Best Gaming Setups 2024 [Ultimate PC Setups] - GamingScan (2024)

Do you know the best thing about PCs? They’re completely customizable.

Not only can you choose every single component that goes into the system, but also the outside appearance and the overall aesthetics are limited only by your imagination and the depth of your wallet.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent hours scrolling through the battlestations subreddit at some point, admiring other people’s setups and wishing they were yours.

We feel you. In fact, this article is the result of one such hours-long scrolling session.

We’ve found so many unique and amazing-looking setups we thought we’d share a few of our favorites and let you know what we would change in each of them.

So, if you need some inspiration for your own gaming setup or just feel like scrolling down and getting amazed by some great ones, go ahead!

Let us know if you like what you see, and feel free to share with us your own awesome battlestations in the comments below! And if what you see on the list below inspires you to try and update your rig, we have several articles dedicated to helping you choose the best custom PCs or PC components right here:

Budget Builds

• $300 Build – An excellent piece of machinery whose value far exceeds its price. This is a perfect choice for 720p gaming and novice builders.
• $400 Build – Another affordable build for casual gamers who don’t mind lowering their graphics settings in 1080p.
• $500 Build – This upper-tier budget build is suitable for 1080p gaming, even in more demanding games.
• $600 Build – Lightning-fast storage, 16GB of RAM and sleek design make this roundup the winner in the budget build category. It doesn’t fall behind in gaming performance either and it will even allow you to dive into VR gaming, albeit on lower settings.

Mid-Range Builds

• $700 Build – This build can run 1080p without any hiccups and slowly advance on to 1440p. Not only that, but you can run virtually all Oculus Rift games on default settings.
• $800 Build – Running games smoothly at 1440p is no longer impossible with this build!
• $1000 Build – This build will allow you to slowly ease into 4K gaming. Enjoy!

High-End Builds

• $1200 Build – We’re moving into the high-end territory with this build and it certainly shows.
• $1500 Build – With this build, you won’t have to check any game’s recommended requirements for at least a few years.
• $2000 Build – For $2000, a PC should be a veritable beast and this one is just that!

Building your own PC is amazing. Like we’ve said, you call all the shots, and you have absolute control over how your PC will look and what parts it will contain. Not to mention that finishing the build, finally pressing that start button and, having the PC boot up smoothly is one of the most satisfying feelings in the world.

Even if you are a newbie builder there’s no need to worry as there are many amazing websites that offer step-by-step instructions on how to build a PC. However, even though building your own system is not terribly difficult, it does require some skill and courage. A lot can go wrong, and for that reason, many consider it a daunting task that they would rather avoid by getting a pre-built system.

So for those of you looking for a quick and effortless solution, we recommend you take a look at our lists for the best prebuilt PCs:

• $500 Prebuilt – The $500 systems on this list are some of the most budget-friendly solutions that can actually run many modern games, even if you have to dial down the graphics a little bit.
• $800 Prebuilt – Though not on the same level of performance as our $800 PC build solution, these PCs will still let you play many of the modern games on medium to high settings in 1080p, and you might even get some of the less demanding ones running in 1440p with a slightly lower frame rate.
• $1000 Prebuilt – Finally, the $1000 builds featured here will let you either enjoy 1080p gaming with superb framerates or get the most out of 1440p gaming at 60 FPS.

If you’re still wondering which one you should choose, try finding out more about the differences between prebuilt and custom PCs right here.

And without any further ado, let’s hop into our list of the best gaming setups of this year so far!

#9 – credit: u/SleepDeprivedDad_

Our first pick for this list is neither flashy nor extravagant, but it certainly leaves an impression.

Coming from someone whose username is SleepDeprivedDad_, this setup is the proof that even if you have little time, and even if you’re forced into a closet, with a bit of creativity, you can still make the best out of your gaming experience.

Though a little cramped, this setup makes the best use of the limited space. The monitors are craftily positioned, and even the lack of space for the third full-size monitor is made up for with the incorporation of the mini laptop.

The mike, streaming webcam and even a pair of lights also managed to fit this rather unusual space. And of course, let’s not forget the controllers and their charging station. Everything a true gamer could possibly need is right there.

Where there’s a will, there’s certainly a way.

Of course, a mechanical keyboard is a must for anyone who intends to savor the time spent on their machine, and this setup is no exception. The RGB from the keyboard and the XXL mouse pad is also a nice addition and makes it evident that the user values quality and comfort above all else.

What We Would Change

There isn’t much we would change here, and indeed, there isn’t much that we could change considering the amount of space at our disposal, but the one thing we think would make this setup a bit cleaner is better cable management.

Visible cables are never a pleasant sight, and even though this is not nearly as bad as it could be, it could use some work. The thing is, the number of visible cables here would usually go unnoticed, but the fact that this is a small space with a clear white background makes them stand out more than usual.

However, this is no more than an aesthetical issue. The user made sure to clear all the cable clutter from the desk, which is a huge plus in our eyes! Even the mouse cable is out of the way, courtesy of the mouse bungee.

A great thing about this setup is that, since the space was initially a closet, the door could easily be reinstalled, and the entire thing could be hidden away at any point if necessary.

There is one other thing we have to mention, something that’s probably been on your mind for a while now, and that’s ventilation. While it might not be a huge problem for the PC itself while the doors are open, provided the cooling is good, it might feel a bit stuffy for the user during the summer months.

But hey, we may be wrong! If you’ve tried gaming in a similar environment, let us know. If the airflow is good, this is actually an ingenious solution for those strapped for space!

#8 – credit: u/FrizzleDrizzle7

For our second pick, we chose this cozy corner featuring some great-looking monitors, a comfy chair and a wall of anime posters for good measure. There are some really cool things about this whole setup, and then there are some not-so-cool things we’d like to discuss. Let’s start with the former.

The chair is something we have to try out to judge if it suits us or not properly. These days, chairs like those DXRacer makes, for example, have become the standard among dedicated gamers. While it is indeed true that DXRacer and other similar companies make great ergonomic chairs made specifically with gamers in mind, it doesn’t automatically mean that all other chairs are garbage by comparison.

Like we’ve said before, a chair is something you have to try out and see if it suits you, so we can’t really say anything about this one’s comfort since we haven’t tried sitting in it, but it certainly looks comfortable, and if it’s good enough for the user, it’s good enough for us.

Moving on, we have the monitors. They are the highlight of this setup and for a valid reason. We have three identical monitors which make for a uniform image across all three displays. What we particularly like are the thin bezels that allow for an almost seamless transition from one monitor to the next. While these are not the thinnest bezels in existence, it’s evident that the user put some thought into it before making a purchase.

Unfortunately, we can’t comment on the chassis since it’s hidden behind the monitors, but there’s something else that immediately caught our attention, and that’s the snack bag on the side of the table. A brilliant addition to a gamer’s nook, if we may say so ourselves, one that we’ll have to incorporate in our own setup ASAP!

What We Would Change

As we mentioned before, there are some things we didn’t like that we’d like to comment on, so here they are.

Our user here has two desks at his disposal, but because each monitor stands its own leg, OP actually has very little space to work with. There is a simple solution to this problem: monitor arms. By fixing a single leg with three monitor arms to the back of the table, a lot more room opens up for other peripherals and general arm movement on the desk. This solution also fixes the issue of the awkwardly placed mouse and keyboard.

Either that or getting a curved corner desk.

And the other thing that jumped right at us when we saw the picture was awkward cable management that takes away from the cool lights running along the wall. What’s more, the lights draw even more attention to the cables, making the whole thing look a bit messy.

#7 – credit: u/96Scorpio

Our third pick for this list is a setup that just screams COOL! And by that, we don’t just mean awesome.

The combination of white, black and cool blue in this setup gives it a clean and almost sterile look. For some reason, it gave us Animus vibes from Assassin’s Creed. But hey, that might not be too far off! This machine looks like a real beast that could teleport you into the world of any game you could possibly wish, and keep you glued to the screen for days.

Imagination aside, we really like the minimalistic look of this setup. There’s nothing more impressive than being able to keep your gaming space neat, especially when it comes to cable clutter, and that’s a big part of the reason why we were drawn to this picture.

The only visible cable on the picture is the mouse cable, and even though mouse bungees are really convenient, we think that, in this case, having one would disturb the beautiful balance of this image, and make it seem messier.

If we take a closer look, we can see that each individual piece of this setup has enjoyed equal amounts of attention, from the overall design to the vinyl figurines neatly lined up on the shelves, to the incredible chassis interior that almost looks as if there’s not a single wire or cable inside it.

Cable management should be an art form on its own right.

If it weren’t for the image on the monitors, we might have thought that none of this was actually plugged in.

Speaking of monitors, here we have two specimens that are of a very sensible size for gaming. While a lot of people would automatically assume that bigger is always better, that’s not always the case. There are a lot of factors that one should think about when picking the best monitor(s) for gaming, and size is an important one when it comes to desktop gaming.

For regular desktop PCs, it’s almost always a better option to go with two or three regular-sized monitors unless you have a way to keep a large monitor at a sensible distance from you. Otherwise, you could just get a stiff neck from jerking your head left and right while trying to stay on top of what’s happening on the screen. Just make sure the main monitor is large enough to offer a proper immersive experience. However, even then, having an additional monitor or two will definitely help with keeping up with all your background processes.

What We Would Change

The only things we’d change here are more or less only a matter of preference.

First of all, we’d replace the keyboard for something that fits the theme a little more, maybe something with white or cool blue LED lights.

The second thing has to do with the monitors. Going with the clean theme of this setup, we think that removing even one monitor stand and switching to wall-mounted monitor arms would look great. This, however, is by no means a piece of advice, but simply an observation. Keeping your monitors fixed to the table has its own advantages, and in the end, it all comes down to personal preference, like we said.

#6 – credit: u/TedyTedz

Here we have something that got our creative juices flowing.

This is a very simple but quite aesthetically pleasing build — a complete contrast from our previous icy and futuristic entry. Instead, with its natural, earthy colors, this one makes us think of wood elves and… Link?

There’s a lot to love about this setup. In fact, we love and admire most of it.

As far as we can see, the Razer theme persists throughout the setup with the chassis, mouse and keyboard all being the same brand. The minimalistic green LED logo and lights on the chassis perfectly fit the theme, and we have to say, we actually prefer the simple and sturdy look to the combination of glass and RGB. At least in this case.

Being such a simple setup, the two most prominent things about it are actually the desk and the wall. We are absolutely in love with both of these, and with good reason. Not only is the desk large and deep enough to accommodate two screens, a chassis, peripherals and still have more than enough space for a dozen other things, but it’s also made of hardwood, making it extremely durable.

When it comes to the wall… well, there isn’t much to say except that it’s a simple yet unique design that you just can’t help but admire.

And as for cable management, this setup is another winner in our book. Although there are a few inevitable cables on the table, the setup looks clean and neat.

What We Would Change

Like we’ve already mentioned, there isn’t much we would change here. However, if we had to nitpick, we’d say that having two identical monitors wouldn’t be a bad idea, not only on the aesthetical part but also when it comes to the gaming experience.

Although many people don’t mind having screens of different sizes and having them operate on different resolutions, it’s undeniable that the more similar they are, the better the experience.

When it comes to having multiple monitors, it’s also useful to think about the width of the bezels. The thinner the bezels, the more seamless the transition from one monitor to the other. This, however, is not a necessity but simply a matter of preference and, of course, budget.

The only other thing lacking here is the snack bag!

#5 – credit: u/bmcleary

Our next pick is something a little different. If you’re a gamer, you know how good it feels to meet someone who shares the same interests and tastes as you, and it gets even better when that someone is your better half.

We love this setup not because it has the best PCs, or because it’s the most original, but because two is always better than one, and gaming in company always beats gaming alone. But this isn’t the only reason.

We actually think that the way this room is set up gives it a special charm. The half-black-half-white theme made us think for a second that we were looking at two different pictures. Our only complaint is that they should have put a white curtain on the right!

When it comes to the setups themselves, they don’t disappoint either. The monitors are perfectly aligned, and we’re happy to see that they match in size. The simple and clean design of the desks is perfect for the room, although it does nothing to hide the messy cables.

What caught our attention the most, however, were the chassis. NZXT is always a classy and safe bet when it comes to cases that offer high-quality performance while also looking amazing.

And let’s not forget the chairs! Investing in comfort and the health of your spine is probably the most important thing you ought to do if you want to continue your gaming career, and this couple understands it!

What We Would Change

Sorry if we sound like a broken record at this point, but the one thing that would make this room look infinitely better is better cable management. We realize that, in this case, the sockets are unfortunately placed, but adding a back panel to the desks is always an option.

The second thing we want to mention is a mere matter of preference. While we understand that having your gorgeous chassis on full display and at arm’s reach on your desk is both stylish and convenient, in this case, the cases take up a lot of the space, rendering a large portion of the already shallow desk completely useless.

On the other hand, if the desk is used exclusively for gaming, and doesn’t require any additional space except for the necessary peripherals, there is no better place for a gorgeous chassis such as this one.

#4 – credit: u/m4g1k

Yes, we know, PC master-race is the best… BUT! We’re here to talk about the best gaming setups, and by definition, consoles are gaming setups too, and this guy has both! Or should we say all three?

With a PC, Xbox and PS4 in the same room, we wouldn’t ever want to leave the place!

But let’s talk about the actual setup. Fist of all, we love how clean it is — no unnecessary clutter and no cable mess. It’s tidy and classy, nothing over the top, but a paradise on Earth for any casual gamer.

The PC has got two monitors, although judging by the way it’s positioned, the one on the left is probably used for background processes, such as Discord or Blitz, for example, while the massive TV is obviously there for the consoles.

OP clearly has a good eye for details. We’ve been trying to figure out what makes this image look so appealing for a while, and then we got it. It’s the lights. The green, pink and blue LEDs running along the wall give a certain cozy touch to the room and make the gaming nook stand out.

What We Would Change

We obviously can’t see what’s behind the picture, so we can’t be sure, but from what we can see, there is no coffee table or sofa in front of the TV, and in our opinion, that’s the only thing this setup needs to become absolutely perfect. A cozy sofa or even a par of lazy bags would make this space the optimal couch potato nook!

Concerning the monitors, there’s a general consensus that three is the maximum and perfect number. The reason is simple; if you want to expand your field of view and play games across several screens, you’ll have the bezels smack in the middle of your field of view if you have only two monitors. For this reason, we always prefer three over two.

However, if OP is fine with gaming on a single monitor while using the second one specifically for managing background processes while gaming, that’s absolutely fine as well. It’s once again simply a matter of preference.

#3 – credit: u/Cougardc

While not the cleanest setup we’ve come across in our rummaging through the battlestations subreddit, this is definitely among the most unique ones!

Let’s start from the PC itself since it’s the most prominent component of the setup. Wall-mounted PCs are nothing new, but they’re still not something you see often. Most people prefer having a standard chassis. They can look amazing, and of course, they’re portable. However, once in a while you’ll come across something like this that will make you think “Why didn’t I do this?”.

We’ve mentioned in the introduction that for this list we didn’t necessarily choose setups that looked the most expensive, or that glowed the brightest. We picked setups that spoke to us, that looked unique or that told a story about the user. In this case, we loved the Transformers theme.

But even besides the aesthetic stuff, this PC is a beast. With this particular setup, we know that OP used the Nvidia RTX 2080 Super paired with the Intel Core i9-9900k processor. In addition to that, the PC has two 32GB Corsair Dominator Platinum RAM sticks, a 1050W PSU, two 1TB NVMes and all of that plugged into the Asus Maximus Extreme XI motherboard. Sick.

The other eye-catching part of this setup are the monitors; in particular, the middle, ultra-wide Samsung CRG90. We won’t be going into the specs of this monitor here, but we have to mention one thing. While ultra-wide monitors are created to give you the ultimate immersive cinematic experience, they are mostly created with workstations in mind.

There are some games that support ultra-wide gaming, or should we say super-ultra-wide, since the CRG90’s aspect ratio is 32:9 as opposed to the “regular” ultra-wide with the aspect ratio of 21:9. If you’re into stuff like CS:GO, Apex Legends, Destiny 2 or racing games and simulators, you will likely have a great time gaming with this monitor.

A lot of other games, however, will look extremely warped in 5120×1440 resolution or they will not support it at all, and you’ll have to settle for playing in a narrower mode, which means you’ll have black edges or even gaming in windowed mode. Yikes.

But even though there are some disadvantages to having an ultra-wide monitor, it does beat gaming on two monitors since there is no pesky bezel smack in the middle of the screen obstructing your view. Not to mention that, if your battlestation doubles as a workstation, nothing surpasses the ultra-wide screen.

Now that we’ve covered the big stuff, we have to mention the desk, which looks extremely comfortable and spacious and allows for an amazing audio experience, which OP has used to its full potential.

What We Would Change

Honestly, there isn’t much we would change here, if anything. This is a wholly personalized build that feels cozy and looks amazing. Unfortunately, some visible cables are inevitable in a wall-mounted setup like this, but that’s about it!

#2 – credit: u/AndresAwesome

And here’s our eighth pick… or number two, since we’re counting down. Anyway, can we just stop for a moment to appreciate how beautiful this looks? It’s ok, we’ll wait.

Hats off to OP who’s managed to create the ultimate gaming paradise. This room has it all, from an amazing PC with no less than four monitors, every conceivable console, a gorgeous TV for immersive console gaming, a racing wheel and pedals for racing games, we’re pretty sure we can even see a VR set, but it’s too dark to be sure.

And OP can enjoy all of that while sitting in high-end chairs and proudly gaming under the Smash Bros flag. What more could a person want? We can only imagine how much it all must have cost.

Or perhaps we shouldn’t.

What We Would Change

Since we’re slowly approaching the end of our list and the setups are becoming better and more expensive, there are fewer things we have to say about them and even fewer things that we would want to alter.

However, there is one thing we would add, and it’s the same thing we mentioned in our previous entry that had a TV — a sofa or lazy bag for a more comfortable console gaming experience, although even we have to admit that that would look a bit awkward in this setup. But still, it would be cool.

#1 – credit: u/lesi20

And finally, here’s our last pick. You might be wondering why we chose this one since there were so many other cool ones on the list, and we’ll tell you — because it’s the coziest. Slanted roofs can be a pain in the neck, but otherwise, this room looks like it was meant to keep a gamer inside and make him never want to leave.

We especially love the orange and purple lighting in combination with the wallpapers in corresponding colors. OP called it “the two corners” for a reason. We have the orange PC corner with a gorgeous chassis and a simple, minimalistic desk that perfectly fits the room, and is deep enough to accommodate all three monitors while still leaving enough space for all the peripherals.

The opposite purple corner is meant for the consoles. The space was quite cleverly used. Although there is no sofa in front of the TV, there is still a bed where OP can lay back and enjoy his PS4 or Switch games at any time. Not to mention that the bed looks incredibly sturdy and comfortable.

We were also quite impressed by OP’s collection of controllers next to the TV, as well as the way it was tastefully displayed under the purple LED light.

What We Would Change

We’ve mentioned before that when using multiple monitors, it’s best if they are of the same size because a discrepancy in resolutions between monitors can make for quite a jarring experience. There is, of course, a way around this, but it takes a lot of time and can be troublesome. For this reason, the only thing we would change in this setup is the size of the third monitor.

Besides this, there is not a single thing we would touch. In our humble opinion, OP has very good taste and we hope to see more pictures with any future updates. Congratulations!

Ultimate Setup – credit: u/ixambee

You thought we were done? Fooled you! It’s time to reveal our actual best setup of the year.

Here we have a beautiful, deep hardwood desk with a huge monitor. We mentioned once in this article that large monitors can be a literal pain in the neck since you have to jerk your head back and forth to follow what’s happening on the screen. This problem is easy to overcome, and for that, you need a good deep desk so you can create some distance between you and the monitor.

This is quite a simple yet functional setup that anyone can enjoy, as proven by the picture. The keyboard and mouse are, again, rather simple, but great for gaming even though a wired mouse is preferable for better performance. And, of course, when it comes to mouse pads, Corsair is always a safe choice.

Apart from the basic peripherals, what we have here are a good-quality microphone and an exceedingly furry headphone stand.

Jokes aside, this picture made our day, and we absolutely had to include it in this list even as an honorable mention. The setup itself actually seems pretty cool, but we can see only a portion of it, so we can’t really judge. Besides, we can all see that the focus of the picture isn’t the PC, but one furry good boy.

What We Would Change

We wouldn’t change a thing. 10/10!

Conclusion

We’ve finally come to the end of our list. We hope you liked at least some of the setups we’ve chosen and that you’ve gotten some inspiration for building or improving your own gaming corner.

We’re sure some of you won’t agree with our picks, but that’s perfectly fine! Let us know in the comments what your setup looks like, and how you would rank our picks. And, of course, leave any links with suggestions to your favorite gaming setups!