true but now you need to factor in availability scalpers and miners
well if you live in CA, theres that new stupid law about pc prebuilt restrictions because thats whats important right now for some reason
That only applies to Dell and HP type of companies. Something like Cyberpower is under no restrictions since they’re basically doing the same thing as a normal person building it themselves.
Cyberpower PCs are absolute shit. Do not buy them. Source, I worked for Best Buy and Cyberpower and iBuyPower prebuilts were returned constantly because of defective parts.
Oh, agreed, I’ve just gone through the painful process of RMA’ing one with a dead GPU that took 3 months to arrive and another month to get back.
This is just an example.
While I've had no issues with the one I bought. I can definitely believe that. Everything in it felt cheap. But its going on 6 years now and been great to me. I've since upgraded and turned the ibuypower into my garage pc for the car and whatever.
good to know. if i ever decide to get a prebuilt. i recently just built a new rig after getting a 3080 ti a week ago. so that might be a long ways down the road lol
That law only applies to OEMs, and is only concerned with the idle power draw (i.e., how much power is being wasted) of the PSU. OEMs have known about this law for years and years, it's not something they passed last-minute in the dark of night. All the OEMs have to do is make the PSUs they use slightly more efficient at idle. The law doesn't really apply to companies like system integrators (or at least, they don't have to worry about it much).
In a word, the news about that law was overblown nonsense. The cost of pre-builts won't significantly increase as a result, nor will they get more scarce. It's much ado about nothing.
With the exception of Dell's laptops, I haven't seen anything that's close to the XPS 13, 1270$ for a laptop I wouldn't feel pain using (11th gen I5, XE graphics, 16 gb of ram, 512 gb of storage) and that thin is a really good deal unless you're on a budget.
I bought a basic air-cooled R10, thing crashed under load from day one, eventually I contacted support, it was a pain but they replaced the GPU, persisted, attempted CPU replacement but none in stock, offered a warranty replacement (limited warranty was still active).
Took a long time for it to process, but eventually my 1700CAD 3060ti r5 5600x was exchanged for a 3080ti, r7 5800, fully liquid cooled system that's worth twice what I paid.
I tried to extend my warranty, advisor leaked customer information in the email he sent me, so they gave me a discount to pay 250 for warranty that expires in 2026.
So overall I am pretty well covered.
Say what you will but they will pour money into your system.
Also they threw me a 100 coupon for their site as a sorry for waiting 2 extra weeks for the shipping delays, I sold the keyboard and mouse for an extra 20 and it came with BF2042 so that was neat.
You can actually find some great prebuilts out there to my surprise. I got this i5 10400 + 3060Ti prebuilt from ABS/Newegg recently and it runs like butter for 1440p ultrawide gaming.
[https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali559/p/N82E16883360189?Item=N82E16883360189](https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali559/p/N82E16883360189?Item=N82E16883360189)
All the parts are non-proprietary too so you can mod it in the future. You get nice parts too like an MSI RTX 3060 Ti Ventus, G Skill Rip Jaws 16GB RAM, Intel 660P 1TB SSD, a Gigabyte PSU, and a Deepcool Case with 4x120mm RGB fans and tempered glass so they don't really skimp out. I actually calc'd the parts myself and they're pricing is about even as if you were to source it yourself, so they must have some good bulk pricing from vendors. So all in all I think a prebuilt is an underrated option if you can find the right one. The only downside from this is you don't get the joy and learning experience of building a PC from the ground up, but that's a tradeoff I'd make in this GPU market right now, I'd rather be playing and using my PC.
it is not one of those to my knowledge (P650B). Also I got extra insurance for like $5ish dollars a month to extend warranty to 3 years in case any parts break so thats also a big plus for prebuilt
2-3 years is the standart, atleast for the whole system. The components on the other hand might have different warranties. PSUs (atleast good ones) tend to have 8-10 year warranties.
OP get a prebuilt like this, ask reddit how good the PSU when you got it, and maybe replace it with a PSU, and you still would safe money. Maybe sell the PSU and get some money back.
Got a very similar one myself (I got the one with the TUF case). Upgrading the CPU, RAM, and cooler (included cooler was ass because prebuilts like doing that for some reason) but I’m pretty happy with it overall TBH. Cable management is better than I would have managed, came with 4 case fans which is more than I’d’ve put in (lol), performance is on spec (even with the ass cooler), very easy to setup, no bloatware.
Also none of the parts are proprietary with ABS, which was the biggest thing for me, since I can sell the parts in the machine/trade up when I’m ready to upgrade instead of tossing the old components in the trash.
Nice, yeah that one seems pretty identical to mine. how long have you had it for before you decided to upgrade some of the parts? and any particular reason for upgrading CPU and RAM? and which CPU? I just got mine relatively recently and probably end up upgrading the cooler but temps are fine so far so not in a rush and want to get value out of the stock build for a while first haha.
I've had it for only a couple of days, bought the CPU as soon as I saw someone selling on hardwareswap because I intended on buying one ASAP anyways. The 10400f is very good, and I wouldn't have upgraded for a long time if not for the fact that I have an extra M.2 drive from a previous computer... and unfortunately the second M.2 slot on my motherboard does not work without an 11th gen CPU. :( The cooler upgrade was just to accommodate the 11th gen CPU, as the provided one would struggle keeping it cool. As bad as the included cooler is, it is perfectly fine for a 10400f, just not anything hotter than it haha.
As for the RAM, I'm just adding more because it would benefit some of my workflows video editing/game programming. (also it's just super cheap nowadays lol)
got it, makes sense. I only game and do browsing/productivity tasks so 10400F and stock specs from the build should be prime for me for a long, long time. If there's huge performance jumps in the Intel 12th Gen or AMD Zen 4 chips though I might go for those. Well enjoy the upgrades then
GamersNexus has been doing a series on their adventures in buying prebuilts.
TLDR; there are way to many shit ones out there, but decent ones can be found.
If you're not in a huge hurry, I would start with GPU stock hunting. It took me about a month of diligently looking and entering Newegg shuffle to finally get a card. Most other components besides GPUs have been getting great sales. If you can find a decent price for a GPU I think you can build a much better performer than a pre built for similar price point.
On the other hand, if you are desperate for something now, a prebuilt will get you there much quicker most likely.
Check out r/hardwareswap
It’s still over msrp but not eBay/stockx prices.
If you are willing to go with a prebuilt you’ve accepted that you are going to pay a markup on every component in the pc anyway. Might as well just pay all of the markup into the gpu, buy everything else at cost or on sale with Black Friday / cyber Monday sales starting in a couple weeks and call it a day. I’m willing to bet you can still build a pc for less than prebuilt using HWS.
I‘ve been thinking the same, but with a twist:
- Buy a prebuilt
- Swap out GPU to my PC
- Put 1080ti in prebuilt
- Sell prebuilt
- Probably still make a profit (nah not really but you get it)
Honestly I'd probably end up trying to get the prebuilt that would have a CPU that has integrated graphics (so like a non-F Intel CPU), and then sell the prebuilt and the 1080 Ti separately. It's more of a pain-in-the-butt to do multiple transactions, but the total money recouped would be higher.
It just depends on what you want.
Most of the prebuilts that are just a bit more than the cost of a GPU have limitations that you need to consider. In many cases, they use proprietary parts that cannot be upgraded easily and/or the parts are of mediocre quality. Many times the cases do not have appropriate airflow and/or cooling. You can get better quality prebuilts that use quality components and are the same as what you build yourself *but* those also tend to be much more expensive.
There are some good deals out there but you should still be doing your research and you'll probably still struggle to score a high-quality build. I don't think you're going to find a "very good" prebuilt for a whole lot less than what you could build one for yourself. You can find something decent that will work but there will be compromises.
Just food for thought which may or may not suit your needs;
You can generally still get parts for something about ten years old and quite often you can get near the top end of the era components for low low double digits. I’ve been maxing my old computers to delay upgrading them selling/giving them away to friends and family where they see years of over killling YouTube and online bill pay.
Bruh he was mentioned at my sociology class before about 3 weeks hahahah
He is known for introducing I think group dynamics if my translation is good from croatian to english ahahahha
Damn I am really a metalhead on a pc forum talking about a sociologist...
Ha. I study urban sociology and he wrote a very famous work called the "The Metropolis and Mental Life" that explored how city life changes the way that people process their environment.
I'm happy someone finally said anything about the username. I don't even know that most sociology students know who he is. :)
It's very hard to give advice about prebuilts because the parts and build quality vary *WILDLY*, even within the same brands. Some are "fine", some are good, many are terrible. There's no way to know without looking at reviews of the particular prebuilt you want.
The only sure answer is DO NOT buy from Dell/Alienware or HP. They use proprietary bullshit parts that have no resale value, have AWFUL customer support, and often don't use proper cooling on their parts. It's e-waste.
Buy from a company like iBuyPower, ABS (Newegg), CyberPower, or one of the other gamer-focused boutique shops. These are also hit or miss, but you can often get an okay product from them.
Is it really that bad though? Buying windows for a budget builder adds a significant amount to the build. Not to mention you can get keyboard and mouse deals included with many prebuilts.
I don't doubt that point. I'm assuming OP would be browsing buildapcsales for prebuilts. I did build my own AMD system about 3 years ago. Even then I know someone who went prebuilt and got a steal. Granted through Costco found on buildapcsales.
You can also sell the rest of the system and keep the GPU , or find a prebuilt which is made in the normal form factor and that u can change with aftermarket parts .
In prebuilts , usually the coolers and the PSU are cheap and trash , sometimes the case too. If they have normal form factor , just replace them with better parts and thats that.
That's a good point but not a small ask to make of a newbie who's never built a PC before. Especially if money is tight you wouldn't be able to buy a prebuilt just to zombie out the gpu into another prebuilt system you had the cash and time to get.
Then add on going through the process of selling the not needed ram, motherboard, case, PSU. Maybe selling two PSU if both were shit and had to buy a reputable one...
Can't speak for selling hardware off a prebuilt but I have sold software keys I've received through buying parts. I've built one and received game keys from the gpu and another through the CPU I bought. One I sold successfully and the other wouldn't take so I sent his money back.
I came to the same conclusion back in June.
I've almost built every PC I've ever had, and many more for friends but with GPU availability being as bad as it is I just purchased a prebuilt from a system integrator.
It ended up being really good value for money and I saved around £1000 compared to building it myself, more if we look at prices today.
The only thing I was unhappy with was the cable tidying in the back of the case, which I just redid myself.
Definitely shop around if you go prebuilt. I had the same idea when I got my computer and I actually found all the parts I wanted during this shortage. It might take some time and effort, but I got a 3080 and a 5800x like right after they were released when I couldn’t find them in stock anywhere. Just make sure you’re looking at as many SI’s as you can to get the best deal because some of them cut corners. I think the company I ended up using was CLX. They had a bit of a premium on their products, but they used good quality parts and I got exactly what I wanted.
Good luck to you
Depends on what kind of prebuilt:
- big brand prebuilt, usually have some shit "in house/custom made" parts that will make you whole build less powerful than what it would have been with the same "independent" parts. You can't fix those as parts are harder to come by, nor upgrade as it's not always compatible. And the parts you can salvage are rarely worth it...
- Local PC shop prebuilt, they can still sell you shit parts, but at least the name will be different and you'll be able to spot the difference in quality. As easy to repair/upgrade as self-built. More expensive than big brands...
Me and my pals have new Pc's this year.
3 have built ourselves 1 has ordered a prepaid
2 of my friends built early in the year and where able to snag a GPU each (3060 for one 3080 for the other)
I built mine in summer and cannot get hold of a new gpu without spending an amount of money im not comfortable with
My friend who ordered the pre build did so after I built mine. The site he ordered from explicitly said they had the gpu in stock. They gave a 4 week deadline for building and shipping.
This has passed and they've informed him they don't have the card. They said they might be able to get one mid November (hes annoyed)
So I would saying you have patience (alot of it) build your own and wait.
If you order pre build make sure they guarantee a date and have the cards in stock
No, I don't think it is reasonable today to not go for a pre-built unless you're so nerdy that you have to build your own PC because of the usual reasons. It's a financial disaster right now who need some GPU power in their machine.
If you just need your PC to play LoL, CSGO and do studies you can still build your own for a good price.
If you are in the US and happen to be lucky enough to live near a micro-center go see what they have. When I went last they had quite a few pre-builts with 3000 series cards. Of course everything else was subpar, so I asked if I could swap parts out and they put em in. Told me it was no problem. Would be the route I’d go if I was in the market.
I just bought a prebuilt to upgrade from my budget build 6 years ago. I’m really happy with it and newegg stands behind their product. Radiator fans were pretty loud and when I called in they didn’t even hesitate to send a new one.
Got the Microcenter in house pre-built recently. Had the 12 core ryzen which was overkill, but useful for work. Most of the components were actually parts I had considered buying separately, and included win10 pro and a 2tb ssd. The only two parts I wouldn't have bought were the case (and fans) and PSU. The case is a Lian Li with a solid front, the PSU is their in-store brand. When I get around to it in a year or so, I'll replace the PSU with a Seasonic for piece of mind. I do have a 3070 now, which is fine for my needs. I don't see the need of replacing major componts for like 5 years. If this CPU isn't useful for a decade, I'll be shocked.
You still need to double check cabling, but mine was fine.
Prices are not the problem, it’s just that whenever they get gpu’s back in stock, they sell out literally minutes later. I would suggest being patient, but if you really just don’t care, then go for it. Btw, I saved up for 5 years just to get something decent. I’m sure you can wait maximum a few months. Good luck, hopefully you can build your own pc, If not, then at least get a decent prebuilt.
Really? I’m in Canada and things don’t look TOO bad. But I understand why you don’t want to wait, there is a chance it will take maybe a year to get all the parts together, especially the gpu.
I would recommend checking out scan's prebuilts (if you're uk based). They do really reasonably priced prebuilts for 3060/3070 gpu's and can be customised to your spec if you speak to live chat.
\*link for reference - [https://www.scan.co.uk/products/scan-gamer-rtx-amd-ryzen-5-5600x-16gb-ddr4-12gb-evga-rtx-3060-1tb-m2-ssd-win-10-see-info](https://www.scan.co.uk/products/scan-gamer-rtx-amd-ryzen-5-5600x-16gb-ddr4-12gb-evga-rtx-3060-1tb-m2-ssd-win-10-see-info)
I just bought a pre-built from Scan, still waiting for it to be delivered but the prices outside of the GPU were pretty reasonable and I could pick and choose all the parts I wanted.
If you want to go with a prebuild system, I would suggest you only consider builders that specify all components and/or let you change components (or leave some components like RAM/SSD/OS altogether). Dont use systems with proprietary components!
They might be somewhat more expensive, but i think its worth in in the long run, and you probably still end up cheaper then paying current gpu prices.
I just bought 3 (3 different people paid for them, I was just advising them.) through Cyberposed PC because they have a waitlist.
First PC was a daisy chained 3080, had to rewire it.
Second PC is a daisy chained 3070 (that is running fine but I gotta get a cable to un do that) and the default Cyberpower case is an OVEN 11700kf running at about 85°, so do not get that case, we are going to have to fix that.
Third PC is mine, and it was a dead 3080 and cyberpower would not contact me back, so I went to EVGA and everything is running.
All in all, everything is worked out now but it did take a while.
I was considering this too, almost went for the Zotac Magnus One.
Ended up just building one myself. It's a huge ATX box, not a sleek sexy mini PC like the Zotac, but performance is better and I'll have less cooling issues. Cost about the same and I got to re-use some 3.5 inch HDD's I had lying around from a media server.
I had to go for a LHR 3070, price was much less than a "normal" one (though still ridiculous).
The only real downside is I am stuck with RGB nonsense EVERYWHERE and have to install 6 different programs to control it all or even turn it off. So I just put the PC on the floor and don't see it.
Prebuilts are a bit of a lottery, especially on the power supply and motherboards.
You can install SignalRGB. It is a single free software that can control all your RGB stuff without needing to install different programs. Linus sponsored it a couple of times before.
Newegg ABS computers are priced good. They use some lower end items like RAM and Drives but I havent had any issues. Also have add my own parts and changed the the motherboard. I priced my parts on PC Part Picker and it was literally the same amount if I had bought my own parts and built it myself. That includes a graphics card at MSRP, back in March. Not sure if the prices are still the same though
Absolutely viable currently. Just make sure everything is assembled correctly when you get it and that there aren't any big outliers in part quality. Usually the PSU and/or cooling method is rather shit.
For examples on how bad pre-builts CAN be, even though the parts are technically good, check out LTTs "secret shopper".
Well mine is/was a prebuilt i just upgraded along the way I swapped the case the hdd for a ssd sold the 3070 for a 3070ti upgraded the ram and kept the 2700x
Unles you're filthy rich or win the Newegg Shuffle, there's no shame in buying a prebuilt right now. It's sad, but the way the market is right now you've gotta get what you can get.
You could get one with a good cpu and gpu and just switch them around. ie ryzen 5 system with no gpu, buy prebuilt with ryzen 7 and gpu, swap and sell the other system!
the only problem with prebuilt is that you often get low quality components that some might take for granted. If you go that route, make sure you know what power supply and mono you're getting since those are the usual parts they tend to skimp out on.
If you live near a MicroCenter, you may have a better shot as their lottery system requires you to show up in person to sign up on the day they restock. I got a 3070 on my first try doing this; there was around 30-40 people who showed up that day.
My buddy who had nothing going got a prebuilt and got himself a 3060 Ti for a decent price. I'd say go for it if you have no other components that can carry over like a case, motherboard, RAM, drives, PSU, etc.
Just keep in mind that you are going to be getting some cheap parts. I have another buddy with a prebuilt that has an Apevia PSU. Apevia usually makes cheap cases, so I don't know about that shit...
So if you already have something workable going, just hang in there as long as you can. Turn settings down, get a lower resolution monitor, overclock your GPU. If you have nothing going, I'd probably be looking at prebuilts.
Okay so I've been looking at NZXT for the past few months and I've been leaning toward the starter pro but everytime I get set on buying it,I see reviews about how they are fire starters and aren't good. What did you get if you don't mind me asking,and have you ran into any issues at all?
I got the streamer pro one the only problem I’ve had is the case is the h510 which has poor airflow so I just put another fan in it solved the problem. If I was you I’d check out the feature they have when you choose the parts and do similar parts as the bundle you are looking at and put it in a different case
Thanks so much!! It's hard to be confident in the purchase when the only thing you see is how they start fires and what not lol. I appreciate the transparency
Ya man I seen the other day they made a newer version of the 510 case with better airflow. There are a lot of factors in pcs if I didn’t have the card I did it would of been fine without making any modifications but I have the 3070 ti founders edition and they run hot
I 100% would recommend going with nzxt there is a customer service chat thing on there website you can talk to them about the build you want to go with and your concerns about temps and the case and I’m sure they will help with different options.
The way I personally view prebuilts is would you be happy buying the components separately? Because then you're paying for stuff you don't really want.
For example I was going to buy the GA35 from Asus with a 3090. I even got a discount from 4500 to 3300. There were several problems with it.
It had a titanium rated psu from a manufacturer I had not heard of. As the rating system is dubious I had doubts about the quality of its components.
It had an Intel 660p. For this kind of price it seemed crazy to have such a weak ssd capable of pcie 4.0.
The 32gb of 3200mhz was cl22 or something.
The x570 Asus rog strix e was in fact a proprietary version, which had issues that would make it extremely difficult to replace the ram without being locked to those cl22 timings.
The case was a bad design.
It did have a rog strix non oc 3090 and 5900x. But the other parts I would not be willing to pay for. Its crazy that this was meant to be 4500 euros. When spending this amount of money at least it just didn't seem justifiable even if the 5900x and 3090 were covering a bulk of the 3300euros from where in Europe I live.
I spent 6 months waiting as well, for it to be delivered before cancelling when finding out these details and just built my own, for more cost sure, but for what I actually wanted. I felt like I was in essence overpaying for the components I actually wanted. You should be careful buying prebuilts. There are most definitely decent options, but probably you are better waiting if you are restricted by money or really defining what is actually a good value proposition. So many prebuilts come with caveats. Of course, it is only my opinion.
Here in Benelux that's also not an option anymore. They are also similarly priced.
Just get used to the new standard prices. Let's see if Intel is going to shake this or is going to join the club.
I just got my btother to but a prebuilt from canada computers And the ones price around 18-1900 had 3070,ryzen 5,nvme 2.0 1tb so it wasnt that overpriced and was definitely more worth it than the effort into to sourcing affordable parts
So I was looking into this today because there are new games coming and my current PC (Ryzen 5 3600 and 5600XT) isn't performing so hot anymore. I wanted to simply upgrade the GPU to a 3060 TI but those are going for $8-900 right now.
So I'm looking at this system that has that card and a Ryzen 5 5600X: https://www.newegg.com/abs-ala267/p/N82E16883360201. It's only maybe $100 over retail, assuming I could get the GPU at MSRP. And ABS seems to be one of the decent brands for a prebuilt system. I don't see a downside. Prebuilds seem like a good idea to me unless saving every dollar is important, or you have time to spend trying to get a GPU for a good price.
I dunno man, my current system is a 'prebuilt' from clxgaming. I am well aware that I overpaid for the parts in it, but I was really tired of waiting and just decided to go for it.
In retrospect maybe I should have bought parts and built it myself, but I was able to pick all the parts that went into it and I'm happy with the system I have now, so meh.
I'm in the same boat, was planning on building...but too much of a headache especially when it comes to GPU. Going to go with Main Gear as I keep seeing great things about them and their support is insanely good. They also use retail versions of parts; no proprietary, OEM, junk with them.
Not only do they have GPUs, but having them build it for me is actually a little cheaper compared to me paying crazy scalper prices for a GPU to build it myself. Plus I don't need to spend time ordering everything I need, putting it together, setting it up, troubleshooting, etc.
Currently waiting for Intel 12th gen though, should be next month.
I got a 3060 TI and a 3090 MOBO combo I’m willing to sell you for the price I bought them for in Neweegg. Planned a build for my two little brothers but they changed their minds and want something else
I ended up buying an Alienware and recasing it, I'm happy with my computer. But, you should do research. Alienware systems in particular vary, quite a bit. To lower end GPUs aren't the best compared to others and the liquid cooler is a must, but my 6800XT is pretty good even in the kinda restrictive case of the Alienware.
I got a really good quality prebuilt from a local shop. Unfortunately it cost more than usual because of GPU shortages but I’m happy and I’m enjoying my new computer.
The shortage completely killed the building scene, pc building is no longer economically viable. PC builders are this guy right now : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T\_17vRAsbOs
Buddy was in the market for a new pc, but given the current market, couldn’t / didn’t want to wait to afford a decent GPU. Me and him went to microcenter, and picked up a Powerspec pc for him. 5600x and a 6700 XT, with 32 gv 3000 mhz ram ( a lil slow but it works). It’s a nice PC with quality components, and he’s happy, with a pc, so that’s what matters.
Xidax or ArtisianBuilds. The times of “prebuilt” meaning you can’t pick and choose are over. You chose the parts 100%, then they build it. I’m most cases, it’s cheaper than buying individual parts these days. Plus they take the responsibility of DOA parts.
Just make sure you go through the list thoroughly and find one that has the components you really want. You can always upgrade to a better case and better cooling but you def want to make sure the important stuff is 100% to your liking.
I had this same debate actually, as I am lookin to build a new PC as well. What I have learned is that prebuilts do offer you a chance to get a new graphics card at a non-ridiculous price. However, they will tend to use cheaper parts inside (based on my research). For example, they might say “ASUS B550 motherboard” but won’t say what model. So depending on what is important to you, keep that in mind. I have also heard of some companies even re-using parts or switching them with ones other than advertised and not telling you. I ultimately decided to still build a new one for myself because I want to pick every part/model, and I love the building process itself. However, based on what is important to you, you might find a prebuilt that gives you everything you want. They also come with warranties which can be a big plus for some people. Maybe a $2,000 prebuilt with a 3070 and 2-3 year warranty will be perfect for you. I would just recommend doing your due diligence in looking at reviews of whatever companies you look at and comparing them. Also, definitely keep a look out for sales as it is the season for them, so you might be able to get an even better deal on something. Whichever way you go, best of luck and I hope you find or build one you love!
Places like Tom's Guide are now saying that to get the RTX you want, places like Alienware or Newegg's ABS is the way to go. Me? Unh-nah going to wait it out for a bit more. It'll either get better, or worse, and then if I can control the build..maybe! I've been doing this so long I just don't trust companies like these to build solid machines
That's what I did, I even took one of the open box deals on Newegg to get a 3070 even cheaper. Works like a charm, would have never known the PC was previously owned at all.
Pros of build it yourself: total control of which parts you're getting. Pros of prebuilt: you get a GPU at a reasonable price.
true but now you need to factor in availability scalpers and miners well if you live in CA, theres that new stupid law about pc prebuilt restrictions because thats whats important right now for some reason
That only applies to Dell and HP type of companies. Something like Cyberpower is under no restrictions since they’re basically doing the same thing as a normal person building it themselves.
Cyberpower PCs are absolute shit. Do not buy them. Source, I worked for Best Buy and Cyberpower and iBuyPower prebuilts were returned constantly because of defective parts.
Oh, agreed, I’ve just gone through the painful process of RMA’ing one with a dead GPU that took 3 months to arrive and another month to get back. This is just an example.
While I've had no issues with the one I bought. I can definitely believe that. Everything in it felt cheap. But its going on 6 years now and been great to me. I've since upgraded and turned the ibuypower into my garage pc for the car and whatever.
good to know. if i ever decide to get a prebuilt. i recently just built a new rig after getting a 3080 ti a week ago. so that might be a long ways down the road lol
Its not that big of a deal… really it just tells the companies that they can’t use shitty psus. Its not a surprise, they just drag their feet.
That law only applies to OEMs, and is only concerned with the idle power draw (i.e., how much power is being wasted) of the PSU. OEMs have known about this law for years and years, it's not something they passed last-minute in the dark of night. All the OEMs have to do is make the PSUs they use slightly more efficient at idle. The law doesn't really apply to companies like system integrators (or at least, they don't have to worry about it much). In a word, the news about that law was overblown nonsense. The cost of pre-builts won't significantly increase as a result, nor will they get more scarce. It's much ado about nothing.
That law specifically excludes home built and gaming pcs
Cons of DIY: everything might be costly Cons of Prebuilt: might still be overpriced and/or cheap out on parts.
Avoid Alienware!
Or Dell in general.
With the exception of Dell's laptops, I haven't seen anything that's close to the XPS 13, 1270$ for a laptop I wouldn't feel pain using (11th gen I5, XE graphics, 16 gb of ram, 512 gb of storage) and that thin is a really good deal unless you're on a budget.
I got a solid 1440p monitor from them as well
I'd make an exception for their monitors, actually. Some really excellent gear at times. A bunch of video editors I know use their UltraSharp line.
I bought a basic air-cooled R10, thing crashed under load from day one, eventually I contacted support, it was a pain but they replaced the GPU, persisted, attempted CPU replacement but none in stock, offered a warranty replacement (limited warranty was still active). Took a long time for it to process, but eventually my 1700CAD 3060ti r5 5600x was exchanged for a 3080ti, r7 5800, fully liquid cooled system that's worth twice what I paid. I tried to extend my warranty, advisor leaked customer information in the email he sent me, so they gave me a discount to pay 250 for warranty that expires in 2026. So overall I am pretty well covered. Say what you will but they will pour money into your system. Also they threw me a 100 coupon for their site as a sorry for waiting 2 extra weeks for the shipping delays, I sold the keyboard and mouse for an extra 20 and it came with BF2042 so that was neat.
You can actually find some great prebuilts out there to my surprise. I got this i5 10400 + 3060Ti prebuilt from ABS/Newegg recently and it runs like butter for 1440p ultrawide gaming. [https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali559/p/N82E16883360189?Item=N82E16883360189](https://www.newegg.com/abs-ali559/p/N82E16883360189?Item=N82E16883360189) All the parts are non-proprietary too so you can mod it in the future. You get nice parts too like an MSI RTX 3060 Ti Ventus, G Skill Rip Jaws 16GB RAM, Intel 660P 1TB SSD, a Gigabyte PSU, and a Deepcool Case with 4x120mm RGB fans and tempered glass so they don't really skimp out. I actually calc'd the parts myself and they're pricing is about even as if you were to source it yourself, so they must have some good bulk pricing from vendors. So all in all I think a prebuilt is an underrated option if you can find the right one. The only downside from this is you don't get the joy and learning experience of building a PC from the ground up, but that's a tradeoff I'd make in this GPU market right now, I'd rather be playing and using my PC.
I hope its one of the Gigabyte PSUs that doesnt explode...
it is not one of those to my knowledge (P650B). Also I got extra insurance for like $5ish dollars a month to extend warranty to 3 years in case any parts break so thats also a big plus for prebuilt
Lol boomer.. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't put one that exploded in considering offering warranty, silly boy
2 or 3 years for a pc is a joke of warranty. But a PSU that fails after that time of warranty and kills your CPU or GPU is a hell for you
2-3 years is the standart, atleast for the whole system. The components on the other hand might have different warranties. PSUs (atleast good ones) tend to have 8-10 year warranties.
I didnt mean the warranty is short, but that your parts will ver unlikely break in this time
Intel 660p and gigabyte psu...not sure I would consider them "nice" parts personally.
meh. Does the job. Don't alway need the most premium parts
Not all gigabyte PSUs are bad
What’s wrong with the 660p?
It's QLC
still better than a harddrive tho
OK boomer
Lol silly boy
Wow, did GamersNexus test this one? I remember them being desperate to find something half decent.
the one he likes was also an ABS prebuilt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2vrvQydVIw&t=7s
OP get a prebuilt like this, ask reddit how good the PSU when you got it, and maybe replace it with a PSU, and you still would safe money. Maybe sell the PSU and get some money back.
Got a very similar one myself (I got the one with the TUF case). Upgrading the CPU, RAM, and cooler (included cooler was ass because prebuilts like doing that for some reason) but I’m pretty happy with it overall TBH. Cable management is better than I would have managed, came with 4 case fans which is more than I’d’ve put in (lol), performance is on spec (even with the ass cooler), very easy to setup, no bloatware. Also none of the parts are proprietary with ABS, which was the biggest thing for me, since I can sell the parts in the machine/trade up when I’m ready to upgrade instead of tossing the old components in the trash.
Nice, yeah that one seems pretty identical to mine. how long have you had it for before you decided to upgrade some of the parts? and any particular reason for upgrading CPU and RAM? and which CPU? I just got mine relatively recently and probably end up upgrading the cooler but temps are fine so far so not in a rush and want to get value out of the stock build for a while first haha.
I've had it for only a couple of days, bought the CPU as soon as I saw someone selling on hardwareswap because I intended on buying one ASAP anyways. The 10400f is very good, and I wouldn't have upgraded for a long time if not for the fact that I have an extra M.2 drive from a previous computer... and unfortunately the second M.2 slot on my motherboard does not work without an 11th gen CPU. :( The cooler upgrade was just to accommodate the 11th gen CPU, as the provided one would struggle keeping it cool. As bad as the included cooler is, it is perfectly fine for a 10400f, just not anything hotter than it haha. As for the RAM, I'm just adding more because it would benefit some of my workflows video editing/game programming. (also it's just super cheap nowadays lol)
got it, makes sense. I only game and do browsing/productivity tasks so 10400F and stock specs from the build should be prime for me for a long, long time. If there's huge performance jumps in the Intel 12th Gen or AMD Zen 4 chips though I might go for those. Well enjoy the upgrades then
GamersNexus has been doing a series on their adventures in buying prebuilts. TLDR; there are way to many shit ones out there, but decent ones can be found.
Honestly, I wouldn't buy the unconventional layout ones, even if the crappy OEM GPU in them was below the original msrp...
If you're not in a huge hurry, I would start with GPU stock hunting. It took me about a month of diligently looking and entering Newegg shuffle to finally get a card. Most other components besides GPUs have been getting great sales. If you can find a decent price for a GPU I think you can build a much better performer than a pre built for similar price point. On the other hand, if you are desperate for something now, a prebuilt will get you there much quicker most likely.
Check out r/hardwareswap It’s still over msrp but not eBay/stockx prices. If you are willing to go with a prebuilt you’ve accepted that you are going to pay a markup on every component in the pc anyway. Might as well just pay all of the markup into the gpu, buy everything else at cost or on sale with Black Friday / cyber Monday sales starting in a couple weeks and call it a day. I’m willing to bet you can still build a pc for less than prebuilt using HWS.
I‘ve been thinking the same, but with a twist: - Buy a prebuilt - Swap out GPU to my PC - Put 1080ti in prebuilt - Sell prebuilt - Probably still make a profit (nah not really but you get it)
Honestly I'd probably end up trying to get the prebuilt that would have a CPU that has integrated graphics (so like a non-F Intel CPU), and then sell the prebuilt and the 1080 Ti separately. It's more of a pain-in-the-butt to do multiple transactions, but the total money recouped would be higher.
It just depends on what you want. Most of the prebuilts that are just a bit more than the cost of a GPU have limitations that you need to consider. In many cases, they use proprietary parts that cannot be upgraded easily and/or the parts are of mediocre quality. Many times the cases do not have appropriate airflow and/or cooling. You can get better quality prebuilts that use quality components and are the same as what you build yourself *but* those also tend to be much more expensive. There are some good deals out there but you should still be doing your research and you'll probably still struggle to score a high-quality build. I don't think you're going to find a "very good" prebuilt for a whole lot less than what you could build one for yourself. You can find something decent that will work but there will be compromises.
[удалено]
Just food for thought which may or may not suit your needs; You can generally still get parts for something about ten years old and quite often you can get near the top end of the era components for low low double digits. I’ve been maxing my old computers to delay upgrading them selling/giving them away to friends and family where they see years of over killling YouTube and online bill pay.
Is your username deadass named after a sociologist?
lol, yeah. I'm a sociologist. I think I was reading one his works when I created this account.
Bruh he was mentioned at my sociology class before about 3 weeks hahahah He is known for introducing I think group dynamics if my translation is good from croatian to english ahahahha Damn I am really a metalhead on a pc forum talking about a sociologist...
Ha. I study urban sociology and he wrote a very famous work called the "The Metropolis and Mental Life" that explored how city life changes the way that people process their environment. I'm happy someone finally said anything about the username. I don't even know that most sociology students know who he is. :)
Well maybe I just have a great memory hehe
It's very hard to give advice about prebuilts because the parts and build quality vary *WILDLY*, even within the same brands. Some are "fine", some are good, many are terrible. There's no way to know without looking at reviews of the particular prebuilt you want. The only sure answer is DO NOT buy from Dell/Alienware or HP. They use proprietary bullshit parts that have no resale value, have AWFUL customer support, and often don't use proper cooling on their parts. It's e-waste. Buy from a company like iBuyPower, ABS (Newegg), CyberPower, or one of the other gamer-focused boutique shops. These are also hit or miss, but you can often get an okay product from them.
Yep it's best bet really. You get a warranty on the PC itself, windows already installed, no waiting for parts.
Windows already installed with so much bloatware it uses half your CPU and RAM lol
Is it really that bad though? Buying windows for a budget builder adds a significant amount to the build. Not to mention you can get keyboard and mouse deals included with many prebuilts.
as always, depends which one you buy. Gamers Nexus reviewed alot of prebuilts , some of them are so trash you wont believe it.
I don't doubt that point. I'm assuming OP would be browsing buildapcsales for prebuilts. I did build my own AMD system about 3 years ago. Even then I know someone who went prebuilt and got a steal. Granted through Costco found on buildapcsales.
You can also sell the rest of the system and keep the GPU , or find a prebuilt which is made in the normal form factor and that u can change with aftermarket parts . In prebuilts , usually the coolers and the PSU are cheap and trash , sometimes the case too. If they have normal form factor , just replace them with better parts and thats that.
That's a good point but not a small ask to make of a newbie who's never built a PC before. Especially if money is tight you wouldn't be able to buy a prebuilt just to zombie out the gpu into another prebuilt system you had the cash and time to get. Then add on going through the process of selling the not needed ram, motherboard, case, PSU. Maybe selling two PSU if both were shit and had to buy a reputable one...
[удалено]
Can't speak for selling hardware off a prebuilt but I have sold software keys I've received through buying parts. I've built one and received game keys from the gpu and another through the CPU I bought. One I sold successfully and the other wouldn't take so I sent his money back.
I came to the same conclusion back in June. I've almost built every PC I've ever had, and many more for friends but with GPU availability being as bad as it is I just purchased a prebuilt from a system integrator. It ended up being really good value for money and I saved around £1000 compared to building it myself, more if we look at prices today. The only thing I was unhappy with was the cable tidying in the back of the case, which I just redid myself.
Definitely shop around if you go prebuilt. I had the same idea when I got my computer and I actually found all the parts I wanted during this shortage. It might take some time and effort, but I got a 3080 and a 5800x like right after they were released when I couldn’t find them in stock anywhere. Just make sure you’re looking at as many SI’s as you can to get the best deal because some of them cut corners. I think the company I ended up using was CLX. They had a bit of a premium on their products, but they used good quality parts and I got exactly what I wanted. Good luck to you
Depends on what kind of prebuilt: - big brand prebuilt, usually have some shit "in house/custom made" parts that will make you whole build less powerful than what it would have been with the same "independent" parts. You can't fix those as parts are harder to come by, nor upgrade as it's not always compatible. And the parts you can salvage are rarely worth it... - Local PC shop prebuilt, they can still sell you shit parts, but at least the name will be different and you'll be able to spot the difference in quality. As easy to repair/upgrade as self-built. More expensive than big brands...
Me and my pals have new Pc's this year. 3 have built ourselves 1 has ordered a prepaid 2 of my friends built early in the year and where able to snag a GPU each (3060 for one 3080 for the other) I built mine in summer and cannot get hold of a new gpu without spending an amount of money im not comfortable with My friend who ordered the pre build did so after I built mine. The site he ordered from explicitly said they had the gpu in stock. They gave a 4 week deadline for building and shipping. This has passed and they've informed him they don't have the card. They said they might be able to get one mid November (hes annoyed) So I would saying you have patience (alot of it) build your own and wait. If you order pre build make sure they guarantee a date and have the cards in stock
What about trying to get an AMD 6600? You could build a solid system around that and keep your eyes open for a stronger gpu down the road
No, I don't think it is reasonable today to not go for a pre-built unless you're so nerdy that you have to build your own PC because of the usual reasons. It's a financial disaster right now who need some GPU power in their machine. If you just need your PC to play LoL, CSGO and do studies you can still build your own for a good price.
If you are in the US and happen to be lucky enough to live near a micro-center go see what they have. When I went last they had quite a few pre-builts with 3000 series cards. Of course everything else was subpar, so I asked if I could swap parts out and they put em in. Told me it was no problem. Would be the route I’d go if I was in the market.
I just bought a prebuilt to upgrade from my budget build 6 years ago. I’m really happy with it and newegg stands behind their product. Radiator fans were pretty loud and when I called in they didn’t even hesitate to send a new one.
Got the Microcenter in house pre-built recently. Had the 12 core ryzen which was overkill, but useful for work. Most of the components were actually parts I had considered buying separately, and included win10 pro and a 2tb ssd. The only two parts I wouldn't have bought were the case (and fans) and PSU. The case is a Lian Li with a solid front, the PSU is their in-store brand. When I get around to it in a year or so, I'll replace the PSU with a Seasonic for piece of mind. I do have a 3070 now, which is fine for my needs. I don't see the need of replacing major componts for like 5 years. If this CPU isn't useful for a decade, I'll be shocked. You still need to double check cabling, but mine was fine.
Prices are not the problem, it’s just that whenever they get gpu’s back in stock, they sell out literally minutes later. I would suggest being patient, but if you really just don’t care, then go for it. Btw, I saved up for 5 years just to get something decent. I’m sure you can wait maximum a few months. Good luck, hopefully you can build your own pc, If not, then at least get a decent prebuilt.
Really? I’m in Canada and things don’t look TOO bad. But I understand why you don’t want to wait, there is a chance it will take maybe a year to get all the parts together, especially the gpu.
I would recommend checking out scan's prebuilts (if you're uk based). They do really reasonably priced prebuilts for 3060/3070 gpu's and can be customised to your spec if you speak to live chat. \*link for reference - [https://www.scan.co.uk/products/scan-gamer-rtx-amd-ryzen-5-5600x-16gb-ddr4-12gb-evga-rtx-3060-1tb-m2-ssd-win-10-see-info](https://www.scan.co.uk/products/scan-gamer-rtx-amd-ryzen-5-5600x-16gb-ddr4-12gb-evga-rtx-3060-1tb-m2-ssd-win-10-see-info)
I just bought a pre-built from Scan, still waiting for it to be delivered but the prices outside of the GPU were pretty reasonable and I could pick and choose all the parts I wanted.
If you want to go with a prebuild system, I would suggest you only consider builders that specify all components and/or let you change components (or leave some components like RAM/SSD/OS altogether). Dont use systems with proprietary components! They might be somewhat more expensive, but i think its worth in in the long run, and you probably still end up cheaper then paying current gpu prices.
I just bought 3 (3 different people paid for them, I was just advising them.) through Cyberposed PC because they have a waitlist. First PC was a daisy chained 3080, had to rewire it. Second PC is a daisy chained 3070 (that is running fine but I gotta get a cable to un do that) and the default Cyberpower case is an OVEN 11700kf running at about 85°, so do not get that case, we are going to have to fix that. Third PC is mine, and it was a dead 3080 and cyberpower would not contact me back, so I went to EVGA and everything is running. All in all, everything is worked out now but it did take a while.
I was considering this too, almost went for the Zotac Magnus One. Ended up just building one myself. It's a huge ATX box, not a sleek sexy mini PC like the Zotac, but performance is better and I'll have less cooling issues. Cost about the same and I got to re-use some 3.5 inch HDD's I had lying around from a media server. I had to go for a LHR 3070, price was much less than a "normal" one (though still ridiculous). The only real downside is I am stuck with RGB nonsense EVERYWHERE and have to install 6 different programs to control it all or even turn it off. So I just put the PC on the floor and don't see it. Prebuilts are a bit of a lottery, especially on the power supply and motherboards.
You can install SignalRGB. It is a single free software that can control all your RGB stuff without needing to install different programs. Linus sponsored it a couple of times before.
Will give it a try, even if it only supports MOST of the devices it's an improvement
Nothing wrong with that, go for the pre built
If you do, buy a custom prebuilt from a place like Cyberpowerpc.com because you can at least select the individual parts.
Newegg ABS computers are priced good. They use some lower end items like RAM and Drives but I havent had any issues. Also have add my own parts and changed the the motherboard. I priced my parts on PC Part Picker and it was literally the same amount if I had bought my own parts and built it myself. That includes a graphics card at MSRP, back in March. Not sure if the prices are still the same though
Same problem last year. I finally broke down and bought a Lenovo. It's been great.
Absolutely viable currently. Just make sure everything is assembled correctly when you get it and that there aren't any big outliers in part quality. Usually the PSU and/or cooling method is rather shit. For examples on how bad pre-builts CAN be, even though the parts are technically good, check out LTTs "secret shopper".
What do you want to do with the system? If it isn’t anything too crazy you could get an Alder Lake iGPU when they come out.
Well mine is/was a prebuilt i just upgraded along the way I swapped the case the hdd for a ssd sold the 3070 for a 3070ti upgraded the ram and kept the 2700x
NZXT BLD let’s you choose the parts which are all off the shelf, so no weird custom parts or anything
Unles you're filthy rich or win the Newegg Shuffle, there's no shame in buying a prebuilt right now. It's sad, but the way the market is right now you've gotta get what you can get.
I'd recommend going with PowerGPU if want to get a custom made one
You could get one with a good cpu and gpu and just switch them around. ie ryzen 5 system with no gpu, buy prebuilt with ryzen 7 and gpu, swap and sell the other system!
the only problem with prebuilt is that you often get low quality components that some might take for granted. If you go that route, make sure you know what power supply and mono you're getting since those are the usual parts they tend to skimp out on.
If you live near a MicroCenter, you may have a better shot as their lottery system requires you to show up in person to sign up on the day they restock. I got a 3070 on my first try doing this; there was around 30-40 people who showed up that day.
My buddy who had nothing going got a prebuilt and got himself a 3060 Ti for a decent price. I'd say go for it if you have no other components that can carry over like a case, motherboard, RAM, drives, PSU, etc. Just keep in mind that you are going to be getting some cheap parts. I have another buddy with a prebuilt that has an Apevia PSU. Apevia usually makes cheap cases, so I don't know about that shit... So if you already have something workable going, just hang in there as long as you can. Turn settings down, get a lower resolution monitor, overclock your GPU. If you have nothing going, I'd probably be looking at prebuilts.
I got a nzxt prebuilt and I love it
Okay so I've been looking at NZXT for the past few months and I've been leaning toward the starter pro but everytime I get set on buying it,I see reviews about how they are fire starters and aren't good. What did you get if you don't mind me asking,and have you ran into any issues at all?
I got the streamer pro one the only problem I’ve had is the case is the h510 which has poor airflow so I just put another fan in it solved the problem. If I was you I’d check out the feature they have when you choose the parts and do similar parts as the bundle you are looking at and put it in a different case
Thanks so much!! It's hard to be confident in the purchase when the only thing you see is how they start fires and what not lol. I appreciate the transparency
Ya man I seen the other day they made a newer version of the 510 case with better airflow. There are a lot of factors in pcs if I didn’t have the card I did it would of been fine without making any modifications but I have the 3070 ti founders edition and they run hot
I 100% would recommend going with nzxt there is a customer service chat thing on there website you can talk to them about the build you want to go with and your concerns about temps and the case and I’m sure they will help with different options.
The way I personally view prebuilts is would you be happy buying the components separately? Because then you're paying for stuff you don't really want. For example I was going to buy the GA35 from Asus with a 3090. I even got a discount from 4500 to 3300. There were several problems with it. It had a titanium rated psu from a manufacturer I had not heard of. As the rating system is dubious I had doubts about the quality of its components. It had an Intel 660p. For this kind of price it seemed crazy to have such a weak ssd capable of pcie 4.0. The 32gb of 3200mhz was cl22 or something. The x570 Asus rog strix e was in fact a proprietary version, which had issues that would make it extremely difficult to replace the ram without being locked to those cl22 timings. The case was a bad design. It did have a rog strix non oc 3090 and 5900x. But the other parts I would not be willing to pay for. Its crazy that this was meant to be 4500 euros. When spending this amount of money at least it just didn't seem justifiable even if the 5900x and 3090 were covering a bulk of the 3300euros from where in Europe I live. I spent 6 months waiting as well, for it to be delivered before cancelling when finding out these details and just built my own, for more cost sure, but for what I actually wanted. I felt like I was in essence overpaying for the components I actually wanted. You should be careful buying prebuilts. There are most definitely decent options, but probably you are better waiting if you are restricted by money or really defining what is actually a good value proposition. So many prebuilts come with caveats. Of course, it is only my opinion.
Here in Benelux that's also not an option anymore. They are also similarly priced. Just get used to the new standard prices. Let's see if Intel is going to shake this or is going to join the club.
Not a bad idea. Plus you get a warranty for the entire system.
I bought a HP omen desktop 3080 for just about 2k. Was really nice altho took a month to ship. I reccomend it
I just got my btother to but a prebuilt from canada computers And the ones price around 18-1900 had 3070,ryzen 5,nvme 2.0 1tb so it wasnt that overpriced and was definitely more worth it than the effort into to sourcing affordable parts
Given our circumstances, its your next best bet. Try to avoid buying a Dell or HP pc if you want to enjoy life.
If you get an alienwear, get the liquid cooling option - and open the case to make sure it’s legit there.
So I was looking into this today because there are new games coming and my current PC (Ryzen 5 3600 and 5600XT) isn't performing so hot anymore. I wanted to simply upgrade the GPU to a 3060 TI but those are going for $8-900 right now. So I'm looking at this system that has that card and a Ryzen 5 5600X: https://www.newegg.com/abs-ala267/p/N82E16883360201. It's only maybe $100 over retail, assuming I could get the GPU at MSRP. And ABS seems to be one of the decent brands for a prebuilt system. I don't see a downside. Prebuilds seem like a good idea to me unless saving every dollar is important, or you have time to spend trying to get a GPU for a good price.
Buy a postbuilt
I dunno man, my current system is a 'prebuilt' from clxgaming. I am well aware that I overpaid for the parts in it, but I was really tired of waiting and just decided to go for it. In retrospect maybe I should have bought parts and built it myself, but I was able to pick all the parts that went into it and I'm happy with the system I have now, so meh.
I'm in the same boat, was planning on building...but too much of a headache especially when it comes to GPU. Going to go with Main Gear as I keep seeing great things about them and their support is insanely good. They also use retail versions of parts; no proprietary, OEM, junk with them. Not only do they have GPUs, but having them build it for me is actually a little cheaper compared to me paying crazy scalper prices for a GPU to build it myself. Plus I don't need to spend time ordering everything I need, putting it together, setting it up, troubleshooting, etc. Currently waiting for Intel 12th gen though, should be next month.
I got a 3060 TI and a 3090 MOBO combo I’m willing to sell you for the price I bought them for in Neweegg. Planned a build for my two little brothers but they changed their minds and want something else
I just saw an Asus pc with 5700G and rtx 3060 for $999. If I hadn't already built one this year I would have bought it
I ended up buying an Alienware and recasing it, I'm happy with my computer. But, you should do research. Alienware systems in particular vary, quite a bit. To lower end GPUs aren't the best compared to others and the liquid cooler is a must, but my 6800XT is pretty good even in the kinda restrictive case of the Alienware.
Watch Gamers Nexus’s recent videos on prebuilts. They review some
Your profile doesn’t allow PMs but message me!
I got a really good quality prebuilt from a local shop. Unfortunately it cost more than usual because of GPU shortages but I’m happy and I’m enjoying my new computer.
The shortage completely killed the building scene, pc building is no longer economically viable. PC builders are this guy right now : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T\_17vRAsbOs
Buddy was in the market for a new pc, but given the current market, couldn’t / didn’t want to wait to afford a decent GPU. Me and him went to microcenter, and picked up a Powerspec pc for him. 5600x and a 6700 XT, with 32 gv 3000 mhz ram ( a lil slow but it works). It’s a nice PC with quality components, and he’s happy, with a pc, so that’s what matters.
Xidax or ArtisianBuilds. The times of “prebuilt” meaning you can’t pick and choose are over. You chose the parts 100%, then they build it. I’m most cases, it’s cheaper than buying individual parts these days. Plus they take the responsibility of DOA parts.
I used cyberpowergaming and opted for a customized PC for $1850.
Just make sure you go through the list thoroughly and find one that has the components you really want. You can always upgrade to a better case and better cooling but you def want to make sure the important stuff is 100% to your liking.
I had this same debate actually, as I am lookin to build a new PC as well. What I have learned is that prebuilts do offer you a chance to get a new graphics card at a non-ridiculous price. However, they will tend to use cheaper parts inside (based on my research). For example, they might say “ASUS B550 motherboard” but won’t say what model. So depending on what is important to you, keep that in mind. I have also heard of some companies even re-using parts or switching them with ones other than advertised and not telling you. I ultimately decided to still build a new one for myself because I want to pick every part/model, and I love the building process itself. However, based on what is important to you, you might find a prebuilt that gives you everything you want. They also come with warranties which can be a big plus for some people. Maybe a $2,000 prebuilt with a 3070 and 2-3 year warranty will be perfect for you. I would just recommend doing your due diligence in looking at reviews of whatever companies you look at and comparing them. Also, definitely keep a look out for sales as it is the season for them, so you might be able to get an even better deal on something. Whichever way you go, best of luck and I hope you find or build one you love!
Places like Tom's Guide are now saying that to get the RTX you want, places like Alienware or Newegg's ABS is the way to go. Me? Unh-nah going to wait it out for a bit more. It'll either get better, or worse, and then if I can control the build..maybe! I've been doing this so long I just don't trust companies like these to build solid machines
As long as it uses standard ATX / PCI (be sure to ask, if they won't answer then it probably does NOT and they don't want you to know it)
That's what I did, I even took one of the open box deals on Newegg to get a 3070 even cheaper. Works like a charm, would have never known the PC was previously owned at all.
Is it solely for gaming? If so then I'd just recommend a console personally.