping this rig afloat, however. This iBuyPower PC comes with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, which sits in the middle-of-the-pack for performance in this current generation for gaming.

Specs-wise, the RTX 5070 has 6,144 CUDA cores and 12GB of GDDR7 VRAM, along with a GPU clock speed of 2,512 MHz. Expect to see a considerable boost over slower GPUs like the RTX 5060 and RTX 5050 here, especially if you are ditching the 1080p display for gaming at 1440p.

4K is a possibility here, too, depending on the game you're playing, especially if you're planning on taking advantage of this Blackwell GPU's Nvidia DLSS 4 support. Multi-frame generation is the key here, allowing you to hit those high frame rate numbers with the aid of AI-generated frames in those crunch moments, with your GPU supported ably by the performance offered by the 7800X3D.

There are a couple of compromises that are worth mentioning, even if they aren't deal breakers. You're only getting 16GB of DDR5 RAM, rated at 5,200 MT/s. That's pretty slow for DDR5, but much faster than DDR4 speeds, which typically cap out at 3,600 MT/s. The capacity, meanwhile, is a step back from plenty of the 32GB builds we've been seeing, but given how much RAM is costing these days, expect this to be a compromise you might have to make if you want a build under $1,500 in the future.

Storage isn't a problem, though, with a 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD included here, offering Gen 4 speeds, and enough space for a couple of big modern games. This rig also includes a 360mm AIO liquid cooler as standard, installed in one of iBuyPower's own PC case designs, with a wrap-around front and side glass panel. iBuyPower has also thrown in a keyboard and mouse with the build to get you started.

All in all, the $1,449 sale price for this iBuyPower Element Pro gaming PC is a seriously good one in the modern climate. The AI boom has forced hardware prices sharply upward over the last six months, but this sub-$1,500 rig shows that gaming at 1440p and 4K at this price point on modern hardware isn't an impossibility (at least for the moment). This $550 discount won't be around forever, so if you're interested, make sure to get your order in quickly.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

What's a common characteristic of clouded leopards, Komodo dragons, and Sumatran tigers? Their habitats are all close to data centers — at least, if the proposal by DC Blox's to build a facility right next to the Nashville Zoo comes to pass. The 1.6-acre facility (69,000 sqft.) buildout is in the permit stage, but already raising more than a few issues both with the zoo itself and concerned Nashville residents, as evidenced by an online petition that counts over 322,000 signatories as of this writing.

The Nashville Zoo published a post in its blog detailing its major concerns. Besides the obvious concern about the power draw and its impact on the local grid, the zoo claims the facility could add to noise and light pollution, as well as lower the water quality in the surrounding areas. Altogether, those factors might have a negative impact on a number of hosted species and breeding programs, including the zoo's famous clouded leopards, animals "notoriously sensitive to any mechanical noise."

Nashville Zoo CEO Rick Schwartz reportedly said the entity was looking to use part of the 23.5-acre lot in question for an education and conservation center and that it was in talk for years with current owners MarketStreet Enterprises to buy part of the property for that purpose. MarketStreet's website lists the Nashville Zoo as one of its current tenants.

Technical details appear to be relatively sparse, but the datacenter would draw an estimated 50 MW of power from the local grid and reportedly include its own power substation. The 1.6-acre figure would hold the build's first phase, a relatively small parcel out of a 23.5-acre lot. DC Blox claims the project would use "closed-loop or waterless" cooling and comply with all local ordnances.

While 50 MW is definitely a lot of power, it's not anywhere in the same ballpark as that required by the vast majority of AI datacenters. This could mean the Nashville datacenter might be a "standard," relatively inoffensive co-location facility, keeping in theme with DC Blox's other operations. The proposed area is also quite compact in comparison to thousand-acre constructions demanding tens of gigawatts. Nashville already hosts another couple dozen datacenters, though none with a plan to pull up to 50 MW from the grid.

As an example, DC Blox's Birmingham facility does in fact use air cooling, and could draw up to 60 MW of power when fully built out. Having said that, the firm's website claims its operations are "AI-ready," meaning that the power and cooling requirements could rise in time, though theoretically such expansions would require additional permits. For its part, DC Blox says the datacenter would "not be an AI factory placing a burden on local resources," and further noted that the area had an existing permit for a datacenter, though there appear to be no records that such a facility was ever actually built.

Notably, while there appear to be no city-specific laws regarding datacenters, Tennessee law at least requires that datacenters pay for any grid infrastructure upgrades. Nashville's leadership is nevertheless considering adding restrictions to new datacenter investments, including but not limited to water, power, and noise regulations. Those would even ban buildouts larger than 500,000 sqft altogether.

The project is only in the permit stage, and in an odd spot at that. Local law generally requires that only land owners can apply or support a building permit, and yet DC Blox filed one while not yet owning the area, which is currently being sold by MarketStreet Enterprises. There's no confirmation on whether MarketStreet has co-signed or authorized the filing. Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell reportedly called the application "unusual" and is asking the Metro's legal department to look further into the situation.

ZanaZamora, the U.S.-based trucker who packs a powerful driving sim rig in their semi, just posted an update about it that went viral on Reddit. The sim racing and flight sim enthusiast said in r/SimRacing Setups that Conspit, the brand they used for the driving-sim wheel on their original gaming rig, worked with them on these upgrades.

The biggest change that we saw with the semi-truck sim rig is the white GT-Lite racing rig with a white-and-blue Pro racing seat. ZanaZamora said that it “not only looks fantastic in here but also fits better in the limited space. A surprisingly small footprint for such a beefy rig. The proper racing bucket seat is way more comfy, with proper posture not only adding to immersion but helping with feeling and reacting to the feedback from the controls better.” Aside from the rig and seat, they also received Conspit CPP Evo 3 pedals, an Ares Platinum wheelbase, a quick adapter, and a dashboard.

The Redittor and truck driver said that the parts and accessories are much smaller and lighter than their previous build, which is crucial for the limited space that they have inside their truck.

Years ago my post of my semi truck gaming rig here went fairly viral. I’m happy to share that it has continued to evolve into this now absolutely unhinged setup, replacing my passenger seat with an entire Sim Racing/Flight rig from r/pcmasterrace

Aside from these racing-centric upgrades, we also see a few other new parts. For example, it looks like they now drive a Corsair K95 RGB Platinum XT keyboard and a proper Stream Deck — significant upgrades from their old wireless keyboard and generic macro pad.

ZanaZamora said that their friend owns the truck that they drive, and that “he actually supports it for the most part,” referring to their “unhinged setup” that sits on the passenger side of the semi. When a commenter asked what “for the most part” meant, they said, “For the most part, as in ‘that’s cool, but I have bills to pay, don’t stay up all night gaming.’"

Even though some may think installing such an expensive setup in a truck is a bit risky for theft, the trucker said everything is bolted to the sim rig (which we assume is securely installed on the truck itself). “It’d be a pain to steal any of this,” ZanaZamora said. They also added, “It would take some time and tools, i.e. planning. And the only time I’m ever off the truck that long is when it’s parked securely at my house.”

Mini-PCs have become increasingly popular systems for both home and office environments. However, don't let their size fool you, as these tiny systems often pack enough firepower to rival standard desktops. If a mini-PC purchase is in your short-term plans, Aoostar’s prominent lineup, such as the Maco, G-Flip, and Gem12 Max mini-PCs, is on sale during this 618 mid-year shopping festival on AliExpress with final prices between $300 and $398.

The orders ship directly from AliExpress’s U.S.-based local warehouses. The benefits of shipping locally include fast, free shipping within the U.S., buyer protection for added peace of mind, and, most importantly, no cross-border duties or unexpected import fees. Therefore, what you see at the checkout screen is what you end up paying.

In addition to the discounts available on Aoostar mini-PCs, AliExpress has released some coupon codes exclusive to U.S. customers for some extra savings. The higher the order, the greater the overall savings. The codes are case-sensitive and only applicable for single use per account, so make them count.

• USAFF3 — $3 – $15
• USAFF8 — $8 – $49  
• USAFF14 — $14 – $89
• 18USAFF — $18 - $99
• USAFF24 — $24 – $149
• 29USAFF — $29 - $159
• USAFF40 — $40 - $249
• 58USAFF — $58 - $339
• USAFF60 — $60 – $399
• USAFF75 — $75 – $499
• USAFF93 — $93 – $599
• USAFF120 — $120 – $700

The Maco, G-Flip, and Gem12 Max lineups boast features such as an OCuLink connector to leverage eGPUs, dual 2.5 Gigabit connectivity, and USB 4 connections for fast communication with external storage mediums.

These Aoostar mini-PC deals are available for a limited time, or while supplies last. The Maco model, featuring a 1TB SSD, is available at its special promotional price until June 10. For customers interested in customizing their own builds, the barebones versions of the Gem12 Max, Maco, and G-Flip mini-PCs are on sale with discounted pricing extended through June 30.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

If you want a powerful, affordable gaming PC for under $1,800, you'll want to take advantage of this deal on a 4K-ready Skytech gaming PC at Walmart. This powerful Skytech Gaming Azure 3 Plus rig has dropped in price to just $1,749, netting you $550.99 in savings to use elsewhere, and making it one of the most affordable PCs with these specs that you can find.

● Check out this deal at Walmart

Skytech, builders of pre-built and custom gaming PCs, have delivered a rig with a serious spec sheet for gamers here. You're not sacrificing with lower-tier components, as this Azure 3 Plus build comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, one of the best CPUs you can buy right now, along with an AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT, a formidable GPU for modern gaming.

Our 9800X3D review explains in depth why this eight-core CPU is a popular powerhouse for gaming machines, as it's fitted with the game-changing 3D V-Cache, which boosts the available L3 cache capacity to 96MB. This reduces the dependency on your system RAM, vastly reducing latency and giving you higher, stable frame rates as a result in-game.

The 9800X3D, which previously topped our benchmarks, continues to be one of the fastest gaming CPUs on the market right now, outstripping its Intel competitors and giving you a measurable step-up over any older X3D chips like the 7800X3D. Pushing your hardware to its limits with 4K gameplay needs a CPU like the 9800X3D, with all eight of its cores able to utilize the performance improvements offered by 3D V-cache, as our CPU benchmarks below will confirm.

Meanwhile, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is our favorite all-rounder GPU, sitting at the top of our best GPU list. It delivers serious performance improvements over AMD's older GPUs, and comes with 64 RDNA 4 compute units and 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM on a 254-bit memory bus, delivering memory speeds of up to 20 Gbps.

As a gamer, it means that a rig with an RX 9070 XT is capable of delivering performance on par with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti. You're leaving 1080p behind here, as you'll be able to hit high frame rates with decent graphics settings at 1440p. 4K gameplay isn't off-limits, either, but you may need to adjust your graphics presets if the frame rates start to drop in the more intensive games. Luckily, the juicy 16GB of VRAM here means that you can expect a little bit more breathing room to deliver higher and more stable frame rates at these higher resolutions, especially compared to cheaper 8GB GPUs like the RX 9060 XT.

The 9800X3D and RX 9070 XT combined are a formidable match, giving you a PC with longevity. With the right gaming monitor, you'll be able to play games on this sub-$1,800 machine with performance that few other pre-built PCs can offer at this price point. In fact, right now, this machine is the cheapest RX 9070 XT gaming PC on the market, as far as we can find.

So, affordable and powerful, but the rest of the specs aren't cheap, either. You're getting 32GB of DDR5 memory, along with a 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD that offers PCIe 4.0 speeds. The RAM is about what you'd expect to find in a machine like this, and the storage should be fast and plentiful enough to handle a couple of those big, 100GB+ game installations. This rig also uses a 360mm AIO cooler with ARGB fans to help keep this powerful rig cool during those long gaming sessions.

All in all, you're getting a serious bargain by buying this $1,749 Skytech gaming PC. Unlike the huge price rises we've seen recently due to the AI boom, this rig feels like it was priced six months ago. Expect to see this deal sell out fast, so if you want to save over $550 on a powerful PC with specs like these, you'll need to be quick.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

A lightning strike has reportedly turned an internet connection into a destructive pathway for thousands of volts, leaving behind a damaged router and PC motherboard. The rare incident was shared on Reddit by user u/Greatfulx, who claims that during a recent thunderstorm, lightning entered their apartment complex through its coaxial cable infrastructure before damaging their network equipment and desktop PC.

According to the shared photos, the Ethernet port on their PC appears to have suffered extensive damage, leading them to believe the surge traveled from the router into the PC via the Ethernet cable. Notably, the damage on the motherboard appears to be concentrated around the Ethernet port rather than the entire board. While most modern Ethernet ports include surge protection designed to shield devices from electrical faults, an extremely high voltage power surge can potentially overload such safeguards. Additionally, the photos showcase the damaged router alongside large burn marks on nearby walls and the coaxial cable outside the apartment.

Router Blewup Motherboard from r/pcmasterrace

"Recent lighting storm struck my complex and traveled down my coaxial cable and into my apartment. Blew up in the middle of the night, so that was scary," the user wrote. "Thought I’d share, not in the position to rebuild so there that I guess!" The user told onlookers in the comments they were chasing up parties over possible negligence after one user pointed out a grounding/earthing attachment outside the building didn't appear to be connected properly.

The incident draws parallels to similar lightning-related hardware damage stories shared on Reddit. In one case, a user reportedly lost internet connectivity after a loud thunderstorm and initially assumed the issue was limited to their network connection. After some inspection, they discovered that the motherboard's dedicated LAN protection component, branded as "LAN Guard," had reportedly detached from the board. The user claimed that a surge possibly traveled through the Ethernet connection and was absorbed by the protective circuitry, potentially preventing more extensive damage to the rest of the PC. A similar lightning-related incident was shared by a user on Reddit who reported that a thunderstorm damaged their PlayStation 5’s Ethernet port while the console was connected via a wired network connection

Such incidents highlight a common vulnerability that is overlooked in most home electronic setups. While many users protect computers and other components with surge-protected power strips or uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), surges can enter through network and communication lines as well. If a lightning strike enters through a coaxial cable, modem, router, or switch, the resulting electrical energy may bypass protections designed primarily for AC power outlets.

Although no consumer-grade protection device can guarantee safeguard against a direct lightning strike, it is highly recommended that coaxial lines are properly grounded and that the use of surge protection for both power and data connections is used where possible.

HP is on a roll recently with huge discounts on some of its most powerful gaming PCs, but this one truly smashes the competition. You can pick up this HP Omen 35L gaming PC with a 9900X3D, RTX 5080, 64GB DDR5 RAM, and 4TB of SSD storage for just $2,899.99 right now. Hold on to your hats, because that's a $2,600 saving in your pocket, almost half the price you're paying here for a 4K-ready rig.

● Check out this deal on HP's website

You're getting the recent refresh of the HP Omen 35L, so this isn't just HP clearing out old stock. These specs are top tier, from the powerful 9950X3D to the unstoppable RTX 5080. The 35-liter case used here is a great option that eschews a huge RGB monstrosity for something a little more understated for your desk, with its cool black design a more refined option for somebody more interested in raw gaming power.

That power is formed, front and center, by its CPU and GPU combo. Our AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D review named this the middle child of AMD's 3D V-cache line-up on its release last year, offering epic performance power but at an oddly high price. That isn't a problem here, though, so we can focus on its power. Our CPU benchmarks confirm that this is a processor that continues to perform well against its rivals, especially compared to the Intel competition.

This Zen 5 processor has 12 cores, 24 threads, and a boost clock speed of up to 5.5 GHz. The more important thing for gaming, however, is that it features the boosted 96MB L3 cache that will reduce latency and deliver higher, more stable frame-rates while you're gaming. However, one thing to point out is that, unlike some of the eight-core X3D chips like the 9800X3D, the 9900X3D uses a dual-CCD design, meaning its six cores are split over two dies. Only one of those dies has the stacked 3D V-cache, meaning only six cores have the boosted cache, which explains why the 9900X3D isn't quite at the top, even if it does deliver decent performance.

There isn't much of a downside to the 9900X3D here, especially as plenty of pre-built systems at this price point are still sold lacking AMD's X3D chips at all. Any downsides are soon offset when coupling the 9900X3D with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080. Nvidia's current-gen second-place GPU comes with 10,752 CUDA cores and 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM.

As our GPU benchmarks show, those specs confirm the RTX 5080 as a powerhouse option that will easily handle 4K gameplay, giving you high frame rates with ease. This Nvidia Blackwell GPU has raw power, but it also has the added functionality provided by DLSS 4, letting you max out your graphics settings even in the most resource-heavy games. That isn't going to be much of a problem anyway with an RTX 5080, but it does ensure longevity, meaning you'll have a card that should handle the demands of modern gaming for years to come.

This pre-built HP rig includes a number of features that round it out as a general workhouse rig, too. You've got built-in Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity included as standard, along with 2.5G Ethernet. You've also got two, 2TB VMe SSDs with Gen 4 speeds included as standard, giving you a whopping 4TB in total for your games, documents, movies, and more. Given how expensive SSDs have become in recent months due to the AI boom, this is an especially nice touch.

RAM isn't a compromise here, either. This HP Omen 35L rig comes with 64GB of DDR5 RAM, dual-channel, split across two 32GB modules with speeds of 5,600 MT/s a — worth nearly $700 in today's market. Dual-channel RAM ensures you're getting the best possible bandwidth between your RAM and CPU, and it isn't always a given to see, as we've seen plenty of HP machines ship with just single-channel RAM. Other goodies include a 240mm LCD AIO liquid cooler, help to round off the build.

The $2,899.99 sale price for this HP Omen 35L gaming PC is ridiculously impressive. You won't find a better combination of specs for the price right now, while that $2,600 discount leaves you enough to almost buy two of these at once. These HP deals always prove popular and always sell out fast, so if you're interested, don't sit on it for too long, or you might miss out.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

There's a resurgence in prebuilt desktop gaming PCs as of late, due to the exceptional inflation on PC components. We might not be able to make AI and data centers go away, but we can still try to find the best prices and deals on the hardware that's already out there. At Best Buy, you can still find some serious savings on an Alienware Aurora gaming PC from Dell. At only $2,919.99, you're saving a massive $1,280 off the $4199.99 list price. That's a huge discount on a powerful pre-built that'll be able to handle almost anything you can throw at it.

• Check out this deal at Best Buy

Typically, there is a premium brand tax for Alienware-branded PCs, monitors, and laptops, and this Aurora deal is no exception. This huge price cut brings this particular Alienware Aurora model down to a more affordable price.

This pre-built PC features the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080, the second most powerful consumer GPU on the market right now, according to our GPU benchmarks. The RTX 5080 has 10,752 CUDA cores and 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM, specs that only the RTX 5090 and previous generation RTX 4090 can top. This is a powerful videocard that will easily handle the demands of AAA gaming, even at 4K.

Apart from the high-end RTX 5080 GPU contained inside the Aurora, there is also Intel's flagship Core Ultra 9 285K processor, 32GB of fast DDR5 memory, and 2TB of storage. Not only will this prebuilt gaming PC dominate in gaming, but it's also got a great pedigree for productivity tasks, so you can use this mighty rig for work and play. So whether it's gaming, streaming, content creation, or video editing, this PC should be able to handle it all with ease, and at now only $2919.99, things just got a lot more affordable.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

Astera Labs demonstrated its recently introduced Scorpio X-Series 320 Lane Smart Fabric Switch, which appears to be the industry’s largest open memory-semantic fabric switch, at Computex 2026 in Taipei. The PCIe 6.0 switch with 320 lanes can be used to build large multi-GPU scale-up clusters, large shared KV-cache memory pools, and disaggregate data center infrastructure using custom topologies.

The switch provides 320 PCIe 6.0 lanes and 20 Tbps of switching bandwidth, up from 144 lanes and 9 Tbps for previous-generation devices. Astera Labs says the increased number of lanes enables larger scale-up domains, enabling the connection of up to 80 accelerators using a single switch. By contrast, older 144-lane switches support up to 32 accelerators per switch. For clusters with more than 64 accelerators, the company says the new device reduces switch hops from as many as three to one and cuts switch count by a factor of four to six while still providing all-to-all connectivity akin to that provided by Nvidia’s NVL72 systems (albeit with lower bandwidth and higher latencies). The switch can support both standard and custom accelerators as long as they use standard PCIe connectivity.

On the trade show floor, Astera Labs is showing off its switching capabilities with Intel’s Arc B70 Pro graphics cards. However, real-world deployments based on the Scorpio X-Series 320-lane PCIe switches will likely use more advanced Intel hardware. In general, the switch can be used to build clusters from all types of accelerators that do not support their own NVLink or UALink-like interconnections, including AMD’s Instinct MI350P and Nvidia’s RTX 6000 Blackwell. Astera has yet to showcase a full working cluster featuring 80 accelerators, as the company only got the Scorpio X-Series 320-lane PCIe switch from the fab eight weeks ago. Also, finding 80 similar accelerators is not easy. Nonetheless, based on the company’s demonstration, the switch appears to be working.

A key feature of the Scorpio X-Series is Hypercast, which is a hardware-based data replication engine intended to accelerate communication-intensive operations common in AI models. According to Astera Labs, MoE networks tend to route tokens across hundreds of experts and create large amounts of multicast traffic between accelerators. In such cases, traditional switching architectures either require repeated data transmissions or slow multicast-group reconfiguration, whereas Hypercast is designed to handle these communication patterns directly in hardware, reduce GPU networking overhead, and improve accelerator efficiency, Astera Labs claims.

The company also added In-Network Compute engines that offload collective operations such as AllReduce, ReduceScatter, AllGather, AllScatter, and all-to-all exchanges. These features can reduce communication latency by more than 50% in certain workloads, according to Astera.

Another important feature of the Scorpio X-Series 320-lane PCIe switch is its memory-semantic connectivity, which enables connected processors to access fabric-attached resources using native load and store operations rather than software-controlled transactions. This greatly simplifies usage of the device and improves real-world performance by reducing overhead and improving fabric efficiency at scale.

Astera says that the production ramp of the Scorpio X-Series 320-lane PCIe switch is set for the second half of 2026. Currently, the company is sampling the switch with leading hyperscalers.

Following the announcement of Microsoft's Surface Laptop Ultra ahead of Computex, the company is announcing another device with the RTX Spark system on a chip at its developer conference, Build, in San Francisco.

That new PC is the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box. With the company pushing Windows as a platform for agentic AI with Nvidia's new processor, the Surface-branded mini PC is set to run sustained workloads with a 100W thermal envelope — more than you can get in a laptop.

Microsoft says that includes "long-running training jobs, agentic AI pipelines and local model fine-tuning."

The PC has an aluminum chassis with 1,000 air vents in a grid, which looks a bit like the flat top of the Xbox Series X. The system features two USB Type-C ports, HDMI, USB-A, Ethernet, and a headphone jack.

Nvidia states that the RTX Spark can deliver up to one petaflop of AI compute with 128GB of unified memory and can run models with up to 120 billion parameters locally.

The system will come set up for developers, with Visual Studio Code, GitHub Copilot, and other applications preinstalled. Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL 2) with support for Nvidia's CUDA technology will also come out of the box, along with PowerShell7.

Microsoft hasn't announced a price for the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, but says it will be available this year at microsoft.com in the United States. While you can't make a pre-order, you can sign up to learn more on the device's web page.

Supermicro is showing off its upcoming machines based on AMD’s 6^th Generation EPYC ‘Venice’ processors, Instinct MI450 accelerators, and, of course, Nvidia’s Vera Rubin-based solutions. Arguably, the most important product that the company demonstrated at its CEO’s keynote is the VR200 NVL72 rack that uses Vera CPUs and Rubin GPUs. The machine, just like other upcoming liquid-cooled systems from Supermicro will use the company’s all-new coolant that has a 1000x higher electrical impedance compared to today’s mixtures, which may be quite important for next-generation AI machines.

“Our new coolant [uses a new] formula [and] reaches up to 1,000 times higher electrical impedance than a standard cooler,” said Charles Liang, chief executive of Supermicro, during his keynote speech at Computex. “In case there are small leaks, when you have a high electrical impedance, the system will not [shut down] [and will] keep running.”

Conventional water-based coolants used in direct liquid cooling systems have electrical conductivity (albeit lower than water), so if coolant leaks onto a motherboard, GPU, power delivery circuitry, or connectors, it can create leakage currents or even short circuits. A coolant with 1000 times higher electrical impedance is far more resistant to current flow, which reduces the likelihood that a minor leak will immediately shut down a system or damage electronic components. This is important as modern rack-scale AI solutions like Nvidia’s VR200 NVL72 are rumored to cost around $8 million, so their protection is crucial. Also, reducing downtime in AI data centers is important as these machines must make money for their owners.

Unfortunately, Supermicro’s claim is difficult to evaluate because the company does not disclose specifications of the coolant, such as conductivity (µS/cm), resistivity (MΩ·cm), or dielectric strength (kV/mm). It also remains tight-lipped about the baseline coolant used for comparison. Since modern water-glycol coolants are already fairly resistant, a 1000-fold improvement sounds significant, but without the actual details, it is impossible to determine the practical magnitude of the advancement. What Supermicro claims is that a minor coolant leak would be less likely to force an immediate server shutdown, which means lower downtime risk in large AI deployments. However, we have no idea whether the new coolant behaves more like a dielectric fluid and less like water-glycol coolants.

The new coolant will be used in all new liquid-cooled systems from Supermicro, including the upcoming AMD Helios and Nvidia VR200 NVL72 machines. Given that Nvidia nowadays does not leave many ways for its partners to differentiate, the coolant with 1000 times higher electrical impedance than conventional coolants will likely be among the key selling points of Supermicro’s Nvidia-based offerings.

Speaking of Nvidia’s AI systems, Supermicro is on track to release its Vera Rubin-based systems in the second half of this year, just like other makers. Supermicro intends to offer both NVL72-rack-scale machines based on Nvidia’s Vera CPUs and Rubin GPUs, as well as Rubin DGX systems with different processors.

As for AMD’s side of matters, Supermicro is also on track to release MI455X-based Helios rack-scale solutions in the second half of the year, though the company does not disclose whether these use UALink or UALink over Ethernet interconnections. In addition, Supermicro is also on track with 1-way and 2-way servers based on AMD’s 6^th Generation EPYC ‘Venice’ processors that are made using TSMC’s N2 process technology. These machines are also expected to hit the market in 2026.

Bundle deals are often the easiest way to sidestep today's inflated pricing of memory, SSDs, and GPUs. However, a well-configured prebuilt can be even more compelling, offering compatible components and the convenience of a fully assembled system out-of-the-box. One such prebuilt is the ABS Cyclone Aqua that is currently listed on Newegg for $1,399.99, down from its original price of $1,799.99 resulting in savings of $400. Customers can get an additional discount of 5% using the promo code ABSGAMER5 during checkout, essentially bringing the final cost down to $1,329.99, and an overall saving of $470.

• Check out this deal on Newegg

The ABS Cyclone Aqua gaming PC features hardware suitable for modern AAA gaming at 1080p. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-14700F, which is a solid 20-core (8 P-cores + 12 E-cores) processor with 28 threads and boost clock speeds of up to 5.4 GHz. The CPU is paired to an ASRock B760M-CX motherboard with 32GB (2 x 16GB) of DDR5 6000 MT/s memory from G.Skill. The motherboard also comes with onboard Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. For storage, the system includes a 1TB Kingston SNV3S M.2 2280 Gen 4 SSD offering read speeds of up to 5,000 MBps and write speeds of up to 3,500 MBps.

Graphics duties are handled by the MSI Shadow RTX 5060 with 8GB VRAM, which is essentially Nvidia’s latest entry-level 1080p card. While it may not be ideal for high-end AAA gaming, it should be good enough for less demanding titles, especially if you are into competitive FPS shooters. The rest of the features include a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Spectrum V3 CPU air cooler, a 650W 80+ Gold power supply unit, and a decent mid-tower case with a glass side panel, as well as two 120mm ARGB fans at the front and one at the rear.

If you've been holding off on a new gaming PC due to high component prices, this deal at $1,329.99 is definitely worth your attention. Considering that sourcing comparable components individually would likely push the total cost beyond $1,500, this prebuilt offers excellent value for the money.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, gaming chair, or CPU Deals pages.

The very first set of Nvidia Vera CPU benchmarks have just been released by Phoronix, with results from a set of common Linux benchmarks. While the tests were curated by Nvidia at its Santa Clara headquarters, the early data from those tests indicates that Vera is highly competitive compared to AMD's EPYC and Intel Xeon offerings, at least in the workloads Nvidia is targeting with the chip.

Phoronix was invited to NVIDIA's Santa Clara headquarters to test the upcoming 88-core CPUs. Vera is notable for all kinds of reasons, but most especially because it doesn't license an Arm processor core. Instead, like Apple's chips, it uses the ARM instruction set on a fully custom CPU core known as "Olympus." This isn't the first time Nvidia has produced a custom CPU core; that would be "Denver" in the Tegra K1 from 12 years ago. However, where Denver was a desktop-class CPU constrained by a mobile power budget, Vera is a server-class monster fed with a server-class power budget, and the proof is in the benchmark results.

Phoronix's Michael Larabel was able to test Vera across a range of benchmarks, including code compilation tests, synthetic memory benchmarks, AV1 video encoding, Python, Java OpenJDK, file compression, Lua JIT, and some database benchmarks. In most of the tests, the Vera processors are highly competitive against the competition, which includes AMD EPYC "Turin" processors in single- and dual-CPU configurations as well as an Intel "Granite Rapids" Xeon chip. As Larabel says, Vera offers "competitiveness to Intel/AMD x86_64 CPUs that [he has] never seen out of any other ARM or non-x86_64 processors." It doesn't win outright in most tests, but it's running very close to the EPYC configurations, which is shockingly good for a first-generation custom server core from Nvidia.

What's even more impressive is if you switch things over to a per-thread view of the data, which Phoronix does for some tests. Historically, Arm server vendors have achieved similar performance versus AMD and Intel in multi-threaded workloads by simply cramming a huge pile of cores onto a chip, but the single-threaded performance of x86 was beyond reach. Well, in a timed Gem5 compilation, only the AMD EPYC 9575F was able to beat Nvidia's Vera on a "performance per core" metric. In a Linux kernel build, Vera tops the stack of server chips by a decent little margin. It's real eyebrow-raising stuff, and speaks to the strength of the Vera core.

Looking at the geometric mean of test results, Vera comes out on top by a fair margin, in part thanks to very strong performance in LuaJIT FFTs, ClickHouse database server, and the Renaissance JVM benchmark, where it absolutely dusted the competition. This is genuinely exceptional, but there are caveats to this data. Larabel notes that Nvidia limited the scope of these initial benchmarks to its "intended markets and target use-cases," but it's also true that these tests are benchmarks that Larabel is familiar with and already runs on server CPUs for performance analysis. He says that today's results are a "small subset" of his typical preferred approach, which is to say that this data is valid, but may not represent all workloads or use-cases.

One key detail that the site wasn't able to test comes down to power efficiency. This is a big deal for consumer systems, but it's a much bigger deal for AI data center operators who are currently struggling with build-outs because the power infrastructure worldwide simply isn't robust enough to support megawatt AI training clusters popping up all over the place. Nvidia says that Vera has a 450W TDP, while the fast SOCAMM2 memory it uses consumes another 50 watts; the Xeon and EPYC chips used for comparisons are rated for 500W before accounting for platform memory power. Real power consumption can be very removed from TDP figures, though, so we'll have to wait and see how that plays out.

Another point in favor of Vera is software support. According to Larabel, Vera has "great upstream open-source support," which is encouraging for the future of these chips. Over the decades, we've seen many examples of promising hardware that falls by the wayside due to insufficient software support. All of the testing was performed on a mainline Linux kernel with no need for nasty Device Trees or hacky bespoke driver solutions.

While Nvidia's Vera looks legitimately formidable next to current-generation chips, both AMD and Intel have new chips on the way that look downright gobsmacking. AMD's planning to pack some 256 Zen 6 CPU cores into a single socket with the dense version of EPYC "Venice", while Intel's "Clearwater Forest" will combine up to 288 Darkmont cores with its bleeding-edge 18A process technology in a direct attempt to reclaim the performance-per-watt crown. The end of the year and next year's server landscape are going to be very, very different from today.

The Acer Nitro 65 vies for a spot among the best gaming PCs, and packs in a Ryzen 9 9900X processor, 32GB of DDR5 memory, and a GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card. Given its hardware pedigree, Acer positions the Nitro 65 as an entry-level 4K gaming system. The mid-tower system features an attractive design with a glass side panel, a curved glass front panel, and the usual RGB trimmings. Acer even includes Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, which is a welcome addition given the $2,069 asking price.

Editor's Note: The first Nitro 65 review unit we received exhibited lesser than expected performance and, upon further inspection, damage to some internal components. Acer sent us a second system, which is used here.

Design of the Acer Nitro 65

The Nitro 65 features a sleek black chassis made of a mix of stainless steel and plastic. The case and right side panel are made of steel, while the left side panel is constructed of tempered glass. Both panels are accessed by sticking your finger into a recessed groove and pulling toward you. Then, each panel pivots out and can be completely removed.

The curved glass on the front is embedded in a plastic housing that extends from the floor to the top of the chassis. The same plastic is used for another trim piece that sits below the left side panel. The two plastic pieces feature an engraved channel that combines additional ventilation holes and an RGB light strip that runs from the side of the chassis to the front.

Magnetic dust filters are provided at the top of the chassis and on the right-side panel (which houses two 120 mm RGB fans). There are two additional 120 mm RGB fans at the rear of the chassis, which are joined by the 120 mm RGB fan for the air CPU cooler and the RGB DDR5 memory sticks.

The Nitro 65 measures 18.4 x 17 x 9.6 inches and weighs 28 pounds.

Acer Nitro 65 Specifications

Ports and Upgradeability on the Acer Nitro 65

Taking things from the top, the Nitro 65 offers a pretty good selection of ports. You get two USB-A ports and one USB-C port. The inclusion of the latter is much appreciated, and is a point that we harped on in our review of the Nitro 60. There’s also a 3.5 mm audio combo jack along with power and reset buttons.

The rear I/O ports come courtesy of the Gigabyte B850M C motherboard. Here you'll find four USB-A 2.0 ports, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, and one USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port. That should be more than enough plugs to appease most enthusiasts, but it would have been nice to see at least one Thunderbolt port at this price point ($2,099). You'll also find HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort ports, a 2.5 GbE port, and a trio of 3.5 mm audio jacks. Another interesting addition is a WiFi EZ-Plug for the included Wi-Fi antenna, which is a simple plug-and-play affair rather than the typical screw-in antenna connectors.

As for expansion slots on the motherboard, the B850M C features one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and three PCIe 3.0 x1 slots. There are also two M.2 slots (1x PCIe 5.0, 2x PCIe 4.0). There are also four DDR5 DIMM slots supporting up to 256GB of memory.

There’s also a tray for mounting additional SSDs and HDDs, accessible by removing the right-side panel. Finally, our review unit shipped with a non-modular 850W power supply. The lack of a modular design is somewhat surprising at this price point.

Gaming and Graphics Performance on the Acer Nitro 65The Nitro 65 review unit that we received features a Ryzen 9 9900X processor, 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory, and a GeForce RTX 5070 GPU.

To have some fun with the system before jumping into the standard benchmark suite, I played a few rounds of Battlefield 6. I played the game at 2560 x 1600 resolution with the Ultra preset and DLSS enabled. Performance averaged between 140 and 150 frames per second (FPS) during my fragging sessions.

The systems that we have assembled for comparison are the Acer Nitro 60 (Core i7-14700F, RTX 5070), Asus ROG G700 (Core Ultra 7 265KF, RTX 5070), and the iBuyPower Y40 Pro (Ryzen 7 9800X3D, RTX 5070 Ti).

Unsurprisingly, the systems equipped with an RTX 5070 were quite evenly matched in the gaming benchmarks, with the iBuyPower Y49 Pro eking out the best numbers in most benchmarks thanks to its beefier RTX 5070 Ti.

In the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (Highest detail preset), the Nitro 65 delivered 209 FPS at 1080p and 70 FPS at 4K. That put it about 5 percent ahead of the Nitro 69 and ROG G700 at 1080p, but on even footing at 4K. The Y40 Pro pulled out to a commanding lead with 228 FPS at 1080p and 89 FPS at 4K.

Cyberpunk 2077 (Ray Tracing Ultra preset) is a more demanding game and can be quite punishing on even the best gaming systems. Here, the Nitro 65 managed 69 FPS at 1080p, compared to 65 FPS and 70 FPS for the Nitro 60 and ROG G700, respectively. Those three systems hovered around 20 fps at 4K resolution. The Y40 Pro, however, flexed its muscles with 87 FPS at 1080p and 29 FPS at 4K. With that said, none of these machines offer playable 4K performance, so you’ll likely want to stick with 1440p/1600p or 1080p to make the most of what the RTX 5070 can provide.

Far Cry 6 (Ultra preset) saw the Nitro 65 top the charts, achieving 132 FPS at 1080p compared to 125 FPS on the Y40 Pro. However, the Y40 Pro turned the tables when cranking the resolution to 4K (102 FPS for the Y40 Pro versus 82 FPS for the Nitro 65).

The Nitro 65 performed nearly identically to the Nitro 60 in Red Dead Redemption 2 (Medium preset), with the two systems achieving 141 FPS and 143 FPS, respectively, at 1080p, and the same 54 FPS at 4K. The ROG G700 was half a step behind (120 FPS, 50 FPS), while the Y40 Pro was half a step ahead (161 FPS, 66 FPS).

Finally, we come to Black Myth: Wukong (Cinematic preset), where the Nitro 65 actually ended up at the back of the pack at 1080p (50 FPS) and tied for second place at 4K (25 FPS). Not surprisingly, the Y40 Pro led with 66 FPS at 1080p and 32 FPS at 4K resolution.

Metro Exodus remains our go-to for stress-testing gaming PCs, and we run each through 15 loops to simulate 30 minutes of gameplay. During the stress test, the Nitro 65 averaged 143 FPS. Across the 15 runs, the Ryzen 9 9900X averaged 57.7 degrees Celsius, while the RTX 5070 averaged 60.24 C. The fans were quite audible during the stress test (and during general gaming). Acer’s decision to go with air cooling for the CPU at this price point is a bit of a puzzle.

Productivity Performance on the Acer Nitro 65

With a Ryzen 9 9900X, 32GB of DDR5, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, the Nitro 65 wasn’t quite as strong in productivity performance. It came out strong in our Geekbench 6 synthetic CPU benchmark, scoring 3,348 in single-core (the highest of the group) and 18,282 in multi-core (second place behind the ROG G700).

In our 25GB file transfer test, the Nitro 65 didn’t quite have the juice to climb up the performance ladder. It delivered 1,719.57 MBps compared to 1,816.50 MBps on the ROG G700 and 1,861.60 MBps on the Nitro 60.

Finally, the Handbrake 4K-to-1080p video transcoding test placed the Nitro 65 in third place, with a time of 2 minutes and 51 seconds. The ROG G700 turned in the best time of 2:03, while the Y40 Pro rolled into second place at 2:29. The Nitro 60 was at the back of the pack at 3 minutes and 10 seconds.

Keyboard and Mouse on the Acer Nitro 65

The Nitro 65 ships with a basic wired USB keyboard and mouse. The mouse is designed for right-handed gamers and has a very cheap plastic feel. Yes, it’s lightweight, but I just can’t get past the plasticky feel. The main buttons click with authority, as do the two side buttons. The scroll wheel is rubberized and has satisfying detents as you flick it up and down. DPI is adjustable via a button behind the scroll wheel. There’s also an RGB strip that runs across the top and side of the mouse, and light also peeks out from the scroll wheel.

The keyboard is also rather mediocre and feels cheap. The entire keyboard deck flexes to a high degree when twisting it, and the plastic covering the Num, Caps, and Scroll LEDs wasn’t even aligned properly. The keyboard, however, features an integrated scroll wheel for volume control and single-zone RGB backlighting.

Software and Warranty on the Acer Nitro 65

The Nitro 65 is relatively light on factory-installed bloatware. The biggest offender is a free 30-day trial of the McAfee antivirus suite. This would be the first app to get the boot from me. There is also a small smattering of game demos and subscription apps that Microsoft throws into the Start Menu by default.

The only item of note is Acer Jumpstart, which is nothing but a shortcut that opens your browser to Acer’s homepage.

The Nitro 65 ships with a one-year parts and labor warranty.

Acer Nitro 65 Configurations

The Nitro 65, as far as we can tell, is a Best Buy-exclusive offering from Acer. There is no mention of the system on Acer’s website, and it’s not available from its online store. However, there are four configurations available from Best Buy’s online marketplace.

Our review unit came with a Ryzen 9 9900X processor, 32GB of DDR5-6000 memory, a GeForce RTX 5070 GPU, a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, and an 850W power supply for $2,069.99 at Best Buy. There’s also a configuration that swaps out the RTX 5070 for a Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU (with all other specs remaining the same) for $2,229.99.

There are also cheaper configurations available, starting at $1,379.99 for a Ryzen 7 8700F with 16GB of DDR5, a 1TB SSD, and a Radeon RX 9060 XT. Swapping out the RX 9060 XT for an RTX 5060 raises the price slightly to $1,399.99.

Bottom Line

The Acer Nitro 65 is a well-equipped gaming desktop with strong gaming and mid-pack productivity performance with a Ryzen 9 9900X processor and RTX 5070 processor on deck. With a price tag of over $2,000, we expected a bit more performance. And with systems hundreds of dollars less employing liquid cooling, it’s a bit of a head scratcher that Acer uses an air cooler that can be grating on your ears under load.

The Asus ROG G700 still remains a more compelling offering in this segment (while saving you $70), with similar performance and a water-cooled CPU to help keep noise levels down.

On Wednesday, the Taiwan Keelung District Prosecutors' Office executed search warrants across 12 locations and is now seeking to detain three individuals in the island’s first formal crackdown on illicit AI semiconductor exports to China. According to a fresh report from Bloomberg, the trio is accused of forging shipping documents to sneak AI servers manufactured by US-based Super Micro Computer Inc. (Supermicro) into China, Hong Kong, and Macau, in direct violation of Washington’s trade restrictions. While the scale of this specific bust is relatively small, purportedly involving around 50 servers, the political and economic implications are far more significant.

If the name Supermicro sounds familiar in the context of chip smuggling, that’s because the company is currently sitting at the center of the largest tech-evasion case in U.S. history. Just months ago, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted Supermicro co-founder and Senior VP Wally Liaw for orchestrating a breathtaking $2.5 billion smuggling ring that reportedly used front companies in Thailand to route restricted NVIDIA hardware to Chinese tech giants like Alibaba.

Though Taiwanese prosecutors claim this new 50-server case was initiated independently of the U.S. investigation, it targets the exact same vulnerability. Smugglers have long used Taiwan as a transit hub, banking on the hope that local compliance teams look the other way. The fact that Taipei is now using local forgery and fraud laws to lock people up signals a major policy shift under President Lai Ching-te, who is under immense pressure from Washington to secure the global AI supply chain.

For those tracking this story closely, Taiwan's sudden aggression isn't really a surprise. Reports of underground hardware in China include thriving repair shops working on illicit Nvidia GPUs and firms stripping restricted NVIDIA silicon off dead boards to build custom "Franken-cards," show chip smuggling is a significant issue.

Yesterday's raids in Taiwan suggest the government is finally taking a harsher stance on the issue. The timing of the Taiwan crackdown is pretty ironic, though; just this week, NVIDIA dropped its Q1 Fiscal 2027 financial results, and the numbers show that the company essentially has a license to print money, regardless of what happens on the black market.

Nvidia pulled in a staggering $81.6 billion in total revenue, an 85% increase year-over-year, with a mind-melting $75.2 billion of that coming strictly from its Data Center division. Driven by insatiable demand for its Blackwell architecture GPUs, Nvidia's growth has gone entirely parabolic. The most critical piece of data for the smuggling narrative was buried in Nvidia's forward guidance, though; management explicitly stated that the company is assuming zero data center compute revenue from China moving forward.

The analysis here is simple: Nvidia has successfully decoupled its legal financial future from China. Nvidia doesn't need the market, and some would argue it doesn't need the regulatory headache. For the black market, the walls are closing in fast. When chip smuggling was just a U.S. DOJ priority, enforcement was limited by geography. Now that key manufacturing and transit hubs like Taiwan and Singapore are actively hunting down middlemen using local criminal fraud laws, the supply chain is fracturing. Getting banned Hopper or Blackwell chips into mainland data centers just became exponentially more fraught.

You should take advantage of this brilliant discount on a high-spec gaming PC for 4K gameplay. Newegg has dropped the price on this ABS Kaze II gaming PC to $2,175.49 right now, as long as you're using the coupon code ABSGAMER5 at checkout. This deal means you're saving over $1,100 on a new PC with a very powerful spec sheet.

● Check out this gaming PC deal at Newegg

ABS is a brand owned and operated by Newegg itself, so you're not settling for a no-brand knockoff here. This rig comes with high-end specs without breaking the bank, including an Intel Core i9-14900KF processor, along with a current-gen Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti GPU, 32GB of DDR5-6400 memory, and 2TB of SSD storage. Not a bad set of specs for the price, especially given the state of the current market.

The biggest selling point, especially if you're upgrading from an older rig, is the jump in resolution: you can ditch 1080p for 4K gaming instead, with the RTX 5070 Ti giving you enough breathing room to use 1440p or 4K resolutions, especially if you're happy to optimize your graphics settings for the most demanding games. The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the perfect option for a mid-tier build, shipping with 8,960 CUDA cores, along with 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM.

You're also able to take advantage of the latest Nvidia tech supported by this current-gen Blackwell GPU, including support for DLSS 4. That's a handy set of functionality to support, as DLSS 4's multi-frame generation will let you push up to high and ultra graphics settings at 4K and make it playable.

The CPU isn't too bad of an option here, either. The Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU continues to be a popular choice for Intel-focused gaming PCs at this price point. While it's a little older now, it still packs a punch. The 14900KF has 24 cores, eight of which are performance cores that will give your machine the best gaming performance. The other 16 included in this CPU, meanwhile, are efficiency cores, which are great for multi-threaded tasks. You'll be able to push this CPU's clock up to a massive 6 GHz, too.

Our CPU benchmarks still have a place for the i9-14900K, the same CPU but with an integrated GPU that the 14900KF here lacks, marking it as one of the best performing processors on sale for gamers if you're still holding out for an Intel over AMD machine.

As far as the other components in this build go, you're not losing out or compromising, either. 32GB of Kingston Fury 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR5-6400 memory is included, leaving the slower speeds of DDR4 behind. A 2TB Kingston SSD is also included, giving you more space for a big game collection (or plenty of photos and movies), with the SNV3S model used here offering Gen 4 speeds.

We've watched as even the most budget-friendly gaming PCs have risen in price over recent months. The $2,175.49 sale price for this ABS Kaze II gaming PC is a fair one at the moment for a rig with an RTX 5070 Ti and 32GB of DDR5 RAM, especially if you're looking to play games at 1440p or 4K, but this discount won't last long, so take advantage of this price while you still can.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

Having recently covered a deal on the HP Omen 45L with an RTX 5090, it's unusual that we would revisit the same product so soon, but thanks to a new discount code and even more RAM (32GB, up from 16GB), that deal just got a lot better. You can now pick up the HP Omen 45L (GT22-3000t 5090) Gaming PC direct from HP for just $3,794.99. Astonishingly, this whole system is now $5 cheaper than the cheapest RTX 5090 graphics card on the market. You will have to manually configure the PC options yourself, as HP's configuration page doesn't store the choices. Then add code PCGLOWUP25 at checkout to receive a $1,265 discount on your order.

● Grab this deal at HP

The configuration of the HP Omen 45L that we are covering in today's deal includes the world's most powerful consumer graphics card, the Nvidia RTX 5090 with 32GB of superfast GDDR7 VRAM. The other hardware components we chose were an Intel Core Ultra 7 265K CPU, an upgrade to 32GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD for your operating system and games library. You will, by default, need to upgrade the power supply to the 1200W option when choosing the RTX 5090.

The code will work on a variety of configurations, so you can always dial down the GPU if you want to spend a bit less.

In our review of the RTX 5090, we found through our extensive benchmark testing that this GPU was the new dominant king of graphics. Topping the charts across the board, this behemoth of a GPU is the go-to card if you must have the absolute best in your gaming rig. Its large 32GB of VRAM also makes it a viable choice for running local LLM models.

The desktop features the gimmicky cryo chamber built into the case with a 360mm AIO liquid cooler inside, Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity, and Bluetooth 5.3. For the front I/O, there are two USB Type-A 5 Gbps ports, two USB 2.0 Type-A ports, and a headphone/microphone combo jack. The rear I/O includes four USB 2.0 Type-A​ ports, a USB Type-C 10 Gbps port, two USB Type-A 5 Gbps ports, ​a USB Type-C 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 port, Ethernet, and standard audio ports.

This is a ready-to-go system out of the box, so if you're not comfortable building your own PC, then this is a great option. You wouldn't even be able to build your own PC at this price, as the GPU alone costs more to buy than this entire PC. The cheapest available RTX 5090 GPU on the market as of now costs $3,799.99, so one way of thinking about it is that you're getting a free PC with a purchase of an RTX 5090, plus a $5 rebate. Yes, the prices of parts are still extortionate, but this is the state of things, and they aren't going to change any time soon, unfortunately.

If you're looking for more savings, check out our Best PC Hardware deals for a range of products, or dive deeper into our specialized SSD and Storage Deals, Hard Drive Deals, Gaming Monitor Deals, Graphics Card Deals, Gaming Chair, Best Wi-Fi Routers, Best Motherboard, or CPU Deals pages.

Innovative London-based PC cooling firm Billet Labs is back with another water-cooled system, this time aiming for a completely passive, fanless build. The video below explains why this interesting build was conceptualized, how it was built, its benefits and drawbacks, and how it performs, all with an eye on thermals.

Felix from Billet Labs starts the video presentation standing next to another of the firm's special projects – Walley. This machine is wall-mounted and shows plenty of Billet Labs signature flair. Its multiple powerful fans can get rather noisy when the system is under duress, though. If the fan speeds are scaled back, things start to get uncomfortably warm. The new custom build, therefore, targets a gaming PC that is much quieter.

Regular readers may be familiar with Billet and founder Felix on YouTube, most recently for ‘Raddy,’ the Victorian radiator PC. However, Raddy proved to be a bit noisy for a living room gaming machine, and it included some fans, so its performance components are being reused here.

Felix reveals that the hulking cast-iron radiator cooled beast known as Raddy wasn’t silent due to cavitation bubbles in the pump, which necessitates radiator flushing once a week. Not a trivial task. Also, Raddy wasn’t a fully passive design as it incorporated fans.

So, the new PC and Raddy share a lot of the same components, particularly the performance parts like an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080, and an Aorus Pro B850 motherboard.

The new build used a trio of radiators in different sizes, ranging from large to very large. They were arranged above the heat-generating components, taking advantage of what Felix describes as a convection chimney effect.

For about the next 30 minutes of the video, we get to witness the skills behind the Billet Labs build process. The main stages roughly consisted of building the platform (based on an 8mm aluminum plate), mounting the PC parts, adding cooling, and then plumbing. From about 33 minutes in, we get to see the new living room gaming PC fire up Windows 11 for the ‘first time,’ and performance / thermal testing commences.

Felix isn’t satisfied with the silence of the building at first. So he had to turn off the motherboard fan and also adjust the pump speed to 80%. The machine was then tested until temperatures began to level off, over various workloads. Testing began with idling for half an hour, playing Peggle for a while, and then running Cinebench for half an hour. Things got serious as Halo 3 was fired up for a session. In the real gaming tests (Halo 3, Expedition 33, Cyberpunk 2077), the GPU never thermal throttled, but the CPU would a little as it hit 95 °C or more.

More stress testing was initiated, culminating in running Cinebench and FurMark simultaneously. This pulled over 450W of power and brought the radiator water temps up to 60C+, which is the maximum rated level for the pump. A throttling CPU was observed again in these tests. A full table of tests, power output, and temperatures is shared in the Reddit post embedded below.

Fan-less gaming PC - 5080/9800x3d/32gb/2tb - Yes I’ll probably add fans next from r/pcmasterrace

In conclusion, Felix reckons passive water cooling alone isn’t really enough for a powerful modern gaming rig. Even a single case fan would probably be enough to make a world of difference. So, stay tuned for a follow-up video where you can see how the same Billet Labs PC performs with a 120mm fan atop, pulling air upwards, accelerating that chimney effect.