On your mark, get set, go! Are you ready to shop ’till you drop?
Whether you’re shopping on Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or during the holidays, it's easy to find a good deal because almost everything’s on sale. So if you’re on a tight budget and looking to build, buy, or upgrade a gaming PC, the upcoming holiday season sales may satisfy your budget-shopping needs.
Here’s a pro tip: While you can get some awesome Black Friday deals, don’t forget to keep an eye on Cyber Monday – you can find some outstanding bargains then, too.
PC Components to Buy on Black Friday
Some of the best savings on leading brands and product lines come out on Black Friday. But is it worth the hassle? Of course, in-person shopping may be a bit different this year, so shopping on the Internet may be where it’s at! Here are some of the components to look out for:
Graphics Cards
The top professional esports teams and competitive gaming leagues rely on Nvidia GeForce video cards to win championships. If you’re a hardcore gamer, you may have heard about the upcoming release of the hyped-up Nvidia 30 Series graphics cards. It’s coming out on the heels of the already-impressive Nvidia 20 Series graphics cards.
The 30 Series video cards look promising. Featuring the Ampere GPU, the 30 Series graphics cards are rumored to offer up to 24GB VRAM, 384-bit bus width, and might be up to 30% faster than the 20 Series. But these are just rumors, and it’s too soon to know if they’re worth the money. So, unless you’ve got LOTS of cash burning a hole in your pocket, just keep an eye out for good deals on the 20 Series graphics cards.
CPUs
When you’re shopping for gaming CPUs, you can’t go wrong with AMD or Intel, as both are winners when it comes to gaming. Both the AMD Ryzen 3000 Series and the Intel Core 9000 Series CPUs are at the top of the list for gaming CPUs. But for value, the Intel Core i5-10600K features increased thread counts and higher boost frequencies, so it offers fast gameplay and high refresh rates. It’s a great deal for gamers planning to upgrade to the new Nvidia or AMD graphics cards coming out later this year.
For high-performance value, you can’t lose with the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, which features a class-leading 32 threads and 16 cores. You get better bang for your buck when you compare the price per core. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is another excellent value. It has support for PCIe 4.0 and can handle game streaming like a champ.
RAM
Adding more RAM to your gaming rig will improve the speed and performance of your PC. When it comes to gaming, the G.SKILL TridentZ RGB 16GB 3200MHz RAM takes the prize. It’s fast, sleek, and powerful, and it’s got RGB lighting and aluminum heat spreaders that combine functionality and style.
Motherboards
When it’s time for a new gaming motherboard, you’ve got lots of options. From chipsets to connectivity, form factors, and GPUs, there are many things to consider. We’ll try to break it down into the best Intel and AMD motherboards.
The ASUS ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming might just be the best Intel motherboard. It has a Z390 chipset, extensive BIOS that make it a breeze to overclock, and multi-GPU support for Nvidia SLI and AMD CrossFire.
RGB and AMD lovers can’t go wrong with the MSI X470 Gaming Pro Carbon motherboard. This aesthetically pleasing motherboard will look great inside a glass-case! It features RGB LED downlighting that provides the right amount of cool, ambient lighting. It’s based on the X470 chipset and has both Nvidia SLI and AMD Crossfire multi-GPU support. We also love the specced-out VR-Ready USB ports!
Monitors
More monitors, more fun! Keep an eye out for great deals on 27 and 24.5-inch ASUS monitors with lightning-quick 1m response times and the best refresh rates for gaming.
Keyboards
If you’ve worn out your keyboard, you can find great deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Whether you’re looking at an RGB keyboard, wireless, or a mechanical gaming keyboard, there’s bound to be many great deals from the brands you know and trust.
Gaming Mice
Black Friday is the perfect time to score on gaming mice like the Logitech G502. The G502 gets lots of praise from gamers — it’s got massive amounts of buttons (great for Fortnite!), adjustable weights, and a 16,000 DPI sensor.
The Wrap-Up
Not interested in building a gaming PC yourself, but still looking to upgrade to a better system? With a little research, you’ll discover companies selling pre-built gaming PCs featuring the powerful components you’re looking for, like high-end gaming cards. From starter gaming PCs to customized high-end options, there's a computer out there that suits your needs. Even better: Most of the time, you won’t need to wait until Black Friday or Cyber Monday to score a killer deal!
