A gaming computer, also known as a gaming PC, is a specialized personal computer designed for playing video games at high standards. Gaming PCs typically differ from mainstream personal computers by using high-performance graphics cards, a high core-count CPU with raw performance, and higher-performance RAM. They are also used for other demanding tasks such as video editing. Gamers and computer enthusiasts may choose to overclock their CPUs and GPUs in order to gain extra performance, but this often requires additional cooling, usually by air cooling or water cooling.

Gaming computers have much more advanced specifications than regular PCs, such as faster processors, high-end graphics cards, and larger amounts of memory and storage. They are built with the understanding that they will be upgraded and modified over time, whereas regular PCs are built with the expectation that they will be used as is. This means that gaming PCs often have more expansion slots, more room for additional components, and are more easily upgradable.

Gaming PCs are also often custom-made for the serious enthusiast, although they are available ready-built. They typically use a tower case to accommodate multiple drives and state-of-the-art graphics cards that can cost five times as much as an entire non-gaming PC. Ready-built gaming laptops are also on the market, but they generally do not offer touch screen displays since they require a large portion of energy to run which can affect the speed and frame-rate of the game.

In comparison to a regular PC, a gaming PC is bought with the expectation that it can be upgraded and modified over time as you stream, download, and play more video games. Gaming PCs will have more expansion slots and extra room for additional components, for example, to add GPUs.

Overall, gaming computers are designed to provide a high-performance experience specifically for playing video games, while regular PCs are built for general-purpose use.