There's no denying that PC gaming is an expensive hobby. You need a decent PC, a good monitor, and a few different gaming accessories in order to play effectively. Thankfully, cloud gaming has come a long way in recent years, so it's easier than ever to get a cloud PC gaming setup at a much more affordable price. So, if you're interested in finding one of the best Cyber Monday deals, then you might want to actually consider getting a mini PC instead. However, you'll need to choose the right device for this to work.
I've reviewed several different gaming accessories and devices, and so I've put together this list of inexpensive Cyber Monday deals for a cheap gaming mini PC setup that is optimal for cloud gaming.
If you go with the lowest price options that I've listed (Beelink EQR6 mini PC for $319.00 at Amazon and LG UltraGear 27" gaming monitor for $99.99 at Amazon), you could get a gaming area that only costs $398.99 in total — that's a lot less than your typical gaming laptop or gaming desktop. But there are plenty of other mini PC and gaming monitor options to consider, so let's look at those deals.
Recent updates
UPDATE December 3 @ 9:10 a.m. PT: A few of these deals have ended now that Cyber Monday is over, while others have shifted in price. I've made it clear which deals are dead and updated current deal amounts.
Deal quick list
- 💻Beelink EQR6 was
$399.00now $319.00 at Amazon - 💻
ROG Ally Z1 Extremewas $649.99now$499.99at Best Buy(Expired) 💻Geekom A5was $399.99now $339.00at Amazon(Expired)- 💻Lenovo IdeaCentre 3 was
$549.99now $359.00 at Amazon - 💻Beelink SER8 was
$749.50now $609.00 at Amazon - 💻Geekom AX7 Pro was
$749.99now $699.00 at Amazon
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 🖥️Acer KB272 EBI was
$154.99now $99.99 at Amazon - 🖥️LG UltraGear 27" 27GQ40W-B was
$179.99now $149.00 at Walmart - 🖥️Lenovo Legion R27fc-30 was
$229.00now $149.99 at Walmart - 🖥️Alienware 37" AW3423DWF was
$899.99now $644.99 at Best Buy - 🖥️ LG UltraGear 34" 34GS95QE was
$1,299.99now $999.99 at Amazon
Best mini PC for budget gaming
Actual gaming mini PCs with powerful RTX 40-Series GPUs do exist, as seen in my ROG NUC 970 review (starting price $1,399.00 at Amazon), but they are rarer and more expensive. The most affordable PC gaming setup involves getting an inexpensive yet reliable mini PC that you can access cloud gaming or classic/less demanding games with.
Thanks to Xbox's "Stream Your Own Game," this is more doable than ever. This is also why NVIDIA GeForce NOW is perfect for mini PC gaming sessions. It specifically allows you to select a game you already own but run it on a powerful NVIDIA server, so your own device specs don't have to be nearly as hefty.
Disclaimer
WARNING: There are plenty of cheap mini PCs out there, but some less reputable brands can contain harmful malware. To be safe, you need to be careful when making purchases. It's best to stick with trusted companies such as ASUS, Lenovo, Intel, Beelink, and Geekom. For more options you can trust, check out our list of the best mini PCs.
I've spent a lot of time testing mini PCs and smaller gaming devices in various use cases. I also have a lot of experience cloud gaming and using NVIDIA GeForce NOW.
Best gaming monitors for mini PCs
There are plenty of really good Cyber Monday gaming monitor deals going on right now making it possible to get a really good budget option. Of course, since you're potentially saving a lot of money by going with a mini PC, you might want to spend more on a nicer gaming monitor. Regardless, here are the best gaming monitors for mini PCs ranging from cheap to premium.
PSA: Make sure that the monitor you select can match the resolution that your mini PC supports. For more options, check out our list of the best gaming monitor cyber monday deals.
Best accessories for gaming mini PCs
Now you've gotten your PC and gaming monitor decided, but you'll still need some good peripherals for the best playing experience. Here are the best PC gaming accessories for mini PCs including everything from headsets to mice and keyboards. You can find more suggestions on our list of the best PC gaming accessories.
Rebecca was lucky enough to be in the first wave of people who received a Steam Deck. Since then, she has acquired an ROG Ally, ROG Ally X, Legion Go, and other gaming handhelds. She's always keen to find the best settings for any games she plays. Just about every night, you can find her playing on one of these devices in bed before going to sleep.
🔥The hottest Cyber Monday deals🔥
- 🎮ASUS ROG Ally (Ryzen Z1) | $349.99 at Best Buy (Save $150!)
- 💽MSI GeForce RTX 4070 + free game | $489.99 at Newegg (Save $87!)
- 💻Surface Pro 11 (X Plus) | $899.99 at Best Buy (Save $300!)
- 💽AMD Ryzen 5 7600X + free SSD (1TB) | $194.99 at Newegg (Save $74!)
- 📺HP Curved Ultrawide (34-inches) | $299.99 at Best Buy (Save $180!)
- 💾WD_Black Xbox Series X|S Card (1TB) | $99.99 at Best Buy (Save $50!)
🍁More greatCyber Monday deals🦃
- Best Buy: Big savings on video games, accessories, and more
- Walmart: Savings on practically everything
- Target: Live deals on a huge range of products
- Dell: Top deals on laptops, gaming PCs, accessories, and more
- HP: Save big on laptops, desktops, accessories, and more
- Lenovo: Doorbuster deals on all Lenovo PCs, monitors, accessories, and more
- Newegg: Save on PC gaming accessories, components, and more
- Razer: Take advantage of free shipping for a limited time
- Samsung: Holiday deals on laptops, TVs, phones, and more are live
- Amazon: Constantly rotating sales on everything you can imagine
Build your dream gaming mini PC setup
You don't necessarily need to get a gaming desktop or gaming laptop in order to enjoy some of the biggest titles on the market. Cloud gaming has come a long way in recent years, so all you really need to enjoy many titles is a good mini PC, a nice gaming monitor, a keyboard and mouse, and a good internet connection. Of course, NVIDIA GeForce NOW also helps a lot.
With this being the case, you can get a decent gaming mini PC setup for very little money compared to what you'd have to spend with a gaming desktop or gaming laptop. I've personally discovered that some cheap mini PCs can come with malware, so it's best to stick with trusted brands such as Lenovo, ASUS, Geekom, and Beelink. Of the mini PC brands, Geekom offers some of our very most favorite options.
Alternatively, I also highly recommend considering getting a PC gaming handheld like the ROG Ally, Legion Go, or Steam Deck. These portable device each have their own perks and drawbacks, but they can allow you to play various games from the comfort of your couch, bed, or airplane seat. If you purchase a docking station, you can even connect them to your monitor and use them like a normal computer.
What is the best budget gaming PC?
There are a wide variety of gaming PCs to choose from. If you want to save money, you'll want to consider compact gaming desktops, mini PCs, and gaming handhelds, as they tend to cost less than full-blown gaming PCs.
The best budget Windows 11 gaming handheld is the ROG Ally, especially if you grab it while it's discounted for Black Friday. It has an MSRP of $649.99, but for Black Friday it was selling for just $499.99 at Best Buy.
The best budget gaming desktop deal going on now is arguably the iBUYPOWER Slate 6 Mesh, which comes bundled with the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows. It's usually $1,199.99, but it's currently $699.00 at Walmart.
What is cloud gaming?
This means you rely on powerful distant servers to actually run a game, but it gets displayed on your computer through the internet.
Can I use a gaming handheld like a computer?
You sure can. The ROG Ally and Legion Go are both Windows 11 gaming handhelds and you can connect a keyboard and mouse to them (via docking station or Bluetooth) to control them like you would a laptop. After that, they can be used to browse the internet, run programs, play games, type up documents, and more.
Are mini PCs good for gaming?
This really depends on the mini PC. There are a few gaming mini PCs that feature RTX 40-Series GPUs, but they tend to be rather expensive. Another option is to get a regular budget mini PC and then use it for cloud gaming. You'll save money compared to buying a full gaming desktop, but can still enjoy thousands of games on different services as long as you have a good internet connection and the right accessories.
What day is Black Friday?
Technically, Black Friday is November 29, 2024 this year. However, Black Friday deals have been going since October and will likely continue through the rest of the year (although some are labeled as Cyber Monday deals).
Is Black Friday the biggest sales day of the year?
Yes. While some retailers have their own specific deal days throughout the year, Black Friday is consistently the time of year when every retailer offers many of the best discounts. It's worth noting that the Monday following Black Friday, known as Cyber Monday usually shows a continuation of discounts deals.
Should I wait for Cyber Monday deals instead of buying on Black Friday?
This depends. If you see a really good deal on Black Friday it's best to jump on it as soon as possible because there's no guarantee that a product will remain in stock until Cyber Monday. If a product goes on an even lower deal come Cyber Monday, you might be able to return the Black Friday purchase or contest the price.
That said, some retailers do wait until Cyber Monday to lower prices. So it's worth checking on Cyber Monday and seeing what discounts it has brought with it.
