PC gaming is one of the fastest-growing landscapes in the games industry right now. With major storefronts like Steam leading the way, developers are pushing to prioritize PC as a platform and accommodate hundreds of millions of users each month. Purchasing a good gaming PC is a major investment that can cost you as much as you want it to. There are thousands of options, each ranging from $500 to over $10,000. This is a benefit of looking for a PC versus a console, as you can spend as little or as much as you'd like. Go for that budget PC or reach for the stars with a top-of-the-line model.
It's important to keep in mind that technology, specifically PC components, is always evolving. New hardware releases each week, which leads to consistent sales throughout the year. There are a few select times when PC prices dive to all-time lows, however. Below, we've gathered up the best times to buy a gaming PC in 2024. Prepare your wallet and plan accordingly with our detailed guide!
Best Times to Buy a Gaming PC
After New Hardware Releases
Whether you're looking to get a new graphics card or a pre-built desktop, prices will be at their best right after new hardware releases. Since retailers aim to clear the inventory of old models, you can always score a great deal on year-old hardware right after a major release. For components, you can find deals at any major retailer like Amazon. Third-party vendors will heavily discount CPUs, budget GPUs, RAM, and anything else you may be looking for.
If you want to purchase a pre-built computer, we recommend you focus on the manufacturer websites. Dell, Lenovo, and HP all offer fantastic discounts on their PCs directly on their storefronts. To catch these sales at the right time, you likely need to be in the loop on tech announcements, so be sure to keep up with the latest deals on gaming PCs.
Holiday Weekends
Generally, Holiday weekends are an excellent time to purchase a gaming PC. Retailers like Dell, Walmart, Amazon, and more will each offer select prebuilt computers at low prices, so you can rest assured that you'll likely get a good deal. Some of the holiday weekends you should keep an eye out for include President's Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day. Each of these weekends is a safe bet for quality deals on gaming PCs, so it is worth the wait if you're looking to save as much money as possible.
Prime Day
Prime Day is also an excellent time to buy a gaming PC. Amazon hosts the yearly event in July, and you can expect plenty of options to save on a quality build this year. While Amazon will host Prime Day exclusively, other retailers will each join in with their own sales. Here, you will have access to dozens of deals for PCs, components, and any accessories you can think of.
Additionally, it's worth noting that Amazon will also hold Prime Day 2 in the Fall. This event is also another great time to purchase a gaming PC, as hardware will be clearing out for any November/December product launches. Usually, Prime Day 2 tends to kick off major Black Friday season sales, so you can expect major deals to pop up here.
Black Friday / Cyber Monday
Like all things technology, Black Friday is the perfect time to search for deals on gaming PCs. The big sales event features some of the lowest prices of the year, and PCs are no exception. You can save big on models new and old, with plenty of time in advance to determine which build you'd like to go with.
Alongside Black Friday, Cyber Monday will also have quality gaming PC deals. These deals will primarily be online only, so you can focus on manufacturer's websites to get the best deals. Dell tends to list heavily discounted models online around this time, so you can save on an Alienware pre-built model.
Start of the Calendar Year
Finally, the start of the calendar year is an excellent time to purchase a gaming PC. Retailers will generally aim to clear inventory of items still available after holiday sales during January, which allows for major savings that are even better than Black Friday in some instances. New CPUs and GPUs launch in either Q1 or Q4 usually, so this can also be a reason for the January sales push.
If you're keen on finding these spontaneous deals, we recommend keeping up with the IGNDeals account to get notified on any major gaming PC discounts before they're gone. There is not a set time that retailers open discounts in January, so you will need to watch closely to catch them.
PC Hardware Is Always Evolving
Again, it is important to remember that hardware manufacturers are always releasing new PC hardware. Your shiny new PC might be the best PC of 2024 now, but it will not be in a few month's time. This works to your advantage though, as you can score amazing deals on outgoing gaming PC models when new hardware is released.
The same can be said with gaming PC components, as retailers will discount them relatively quickly once new generation hardware enters the market. If you are building your own PC, it might be easier to purchase one component at a time as they go on sale, or you might get lucky and score everything in one sweep. In the end, there are so many opportunities to purchase a gaming PC at a great price, but you need to closely follow the market to do so.
Noah Hunter is a freelance writer and reviewer with a passion for games and technology. He co-founded Final Weapon, an outlet focused on nonsense-free Japanese gaming (in 2019) and has contributed to various publishers writing about the medium.
