{"id":29607,"date":"2023-01-12T13:22:20","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T13:22:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/12\/should-you-buy-a-prebuilt-gaming-pc-or-build-your-own\/"},"modified":"2023-01-12T13:22:20","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T13:22:20","slug":"should-you-buy-a-prebuilt-gaming-pc-or-build-your-own","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/12\/should-you-buy-a-prebuilt-gaming-pc-or-build-your-own\/","title":{"rendered":"Should You Buy a Prebuilt Gaming PC or Build Your Own?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Alberto Garcia Guillen\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So you want to get a new gaming PC. You finally settled on a budget, and have a list of games in mind that you\u2019d like to play. Now comes the big decision. Do you go the easy way and get a prebuilt gaming PC, or do you build your own PC<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Building a PC can be a fulfilling experience, but some people might be better served by prebuilt PCs. We\u2019ll look at the pros and cons of each option, and which one you should go for.<\/p>\n

Advantages of a Prebuilt PC<\/h2>\n
\"Alienware
Alienware<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A prebuilt PC<\/a> is, essentially, what its name says\u00a0\u2014 it\u2019s a PC that comes pre-assembled from the factory, or is put together by someone else before it reaches your hands. With a prebuilt PC, you just look at the specs and components it comes with, you make one single payment, and the whole PC is shipped to you. From there, you just plug it in, plug in your peripherals, and get playing without any additional setup.<\/p>\n

On one hand, it\u2019s by far the safest and most simple option. You get the whole package all at once, and you don\u2019t need to do anything else to it\u00a0\u2014 you take it out of the box, you plug it in, and you get playing. You also don\u2019t need to do any troubleshooting or testing, as the computer has normally already been tested after assembly before it reaches your hands in order to make sure it\u2019s in working condition.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, though, a prebuilt PC can be more expensive. It can be assembled by an OEM like ASUS<\/a> or HP<\/a>, or it can be put together by third parties who buy off-the-shelf parts and put it together for you. In both cases, they usually need to turn a profit on both the parts themselves and the time it takes them to assemble the PC, which is usually why buying a prebuilt PC can be considerably more expensive.<\/p>\n

Reasons to Consider Custom-Built PCs<\/h2>\n
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Syafiq Adnan\/Shutterstock.com<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then, we have custom-built PCs. You buy different off-the-shelf parts (like a GPU, a CPU, a motherboard, a power supply, and a hard drive) and put everything together to ultimately end up with a working computer.<\/p>\n

Buying, and assembling, a PC yourself has a number of advantages. For one, it\u2019s often cheaper this way. You only need to worry about the prices of the parts themselves, and perhaps shipping as well, but since you\u2019re building it yourself, there are really no added costs. Prices of parts can occasionally fluctuate wildly, as shown by GPU shortages where graphics cards can skyrocket in price \u2014 in these cases, prebuilt PCs can actually be cheaper since OEMs make parts themselves and third-party builders buy them in bulk. But most of the time, custom-built PCs are cheaper.<\/p>\n

Building your own PC can also be a fun, and fulfilling, experience. It\u2019s difficult, and if you\u2019re challenging yourself to do it, you can mess up stuff. But ultimately, if you look up tutorials and be very careful, you can walk out with a PC you built yourself and be proud of it.<\/p>\n

But its challenging nature can be a disadvantage by itself too. There are a lot of things that can go wrong, and you need to be properly informed, and quite careful, when doing it. It definitely has a learning curve to it, and while it\u2019s relatively easy to master, newbies can have a hard time.<\/p>\n

Which Option Should I Choose?<\/h2>\n

Especially if you\u2019re a geek, I\u2019d make the argument building your own PC is all-around better. Not only can it be cheaper\u2014though not necessarily, so be sure to shop around\u2014but, for a geek, it\u2019s also a rewarding experience and something you can be proud of once you get through it.<\/p>\n

But we also realize that it\u2019s not an experience for everyone. For that reason, there\u2019s no shame in going the prebuilt route. After all, it\u2019s more stress-free and all-around simpler.<\/p>\n

If you want to build your own PC, there are many online marketplaces where you can easily have parts ordered and shipped to you. Newegg<\/a> is perhaps one of the most commonly used ones, but you can also score nice deals on websites like B&H<\/a> and Amazon<\/a>. Micro Center<\/a> is also a good option, but it\u2019s better if you\u2019d rather go to a physical location and pick out parts yourself.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, your choices for prebuilt PCs can vary depending on what you\u2019re looking for exactly. If you want to buy a PC from an OEM like Alienware, Dell,<\/a> or ASUS<\/a>, you might want to buy it directly from that specific manufacturer\u2019s website, if at all possible. It\u2019s better because you might get better warranty terms from your manufacturer directly. If not, then third-party retailers like Amazon or Newegg could also be a good choice.<\/p>\n

Finally, if you want a PC from a third-party builder, like Origin<\/a>, iBuyPower<\/a>, or MainGear<\/a>, you can order it from the storefront of that specific builder. Often, you\u2019ll even have a part picker in that specific website where you can modify certain specifications, so a preset works better for you. PC builds from these companies can take a few weeks, or even months, to ship, so that\u2019s something you need to take into account when you\u2019re buying your machine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n