Best Black Friday desktop computer deals

Black Friday 2025 falls on Friday, November 28th. However, many retailers have already started offering deep discounts on desktop computers. Stay tuned to PCWorld for the best desktop PC deals. We will be distributing discounts through November and until Cyber ​​Monday, December 1st.

There are plenty of sites that sell computers on Black Friday, but browsing through them all will take a lot of your time. That's why we do it for you here and highlight the best deals we find. However, you need to be careful about where you look at any time of the year.

During holiday shopping such as Black Friday, it is best to check third party websites. These include retail stores of popular computer manufacturers such as HP, Dell and Lenovo.

However, if you can't find anything you like there, you can expand your search to reputable third-party retailers like Amazon, Adorama, Walmart, Best Buy, and Newegg. Often, these websites offer limited-time “Deal of the Day” or “Flash Deal” sales in hopes of clearing out excess inventory. Just note that these sites usually offer better deals on lesser-known brands of PC manufacturers, but that doesn't mean they aren't still good machines.

If you need processor power, look for processors with higher digital notches. Intel processors are available in newer Core Ultra 3, 5, 7, or 9 versions, as well as older Core i3, i5, i7, and i9 versions. AMD processors are available in Ryzen 5000, 7000, 8000, and 9000. Generally speaking, the higher the number, the more powerful the processor from both manufacturers.

If you don't need tons of power, Intel Core Ultra 5 or Core i5 processors are your best bet as they offer good performance at a decent price. You can get by just fine with a Core Ultra 3 or Core i3 for general office and web browsing. Core Ultra 7 or Core i7 are more suitable for gaming and more intensive work than for everyday tasks. Additionally, if your main concern is gaming, you may want to consider older Core i processors, as the new Core Ultra processors are optimized for AI performance rather than gaming.

As far as AMD options go, the Ryzen 5000 chips compete with the Intel Core i5 as reliable all-rounders. If you need more power, the Ryzen 7000 or 8000 chips are good for content creation such as video editing. Finally, if you're dealing with 4K video or want the best gaming performance, go with the Ryzen 9000.

If you're not going to be gaming on your PC, feel free to save some money by opting for integrated graphics. However, if you want to run your game, we recommend at least an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 or RTX 5060 (or the equivalent Radeon RX 9060) as these are the cheapest discrete graphics cards that can support 1080p gaming at high graphics settings on most games. For 1440p gaming you'll usually be better off with an RTX 4070/5070 (or Radeon RX 9070/XT), while for 4K gaming you'll need at least an RTX 4080/5080 or upgrade to an RTX 4090/5090.

Luckily, prices for the latest generation of GPUs in off-the-shelf systems have come down significantly, so go for them if you have the money and want better performance. But if you're on a budget, opting for a setup with a previous-gen card could allow you to save some money while still maintaining decent graphics quality.

As for RAM, I currently believe that it is best to shoot for 16GB as a minimum for all systems. If you're on a budget or just need a basic browser, then 8GB may be enough, but you'll likely notice a drop in performance if you frequently have multiple apps or browser tabs open. Those looking to create heavy content like video editing should aim for a minimum of 32GB, or 64GB for 4K editing.

The size of the storage depends on your personal needs, but it is generally better to choose an SSD over a standard hard drive as they are much faster and do not have a significant impact on the price of the desktop computer. Before you make a decision, it's best to think about how you're going to use the computer. Are you just storing documents or browsing the web? Then something like 512 GB will be enough.

If you want to upload a lot of large files, such as games or content creation projects, you'll need at least 1-2TB of storage space. However, remember that even if your computer does not have enough internal memory, you can always upgrade your SSD or go with external drive to increase available storage options.

While the prospect of higher prices due to tariffs may seem daunting to consumers, now is the perfect time to buy a new PC. Component prices have generally stabilized due to tariffs (except for high-end GPU models), and CPU prices generally remain affordable. So, if you find a configuration you're happy with and the price is within your budget, go ahead and buy it.

If you're waiting for the next releases, don't hold your breath. Don't get caught up in waiting for something new, because something new is always just around the corner. Waiting for a new product launch is only beneficial if it is imminent and there are no good deals available right now. Luckily, events like Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday offer shoppers a great time to snag the latest PC components and builds at a discount—even in the face of tariffs and supply chain pressures.