A no-nonsense rig primed for high-quality gameplay. Building a modern performance PC has become a disarmingly simple pastime. As our older readers will attest, putting together a rig used to be a process fraught with danger, with certain combinations functioning best, while others tended not to work at all. These days, any AMD Ryzen or Intel Core processor can be deemed a safe bet, it is hard to go wrong with a dual-channel memory kit, take your pick of a GeForce or Radeon graphics card, and once you've added an SSD you're well on the way.

In fact, the process has become so streamlined that there's more reason to circumvent the self-build process and buy a ready-made base unit. System integrators' ability to bulk buy tends to result in keen pricing, and unless you're hoping to achieve something exotic - i.e. small form factor or lavish liquid cooling - a turnkey mid-tower can tick most of the right boxes and typically comes equipped with a warranty to guard against any unforeseen problems.