We check out the desktops and laptops that are perfect gifts for the gamers on your list.
Rich Brown
Rich was the editorial lead for CNET's Home and Wellness sections, based in Louisville, Kentucky. Before moving to Louisville in 2013, Rich ran CNET's desktop computer review section for 10 years in New York City. He has worked as a tech journalist since 1994, covering everything from 3D printing to Z-Wave smart locks.
Dan AckermanEditorial Director / Computers and Gaming
Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications.
"Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times
ExpertiseI've been testing and reviewing computer and gaming hardware for over 20 years, covering every console launch since the Dreamcast and every MacBook...ever.Credentials
Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings
Serious gamers need serious hardware to get the best, fastest performance possible. If you're shopping for a new rig for yourself or the gamer in your life, start here.
Maingear's F131 starts at $1,478, but our $2,999 review unit turned in some of the best PC gaming performance to date. Not only is it fast, but you can put the system almost anywhere thanks to its slim, eye-catching case design.
2 of 5 Sarah Tew/CNET
Razer Blade
The new second-generation revision to the Razer Blade has the same experimental touch-screen Switchblade UI touch pad, but a vastly better set of specs under the hood, as well as a lower price.
You can choose from a few different chassis for the Chronos gaming desktop, but Origin impressed us by picking the smallest option, and turning it into one of the fastest gaming PCs available under $1,500.
The Digital Storm x17 isn't the prettiest machine on the block, but this $1,999 configuration performs great and is definitely less expensive than comparable builds from other boutique PC makers.
In a sea of ultrabooks and hybrids, the Nomad 17 is a good old traditional 17-inch gaming laptop. Decently outfitted, it's a sizable investment from one of the only boutique PC companies that really comes through on reliability, support, and flexibility.
