In the 1980s, a 19-year-old pre-med student at the University of Texas just happened to like computers – a lot. Michael Dell never made it to graduation and dropped out at the end of his first year to pursue a different dream, armed only with a $1,000 stake from his family and a love of PCs. No one could have predicted that Dell would turn his dorm room “business” into Dell Inc., a globally recognized leader in computing.

Dell merged with EMC Corporation in late 2016, and the new company was rebranded as Dell Technologies, which includes Dell, Dell EMC, Pivotal, RSA, Secureworks, Virtustream and VMware. According to Forbes, Dell Technologies (before completion of the merger with EMC) was the fourth largest privately held company in the United States and the world’s largest privately held technology company. With offices in more than 180 countries worldwide, Dell boasts more than 145,000 employees, with sales exceeding $74 billion in 2016. According to its investor relations website, a whopping 98% of all Fortune 500 companies use Dell Technologies products and services. Dell is also well represented in Gartner Magic Quadrant leader lists for products and services, including the Data Center Backup and Recovery Software, Managed Security Services, and Integrated Systems lists.

Computing products remain a staple in the Dell product portfolio. Consumers interested in laptops, workstations, tablets and desktops will find a variety of products available (along with peripherals such as monitors, printers and VDI appliances) to meet personal, SMB, enterprise or gaming requirements. Dell also offers solutions for networks, storage, servers, gateways and embedded computing, as well as a broad range of IT and business services.

Dell Technologies’ products and services currently fall under seven technology brands:

Within each brand, there are multiple products, services and solutions that cater to specific areas of interest for Dell customers.

VMware, Secureworks and Pivotal continue to strategically align with Dell Technologies’ core business areas. VMware continues to provide hybrid cloud, mobile computing and software-defined data center solutions. Pivotal offers analytic tools, next-generation software development methodology and modern cloud-native platforms, while Secureworks focuses on incident response and threat intelligence security. RSA helps companies manage and monitor their digital risk profiles and activities.

Dell certification program overview

In response to its merger with EMC, Dell and Dell EMC’s certification programs have merged into the unified Dell EMC Proven Professional certification portfolio. You’ll find that the website and certifications have a brand-new look and feel. Dell Education Services offers two CompTIA certs along with numerous Dell EMC certifications divided up by technology category or track, including Storage, Data Protection, Converged Infrastructure and Data Science. A exact search of the Dell certification website finds that Dell no longer offers Microsoft certification training courses.

If you’re not sure where to start on your certification journey, the new Dell EMC Proven Professional certification framework is a great starting point. Here, you’ll find certifications for four skill levels:

• Dell EMC Certified Associate (DECA): Entry-level or foundational knowledge
• Dell EMC Certified Specialist (DECS): Technology and role-specific skills
• Dell EMC Certified Expert (DECE): Advanced experience and skills in multiple technologies
• Dell EMC Certified Master (DECM): Subject matter expertise in complex scenarios and multiple technologies

The certification framework is hierarchical: The specialist certification takes the lower-level associate credential as a prerequisite, while the expert-level credentials take both the associate and specialist credentials as prerequisites. Associate and specialist certifications do not expire. Master and expert certifications expire after two years.

In Dell’s certification framework, you’ll find Dell EMC credentials across eight different tracks: Technology Architect (TA), Cloud Architect (CA), Enterprise Architect (EA), Implementation Engineer (IE), Systems Administrator (SA), Platform Engineer (PE), Technical Support Engineer (TSE) and Data Scientist (DS). The certification framework also maps credentials back to specific technology areas (cloud, storage, data protection, server, networking, converged infrastructure and data science).

There are also certification maps for role-based credentials:

• Plan and Design Roadmap: This offers four credentials at the associate level, seven at the specialist level, three expert exams and a single master-level (architect) exam.
• Deploy Roadmap: This certification path offers four associate-level credentials, 13 specialist exams and four expert exams. Currently, there are no exams at the master level. The roadmap also mentions CompTIA Server+, two product and technology exams, associate and professional exams in server and networking, VxRail Appliance, and PowerEdge.
• Manage Roadmap: This path offers a single master exam, five expert exams, 15 specialist exams and four associate exams. It also includes CompTIA Server+, VMware VCP credentials, two product technology exams, and associate and professional exams in server and networking.
• Support Roadmap: The Support Roadmap includes one associate exam, seven specialist exams and one expert exam. It mentions CompTIA Server+ along with associate and professional networking and PowerEdge exams.

Certification candidates should register with Dell EMC TechDirect. From the TechDirect portal, candidates can access free test prep materials, schedule exams, view test results and print their certification transcripts. Candidates may also view their company’s competency status through the TechDirect portal.

Dell Partners whose employees have earned the Certified Deployment Professional badge may be eligible to earn the Services Competency for Deployment (or simply Deployment Competency) designation. To earn this competency, Partners must be at least at the Gold tier level and have two or more employees who’ve passed the associated exam. A formal application must be submitted to Dell requesting Deployment Competency designation. Deployment Competency designations are available for Server, Storage, Networking and Client Systems.

Dell EMC certifications

Because Dell has updated its certification portfolio, it’s well worth your time to peruse the new Dell EMC Proven Professional Certification Framework to understand the new certification flow. All certification tracks begin with selecting a technology concentration: Cloud, Storage, Data Protection, Server, Networking, Converged Infrastructure or Data Science. Next, candidates earn the DECA (associate) credential recommended for their technology track. From there, candidates select the applicable role-based certification roadmap (Plan and Design, Deploy, Manage, or Support) and follow the certification recommendations to earn the specialist, expert and master credentials available in that certification path.

Below, we’ve listed some examples of the many certifications you’ll find in the new Dell EMC program. We’ve chosen to present these certification examples by the available technology tracks.

Server

The Server technology roadmap is the only certification path where a third-party certification, the CompTIA Server+, serves as the associate-level credential.

• Implementation Engineer, PowerEdge Specialist (DECS-IE): Certification is focused on IT professionals working with Dell EMC PowerEdge Server technology and products. To earn the credential, candidates must first obtain either the CompTIA Server+ or the Dell Certified Associate PowerEdge credential and pass the specialist exam. The test targets PowerEdge rack and tower servers, installation, configuration (server storage, iDRAC and Lifecycle Controller), and maintenance and troubleshooting.

Storage

• Information Storage and Management Associate (DCA-ISM): This credential validates a candidate’s knowledge of data center infrastructure, storage systems (file-based, object-based, software-defined, block-based and intelligent), security, replication management, backup, archive, replication, and storage networking technologies (Fibre Channel SAN, Internet Protocol SAN and Fibre Channel over Ethernet SAN).
• Implementation Engineer, SC Series Specialist (DCS-IE): This certification targets professionals working with Dell EMC SC Series storage products. Skills covered include Dell Storage Manager installation and configuration, SC Series hardware and cabling (including Fibre Channel and iSCSI), SC Series configuration, administration (Storage Manager and SC Series), and SAN HBA and switch configuration. To earn the certification, candidates must possess the Associate Information Storage and Management Version 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 credential and pass the specialist exam.
• Expert – SC Series (DCE): To obtain this expert-level certification, candidates must possess the Specialist Implementation Engineer, SC Series certification and pass the expert exam. The test focuses on SC Series Storage product-related technologies, including hardware installation, storage array initialization, array configuration, failover testing, host confirmation and front-end storage networking configuration.

Networking

• Certified Associate – Networking: This credential targets professionals working with Dell EMC networking switches. Candidates should have at least one year of networking experience, with six months focused on installing and managing EMC networking switches, and be able to install, configure, and troubleshoot networking switches.
• Certified Professional – Networking: This credential targets experienced Dell hardware professionals. Candidates should have one to three years of experience, plus at least one year of direct experience managing or deploying Dell hardware solutions. Successful candidates will also understand deployment, cutover and integration planning, Dell tools for deployment, network configuration, and troubleshooting.

Cloud and Infrastructure Services (Cloud Architect)

• Cloud Infrastructure and Services Associate (DCA-CIS): This cert focuses on using cloud computing reference architectures to build cloud infrastructures, cloud technologies and processes, digital transformations, cloud services and applications, cloud security, business continuity, and cloud service management.
• Cloud Infrastructure Specialist (DCS-CA): This credential is the specialist level of the Dell EMC Cloud Architect certification. Candidates must possess either the associate level of the Information Storage Management (version 2.0 or 3.0) or the Cloud Infrastructure and Services (version 1.0, 2.0 or 3.0) credential and pass the specialist exam. The test focuses on cloud-related topics, including design, management, available resources (such as network, storage and computing), monitoring, hybrid cloud and disaster recovery.
• Cloud Architect, Cloud Services Expert (DCE-CA): This certification is the expert level of the Dell EMC Cloud Architect certification. As with the DCS-CA, candidates need to possess either the associate-level Information Storage and Management (version 2.0 or 3.0) or the Cloud Infrastructure and Services (version 1.0 or 2.0) credential plus the DCS-CA and pass the expert exam. The credential validates a candidate’s skill in planning and designing cloud infrastructures, business transformation, ITaaS environments, cloud services, security, governance, and financial and organizational planning.

Data Protection

• Data Protection and Management – Associate (DCA-DPM): This credential validates a candidate’s understanding of the data protection technologies, components and processes.
• Converged Infrastructure: Converged Infrastructure targets professionals who maintain, back up, configure, upgrade, troubleshoot, monitor and administer VxBlock Systems. Two credentials are available:
  • Converged Systems and Hybrid Cloud Version 1.0 – Associate (DCA-CSHC): This is a foundation-level certification that focuses on a candidate’s understanding of how to effect transformation using Dell EMC Converged Systems and Digital and IT Transformation.
  • Systems Administrator, Converged Infrastructure Version 2.0 – Specialist (DCS-SA): This credential validates a candidate’s knowledge of VxBlock Systems concepts, administration, security, resource management, maintenance and troubleshooting.

Data Science

• Data Science Associate (DECA-DS): A foundation-level credential for those just entering the realm of data science and big data analytics, this certification focuses on the tools and techniques commonly used in data analytics.
• Advanced Analytics Specialist (DECS-DS): This certification focuses on using advanced analytic methods to identify and recommend solutions for business problems. Methods include visualization, Hadoop (including Hive, HBase and Pig), natural language processing and social network analysis.

Dell third-party certifications

On top of its Certified Deployment Professional certifications, Dell Education Services has partnered with several third-party organizations in the past to provide certifications for CompTIA and Microsoft certifications. However, Dell has reduced the number of CompTIA cert courses that it offers and totally eliminated its Microsoft cert courses.

CompTIA certifications

CompTIA is a well-known, vendor-neutral certification provider. Dell has reduced its CompTIA certification training courses to just two online offerings: A+ and Linux+ certs. The cost for CompTIA training courses ranges from $550 to $650 for these topics.

According to Dell, 78% of all companies use IT deployment services. With such a widespread need, IT professionals specializing in deployment find a demand for their skills across multiple industry sectors. Some of the sectors that Dell serves are education, energy, financial services, government (federal, state and local), healthcare, manufacturing, retail, telecommunications, media and entertainment, and web development.

Popular job boards such as TechCareers, SimplyHired and Glassdoor reveal numerous jobs available for Dell-certified deployment professionals. Most of the listed positions focus on engineering roles for server, virtualization, networking, systems, integration, data security and the like. Other available roles include consultants, account executives, system administrators, IT managers and deployment managers.

Dell recommends and offers core training courses for each of its Dell EMC credentials. Interested candidates who register on the DirectTech website can also access free test study guides. In addition, Dell offers many free e-learning courses at the foundation level on various Dell products and technologies, including networking, storage, data protection, big data and converged infrastructure.

Core recommended training for each solution track includes a basic, intermediate and advanced course. Prices vary, but candidates can expect to pay $2,500 to $5,000. Most training is a combination of e-learning activities that you complete prior to attending instructor-led training.

Dell also provides training for other certifications and training opportunities for end users and IT professionals in various disciplines, including these:

Fundamental or introductory courses typically cost $100 to $200, while advanced training courses may cost thousands of dollars (we found one course with a price tag of $10,000). Dell also offers onsite training courses, with most prices running at least double that of public courses. The most expensive onsite course we found topped $42,000.

Check out everything Dell has to offer on its Education Services webpage.

Ed Tittel

Ed is a 30-year-plus veteran of the computing industry who has worked as a programmer, a technical manager, a classroom instructor, a network consultant, and a technical evangelist for companies that include Burroughs, Schlumberger, Novell, IBM/Tivoli and NetQoS. He has written for numerous publications, including Tom’s IT Pro, and is the author of more than 140 computing books on information security, web markup languages and development tools, and Windows operating systems.

Earl Follis

Earl is also a 30-year veteran of the computer industry who has worked in IT training, marketing, technical evangelism, and market analysis in the areas of networking and systems technology and management. Ed and Earl met in the late 1980s when Ed hired Earl as a trainer at an Austin-area networking company that’s now part of HP. The two of them have written numerous books together on NetWare, Windows Server and other topics. Earl is also a regular writer for the computer trade press, with many e-books, whitepapers and articles to his credit.

Kefa Olang has been writing articles online since April 2009. He has been published in the "Celebration of Young Poets" and has an associate degree in communication and media arts from Dutchess Community College, and a bachelor's degree in broadcasting and mass communication from the State University of New York, Oswego.

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Containerisation typifies the biggest current shifts in IT. Containers are intended as lightweight and portable – between systems, between datacentre and cloud – and are a cornerstone of digital transformation and cloud-native application development.

But while containerisation potentially simplifies the development, deployment and operation of application environments, behind the veil is a great deal of complexity.

Not least, that’s found in storage, where capacity must be provisioned for containers, then managed, maintained and protected. That can become a difficult and opaque process, which must be made visible and trackable.

For that reason, all the big storage suppliers – and a number of startups not dealt with here – have developed or acquired container storage platforms, or something like them. In fact, they often do more than simply storage, with data protection and advanced functionality of other types added in.

In this article we look at the container storage and data protection platform offerings from the big six, namely Dell EMC, HPE, Hitachi, IBM, NetApp and Pure Storage.

We looked at the same subject a year ago, and it’s quite noticeable how things have moved on.

While Pure Storage led the way with Portworx, others have made significant additions to their portfolios in the space of a year. Dell EMC has its Container Storage Modules where once it rested on VMware Tanzu (now departed, of course), IBM has tailored its storage around Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform with Spectrum Fusion, and NetApp has folded its Astra container management portfolio into BlueXP. 

No matter the size of your organization, it is crucial to maintain an IT infrastructure that is capable of supporting growth and adapting to the changing needs of your business. The Dell EMC PowerEdge R650xs is a feature-rich 1U rack server that is designed for companies looking to innovate at scale with demanding and emerging workloads.

Equipped with the third-gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, this server promises to be an ideal choice for workloads that require high performance, virtualization, and a scale-out database. Let’s talk about how the Dell PowerEdge R650xs will help you innovate and adapt with confidence, thus facilitating growth. 

Powerful and scalable performance

The Dell EMC PowerEdge R650xs is a powerful 1U server designed for scale-out environments where resources such as processing power and storage capacity can be added to the system as needed. It has dual-socket capabilities, allowing for the addition of up to two 3rd generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors with up to 32 cores per socket. With support for up to 16x DDR4 RDIMMS at 3200 MT/s, the added processing power and cores can help to accelerate in-memory workloads or operations that are performed entirely in the main memory. 

Additionally, the PowerEdge R650xs includes several features that can Boost throughput and reduce latency, such as up to 5 PCIe Gen4 slots, OCP 3.0 support for cost-effective and energy-efficient network cards, and Dell’s SNAP I/O support for efficient use of shared storage resources. 

It is designed for virtualization, medium VM density or VDI, and software-defined storage node (SDS) workloads such as data protection, data migration, or data optimization.

Addresses flexible storage needs

In terms of storage, the PowerEdge R650xs offers a variety of options to fit different needs. It can support up to 12x 3.5” SAS/SATA HDDs or SSDs, up to 16x 2.5” SAS/SATA HDDs or SSDs, and 8 NVMe drives. This provides a lot of flexibility for organisations that may need to scale storage up or down quickly. This also helps with better data protection, disaster recovery and data management. 

Increase Efficiency 

The Dell EMC OpenManage systems management portfolio has all the tools needed to efficiently manage the PowerEdge R650xs. Modern management tools provide better workload tracking and performance analysis, making complex IT enterprise management simple and intuitive. There are tools and automation that help you scale, manage, and protect your technology environment, freeing up resources that can be used for business growth.

Built-in telemetry streaming, thermal management, and RESTful API with Redfish let you monitor and manage the server remotely in an efficient manner. Intelligent automation allows for the integration of human actions and system capabilities to enhance productivity.

Full-stack management integration with Microsoft, VMware, ServiceNow, Ansible, and many other tools offers a number of advantages and makes it easier for different teams to collaborate and work together. It can increase efficiency by automating tasks and streamlining processes and provides a unified view of your entire IT infrastructure, making it easier to identify and troubleshoot issues.

Ironclad Security

Dell EMC and Intel solutions provide a comprehensive approach to ensuring the security and resilience of the PowerEdge R650xs. From the silicon and supply chain to asset retirement, these technologies help avoid vulnerabilities to ensure that your servers are safe and secure against emerging threats. With enterprise-class security, organizations of all sizes can minimize risk and have confidence in their cyber resilience. 

Dell offers continuous innovations that bolster cyber resilience, such as OpenManage Secure Enterprise Key Manager and Automatic Certificate Enrollment. Additionally, intelligence, automation, and recovery tools like iDRAC9 Telemetry, BIOS live scanning, and Rapid OS recovery, allow organizations to stay ahead of potential threats. 

Dell also verifies the authenticity and integrity of the firmware and hardware components in the supply chain using platform security features such as Secured Component Verification and Silicon Root of Trust (RoT). This helps ensure that the server is protected against cyber attacks and runs only authorized and trusted code.

A dependable partner

Dell PowerEdge R650xs is a powerful and versatile option for enterprises that can help accelerate transformation. This dual-socket 1U server is designed for scale-out environments, it easily adapts to changing resource needs, and benefits from Dell’s robust and comprehensive management portfolio, as well as enterprise-class security solutions. This combination of advanced technology and solutions allows for easy scalability and efficient management and security, making it a great option for organizations looking to innovate, adapt, and grow. 

To know more about the Dell PowerEdge R650xs rack server, check here.

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Forty-six participants from the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF) are attending a course on enhancing the capabilities of RFMF administrators to ensure all soldiers and sailors are well-administered within their different units.

The 1/23 Basic Administrator’s Course (BAC) started at the Force Training Group (FTG) on February 6, 2023.

While opening the program, Chief Staff Officer (CSO) Service Support Land Force Command Major (Maj) Hiagi Ieli said administrators played an integral role in the RFMF in terms of administrating personnel.

“You will be responsible for the troops’ administrative matters, and you will look after their pay, welfare, re-engagements, and all the little things. The RFMF has its procedures, and your job is to process whatever comes from the higher chain of command,” Major Ieli said.

He said administrators needed to understand the doctrines that existed within the institution because it would assist them in advising personnel on certain decisions that needed to be made.

The BAC is the first military course to be conducted this year.

Ever wondered how different funds are set up and why? Do you need assistance figuring out how to procure and spend university funds? You’ve come to the right place. Select the subjects below to learn more.

Introduction to Funds

Donor Funds

University Programs

Procuring & Spending

Managing the Budget

Need additional help or training?

Contact a member of the University Operations Office. For Banner training visit Cornerstone and search for “Banner Finance Tools”. You will find guidance on various subjects covering things from looking up budget and expense information, payment information, journal vouchers and more.

The best gaming PCs might make you reconsider building your own computer. Although you'll usually spend more, prebuilt gaming PCs bring convenience, support, and sometimes even great value. And all three of those are true of the best gaming desktops we've rounded up for 2023.

We're focused exclusively on gaming here, so these desktops might not be the best for work or other tasks. If you're looking for a great all-around PC, make sure to read our roundup of the best desktop computers.

HP Omen 45L

The best gaming PC you can buy

Why you should buy this: The HP Omen 45L supports the fastest components on the market today, and it runs cool and quiet.

Who it's for: The HP Omen 45L is for anyone looking for a high-end gaming desktop without the hassle of configuring your own.

What we thought of the HP Omen 45L:

HP's Omen 30L used to top our list of the best gaming desktops, but it has been replaced by the excellent Omen 45L. As the name suggests, it's a larger PC than its 30-liter sibling. HP puts that extra space to good use, though, with an innovative Cyro Chamber that keeps temperatures and noise low.

This chamber separates the all-in-one liquid cooler from the rest of the case, offering uninterrupted access to clean airflow. HP took the redesign to make the case even easier to get into as well, with an improved tool-less design that makes upgrades simple.

It's kitted out with the latest and great components, too. You can add in up to Intel's 24-core Core i9-13900K, as well as Nvidia's massive RTX 4090 graphics card. Unlike HP's previous iteration, this one supports DDR5 memory, as well.

You can save some money with last-gen options, as well. HP is still offering configurations with Intel's 12th-gen processors and AMD's Ryzen 5000 GPUs, along with Nvidia RTX 30-series graphics cards. These configurations are still great options, especially with reduced prices, though they only support DDR4 memory.

Origin Neuron

The best custom gaming PC

Why you should buy this: The Origin Neuron comes with excellent build quality and highly customizable components.

Who's it for: Gamers looking to customize their own PC without getting into building.

What we thought of the Origin Neuron:

There's no shortage of PC builders that use components you can buy and put together yourself, but Origin still manages to stand out. You can buy and build an exact replica of the Origin Neuron, but Origin's careful attention to detail, deep customization options, and excellent support make an argument not to.

Corsair owns Origin, so the Neuron comes fitted with Corsair components across the board. That's a good thing in this case, as Corsair makes some of the best PC fans, power supplies, and RAM modules you can buy. All of these first-party components supply the Neuron a cohesive feel, free of software conflicts that could mess up your RGB lighting.

You can build the machine exactly how you want, too. Origin offers the latest CPUs from AMD and Intel, as well as the latest GPUs from Nvidia and AMD. Beyond that, you can tweak everything else — power supply rating, memory speed, you name it.

The Neuron is more expensive than a mainstream PC like the Omen 45L. That extra money buys you better build quality, more flexibility, and some modern furnishings. Out of all of the custom PC builds you can buy, the Origin Neuron is our favorite.

Acer Predator Orion 7000

The best high-end gaming PC

Why you should buy this: It's a fantastic and upgradeable high-end desktop that will hold up for years.

Who's it for: Enthusiasts that want a great starting point to upgrade their gaming PC in the future.

What we thought of the Acer Predator Orion 7000:

The Acer Predator Orion 7000 is a gaming PC in every sense of the phrase. Its design screams that with bright RGB fans and an aggressive design that makes it clear this is a machine built for gaming. Thankfully, it has the performance and thermals to back up its clear design influence.

It packs last-gen components, but they're still powerful. You can score up to an Intel Core i9-12900K and RTX 3090 graphics card, and we expect a next-gen upgrade soon. Acer just recently updated its Predator laptops, so a desktop makeover should come soon.

Even this model holds up well in 2023, though. The components are still very powerful, and the design of the case makes quick work of all the heat these high-end components can spit out.

Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast

The best mini gaming PC

Why you should buy this: It's smaller than a book and comes with enough power to run the latest games at 1080p.

Who's it for: Gamers who need a tiny PC that packs a lot of punch.

What we thought of the Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast:

Intel's NUC PCs have always been focused on performance in the smallest size possible, but the NUC 12 Enthusiast reaches even further. Powered by mobile Intel Arc Alchemist graphics, the machine can run the latest games at 1080p, and it's smaller than the size of a book.

It's not a stretch to say that the NUC 12 Enthusiast makes you forget you're using a mini PC. It puts up desktop-like performance in a package smaller than some laptops, and it comes with all the trimmings you'd expect out of a full-size rig. That includes expansive connections, including USB-C, Thunderbolt, and plenty of USB 3 ports.

The included stand is great, too. You can sit the NUC 12 Enthusiast upright on your desktop, but you can also pop it off the stand and lay it down on its side. And if you're looking to maximize space, you can even mount the stand to a wall and hide the PC behind your monitor.

Falcon Northwest Tiki

The best gaming PC for the living room

Why you should buy this: It's smaller than a gaming console and packs high-end PC hardware.

Who's it for: Living room gamers looking for a high-end gaming PC that doesn't take up a lot of space.

What we thought of the Falcon Northwest Tiki:

The Falcon Northwest Tiki is the perfect small-form-factor gaming PC. Just like the Talon, the Tiki stands out with exceptional build quality, clear attention to detail, and support that puts major PC manufacturers to shame. It's expensive, but Falcon Northwest makes every penny feel worth it.

For size, the Tiki is the smallest gaming PC you can buy fully configured. But Falcon Northwest doesn't sacrifice performance in the process. You can cram in up to a 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X as well as a full, fat RTX 3090. You can also add up to 8TB of NVMe storage, which is insane considering the Tiki's size.

Usually, a smaller size comes at the cost of thermals and noise, but not with the Tiki. It manages to stay cooler and quieter than many mid-sized desktops (read our Asus ProArt PD5 review for an example of bad thermals on a desktop).

Falcon Northwest is one of the few boutique PC builders left, and the Tiki is a perfect showcase for what that model can achieve. It's an exception PC overall, and it's even more impressive considering it's smaller than a PlayStation 5.

Dell XPS Desktop (8950)

The gaming PC for remote workers

Why you should buy this: The Dell XPS Desktop 8950 doesn't look like a gaming PC, but it comes with the right hardware to run the latest titles.

Who's it for: Remote workers that need a professional PC during the day and a gaming PC at night.

What we thought of the Dell XPS Desktop 8950:

If you want to pick up a gaming desktop but you're not interested in learning about upgrading or tricking it out with RGB, the Dell XPS 8950 Desktop is a great option. It's a stealth gaming PC, looking like an office desktop on the outside but hiding some of the most powerful components you can buy inside.

You can't upgrade major components in the Dell XPS Desktop, which is almost always a downside. But you can at least trick out this PC with up to an Intel Core i9-12900 and Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti for about $1,000 less than the competition. You can even configure it with liquid cooling.

Configurations start as low as $750, with the first configuration with a discrete graphics card coming in at around $1,100. You're giving up all of the trimmings that make a gaming PC look like one, but if you're content to recycle your PC and upgrade a few years down the line, that's not a big deal.

Although the XPS Desktop can fit into any office setting, we're recommending it specifically for remote workers. You might not want to ask your boss to bill an RGB-ridden gaming behemoth; the XPS Desktop is much more reasonable, and it still has enough muscle for gaming after hours.

Lenovo Legion Tower 5i

The best gaming PC under $1,000

Why you should buy this: It's inexpensive and packed with solid hardware, at least for 1080p gaming.

Who's it for: Gamers on a tight budget that need a gaming PC with room to grow.

What we thought of the Lenovo Legion 5i Pro:

If you're looking for a well-rounded PC and you're not dead-set on having all the latest specs, Lenovo offers a variety of balanced desktops at a reasonable price. Available in seven configurations with different starting price points, these PCs may not pack all the latest components, but they can still handle many games on high settings.

You can pick up a Legion Tower 5i for only $1,000, and that's a downright deal considering how expensive most graphics cards are. For that price, you can get a respectable six-core Intel Core i5-11400 and an Nvidia RTX 3050 — perfect for 1080p gameplay.

Lenovo is slowly updating this machine with the latest components, however, so tracking down a unit is a bit tough. We found plenty of models in stock at a few retailers, but you can't configure your own with Lenovo at the time of publication.

NZXT Streaming Plus BLD Kit

The best DIY gaming desktop

Why we chose this: The NZXT BLD Kit allows you to dip your toes into building a custom gaming PC and save some money in the process.

Who's it for: Hobbyists who want to get into building PCs but don't know where to start.

What we thought of the NZXT BLD Kit:

NZXT has a different approach to gaming desktops. Instead of shipping you a prebuilt machine, you get all of the components, tools, and an instruction manual to build the PC yourself. And don't worry - you get all of that at a discount compared to getting a machine already built for you.

The BLD kits offer great value, and NZXT has several available. We're recommending the Streaming Plus kit, which comes fitted with an eight-core Ryzen 7 5700X processor, an Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card, and 16GB of RAM. Overall, the kit is about $200 than shopping for the cheapest parts yourself, rather than the anywhere from $500 to $1,000 that brands usually charge as a building fee.

If you can't be bothered, NZXT also offers its custom BLD program. Unlike most system builders, NZXT charges a flat $110 building fee. Otherwise, you're paying the exact same price for the components that you would if you bought them individually.

PC building isn't for everyone, but NZXT's BLD program offers a cost-effective and simple way to get into the hobby.

MSI Aegis RS 12

The best gaming PC for beginners

Why we chose this: It's a no-fuss, powerful gaming PC that won't break the bank.

Who's it for: PC gamers who want a powerful PC and don't need to mess around with upgrades.

What we thought of the MSI Aegis RS 12:

The MSI Aegis RS 12 is a perfect gaming PC if you don't need to mess with upgrades. You can upgrade it, but its poor cable management and lack of a case don't lend themselves well to DIY tweaks. Thankfully, you don't need to make them. There's a lot of power under the hood of the Aegis, and at a reasonable price.

The last time we looked at the machine, it was sporting Intel's 12th-gen processors, but MSI has recently updated it with Intel 13th-gen CPUs and Nvidia RTX 40-series GPUs. You can pack in up to an Intel Core i7-13700KF and Nvidia RTX 4080, along with 32GB of RAM.

What's surprising is the price. That configuration could easily run $4,000 or more with other brands, but MSI charges around $3,000 - near the same price as building your own. If you jump down to an RTX 4070 Ti, you can save almost $1,000, too.

On top of that, MSI includes a sold gaming keyboard and mouse in the box. They aren't top-tier peripherals, but they're more than enough to get beginners started with PC gaming.

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