Best Entry-Level Gaming PCs for Young Aussie Gamers

Buying a gaming PC for kids can be tricky as you balance educational and gaming needs. Desktops and laptops in Australian schools are essential tools, and sometimes parents need to secure a dedicated machine for video games. But what if you need one machine for both educational and video game use? Is there a PC to satisfy both school and leisure needs?

For the best experience, selecting the right entry-level gaming PC is crucial. In this article, we’ll talk about gaming desktops and laptops for kids in Australia. The best gaming computers not only offer powerful performance but also support educational needs. We’ll explore choosing the best gaming PC for kids that meets your budget and requirements in the Australian market. When choosing the best gaming PC, consider both budget and performance. We’ll even provide a guide on future-proofing your investment, ensuring the best value for money.

What Features Do You Need?

Let’s start with hardware. High-quality components play a crucial role in delivering a smooth gaming experience. If you’re new to PC gaming or buying your first gaming PC, you may opt for an entry-level gaming computer. Instead, look for one that’s best for you and the games you play.

A mid-range processor, like an Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5, along with 16 GB DDR5 RAM, supports most video games. Storage-wise, solid-state drives (SSDs) are the trend. Look for a good amount - 512GB to 1TB SSD. Some PCs have the option to combine both SSD and HDD (hard-disk drive) which is great because you’ll have more space - fast SSDs speed up load-times, while a large HDD gives you tonnes of space to store games.

Next, you’ll want a good graphics card for smooth gameplay. Gaming PCs require significant power and thus a dedicated graphics card is crucial. For children, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 or AMD Radeon Graphics GPU supports 1080p gaming at 60 fps. On this note, if looking at a laptop or desktop monitor, consider one with a high-refresh rate (144Hz+) and IPS or OLED panels for good colour.

If you’re a parent, you may want some parental controls to manage play time and ensure age-appropriateness of content. Many operating systems come with built-in controls to set time limits, restrict access to games/websites and monitor what your child sees online. These features ensure a balanced and safe gaming experience for children. If you want extra protection, installing a child-safe web browser and antivirus helps protect your investment and, more importantly, your child.

HP Entry-Level Gaming PCs in Australia

Reviewed as some of the best entry-level options, these ensure great gaming experiences without breaking the bank. Here are some PCs to consider for young Australian gamers.

The HP Victus series

The HP Victus is a great starting point for new gamers, with both desktop and laptop options available in Australia. The Victus offers a solid build and is among the best in budget gaming PCs.

For portability, the HP Victus 15.6 inch gaming laptop 15-fa2721TX may suit you (or your child) better. Made for great PC gaming on the go, this sleek machine touts a powerful Intel Core i5 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 graphics. This laptop’s design is just as impressive as its hardware with its sophisticated and refined look. With a smaller footprint, this spritely device looks good anywhere, making it perfect for both gaming and schoolwork.

The HP Victus Laptop is made for great PC gaming on the go. This sleek machine touts a powerful Intel processor and NVIDIA graphics. This laptop’s design is just as impressive as its hardware with its sophisticated and refined appearance. From the updated thermal design to the webcam with Temporal Noise Reduction, this laptop has everything a young gamer needs.

  • Intel Core i5 processor

  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050 graphics

  • 16 GB DDR4-3200 RAM

  • 512 GB SSD storage

  • 15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080) 144 Hz display

With EPEAT Gold with Climate+ and ENERGY STAR certification, this laptop is also environmentally sustainable, teaching young gamers about responsible technology choices.

Introducing the OMEN 14 Transcend: The Ultimate Gaming Experience

Best Entry-Level Gaming PCs for Young GamersBest Entry-Level Gaming PCs for Young Gamers

A standout in the HP gaming lineup is the HP OMEN 14 inch Transcend laptop 14-fb0030TX. This premium gaming laptop offers extraordinary performance in a compact form factor, making it ideal for both young gaming enthusiasts and professionals.

The OMEN 14 Transcend brings together Intel’s latest Core Ultra 9 185H processor with NVIDIA’s RTX 4070 GPU, providing exceptional performance for even the most demanding games. The stunning 3K OLED display delivers deeper blacks and enhanced color depth compared to traditional LED screens, while being certified by Eyesafe to protect young eyes during extended gaming sessions.

Best High-Performance Laptop for Serious Young Gamers

For young Australian gamers who demand the best, the OMEN 14 Transcend delivers exceptional power in a stylish, portable package. With an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics, this laptop can handle any AAA title with ease.

  • Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor (up to 5.1 GHz)

  • NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU (8 GB GDDR6)

  • 32 GB memory and 1 TB SSD storage

  • 14" diagonal 3K OLED display

  • Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C connectivity

The OMEN 14 Transcend’s OLED display is perfect not only for gaming but also for creative school projects, offering true-to-life colors and exceptional clarity that will improve both gaming and educational experiences.

Price-Performance Comparison

Feature Victus Series OMEN 14 Transcend
Price Range $$ $$$$
Processor Intel Core i5 / AMD Ryzen 5 Intel Core Ultra 9
Graphics Entry to mid-range GPUs for 1080p gaming RTX 4070 for high-performance gaming
RAM 16GB 32GB
Storage 512GB SSD 1TB SSD
Display FHD (1920x1080) 144Hz 3K OLED
Build Quality Good Excellent
Portability Good Excellent

Making the Right Choice

Optimal gameplay settings may vary from game to game, but for the most part, you’d want a balance between frame rate performance and graphics. In general, popular video games like “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6” and “Madden NFL 25” benefit from a great GPU, strong CPU, and ample RAM and storage. These PCs are tested for optimised performance in the latest video games. This config, standard in the PCs mentioned above, provides a solid foundation to enjoy popular franchises with some headroom for future releases.

If you’re thinking about buying a PC for school, the Victus and OMEN lines are more than sufficient, and with Windows 11 Home pre-installed, students have a powerful productivity ecosystem at their fingertips. For household needs, these starter models are versatile enough to handle photo/video editing and stream movies and TV shows in 4K.

If you plan to store movies, photos and documents, alongside games on your PC, consider adding extra storage. Models with additional slots for RAM and PCIe can help future-proof your investment, so consider this as well. A prebuilt gaming PC with upgrade potential is a smart choice for Australian families looking to maximise their investment.

Gaming Laptops: Portable Power

For Australian students who need to bring their computer to and from school, or families who prefer the flexibility of a portable gaming solution, HP offers excellent gaming laptop options as well.

The HP Victus 16.1 inch gaming laptop 16 offers desktop-class performance in a portable package. With an Intel Core i7-13700HX processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Laptop GPU, and 32GB of RAM, it’s powerful enough for any game while being portable enough for school use.

For a more budget-friendly option, the HP Victus 15.6 inch gaming laptop 15-fa2721TX delivers solid performance for everyday gaming and school tasks at a more affordable price point.

Value Features

All our PCs available in Australia come with standard warranty coverage, typically one-year limited warranty that covers manufacturing defects. For extra peace of mind, extended warranty options including accidental damage protection are offered. With pickup and return included, these services can be particularly beneficial for Australian customers, especially if your child is prone to mishaps.

Support options for our gaming PCs reflect our commitment to customer satisfaction in Australia. Users have access to technical support via phone, chat and email. HP Support Assistant comes pre-installed and gives you additional tools to troubleshoot and run diagnostics. HP’s online support forums and community also offer valuable resources for self-help and peer assistance. In a sense, you’re fully covered no matter which PC you purchase in Australia.

Other value features include:

  • OMEN Gaming Hub, offered on all HP OMENs, optimises performance and customisability for all your games.

  • Light Studio feature lets you customise colours, animations and lighting across your hardware and peripherals. It has 16.8 million colours to choose from.

  • HP Sure Sense lets you game in peace, protecting your PC with AI. This anti-virus safeguards against 99% of known and unknown malware, protecting endpoints from threats like APTs and ransomware.

Future-Proofing your Investment

This is the idea that adding new components in a PC can prevent aging and make it run longer. Even if you have the best PC right now, there’s a chance that it’ll fall behind in a couple of years, so future-proofing is a concept to leave room for upgrades. To do this, take note of the motherboard, CPU, GPU, RAM and memory - as these will be the main components affecting longevity. Understanding what you have also ensures new components complement the rest of your system.

Next, look for a PC with expansion slots and compatibility with newer tech. Pay particular attention to PCIe slots (currently PCIe 4.0 or 5.0) and their ability to accommodate GPUs and NVMe SSDs in the future. Invest in systems with both traditional HDDs and fast SSDs to expand storage as you download more games. PCs like the OMEN come with multiple drive bays, so upgrading storage is easy. This versatility makes it one of the best gaming PCs for future expansions. Lastly, RAM. While 8GB might suffice for games today, you’ll probably need 16GB or 32GB to remain competitive in the future, so consider this as well.

As with all modern PCs, regularly maintain and clean it to prevent dust build-up, which can be particularly important in Australia’s varied climate conditions. Dust impairs cooling which will affect overall performance. Also keep your BIOS and drivers updated so that everything runs smoothly with the latest software.

How to Set up your PC

Unboxing and setup can be confusing, but don’t worry, here’s how to do it: Complete these steps to get your machine up and running smoothly.

  1. Set up the space: Desktop models with their fans and multiple heat pipes need proper ventilation, so make sure the space you have is properly ventilated. This is especially important during Australia’s hot summer months.

  2. Connect peripherals: Connect the monitor, keyboard and mouse, then afterwards, plug into a power source. Consider using a surge protector to safeguard against power fluctuations.

  3. Install software: Boot up the PC and follow instructions on-screen to install essential software. If you have an OMEN, check if OMEN Gaming Hub is installed; if not, install it.

  4. Set up user accounts: Create a parental admin account for you and a separate user account for your child. To calibrate parental controls, go to Settings > Accounts > Your info to create your administrative account, then with this account sign in to the Microsoft Family Safety and select your child’s account to manage settings.

Accessories to Complete your Gaming Setup

To complete your gaming setup, consider adding quality gaming accessories such as:

These accessories can significantly enhance your child’s gaming experience while also being useful for school work and other computer activities.

Next Steps

Now that you’re familiar with the fundamentals, it’s time to take the plunge and gift that lucky child with a gaming PC perfect for them. PCs are an investment, but with proper care, can last a long time and serve multiple purposes, from conquering virtual worlds to completing school assignments.

With HP’s range of gaming PCs available in Australia, from entry-level Victus models to high-performance OMEN systems like the innovative OMEN 14 Transcend, there’s something for every young gamer and every budget. If you’re still unsure or have questions, please visit our Australian HP store or contact our live experts, who are more than happy to help you along the way.