Best Gaming PC for Christmas 2026 — UK Gift Guide by Budget
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A gaming PC is one of the best presents you can give — but the choice can feel overwhelming. This guide picks one sensible build at each budget, explains in plain English what it will play, and covers the practical bits: the last order date, what else to buy and how to spread the cost. Every PC is built to order in our UK workshop, tested before it leaves, and arrives with Windows 11 installed and ready to play.
Updated October 2026 with current UK prices. Christmas delivery: order by Friday 18 December. We are closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and open as usual every other day.
In short
- Order by Friday 18 December for delivery before Christmas.
- Start with the games they play: Minecraft, Roblox and Fortnite run on almost anything, while newer games need a dedicated graphics card.
- The Ryzen 5 5500 + RTX 3050 6GB is our most affordable PC with a graphics card; the Ryzen 5 5600 + RTX 5060 is the best all-rounder for most teenagers.
- Choose 16GB of memory — 8GB is tight for new games.
- Every PC arrives ready to play with Windows 11, a 3-year warranty and free UK delivery — you only add a monitor, keyboard and mouse.
Which Gaming PC Should You Buy for Christmas?
Start with the games they play, not the budget. Minecraft, Roblox and Fortnite run on almost anything, while newer games such as EA Sports FC, Call of Duty and Marvel Rivals need a dedicated graphics card. Then pick the build below that fits your budget — each one is a complete PC, tested and ready to play.
Our Christmas Picks by Budget
Prices are for a complete, tested PC with Windows 11, a 1TB NVMe SSD and free UK delivery. "From" is the lowest price; the figure under each pick is the build we would actually give as a present.
For younger gamers: Ryzen 7 5700G with built-in graphics — from £781
Our most affordable PC, with AMD Radeon graphics built into the processor. It runs Minecraft and Roblox well, plays Fortnite at lower settings and handles schoolwork with ease — and a graphics card can be added later. With 16GB of memory it is £842.
See every PC with built-in graphics →
Best first gaming PC: Ryzen 5 5500 + RTX 3050 6GB — from £952
The most affordable way to a dedicated graphics card. It plays Fortnite, Rocket League, EA Sports FC and Minecraft smoothly at 1080p, and most newer games at medium settings, with NVIDIA DLSS for extra frame rate. With 16GB of memory it is £1,013.
Browse RTX 3050 6GB builds → · Read our RTX 3050 guide
Best for most teenagers: Ryzen 5 5600 + RTX 5060 — from £1,146
The sweet spot. The RTX 5060 adds DLSS 4 with Frame Generation and handles new releases at 1080p high settings, and the six-core Ryzen 5 5600 brings PCIe 4.0 and a large 32MB cache. With 16GB of memory it is £1,207.
Browse RTX 5060 builds → · Read our RTX 5060 guide
Best for a 1440p monitor: Ryzen 7 5700X + RX 9070 — from £1,541
For a sharper 1440p screen. The RX 9070 has 16GB of video memory for big modern games at high settings, and the eight-core Ryzen 7 5700X keeps up comfortably. With 16GB of memory it is £1,602.
Browse RX 9070 builds → · Read our RX 9070 guide
The big present: Ryzen 7 7800X3D + RTX 5070 Ti — from £2,322
For a keen gamer with a high-refresh or 4K monitor. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is one of the fastest gaming processors you can buy, and the RTX 5070 Ti brings 16GB of GDDR7 and DLSS 4. With 32GB of memory, our choice for this build, it is £2,655.
Browse RTX 5070 Ti builds → · Read our RTX 5070 Ti guide
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the last order date for Christmas 2026?
Order by Friday 18 December 2026 for delivery before Christmas. Every PC is built and tested to order, then sent with free tracked next-day UK delivery. Orders placed from Saturday 19 December arrive after Christmas. We are closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, and open as usual on every other day.
What else do you need to buy with a gaming PC?
A monitor, a keyboard and a mouse. The PC arrives ready to plug in, with Windows 11 installed and activated, drivers updated, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in. A headset is a popular extra for playing online with friends. Any current monitor with an HDMI or DisplayPort input will work.
Can I pay for a Christmas PC monthly?
Yes. At checkout you can split the cost into monthly payments with Klarna, PayPal or Shop Pay Installments, with 0% options available, subject to status. On our cheapest PC that is about £261 a month over three months. Every PC still comes with the same 3-year warranty and free UK delivery.
Can the PC be delivered to someone else's address?
Yes. Enter the delivery address at checkout and the PC goes straight there, with free tracked next-day UK delivery once it has been built and tested. The box is large, so choose an address where someone can take it in. We deliver to United Kingdom addresses only.
Is 8GB of memory enough for a gaming PC?
For a present we would choose 16GB. Many new games already use more than 8GB, and 16GB keeps the PC smooth with a browser or Discord open in the background. Every build lets you pick the memory at checkout, and the prices in this guide show the 16GB option unless we say otherwise.
Will a gaming PC play Fortnite, Minecraft and Roblox?
Yes — every PC in this guide plays all three. Minecraft and Roblox run well even without a graphics card, and Fortnite is playable at lower settings. For smooth Fortnite at high settings, and for newer games like EA Sports FC or Call of Duty, choose a build with a dedicated graphics card.