If you aren't interested in next-generation consoles, but want to be able to experience all the new games in their full glory, getting a gaming PC might be your best option. It's more expensive, but sales and discounts online make it balance out in the end. Here's five of the best gaming PCs for under $1000.

Asus M51AC

CPU: 3.4Ghz Intel Core i7-4770

RAM: 16GB DDR3

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GT 620

HDD: 1TB 7200RPM

Acer Predator AG3

It might not look too different from the standard desktop tower PCs you see in most office buildings, but underneath the bland case of the Asus M51AC is an outstandingly powerful gaming rig that’s more than suitable for the cost. Inside, the M51AC has a 3.4Ghz Intel Core i7-4770, 16GB DDR3 memory, a 1TB 7200RPM HDD, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 620. Unfortunately, squeezing that amount of powerful components in there for such a low pre-built price means that there isn’t much else. There’s no built-in WiFi or bluetooth, which isn’t a dealbreaker but would be nice out of the box. There also isn’t much in the way of upgradability, which leave you stuck if you plan on upgrading in the future, but if you’re content with the power now, then the M51AC is a great box.Specs:$879.99

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770 3.4Ghz

RAM: 12GB DDR3

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GT640 4GB

Optical Drive: 8x DVD Drive

HDD: 2TB 7200RPM

iBUYPOWER Gamer Paladin

If you want a new gaming PC with all the rugged power of a custom-built machine but without all the hassle associated with building one yourself, then the Acer Predator AG3 might be the option for you. It comes in a basic, yet cool looking black case adorned with red accents. It’s stealthy, but just cool enough to prove itself as a real gaming rig. Inside, it has the power of any custom-built rig, housing an Intel Core i7-4770 3.4Ghz processor, 12GB DDR3 memory, and a NVIDIA GeForce GT640 4GB GPU. It isn’t the most upgrade-friendly PC, but it should hold you over for a few years even without them. It does, however, come with Windows 8 pre-installed, so that will save you a bit of cash over building your own.Specs:$999.99

Motherboard: Gigabyte Ga-Z87-HD3

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5Ghz

Cooler: Liquid CPU Cooling System

RAM: 8GB DDR-1600 Corsair Vengeance

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB

Optical Drive: 24x Dual Format DVD/CD Combo Drive

HDD: 1TB 7200RPM HDD

PSU: 500 Watt Standard

Case: AZZA Armour Gaming Case

Alienware X51R2

While the Gamer Paladin D867 is completely customizable to your liking, it comes with an exceptionally solid base build that’s 100% worth giving a shot. It isn’t just a pre-built gaming PC that’s extravagant for the sake of it, but rather, its glowing case just draws even more attention to the similarly extravagant hardware inside. Starting off, the Paladin has a 3.50Ghz Intel Core i7-4770K processor, built-in Liquid CPU Cooling System, 8GB Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600 memory, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB GPU, and a 1TB HDD, among dozens of other high-end parts. It even has built-in Bluetooth and WiFi, so you don’t need anything extra when it arrives. Even at its stock build, the Gamer Paladin is one powerful machine, but if you want to make it even more powerful, you can just choose a different GPU and keep everything else the same. It’s all up to you.Specs:$1,019.00

CPU: 3.2Ghz Intel Core i5-4430

RAM: 8GB DDR3

GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660

Optical Drive: Slot-loading Blu-Ray reader

HDD: 1TB 7200RPM

Case: Slimline Tower

Build your own

Alienware is a name that most gamers have come to know through their successful line of expensive gaming laptops, but they also have a strong desktop gaming PC business that shoots for affordable power in a sleek design that is still easily recognizable as an Alienware device. As such, the X51R2 is a powerful, inexpensive gaming PC housed in a slimline tower case. Underneath the slimline exterior is a 3.2Ghz Intel Core i5-4430 processor, 8GB DDR3 memory, 1TB 7200RPM hard drive, a slot-loading Blu-ray reader, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTx 660. Unfortunately, it isn’t exactly upgradable due to the slimline nature of the tower, but it makes up for that in visual customization that allows you to control nearly every aspect of the computer using pre-installed software. You can change the exterior lighting, monitor performance, and even accelerate performance.Specs:$999.99If you’re willing to put in the time and deal with the struggles that come from building your own gaming PC, it can be an extremely rewarding experience. You have the experience of making a list and restarting it multiple times after finding something new that can be improved, buying those parts, waiting for them to show up, and putting it all together yourself. It’s something that every PC gamer should do at least once and makes it easy to know just which parts are inside your computer, meaning that you never have to go hunting for a part number or more information on your pre-build when something eventually needs fixing. More importantly, if you build it yourself, costs will likely be lower, allowing you to get a more powerful rig for the same price. Unfortunately, it does come with the added cost of having purchase Windows separately, which can quickly add to your costs. If you do decide to build you own, you’ll undoubtedly be able to build something more powerful than these pre-built options for the same price, it just takes patience and research.

Alex Rubens is a freelance writer based in Seattle who spends too much time talking about Star Wars and The Fast and The Furious. Yell at him on Twitter at @alexrubens