The RTX 3090 is Nvidia’s flagship Ampere GPU, and while it does sell for a ridiculously high price, it’s pretty popular in high-end custom gaming PC market. Performance-wise you’re looking at the ultimate GPU choice for 4K gaming and the best card for 1440p gaming, along with AMD’s RX 6900XT. You can expect to hit 60fps or more in newer AAA games in 4K with ultra settings. The RTX 3090 can even deliver 60 frames-per-second experience in 4K with ray tracing and DLSS in many games that support RT effects. In 1440p, the card’s capable of providing triple-digit framerates in most games with ultra settings.
If you want the ultimate performance but don’t have the time or patience to build a DIY gaming machine, keep reading. Below you’ll find the best RTX 3090 gaming PCs, at least when it comes to prebuilt computers. Most of the machines listed here include flagship CPUs along with at least 32GB of memory and multiple terabytes of storage. And while you can’t call PCs equipped with flagship components affordable, we did try to choose configurations that offer the most for your money.
If you’re looking for something more reasonable yet still very powerful, check our list of the best RTX 3080 gaming PCs. If the RTX 3080 is too much, we also have an excellent guide for the best RTX 3070 gaming PCs. If you’re looking for more choices when it comes to the GPU, visit our guide for the best prebuilt gaming PCs under $2000.
1. CUK Continuum: Best bang-for-buck RTX 3090 gaming PC
It’s often the case that the best thing isn’t the priciest. And while being the second least expensive PC on this list, the CUK Continuum is the best RTX 3090 PC for gaming and gaming only. What makes this version of the Continuum the best for gamers is the Ryzen 7 5800X3D CPU. The 5800X3D trumps the 12900K in gaming no matter the resolution, thanks to its vast amount of ultra-fast 3D cache memory.
Together with an RTX 3090, the 5800X3D offers the best CPU & GPU combo for gamers. This PC should be about 95 percent fast in games as our best overall pick while being thousands of dollars cheaper. However, if you plan on using your PC for CPU-intensive work, we’d skip this PC since the 5800X3D is slower than Intel 12th gen CPUs as well as high-end Ryzen 5000 CPUs in CPU-heavy tasks.
The rest of the specs include 32GB of DDR4 3200 memory, a 512GB SSD, and a 2TB hard drive. Pretty solid, but a 1TB SSD would be better. The enclosure used here should have good enough air circulation to keep the RTX 3090 in check. On the other hand, the 5800X3D runs quite hot due to all that snappy cache. If the CPU cooler that comes with this PC proves inadequate, get any mid-range or high-end recommendation from our list of the best air CPU coolers for Ryzen CPUs.
2. HP Envy TE02: Best Value RTX 3090 gaming PC
This HP Envy TE02 configuration is the cheapest RTX 3090 gaming PC we could find that didn’t feature a last-gen CPU or less than 32GB of memory. Overall, for just under $2500, this is a great deal. You’ve got the Core i7-12700F CPU, one of the best gaming CPUs you can get and an excellent pairing for the RTX 3090.
Being a low-power version of the 12700K, the 12700F is easier to cool. Quite important in this situation since the case used has less than the ideal amount of airflow. When it comes to gaming, you should see almost the same performance as you’d get with a 12900K or the 5800X3D mentioned above.
As we already said, you’ve also got 32GB of DDR4 3200 memory, enough for optimal performance. The storage situation here is excellent; there’s 1TB of fast storage coupled with a humongous, 3TB hard drive. Plenty of space for any gamer. While this PC is the cheapest on this list, it should offer more than 90 percent of the performance of our best overall pick while selling for half the price.
3. CUK Stratos: Best RTX 3090 gaming PC for professionals
If you’re a professional user who uses their PC for serious work as well as for gaming, the CUK Stratos should be the best choice for your needs. This PC comes with a 12900KF + RTX 3090 + 128GB RAM combo and is perfect for any CPU and GPU-intensive workload. The only downside could be a 240mm AIO used for cooling the CPU and only in situations where you’re maximally hitting the processor for prolonged periods of time.
In games, this combo should allow the RTX 3090 to maximize its potential in any resolution and title. Storage-wise you’ve got a 2TB NVMe SSD and a 6TB hard drive, which should be enough for any workflow. If you need a second M.2 SSD, you can install it since the motherboard has multiple M.2 slots. You’ll get a couple of percent slower performance thanks to the memory only being DDR4 3000 MT/s, but that shouldn’t bother anyone looking for a PC meant to play the role of both a workstation and a 4K gaming machine.
4. Skytech Prism II: Best RTX 3090 gaming PC overall
The Skytech Prism II is both the most expensive and the fastest PC on this list. It packs the best gaming CPU at the moment in the form of the 12900KS. This is a specially binned version of the 12900K that can achieve even faster boost clocks. While being faster, it’s also notably pricier than the 12900K.
While technically faster than the 5800X3D, the price difference is enormous, while the difference in performance is only around five percent. Some games run faster on the AMD part, others on Intel, but on average, the 12900KS is just about faster. If you aren’t ready to pay a massive premium for slightly higher gaming performance, check our value pick instead.
However, if you want the absolute best and cash isn’t an issue, the Skytech Prism II is a worthy choice. You’ve got the 12900KS combined with an RTX 3090 Ti, which is technically the fastest GPU on the market. It’s about seven percent faster than the RTX 3090. If you get this PC, we recommend also getting one of the monitors featured in our best 4K 144Hz monitors list for the best gaming experience.
The Skytech Prism II also comes with 64GB of DDR5 memory. While not faster than higher-clocked DDR4 memory on average, DDR5 RAM does boost performance in certain games. Technically, DDR5 is the best choice for gamers. This impressive package also includes a 360mm AIO, which should keep the CPU under control even during prolonged CPU-intensive workloads such as video editing or code compiling.
As for the case, the MetallicGear Neo Qube is a pretty good case, especially for liquid-cooled builds. But for this price, we want the original design this case is based on, the Lian Li O11 Dynamic, instead. The only proper dud here is the measly 1TB SSD.
Yes, it’s an NVMe unit with a PCIe 4.0 interface, and it’s super-fast. However, if you’re selling a flagship gaming PC, equip it with at least 2TB of fast storage. Worse still, the Skytech Prism II doesn’t include a hard drive at all. Despite this shortcoming, this is the fastest gaming PC powered by the RTX 3090 Ti you can get.
5. Lenovo Legion T5: Best compact RTX 3090 gaming PC
Moving on to the small form factor side of the spectrum, we have the excellent Legion T5 from Lenovo. First of all, we love the case. It’s reasonably compact while including mesh front and top sides along with five RGB case fans.
In other words, the RTX 3090 found inside should not even come close to overheating. As for the CPU, the 12700F is pretty easy to cool, and the massive heatsink used in the Legion T5 should be more than enough to keep it under control.
Together, the CPU and GPU are a great combo for a mini gaming PC. The CPU is fast enough for the RTX 3090, and it’s also great for professionals who lack free space on their desk. The Legion T5 includes 32GB of DDR5 memory, which is another plus.
As for the storage, a 512GB SSD + 2TB HDD is a fine combo, but, again, a 1TB SSD is a minimum for a high-end gaming PC. Still, despite this smudge, the Lenovo Legion T5 is the best mini PC for gaming powered by an RTX 3090.
6. MSI Trident X: Best SFF RTX 3090 gaming PC
Last but not least, we have the best SFF RTX 3090 PC for gaming in the form of the MSI Trident X. Now, this small form factor gaming PC does include an RTX 3090, and it does look stunning, but it comes with two significant downsides. Firstly, the CPU used is a Core i9-11900K. This is an 11th gen Intel CPU that’s pretty fast but far from the fastest gaming CPU.
Further still, the low-profile heatsink used to cool the CPU is definitely not enough for the 11900K. This can lead to even worse performance. However, when gaming in higher resolutions – 1440p and above – the difference in performance shouldn’t be too noticeable. On the other hand, we wouldn’t use this PC for any CPU-heavy tasks. While the CPU cooler may be half usable when gaming, it will completely choke when doing seriously demanding CPU work.
The second significant issue here is the price, which is exceptionally high for what you get. With that said, you won’t find any other prebuilt gaming PC this tiny equipped with an RTX 3090, so the premium price is somewhat justified. If only MSI included a different CPU. Something like a 12700F or a 12900F would be both faster and much easier to keep under control. Even a low-profile CPU cooler could manage any of the two CPUs alternatives.
While the CPU choice is far from perfect, and the whole package costs a lot, the MSI Trident X is much better regarding memory and storage. You’ve got 32GB of DDR4 3200 memory, which is fine for an SFF configuration. Next, the Trident X features a 2TB SSD and a 2TB hard drive, which is a perfect amount of storage for a flagship custom PC.
Overall, while the MSI Trident X is overpriced, it offers a unique package in the form of an RTX 3090 housed inside a super tiny enclosure that looks ridiculously attractive. And the exotic stuff like this PC always have and always will carry a price premium.