Dell makes some of the best laptops you can buy in 2019, but this brand rose to fame thanks to its solidly built old-school desktop computers — and while laptops now command the lion’s share of the PC market, every gamer knows that a good desktop is still the king when it comes to performance. Desktop towers can simply pack in beefier hardware than a cramped laptop can, with the added bonus that it’s much easier to add new parts in the future so you can keep your gaming PC up to snuff without having to overpay for upgrades or buy a new machine altogether.
Building a custom gaming PC is a great option for getting the most for your money, but it’s not for everyone and doesn’t always offer the huge savings that it once did. Plenty of “off-the-shelf” desktop computers today offer a good bang for your buck, especially when you grab one on sale. If you’re on the hunt for a new gaming tower and aren’t in the mood to wait until Black Friday sales, then Dell has some pretty good back-to-school deals going right now on a variety of its laptops and desktops that can save you hundreds.
Dell Inspiron Gaming Desktop
For a do-it-all desktop PC that won’t bankrupt you, it doesn’t get much better than the Dell Inspiron. Our review team ranked the Inspiron desktop No. 1 among the best inexpensive gaming PCs you can buy, and owing to its versatility outside of gaming and the excellent value it provides, it was also named the best desktop PC overall.
The Dell Inspiron gaming desktop is quiet, well-built, and powerful enough for both work and play. This 2019 refresh isn’t the cheapest configuration, but it’s got great specs including a ninth-generation Intel i5-9400 six-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, an Nvidia GTX 1060 GPU, and 256GB solid-state drive — very respectable for a computer of this caliber and price range. Dell has it on sale for $1,080 right now.
Dell XPS Tower Special Edition Gaming Desktop
The XPS Tower is a sleeper hit within the Dell PC lineup, delivering a lot of power despite its diminutive size when compared to other desktops. Its understated case hides some impressive hardware: This configuration utilizes a 9th-gen Intel eight-core i7-9700 CPU, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and one of Nvidia’s new GeForce RTX 2060 GPUs with 6GB of VRAM. You also get both a snappy 256GB solid-state drive for your operating system, games, and other software, along with a nice big 2TB 7,200rpm HDD for everything else.
Like the Inspiron desktop, the Dell XPS Tower Special Edition is a fantastic all-purpose PC, but this one’s a little more expensive owing to its superior specs. A nice $250 discount knocks it down to $1,350, but Dell is also throwing in a free $200 Visa gift card, effectively offering you a combined savings of $450 on this compact and versatile machine.
Alienware Aurora Gaming Desktop
The mighty Alienware machines are the top dogs in Dell’s gaming PC kennel, combining cutting-edge hardware with sleek futuristic aesthetics. The sci-fi styling is, understandably, not everyone’s cup of tea, but desktops like the Alienware Aurora deliver where it counts. It comes out of the box with great specs, and its generously sized case has plenty of room for upgrades (including a slot for a second GPU if you want it).
Two configurations of the Alienware Aurora gaming desktop are on sale right now: One is with a 9th-gen Intel i5-9400 six-core CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and an Nvidia GTX 1660 Ti GPU, which rings in at $1,200 after a $200 discount and comes with a free $200 gift card – an excellent deal that essentially lets you snag this PC for just $1,000. Alternatively, this upgrade pick comes with a 9th-gen i7-9700 eight-core CPU, 16GB of RAM, a big 1TB SSD, and an Nvidia RTX 2070 GPU for $1,550 ($$580 off) with the same $200 gift card promo.
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