The doubt of prebuilt versus custom PC is one that ’s faced by nearly every PC owner at some point , be they enthusiast gamers or occasional users . After all , getting a prebuilt screen background is a raft easier , but is it better ? Is it more cost - efficacious ? On the other hand , is building your own PC deserving the hassle ?
The final decisiveness is in your hands , but we ’re here to help you make it . Below , we ’ll tell you everything you need to know about prebuilt and customs computers .
Prebuilts vs. custom PCs: pros and cons
We ’ll get into cryptical breakdowns of all the important areas of retainer , but to start off , here ’s a quick summation of the professional and cons between prebuilt and custom PCs :
Prebuilt PCs: pros
Prebuilt PCs: cons
With that out of the way , we ’ll go over the pro and flimflam of impost PCs .
Custom PCs: pros
Custom PCs: cons
What’s the difference between prebuilts and custom PCs?
Before catch into details , let ’s back out and define some terms . While both terms look up to desktops , there ’s a vast deviation between so - called prebuilt computers and custom PCs , also called DIY .
Prebuilt microcomputer are computers that are pretty much plug away - and - play . They follow with all of the necessary components , and those components are choose and install by the manufacturer or the retail merchant that sells them . They ’re available in all pattern and size , from compact little figure - factor microcomputer like the Intel NUC to massivegaming computersfrom brands likeAlienwareor Lenovo .
Some prebuilts wo n’t countenance you customize anything and have to be bought as is , but some retailers will permit you make a few decision before you corrupt . For instance , you may be allowed to cull from a listing of graphic wag , increase RAM or storage , or custom-make which case you pick . However , at the end of the day , you ’re still given a inclination to choose from , and the majority of the components are picked by the maker or the builder . Prebuilt personal computer also often come with Windows pre - installed
Customdesktop PCsare the polar opposites of prebuilts . In a custom PC , you pick the parts and decide on the specifications . Once you ’ve decided , you buy these parts and put them together , deploy the operating organization and the drivers , and troubleshoot if something goes wrong .
There ’s a halfway ground here : Some stores permit you pick all the part and then tack the PC for you for a fee . However , those PCs are still count custom , as you still need to pick out all the specs .
Budget
You might have heard that build up a impost PC is cheaper than buying a prebuilt one , and that is often straight . For comparing ’s sake , we will take a look at this , which be $ 1,900 on Amazon at the time of writing .
The microcomputer feature an Intel Core i9 - 13900KF processor and one of Nvidia’stop graphic cards , theRTX 4070 . It also sports 16 GB of DDR5 RAM , a Z790 motherboard , a liquid tank , and 1 TB of NVMe SSD storage . Unfortunately , the manufacturer has only share those specs , so we ’ll have to fill in the gaps for the rest . It ’s deserving noting that some prebuilt PC maker use their own custom parts , meaning that there wo n’t be any direct replacement to compare to .
It ’s hard to make an orchard apple tree - to - apples comparison without know the full component lean , but we ’ve try . pose together a similar physique can be you anywhere between $ 1,500 and $ 1,700 , calculate on the tone of the components you use . This includes Windows 11 Home .
As you may see , there are some preservation in choosing a prebuilt PC . company excite redundant for the assembly , so it is cheaper to establish your own PC than to buy one that ’s already been progress — but not always by a massive margin .
However , there ’s another thing to consider here : Were the components choose effectively to offer expert value ? That bring us to the next section , where we ’ll talk over how components are chosen and which choice often does it better .
Quality
Circling back to that CyberPowerPC bring us to one of the biggestproblems with prebuilts — the components often are n’t chosen in a cost - effective way , by which we signify in a way that maximizes functioning per dollar and make sense in a gambling data processor .
At a glance , there are a few thing worth swap in in builds like the one above . For starters , the C.P.U. is completely overkill for a gaming build and tally a lot to its final cost . It also forces the use of a more powerful PSU . The motherboard is one of the most expensive option , and most substance abuser can get away with something cheaper . Finally , the RTX 4070 could be replaced with theRTX 4070 Super , and it would ’ve been well to use32 GB RAM rather of 16 GB .
The said tweak are just the tip of the crisphead lettuce , and it can get sorry . For example , some prebuilt microcomputer producer use refurbished parts or pick cheaper coolers , power supply , and GPU model , which can reduce the longevity of these character . We ca n’t know if this is the compositor’s case here because the full component list is not provide .
This is why prebuilt PCs are often of worse quality than custom - built computer . maker go all out on a good GPU and CPU , but the rest of the voice are n’t prepared to keep up . Even if everything is of a similar caliber , the budget in these builds could often have been distributed well . In the caseful of the above , the PC would gain from using aRyzen 7 7800X3Dinstead , freeing up some budget for other components , such as more random memory .
It ’s important to remark that this is not universally honest for all prebuilt PCs . Some brands are very diaphanous about each constituent , and those are generally the ones to pick .
Only you are responsible for the calibre of the constituent you select in a tradition PC . It takes a circumstances of research to learn how to pick the right parts that will cultivate well together and how to make the most of a budget you ’ve already decide on . However , the upside is that you know where each one of your components came from , whether it ’s new or not , and whether it can handle the rest of the PC without a hitch .
Ease of use
It ’s intemperate to argue against the fact that prebuilt personal computer are a band easier to get start with than custom computers . In late eld , building your own PC has start out harder , and microcomputer gaming is fairly unapproachable to masses unfamiliar with it .
Picking out the right voice for a microcomputer is fourth dimension - consuming — often more so than actually building it . With the way factor are price these days , especiallygraphics circuit board , you may pass more money but get something that ’s only slightly right ; in some cases , it might even grow out to be worse .
Even when economic value is not a concern , you still have to know how everything work together . There are the basics , such as knowing which motherboard goes with your processor , but then there are more ambiguous decisiveness , such as find fault between an air tank and a liquidity tank or figuring out whether you ’ll be able to overclock your read/write memory .
Some component in a custom PC are especially crucial , such as thepower supply . you may use a PSU electric power calculating machine to ascertain how strong yours needs to be , but it shoot extra enquiry to ascertain that , for instance , Nvidia ’s RTX 40 - series should be paired with an ATX 3.0 world power supplying .
find fault the parts is one affair , but you still have to meet the computer . luckily , build your own PC has gotten easier , and there are batch of guides out there that can help you do it step - by - whole step . place components together is now easier than it was a decade ago , thanks to toolless cases , I / atomic number 8 shell , modular power supplying , and good cablegram direction . However , if something go wrong with your physique and you ’re not familiar with the process , you may be punctuate out as you troubleshoot without fully roll in the hay what to look for .
Prebuilts are as easygoing as pie in comparison . If anything does n’t work , you have a guarantee on the whole physique , so you just have to go through the warranty process and get your microcomputer secure or replaced . The computers are usually tested before leaving the shop , so you should be able to get something that you’re able to just plug right in and go using .
Performance
Between a prebuilt PC and a DIY pick , which will do well ? It all arrive down to the components inside and the way they match together .
If a prebuilt PC and a custom personal computer both have almost the same spec , there ’s no reason why they should perform much differently . However , build your own PC gives you the freedom to optimize things like wattage and cooling , paying more attention to the components that prebuilt Jehovah may sometimes overlook .
In a prebuilt that was made without much care for the less “ exciting ” ingredient , such as the tank , the PSU , or the display case ( beyond its esthetic ) , you may see that the PC underperforms at times . Overheating or business leader issues can happen and are often dissolve by upgrading components , but this can evacuate the warranty .
The same goes for RAM ; if the RAM in your prebuilt is the cheapest it can be , then you belike wo n’t have enough of it , and it ’ll offer low frequencies compare to good options that only be $ 20-$50 more .
In forgetful , a thoughtfully built prebuilt PC with top - notch component part will keep up with a like custom - built PC . However , seeing as prebuilts often have problems , custom personal computer tend to come out on top , deflect issues such as stuttering , crashes , or systema skeletale per second ( fps ) drops .
Which option is right for you?
Choosing between a prebuilt and a custom microcomputer is tricky , and the final conclusion mostly comes down to what you care about the most .
If you desire a PC that does n’t require hours of enquiry and is hassle - free , and you do n’t mind that it might potentially be more or cause more trouble in the future tense , you could go beforehand and buy a prebuilt .
However , if you ’re an enthusiast who want to maximize the performance you could squeeze out of your PC and ensure its stableness , a usage desktop is often the style to go . This is only honest if you ’re unforced to put in the time and check that you ’re buying something that ’ll act upon well together .
There are arguments in party favour and against both options , and being creative can get you something better in both casing . For example , before buy a prebuilt , it ’s right to avoid site like eBay and channelize right away to microcomputer boutique computer storage that bang what they ’re doing .
A good prebuilt retail merchant will be able to provide you with the full element list , which goes beyond just saying thing like “ 1 TB SSD . ” Dig deep and find out the exact good example of each component , and do n’t forget to contain if any are refurbish .
On the other hand , building your own microcomputer can be less daunting , too . There are community that help with picking out the right components , and some retailer , such as Micro Center , can put your PC together for you for a fee . Such store will often offer some advice and discourage you if there ’s something wrong with your constituent list . We also have astep - by - step guide that can avail you put your PC together with ease .
No matter the option , and even for prebuilts , check that to spend some time discover out what you ’re dealing with . learn a little bit more about microcomputer building beforehand will aid you avoid potential head ache going forward .
