Image: Acer
It’s a really bad time to build a gaming desktop PC right now. Because of the insane price of RAM and graphics cards, buying them individually as a consumer is just a way to empty your bank account. And pre-built desktops, while not exactly a good deal, are a better one. Take this refurbished Acer model with an RTX 5060 graphics card, which is on sale for $753.29 over at eBay.
Here are the relevant specs for this build:
- Intel Core i5-14400F 10-core processor
- Nvidia RTX 5060 with 8GB of VRAM
- 16GB of DDR5 system memory
- 1TB M.2 Gen4 SSD
Acer calls this desktop the Nitro 60, which is available in various configurations. But going by the UD.P02AA.069 model number, it’s the same machine as this one sold by Micro Center, currently listed at $1200. You don’t get a complete spec breakdown — I imagine it’s got a lot of generic parts in there — but it does include full Windows 11 Home, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a bit of RGB bling on the three case fans.
As I recently explored in this editorial, it’s really, really hard to build a gaming PC that’s worth the money right now. In fact, speccing out an equivalent one to this Acer gets me to $1219 on PCPartPicker, before rebates, shipping, and taxes. You can do a little better than Micro Center on this and similar desktops, with Amazon currently offering what looks like this exact model for $1028. But that’s not much of a “deal” in anyone’s money, considering it’s barely scraping into mid-range 1080p gaming territory. For a gaming desktop I’d really prefer at least 32GB of RAM…but the Micro Center spec sheet says it’s using just one DIMM, so you can hunt down another if you find a few hundred bucks in your couch cushions.
With a “refurbished” (probably returned) desktop, sold and certified by Acer on eBay, and equipped with a two-year Allstate warranty, I think this is the best desktop gaming PC deal you’re likely to see at the moment. It’s not great by any measure, not if you care about performance. But it’ll play pretty much any new game at 1080p/60fps, and fly through most older titles with ease. It’s about as good as we can do right now.
Get an Acer gaming desktop with an RTX 5060 for $754
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he’s the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop “battlestation” in his off hours. Michael’s previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he’s covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he’s always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.