Sim racing is less of a niche than it used to be, now that its most popular entries have grown in popularity and attracted all-new fans over the years. Still, one thing is as true as ever: the games usually offer incredible visuals that demand a capable gaming PC to play them smoothly.
Sure, any of the best pre-built gaming PCs would fit the bill, but we're still listing our favorites that generally lean towards beefier hardware to handle these realistic simulation titles. That, and you can pair them with the best racing wheels for the ultimate at-home sim rig, or at least as far as your budget allows. For now, here are our top-rated gaming desktops that'll handle the more realistic racers.
September 10, 2025 — Lenovo's Legion Tower 7i (Gen 8) has been replaced by the modern (Gen 10) variant.
The quick list
Lenovo remains top dog with its Legion Tower 7i (now Gen 10) in a more compact design without messing with cooling or aesthetics. Port selection is huge, so it's perfect for wheels, pedals, shifters, and anything else.
The HP OMEN 35L is nearly as powerful and upgradeable as the Legion Tower 7i, but it packs that hardware into a sleeker, more compact 35-liter chassis. You still get plenty of options to build the best PC for your needs, but you shouldn't have any issues running any sim racing game.
If you're short on space, the ASUS ROG G22CH is a seriously impressive, full-powered gaming PC but half the size. That compact stature makes it more difficult to upgrade, but its excellent performance and thermal management makes it perfect for sim racing right out of the box with no extra work.
Another offering from Lenovo, the Legion Tower 5i is a more affordable, simpler alternative to the Tower 7i that lets you play all the best PC sim racing games without breaking the bank. You still have a roomy chassis that's easily upgraded, with some very solid components from Intel and NVIDIA powering it.
Budget gaming PCs often heavily compromise to reach a lower price point, but the newer Lenovo LOQ line of pre-built PCs can be a great option for casual or beginner PC gamers who aren't worried about future upgrades. Look out for sales, though.
iBuyPower is a fan favorite for custom pre-built PCs thanks to aggressive pricing, and the Slate 8 MESH is a well-built, well-designed, and performant system with plenty of configuration options. We recommend upgrading that power supply, but you'll otherwise be golden.
My favorite pre-built gaming PCs for sim racing in 2025
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The best overall pre-built PC for sim racing
Lenovo was already a high-ranking pick on this list with a previous-gen Legion Tower 7i (Gen 8). It was gigantic, but that size came with capable cooling and the latest hardware. This time around, Lenovo actually addressed the former with a slightly more compact PC case, but doesn't skimp on the same gorgeous design elements.
Configurable with Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake) desktop processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 50 Series GPUs from an RTX 5070 Ti up to a top-end RTX 5090, and configurable RAM starting at 32GB, it's all user-upgradable anyway.
Port selection is just as plentiful as ever, which is perfect for loading up a racing wheel, pedals, shifter, and whatever other peripherals you might want to connect separately if they aren't compatible with a hub.
Essentially, Lenovo is still doing a great job with its Legion subbrand to separate itself from its more "boring" business side, showing it can run with the top brands and offer more than ThinkPads. It's smaller, but runs just as cool. Zachary said the same in their review:
"The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i (Gen 10) reuses the same general design, but trims down the dimensions and offers greater performance and cooling than ever before".
You can order a Legion Tower 7i directly from Lenovo, starting at $2,249.99 with a currently-running 31% off discount. Yes, it's still a sting, even with the deal, but if you want a fire-and-forget solution for sim racing, then this beefy pre-built rig is still the best bet. — Ben Wilson, Senior Editor
👀Read our full Lenovo Legion Tower 7i (Gen 10) review
The best mid-sized pre-built PC for sim racing
We may recommend Lenovo's pre-built Legion PCs a lot, but the HP OMEN family has its own fantastic qualities worth considering.
The HP OMEN 35L is the best example, pairing a beautiful 35-liter chassis with the best components you can get from Intel, NVIDIA, and even AMD. A ton of different configuration options allows for budget flexibility, too.
You can equip the OMEN 35L with Intel 14th Gen, AMD Ryzen 8th Gen, and NVIDIA 40-series, sure, but you can equip load it with Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) and the latest NVIDIA 50-series GPUs.
Your expansion options are a little limited because of the compact chassis and HP's software isn't my favorite, but the OMEN 35L is a very strong performer with excellent thermal management, above-average cable management, and toolless access to its standardized parts.
In my HP OMEN 35L review, I concluded:
"The HP OMEN 35L is the freshly coronated king of HP's pre-built gaming desktop family, and it's sitting pretty at the top. The compact, two-tone "panda" design is built to last and built to be upgraded, new Intel Core Ultra hardware delivers surprisingly impressive performance, and the smaller case still packs plenty of ports."
Endless configuration options means you can get your own HP OMEN 35L from just $1,249.99 at HP, but those prices obviously skyrocket quickly as you upgrade the hardware inside.
👀Read our full HP OMEN 35L (2024) review
The best compact pre-built PC for sim racing
If you're looking for something unique, a little niche, a little different, ASUS is often a good company to turn to. That's true with gaming PCs, too, as ASUS is one of the only major brands investing in making truly powerful, compact gaming PCs.
The ASUS ROG G22CH isn't quite a mini-PC, but it's much smaller than basically any other gaming desktop you might consider, coming with just 10L of internal volume.
You don't have to be concerned about power, though. The ASUS ROG G22CH comes equipped with the latest Intel and NVIDIA hardware, and can go toe-to-toe with some of the most powerful computers out there.
This is a fast machine, and its thermal management is impressive enough that the G22CH can keep up with you no matter your task. Size constraints means you are limited to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, but that's more than powerful enough for all the best sim racing games.
In our ASUS ROG G22CH review, my colleague, Rebecca Spear, said:
"ASUS ROG provides the accessible gaming excellence it promises with this compact tower that can easily fit on your desk or media center. It's packed with a powerful RTX-4070 GPU and an Intel Core i9-13900KF to provide smooth gaming experiences. The fans tend to be loud, but they keep the system cool and working efficiently. Plus, you can customize this rig's RGB lighting for a fun vibe."
Just be aware of the limited configuration options and opportunities for future upgrades or expansions. If the ROG G22CH checks all the boxes on your list, you can get it from $1,449.99 at Best Buy.
👀Read our full ASUS ROG G22CH review
The best mid-range pre-built PC for sim racing
Lenovo makes another appearance on this list with its Legion Tower 5i. It looks very similar to the more expensive Legion Tower 7i above, but trades some features and a fair bit of power to save you as much money as possible.
This desktop caps out where the Legion Tower 7i begins, but that doesn't mean it's a slouch. Modern Intel and NVIDIA hardware means you're getting a very capable PC that can scale with your needs.
You're still getting a premium, well-designed chassis with attractive RGB lighting and easy, toolless access. That means it's easy to upgrade the Legion Tower 5i after you buy it, although you'll be a little more limited out-of-the-box than the Legion Tower 7i.
Thermal management is also great, ensuring that even hours-long gaming sessions go off without a hitch. In our Lenovo Legion Tower 5i (Gen 8) review, my colleague, Cale Hunt, stated:
"With cool performance for 1440p gaming, a sleek RGB case with clean cable management, and a competitive price, the Legion Tower 5i (Gen 8) should be considered by any PC gamers who don't want to build their own system. It has its drawbacks, like any pre-built, but overall the pros outweigh the cons."
Just be sure it has all the ports you need, and possibly consider prioritizing the power supply as one of your first upgrades. For FHD-QHD gaming, though, the Legion Tower 5i should crush any sim racing title, and it's especially attractive from just $1,149.99 at Lenovo.
👀Read our full Lenovo Legion Tower 5i (Gen 8) review
The best budget pre-built PC for sim racing
When it comes to gaming desktops, it's often worth spending more at first to have more space to grow in the future. If you really need a great all-around pre-built PC for under $1,000, though, you still have some reliable options.
The Lenovo LOQ Tower is one such option, although the latest version admittedly isn't as great of a value as previous iterations. That's thanks to higher retail pricing, starting from $1,099.99 at Lenovo, but the LOQ Tower (Gen 9) is still a reliable and competent desktop PC.
It can be a fantastic option for when you're on a budget, as long as you find this compact tower on sale. It's well-built, it stays cool, it boasts fast RAM and storage, and the Intel CPU punches above its weight.
In my Lenovo LOQ Tower (Gen 9) review, I had a lot to say, including:
"The Lenovo LOQ Tower (Gen 9) fills that niche nicely with its clean and simple design, and it does make great use of its entry-level components to make gaming at 1080p a breeze. It's a really solid tower for beginners and casual gamers, but you'll probably want to shop around for a good deal on it."
This pre-built desktop offers limited options for expansions or upgrades in the future, but it's a strong 1080p gaming machine perfect for casual or beginner PC gamers. As I mentioned, though, be sure to look out for discounts before pulling the trigger (or consider spending a little more to get something better).
👀Read our full Lenovo LOQ Tower (Gen 9) review
The best custom pre-built PC for sim racing
One of the more recognizable names in the pre-built PC space is iBuyPower, which straddles the gap between mainstream desktops and boutique custom builds.
The company offers a wide array of hardware configurations to suit absolutely every need and budget, and the Slate 8 MESH is our personal favorite of the bunch.
Configurable with all the latest Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA hardware, anyone can build their own Slate 8 MESH and be confident they're getting a competitive price that rivals the savings that come with building your own gaming rig.
In our iBuyPower Slate 8 MESH review, my colleague, Cale Hunt, concluded:
"Aside from some issues with the stock fan curve and cheap PSU, the iBuyPower Slate 8MP 004 comes out looking quite good after weeks of use. And considering you might be able to get it for cheaper than the price of building your own similar system, it's a pre-built gaming PC I can recommend checking out."
You can build your own iBuyPower Slate 8 MESH from around $1,250 at iBuyPower, which multiple generations of Intel and AMD CPUs, and AMD and NVIDIA GPUs, from which to choose.
If I had to recommend just one configuration, though, it'd easily be this iBuyPower Slate 8 MESH for $1,599.99 at Best Buy, which gives you an AMD Ryzen 7 8700, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 (12GB), 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage in a well-priced package.
👀Read our full iBuyPower Slate 8 MESH review
I've reviewed a lot of gaming desktops and laptops, and I've played a lot of racing games. It makes sense that I'd be the first choice at Windows Central to compile this list, and I intend to meet expectations.
How to choose PCs and laptops for sim racing
Getting started in sim racing is pretty straightforward, and though you can't engage without a decent PC and racing setup, it's easy enough to get going.
You need a solid PC at the heart of your setup, and all of the PCs here can handle all the virtual racing you can throw at them with multiple monitors or even VR for high-spec models.
As a sim racing enthusiast, I can attest that the demands of each title can vary wildly depending on your tastes.
For enthusiasts, more focus will be on accurate simulation, which generally requires a stronger CPU, as in the best overall and enthusiast picks. Anyone craving realistic visuals will want a more powerful graphics card, like in the enthusiast Lenovo Legion Tower 7i you can get from $2,249.99 with a 31% off discount at Lenovo.
Of course, there are plenty of more affordable options. If you want a great desktop PC that you can upgrade into the future, the HP OMEN 35L is my tower of choice, starting from $1,249.99 at HP.
Windows Central has extensive experience with building custom PCs and testing pre-built desktops or gaming laptops, and we often use titles like Forza Horizon 5 and iRacing to test these machines.
Given that, this is our list of the very best options we've tested so far. As with all PC gaming, you should check the required specifications for your favorite game and compare it against a choice in this that fits your budget.
