6 reasons to skip prebuilt PCs and do it yourself

Every few years, gamers in particular are faced with the problem that their once powerful hardware has become outdated. It is usually enough to upgrade individual components, but at some point a new computer is simply needed. So raid the piggy bank and head to the internet to choose a gaming companion for the next few years.

But now the question arises: Would you rather buy a pre-configured and fully assembled PC, or would you rather choose the components individually and then assemble them yourself? The latter offers some advantages, which we would like to present to you in this article.

Do-it-yourself is cheaper

The most obvious and, for many, most convincing argument in favour of building your own PC is the question of cost. Because even though buying individual components usually involves more shipping costs than buying a ready-made PC, the total costs are almost always cheaper for the same equipment.

If you buy all the components separately, you can find the cheapest offer for each part on the internet.

Off-the-shelf PCs, on the other hand, usually come with a surcharge that can amount to several hundred euros. It is true that dealers can often negotiate better prices for components because they buy in larger quantities. However, the computer must first be assembled by a system integrator. In addition, the dealer also includes the price for the warranty, which is usually included — and of course he also wants to make money on the sale.

If, on the other hand, you buy individual components, you pay with the time you have to invest in research and assembly — but you save money.

Ready-made PCs are often not optimally configured

If you want to buy a ready-assembled PC, you can either buy a computer off the shelf or use a configurator, which many retailers, such as iBuyPower or CyberPower now offer.

To get the best performance out of your gaming PC, it pays to match the installed hardware well. For example, it is of little use to pair an expensive high-end CPU with a midrange graphics card, as the GPU is largely the limiting factor in games. This, in turn, depends on the games you like to play.

Further reading: The best CPUs for gaming in 2023

With ready-made PCs, it happens time and again that the matching of the components is not optimal. One reason for this is that dealers often work with what is currently available in stock. It can happen that a CPU of the last generation is installed in current computers because the dealer wants to get rid of these models — even though a more efficient and/or more powerful model is now available for the same price.

In addition, every user has his or her own requirements and preferences for his or her own PC. You know these best yourself and finding a ready-made PC that reflects them exactly is often difficult.

The problem with PC configurators

In addition to preconfigured PCs, some dealers such as iBuyPower or CyberPower now also offer a configurator in which you can put together your own computer. The computer is then assembled at the dealer’s and shipped to you. A good idea in itself, but there are also disadvantages.

First of all, the dealer has to pay for the assembly and the warranty. In addition to the price of the components, you usually have to pay a lump sum.

In addition, you are limited in your choice of components to the dealer whose configurator you use. So you cannot choose the lowest price for the components and are also limited in your selection to what the dealer currently has in stock.

So it may happen that the exact graphics card model or the enclosure you would like for your PC is not available from this dealer. Which brings us to the next point.

Further reading: Essential tools for PC building: 10 must-have items for your toolkit

With ready-made PCs you often buy a pig in a poke

If you buy a particularly cheap ready-to-use PC, not all components are explicitly named. Parts such as the power supply unit, the motherboard, or the cooling system are often not identifiable from the description. This can be the case when the retailer relies on cheap OEM components instead of brand-name products.

As a result, it can also happen that the built-in power supply hardly offers any reserves for future upgrades or even has too little power, which is why the power consumption of individual components is limited in the BIOS. In this case, you get less performance for your money than you would expect based on the components installed.

Less freedom than if you build it yourself

If you assemble your PC yourself from scratch, you have all the freedom. This applies to the composition of the components (as explained above), but also to the details with which you can give your computer an individual touch. Experienced hobbyists can, for example, put together a water-cooling system individually, determining the position of the hoses, radiators, pumps and expansion tanks themselves and adjusting them for optimal cooling performance.

But even with simpler builds, RGB components or a fancy case can be installed according to one’s own ideas. You will also find these in ready-made PCs, but you have no influence on how they are ultimately installed in the PC.

Building your own PC is fun!

Let’s come to an admittedly subjective point: Many gamers enjoy carefully planning all the details of their new PC and then assembling it themselves in the end.

Of course, some know-how is necessary for this, but especially simple systems without water cooling can be implemented in a few hours even by a beginner with good instructions.

And when the new computer is finally ready and successfully boots up for the first time, a feeling of success and pride remains. The gaming PC that will accompany you for the next few years is your own project, not simply mass-produced goods and an off-the-shelf product.

For a counterpoint, see Ashley Biancuzzo’s feature: I bought a pre-built desktop gaming PC and I’m not sorry about it

This article was translated from German to English and originally appeared on pcwelt.de.