The most affordable RTX 5090 desktops.
While there’s nothing cheap about the RTX 5090 and the prebuilt systems that come with them, there are RTX 5090 prebuilt desktops available right now that come with noticeably lower pricetags than other options.
In this quick post, we’ll take a look at a few of the cheapest RTX 5090 gaming PCs currently available.
ZOTAC MEK AI-Enhanced
The cheapest RTX 5090 gaming PC right now.
PC Specs
- CPU: Ryzen 7 9800X3D
- COOL: 360mm AIO
- GPU: RTX 5090
- RAM: 32GB DDR5
- SSD: 2TB NVME
Pros & Cons
- Comes with top CPU/GPU combo possible
- X3D CPU destroys CPU-heavy titles
- Solid cooling configuration
- Clean-looking panoramic design
- Half the memory of Skytech’s Legacy 4
ZOTAC MEK AI-Enhanced Overview
If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest way to get an RTX 5090 gaming PC right now, then no option is cheaper than this configuration of ZOTAC’s MEK AI-Enhanced series…
This desktop comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor, an NVIDIA RTX 5090 graphics card, and 32GB of DDR5 6400MHz RGB memory. The combination of the 9800X3D and RTX 5090 is as good of a CPU/GPU combination as you’ll find right now. It’s good enough to max out most games on a 4K display and do so delivering a high enough average framerate to where you could pair it with a high refresh rate 4K monitor.
The Skytech desktop listed below does feature the more expensive Ryzen 9 9950X3D, but in terms of gaming performance the difference between the 9800X3D and 9950X3D will be minimal at best. If you are doing a lot of productivity work alongside playing games, though, the 9950X3D might be the better option for you. (Just note, the Skytech desktop is $300 more expensive, though.)
To round out the configuration, this ZOTAC desktop comes with a 360mm AIO cooler, a 2TB NVME SSD, a 1300-watt Gold-rated power supply, and a panoramic-style mid tower PC case.
Ultimately, this configuration of ZOTAC’s MEK AI-Enhanced lineup is the cheapest RTX 5090 gaming PC you’ll currently find and it really doesn’t have to make any sacrifices to hit that lower pricetag.
Skytech Legacy 4
Cheapest 9950X3D + RTX 5090 gaming PC.
PC Specs
- CPU: Ryzen 7 9950X3D
- COOL: 420mm AIO
- GPU: RTX 5090
- RAM: 64GB DDR5
- SSD: 2TB NVME
Pros & Cons
- Best CPU/GPU combination possible
- X3D CPU will handle CPU-heavy titles well
- Large 420mm AIO to cool 9950X3D
- 7 preinstalled ARGB fans
- ~$300 more expensive than ZOTAC’s MEK AI
Skytech Legacy 4 Overview
For just a few hundred dollars more than the ZOTAC MEK AI-Enhanced, you can land Skytech’s Legacy 4 RTX 5090 desktop. The extra $300 gets you a few more upgrades when compared to ZOTAC’s cheaper option…
You get double the RAM (32GB vs 64GB), a bigger AIO cooler (360mm vs 420mm), and the better CPU for productivity (9800X3D vs 9950X3D).
Other than that, the Skytech Legacy 4 will perform very similar to the ZOTAC MEK AI-Enhanced desktop listed above for pure gaming purposes. The extra memory and higher-tier CPU won’t make a difference in pretty much any gaming scenario.
However, if you’re looking for a gaming PC that will double as something you can use for productivity work, the extra memory and Rzyen 9 CPU might be worth the higher pricetag for you.
Along with the core configuration listed above, this PC also comes with a 2TB Gen5 NVME SSD, a 1200-watt Gold-rated power supply, and a mid tower PC case that comes with 7 pre-installed RGB fans (three on the AIO).
In the end, both of these desktops are excellent options and your choice between the two will come down to, first, whether or not you have a need for the extra productivity performance this Skytech desktop offers, and, second, whether or not you’re willing to spend the extra $300 to get it.
Empowered PC Continuum Micro
Another lower-priced RTX 5090 desktop.
PC Specs
- CPU: Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- COOL: Single tower air (?)
- GPU: RTX 5090
- RAM: 64GB DDR5
- SSD: 2TB NVME
Pros & Cons
- Close to the best CPU/GPU combination
- X3D CPU will handle CPU-heavy titles well
- Twice the memory as ZOTAC’s MEK AI
- $200 more than ZOTAC’s MEK AI
- Apparently, only comes with an air cooler
Empowered PC Continuum Micro Overview
Another lower-priced RTX 5090 desktop option to consider is this configuration of Empowered PC’s Continuum Micro. This system isn’t our top pick right now at its current price, though, but if it were to come down it could be worth considering.
This desktop comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D processor, an RTX 5090 GPU, and 64GB of DDR5 memory. Although the 7800X3D is older than the 9800X3D, the two perform within ~5% of each other in most gaming scenarios. So, you really aren’t losing much there.
Other than the fact that this desktop is ~$200 more expensive than Skytech’s Legacy 4, the only other downside of this PC is that it apparently only comes with a single tower cooler to cool the Ryzen 7 7800X3D. Now, this could be a discrepancy in Empowered PC’s listing… it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to put a single tower cooler in such an expensive setup—especially when competitors are fitting in 360mm and 420mm AIOs for the same price or even less.
So, my guess is that it is a listing error. But, since Empowered PC doesn’t clarify in the listing and because the two other options listed above are the same price or even cheaper despite offering just as good of (or even better) configurations, it’s hard to recommend this desktop at the moment.
However, if it were to come down in price and/or Empowered PC were to clarify the CPU cooler choice, it might be worth considering.
Nothing Cheap About an RTX 5090 Gaming PC…
Ultimately, there are no cheap ways to get a hold of an RTX 5090. But if you’re looking for the cheapest way possible to get NVIDIA’s newest flagship GPU in a prebuilt desktop, the three options listed above are your best bet at the moment.
