Dell BXD54, Core i7, 16GB, 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD, GTX 1050 Ti

A refurbished Dell with a GTX 1050 Ti and a bundled monitor for $704. The SSD is fast and the accessories are nice, but the 6th Gen i7 is one of the slowest CPUs we've tested. It's a decent starter PC for kids, not a serious gaming rig.

The GTX 1050 Ti lands in the 59th percentile for GPUs, which is solidly middle of the pack. It'll handle esports titles like Fortnite, Valorant, and Rocket League at 1080p without much fuss, but don't expect Cyberpunk or Starfield to run smoothly. The 512GB SSD is a genuine bright spot, sitting in the 80th percentile for storage, so boot times and game loads will feel snappy. But that CPU is a real letdown. A 6th Gen i7 at 3.4GHz is nearly a decade old, and it's one of the worst we've seen in this category. Multitasking will chug, and any CPU-heavy game or application will struggle.

Stacked against the Lenovo Legion 90YA003GUS or HP OMEN GT16-0364, this Dell gets left in the dust. Those systems come with newer CPUs and GPUs that can actually handle modern games. The Acer Nitro N60-180-UB33 is another budget option that typically offers better performance per dollar. Even the ASUS ROG G700TF-U7KF5070, while pricier, delivers a dramatically better gaming experience. The one thing this Dell has going for it is the bundled monitor and accessories, which none of those competitors include at this price point. But you're trading performance for peripherals, and that's rarely a good trade.

At $704, this is a tough sell. You're paying for the convenience of a complete setup, but the core components are dated. For the same money, you could find a used or refurbished system with a newer CPU and a better GPU if you're willing to skip the bundled monitor and RGB extras. The 90-day warranty is also shorter than what you'd get from many refurbishers. If you value the all-in-one package and just need something for light gaming and schoolwork, it's not a rip-off. But it's not a great deal either.

This is a refurbished Dell tower dressed up as a gaming PC, and the RGB accessories are doing a lot of heavy lifting. The GTX 1050 Ti and 16GB of RAM are fine for older titles and everyday work, but the 6th Gen i7 is the real bottleneck here. It sits in the 8th percentile for CPUs in our database, which means it's slower than almost everything else we've tested in this category.

The bundle includes a 24-inch monitor, RGB keyboard and mouse, and even a sound bar, so it's a complete setup out of the box. For $704, you're getting a lot of accessories, but the core hardware is showing its age. It's a starter PC, not a serious gaming rig.

Skip this if you want to play modern AAA games, stream while gaming, or do any video editing or 3D work. The 6th Gen i7 will choke on anything CPU-intensive, and the GTX 1050 Ti isn't up to the task either. If you need a PC that'll last more than a couple of years without major upgrades, look for something with at least an 8th Gen Intel or Ryzen 3000 series CPU and a GTX 1660 or better.

This is a starter PC for kids or teens who want to play Minecraft, Fortnite, and Roblox, and maybe do some homework. It's not for anyone who wants to play modern AAA games or do serious creative work. The bundled monitor and RGB gear make it an easy gift, but the aging CPU will frustrate anyone who tries to push it. If you're buying for a young gamer who just needs something that works out of the box, it's fine. If you want real performance, keep looking.