You may play a fast–paced game with detailed graphics where split–second decisions mean a win or a loss, but if your computer isn’t up to par, all is lost. A gamer is only as good as their hardware. Gaming computers are built to process huge amounts of information while playing online role–playing games or first–person shooters. These power PCs come with high–end graphics cards, lightning fast CPUs and in extreme cases, liquid cooling.

Gaming computers are equipped with numerous ports including USB, FireWire, headphone and microphone ports on the front of the tower. This makes it easy to plug in all your peripherals including joysticks, steering wheels, headsets, and other gaming devices.

These are not your typical desktops. Gaming computers incorporate style and portability. Towers may have transparent sides, neon lights, or innovative designs so they look as good as they perform.

In this site, you’ll find articles on gaming PCs, news stories and comprehensive reviews on the best gaming computers that will help you make an informed decision on which computer is right for you. At TopTenREVIEWS — We do the research so you don’t have to.™

Gaming computers have high–end graphics cards, processors, and lots of RAM—the components needed to enhance your gaming experience. When considering a gaming computer you should carefully evaluate your needs. Most manufacturers provide individual customization, so you can get a desktop that will fit your gaming style and budget.

Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to evaluate gaming PCs.

• Processor: A fast CPU, or processor, will aid the video card in drawing up to 51 billion polygons per second in first person shooters and MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games), alike. Some systems include powerful quad-core processors.
• Memory: Large amounts of memory allows the computer to quickly access frequently used information or programs; a critical component for gaming. A gaming PC should have at least 1 GB of RAM and sufficient hard drive space to have multiple games installed at a time. Some games can occupy over 12GB of hard drive space.
• Video/Audio: A game is only as good as the graphics card supporting it. Many games have life–like, real–time images that require a powerful graphics card. ATI and nVidia graphics cards are the most common amongst gamers, and at least 256MB of proprietary video RAM is needed for most current games. A gaming PC sound card, integrated or not, should be capable of reproducing 5.1 or 7.1 channels of sound so you can know where your enemies are approaching from.
• I/O Device: Some computers come with various peripherals including a mouse, keyboard, speakers and a monitor, while others don’t. This may or may not be important depending on your needs. Additionally, some gaming systems come with uniquely designed towers with custom paint and neon lights.
• Value/Price: In this review, we looked for computers under $2000. The leading companies are value oriented—providing a lot of computer for a good price.
• Support/Warranty: The first–class manufacturers provide quality help and support through email, phone and online chat. They also provide up to three-year warranties at no additional cost.