For prebuilt gaming desktops, a few companies are reliable and widely available. Dell's Alienware division produces solid if sometimes pricey PCs that have a fan following. Asus's Republic of Gamers line hits the midrange and high-end markets with good machines. Acer's Predator line is also good, and HP's Omen models have their adherents.

Although plenty of "early" Black Friday deals have already gone live, there's really only one monitor deal that's worth jumping on right now. If that monitor doesn't fit your needs, I'd suggest waiting for better deals to come around.

The holiday shopping season is just around the corner, and if you can't wait until Black Friday to upgrade your gaming desktop, you can save big now on brands like Alienware, HP Omen, and Lenovo.