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A prebuilt gaming PC costs more in 2026 than a similar one did last Black Friday. Memory, storage and graphics card prices all climbed this year, and a gaming desktop needs plenty of each.
Last November, desktops with an RTX 5070 dropped to about $1,300 to $1,400 at major US retailers. Within 2 weeks, builders started raising prices, and graphics cards alone later rose to levels that make last year’s deals hard to repeat.
So on November 27, I’d look for a balanced build with 32GB of memory and a current graphics card. The price should come close to last year’s. Here’s what changed, what to expect and the builds I’d pick.
What Each Gaming PC Tier Includes
Prebuilt prices move daily, so it helps to know what a sensible build looks like at each level. The graphics card decides most of your gaming performance, and the rest of the parts should keep up with it.
| Tier | Graphics card | Processor | Memory | Storage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | RTX 5060 or RX 9060 XT 16GB | Core i5 or Ryzen 5 | 16GB DDR5 | 1TB | 1080p |
| Mid-range | RTX 5070 or RX 9070 XT | Core i5, Core i7 or Ryzen 7 | 32GB DDR5 | 1TB to 2TB | 1440p |
| High end | RTX 5070 Ti or RTX 5080 | Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Core i7 | 32GB DDR5 | 2TB | 4K and high refresh |
The graphics card list prices behind these tiers run from $299 for an RTX 5060 to $999 for an RTX 5080. Street prices for most cards have moved well above those numbers this year.
Black Friday 2025 vs 2026
These were some of the best US prebuilt deals last Black Friday, next to what has changed since:
| Desktop | Black Friday 2025 price | What changed in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| iBuyPower Element Pro, RTX 5070 | $1,299 at Walmart, down from $1,699.99 | The RTX 5070 card alone hit a $899.99 median price in August 2026 |
| Lenovo Legion Tower 5, RTX 5070 | $1,399.99 at Best Buy, down from $1,879.99 | Memory and SSD costs rose sharply through 2026 |
| iBuyPower Y40 Pro, RTX 5070 Ti | $1,819.99, down from $2,299.99 | 16GB graphics cards saw some of the biggest increases |
So last year’s RTX 5070 desktops cost little more than an RTX 5070 card costs on its own today. Matching those prices this Black Friday would take an unusually large discount.
What’s Pushing Gaming PC Prices Up
Three costs moved at once, and a desktop carries all three.
Memory and storage. Prebuilt makers felt the memory crunch first. CyberPowerPC raised its prices on December 7, 2025, citing RAM costs up about 500% and SSD costs up about 100%, and other builders followed through 2026. IDC expected average PC prices to rise by up to 8% this year, as PCWorld reported, and gaming desktops carry more memory than most PCs.
Graphics cards. Nvidia and AMD raised what they charge card makers for chips bundled with memory, and street prices for cards like the RTX 5070 ended up far above list price. Builders pay those higher prices too.
Quieter spec cuts. Some builders hold a price by shipping 16GB of memory instead of 32GB, a smaller SSD or a cheaper power supply. The price looks the same as last year, but the PC isn’t.
What to Expect This Black Friday
Big brands such as CyberPowerPC, iBuyPower, Skytech, Lenovo Legion and HP Omen discount prebuilts every Black Friday. For 2026, I expect this:
- Likely: discounts of a few hundred dollars on prebuilts, starting from higher prices than last year.
- Likely: more builds with 16GB of memory at eye-catching prices. Check the memory before you compare prices.
- Possible: RTX 5070 desktops close to last year’s $1,300 to $1,400, usually with 16GB of memory.
- Unlikely: an RTX 5070 desktop with 32GB of memory under $1,200.
Prices that would get me to buy:
- RTX 5060 desktop with 16GB DDR5 and a 1TB SSD under $1,100
- RTX 5070 desktop with 32GB DDR5 under $1,500
- RTX 5070 Ti desktop with 32GB DDR5 and a 2TB SSD under $2,000
Which Gaming PC to Buy
These 3 desktops cover the budget, mid-range and high-end tiers above, each from a builder that ships with Windows 11 installed:
Skytech Gaming PC (Core i5-14400F, RTX 5060)
This Skytech build is the budget pick for 1080p gaming.
- Intel Core i5-14400F and GeForce RTX 5060
- 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD
- Black Friday target: under $1,100
16GB is fine for 1080p gaming today. Plan to add memory later if you also stream or edit video.
Skytech Gaming PC (Core i5-14400F, RTX 5070)
This Skytech build is the mid-range pick for 1440p, with one catch to plan for.
- Intel Core i5-14400F and GeForce RTX 5070
- 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD
- Black Friday target: under $1,500
The catch is memory. An RTX 5070 build should have 32GB, so either find a 32GB version at a similar price or budget for an upgrade.
Skytech Gaming PC (Ryzen 7 9800X3D, RTX 5070 Ti)
This Skytech build is the high-end pick for 4K and high refresh rates.
- AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and GeForce RTX 5070 Ti
- 32GB of memory and a 2TB SSD
- Black Friday target: under $2,000
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is one of the fastest gaming processors available, and 32GB with 2TB means you won’t need to upgrade anything soon.
What to Check Before You Buy
A low price often hides a weaker part. These checks take a minute on any listing:
- Memory: 32GB of DDR5 for anything at RTX 5070 level or above; 16GB is the minimum for gaming.
- Graphics card: the exact model and memory, such as RTX 5060 Ti 16GB rather than 8GB.
- Power supply: a named brand with an 80 Plus Gold rating and enough headroom for a future upgrade.
- Storage: at least 1TB, since big games take 100GB or more each.
- Return window: at least 30 days, so you can test it at home.
FAQs on Gaming PC Black Friday
Is Black Friday 2026 a good time to buy a gaming PC?
It is still the best time of year for prebuilt discounts, but prices start higher than last year because memory and graphics cards got more expensive. Expect good deals relative to today, not relative to 2025.
Why are gaming PCs more expensive in 2026?
Memory, SSD and graphics card costs all rose because memory makers prioritize AI data centers. Builders such as CyberPowerPC raised prices from December 2025, and graphics card street prices climbed through 2026.
Should I buy a prebuilt or build my own PC this year?
The gap is smaller than usual, because both routes pay the same high memory and graphics card prices. A prebuilt with a good Black Friday discount can cost about the same as the parts and saves you the assembly.
Is 16GB of RAM enough for a gaming PC?
For 1080p gaming, yes. For an RTX 5070 or faster, or if you stream and keep a browser open while you play, 32GB is the better choice.
Which is better for 1440p, an RTX 5060 or an RTX 5070?
The RTX 5070. The RTX 5060 is built for 1080p, and its 8GB of memory runs short in newer games at 1440p.
Final Remarks
The best gaming PC Black Friday deal this year is an RTX 5070 desktop with 32GB of memory under about $1,500. Anything cheaper with 16GB is still worth a look if you can add memory later.
If you’d rather upgrade your current PC, my Black Friday GPU deals guide covers each card, and my gaming laptop deals guide covers the portable route.