Friday, March 29, 2024

Best Prime Day PC deals for 2021

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Prime Day 2021 is here and we’re already seeing plenty of great bargains on must-have tech, including more than a few Prime Day PC deals. That’s good news if you’re looking to buy a new computer for work, gaming, or both. Whether it’s for your home office or to upgrade your gaming setup, there’s sure to be a great PC deal for you here. Along with Black Friday, these Prime Day deals offer the best opportunity of the entire year to shop for pricey electronics, but as a 48-hour sale, the best offers are going to go fast.

We can give you a head-start with this all-in-one roundup of the best Prime Day PC sales on everything from desktop setups to must-have accessories, and with so many people now working and studying from home, there’s never been a better time to grab some new gear. We’ve also put together some tips and pointers for how to shop the sale as well as how to choose the right PC for your needs and budget, and if you’re looking for some more stuff for your home office, check out these Prime Day laptop deals, Prime Day monitor deals, and Prime Day headphone deals as well.

Best Prime Day PC deals

ABS Master Gaming PC (Intel Core i5, RTX 2060 GPU, 16GB DDR4, 512GB SSD)



$1,100
$1,200

Who doesn’t want a powerful PC? This gaming PC is designed for serious gaming with a fast Core i5 processor and a great graphics card. You don’t have to worry about lag ever again.

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Buy at Newegg

SK Hynix Gold S31 1TB 2.5 inch SATA III Internal SSD



$105
$160

With transfer speeds of up to 560 MB/s, the SK Hynix Gold S31 is a fantastic internal SSD for any PC setup. All three sizes are on sale so you can grab one that’s perfect for your needs.

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Buy at Amazon

Discount at checkout

Apple Mac Mini with M1 Chip (8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)



$600
$699

Apple’s new M1 chip is a powerhouse that gives the top chips from AMD and Intel a run for their money, and it’s now available on the pint-sized Mac Mini desktop computer.

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Buy at Amazon

With rebate

CORSAIR Carbide Series 175R RGB Tempered Glass Mid-Tower ATX Gaming Case, Black



$45
$75

The Carbide Series offers traditional-looking CPU cases with polish finishes. It has edge-to-edge tempered glass so you can see the inside of your CPU.

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Buy at Newegg

With code ‘DTG5AFF6’

Dell G5 Gaming PC (Core i5, 16GB RAM, GTX 1660 Ti GPU, 512GB SSD)



$730
$1,150

The Dell G5 is one of the best budget gaming PCs out there, and this is one of the best prices we’ve ever seen on a tower with this GPU and storage. This tower will easily handle new games at 1080p.

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Buy at Dell

HP Envy Desktop PC (Core i5 CPU, GTX 1650 GPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 1TB HDD)



$750
$850

Built with a 10th-gen Intel Core processor and an Nvidia GPU, this desktop provides fast, reliable performance allowing you to run multiple apps and even do some gaming thanks to that discrete GPU.

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Buy at HP

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-Core 3.8 GHz Desktop Processor



$420
$500

Building a PC can be tough, but the #1 item you need is a processor that can handle your games and other software. AMD Ryzen 9 is one of the trusted processors in the market.

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Buy at Newegg

Vitesse 55″ T Shaped Computer Gaming Desk with Free Large Mouse Pad



$117
$130

Feel like a gamer and streamer with this Vitesse desk. It comes with a large mouse pad so you get maximum mobility on your gaming mouse.

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Buy at Newegg

Intel Core i9-10900F Desktop Processor



$359
$423

This latest 10th Gen Intel chip boosts the gaming performance of your PC with its 10-core and 20-thread design. It isn’t overclocked with no integrated GPU, which makes it perfect for a PC build.

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Buy at Amazon

DIYPC Gamemax-III-ARGB Black Steel / Tempered Glass ATX Mid Tower Computer Case



$68
$90

Who can say no to a lit-up CPU case? This one is made from steel and tempered glass. Inside, 3 pre-installed ARGB LED cooling fans to prevent overheating.

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Buy at Newegg

NZXT H510 Elite Mid-Tower ATX Case



$130
$170

Give your PC hardware the home it deserves with this stylish H510 Elite mid-tower ATX case from NZXT, which boasts a dual tempered glass panel and integrated RGB lighting. Includes two 140mm fans.

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Buy at Amazon

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8-core Desktop Processor



$399
$449

What are the perks of upgrading to a Ryzen 7 processor? Your PC’s max turbo frequency goes up to 4.7GHz, which can handle more software for work and play, and better graphics for a hi-res display.

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Buy at Amazon

Fractal Design Meshify C Compact Dark Tint Tempered Glass Computer Case



$80
$90

Give your CPU a sleek look with this dark tint casing. It’s made for mid tower builds and it has accessible USB and audio ports, as well as 2 internal 3.5″ drive bays.

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Buy at Newegg

CORSAIR Vengeance LPX 32GB Desktop Memory



$168
$220

Designed for gamers who always need more space for their files, these Corsair memory panels add 32GB more memory to CPUs. It’s also specially designed for high-performance overclocking.

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Buy at Newegg

With rebate + code ‘NAZXTP’

CORSAIR RMx Series RM550x 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Power Supply



$90
$115

A cost-efficient and quiet power supply? It exists. Corsair’s power supply delivers 80 plus gold efficient power to the PC, which saves you a lot of energy.

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Buy at Newegg

Western Digital 6TB WD Blue PC Hard Drive



$130
$185

Boost your CPU’s memory by installing this Western Digital 6TB hard drive. This is perfect if you work with heavy-duty software and save several projects at once.

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Buy at Amazon

Acer Chromebox CXI3-UA91 Mini PC



$225
$270

The Chromebox automatically installs the latest updates and protects it from viruses and other security threats and even includes a mouse and keyboard right out of the box.

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Buy at Amazon

With rebate + code ‘EMCEXHA23’

Corsair Hydro Series, Advanced RGB Lighting and Fan Control, Liquid CPU Cooler



$140
$170

Not only are these colorful fans cute, they also has extreme airflow to provide ample air in your CPU. Likewise, the Corsair iCue software allows the fans to automatically stop at low temperatures.

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Buy at Newegg

ASUS Prime Z390-A LGA 1151 Intel Z390 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard



$160
$180

Maximize the connectivity and speed of your Intel Core PC with the ASUS Prime motherboard.

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Buy at Newegg

Samsung 980 500GB M.2 Internal SSD



$60
$75

The Samsung 980 SSD is one of the best solid-state drives on the market, delivering great speeds and unbeaten reliability.

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Buy at Amazon

Promo code 6PFNTECH26

Corsair LL Series CO-9050072-WW LL120 120mm Dual Light Loop RGB LED Fan



$90
$130

You get no shortage of color with these RGB cooling fans. And with 600 to 1,500RPM, it maximizes airflow to keep CPU in great shape. The fan blades are also engineered to be quiet when rotating.

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Buy at Newegg

MSI MAG CORELIQUID 360R AIO Liquid CPU Cooler



$130
$140

You can’t go wrong with triple cooling fans. These keep your CPU cool to ensure that your PC is running at its best for hours. These are also distraction-free since they’re quieter than other fans.

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Buy at Newegg

WD_Black SN750 1TB NVMe Internal Gaming SSD



$148
$250

Are you building a custom PC rig? Snag this 1TB internal SSD for better overall performance (especially for gaming) and industry-leading transfer speeds.

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Buy at Amazon

Dell Inspiron Desktop PC (Core i3, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD)



$469
$540

Exceptional performance in a 16% smaller package than the previous Inspiron desktop. Run multiple apps faster and enjoy sharp, high quality visuals with Intel UHD Graphics 630 shared memory

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Buy at Dell

Should you buy a new PC on Prime Day?

If you need a new PC then the answer is clear — yes, you should absolutely buy a new computer during Prime Day. Technology is far and away one of Prime Day’s strongest areas and these Prime Day PC sales are likely to be the best you’ll see until Black Friday arrives in late November (and Cyber Monday a few days after that). With more people than ever working and studying from home, there’s never a bad time to upgrade your PC setup if you count yourself among that number.

We also don’t recommend waiting until Black Friday and Cyber Week sales in the hopes of getting a better deal; the Prime Day bargains are as good as they come (on par with those of Black Friday, at least), so you don’t gain much by waiting. Another thing to consider is Amazon’s generous return policy, which virtually eliminates any risk of you being stuck with a purchase that ends up not being a good fit for your needs.

Everything from great gaming towers to budget desktops for home office purposes is getting markdowns right now. However, before making a purchase, decide on a budget limit and stick with it. It’s tempting during seasonal sales to get excited and go over budget, but it’s not always smart. Read up on our guide to the best desktop computers so you know what you’re looking for, and don’t be tempted by insignificant discounts. Some Prime Day PC deals aren’t as sweet as others so check to see if the discount is truly substantial enough to be worth your time and money.

Finally, don’t assume that you need a Prime membership to take advantage of these sales, either. More and more retailers — especially Best Buy, Walmart, and Newegg — are rolling out their own Prime Day PC deals concurrent with Amazon’s blowout in order to steal some market share. These offers are generally every bit as good as those you’ll find on Amazon, so don’t over-limit your search.

How to choose a new PC on Prime Day

There are a couple of important things to establish before you dive into these Prime Day PC deals: First things first; set a budget. This can be flexible, of course, but you don’t want to let yourself get carried away and end up overspending. Remember, you still need some cash left over to complete your work or gaming battle station with one of the best computer monitors, a good set of speakers, some immersive headphones (if you don’t already have them), and possibly some upgraded accessories like a mechanical keyboard if you want something better than the basic wired mouse and keys that most desktop towers come packaged with.

Secondly, have at least a general idea of what sort of PC you need — maybe even jot down a list of must-have features along with some optional conveniences you’d like to get you thinking — so you don’t end up with a computer that isn’t a good fit for your work and lifestyle. Do you want one of the best gaming desktops with one of the best graphics cards and boosted RAM, or is a relatively basic workstation good enough for your day-to-day computing tasks? Are you interested in dispensing with the PC tower altogether and opting for something like an all-in-one or a mini PC instead? Form an image of what you want ahead of time to ensure you can zero in on the perfect Prime Day PC deals for you.

Hardware is naturally the most important thing you need to consider when shopping these Prime Day PC sales. As with most retail events, last-gen stuff is often the most heavily discounted. Many outlets use sales like this to thin out old inventory and Amazon is no exception, but be careful — you don’t want to get stuck with something that’s too long in the tooth by today’s performance standards. This is especially vital if you need a computer for demanding tasks like gaming or rendering videos. Make sure you look closely at hardware specifications (namely the CPU, RAM, and GPU if the PC has a discrete graphics card) along with professional reviews and user ratings to see how well it’ll hold up to modern workloads.

Any good, up-to-date computer should feature a 10th- or 11th-generation Intel Core or AMD Ryzen CPU, at least 8GB of DDR4 RAM (16GB is much better), and a solid-state drive, of which we generally recommend 256GB or larger. If you’re going super-cheap, however, then a ninth-gen Core CPU, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD aren’t exactly terrible specs for a budget workstation, but you’re going to end up wishing you had stronger hardware if you’re frequently multitasking or doing resource-heavy jobs like video editing. In the sub-$500 bracket, you can easily find PCs sporting Ryzen CPUs and 8GB of RAM that punch well above their weight. On the bright side, most desktop PCs can be upgraded later if need be.

One final consideration is your graphics card, which is a necessity for gaming PCs in particular but is also very useful for editing and rendering videos. Again, don’t go too cheap here; there are still computers floating around with the old Nvidia 10-series cards and we don’t recommend them. Stick with the newer Nvidia GeForce GTX 16 series, RTX 20 series, or the new 30 series if you can find a deal on one, as well as AMD Radeon RX 500 and 5000 series cards. There are plenty of budget-friendly offerings with modern GPUs that can handle 1080p gaming at good settings, so you don’t have to break the bank to get a good machine.

We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we choose what we cover carefully and independently. The prices, details, and availability of the products and deals in this post may be subject to change at anytime. Be sure to check that they are still in effect before making a purchase.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.

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