Prebuilt PC vs building your own: Which is better?

When it comes to getting a new gaming PC, you have two options: Build your own or buy a Prebuilt Gaming PC that’s already been put together. Both options have their pros and cons, so we’re going to take a look at both approaches to getting a gaming PC, and see which one is best for you, if there even is a “best” here.

To do this as evenly as possible, we’re going to break it down into a few categories and see how each option compares. As it’s 2024, we’ll start with the most pressing of concerns: Price.

On the surface, this seems like an easy win for building your own PC, and yes, it’s technically cheaper to build your own PC. Just buy all the bits individually, wait for it all to get delivered and then build it.

This way, the only money you spend is for the actual parts, however, for the uninitiated, this is far easier said than done. There are options like our PC Builder and PCPartPicker that make it a lot easier, but these still require some pre-existing knowledge that not everyone is going to have.

If you’re a tech-head, avid DIY enthusiast, or Redditor, perhaps the time it takes to learn about it all is worth it, but some people just want to get a great PC and play games. This means that the time needed to research the process can be worth less than the additional cost of buying a pre-built.

That additional cost, though, where does that come from? Well, you’re paying for the components, the shipping, and of course someone to assemble it for you. Also, there’s going to be an additional premium to make it worthwhile for the company that’s selling it.

However, it’s not all added costs just to get something you could make yourself. The price almost always includes extended tech support and a warranty, which is valuable in our next section, Support:

The importance of support is directly proportional to your personal confidence, and indeed competence when it comes to building and maintaining a PC. Professionals with multiple builds under their belt will be able to draw on their years of experience to fix most problems and have the knowledge to know where help can be found.

If you build the computer yourself, and the components themselves aren’t defective, then it’s your own responsibility to fix the issues. Again, less of a problem for those of us who have been doing it for years, but potentially problematic for first-timers, which is why a pre-built is a more reassuring option.

Depending on where you buy the prebuilt PC, there’s usually a warranty and long-lasting tech support. This means that you have an easy and reliable point of contact and if they can’t fix the issue, they will often swap out the problem components or might even replace the system entirely.

Yes, it sounds like a silly subject for a section, but it’s well worth considering, as it’s probably the main reason lots of people get into the hobby. Building a PC is fun. It's reminiscent of the childhood experiences of completing Lego, Meccano, and Airfix sets. Aside from the fun, fiddly, and admittedly often infuriating process itself, there’s something else you get, too.

By the end of the build, not only do you get a shiny new gaming PC, you also get the knowledge and satisfaction of knowing that you did it yourself. You can look through the side panel and see your very own handiwork. We can also confirm that people unfamiliar with computers will literally consider you some kind of technological god when you tell them that you can build a PC. Whether you choose to humble yourself by explaining the relative simplicity of building a PC to them, is up to you.

Unsurprisingly, we strongly recommend building your own PC. Of course, this is preaching to the choir for those of you who have built a PC before. However, for the people out there who are looking into getting a new gaming PC, but unsure if building it is a good idea, we say with absolute conviction that it is.

It’s cheaper, it’s fun, and you get to learn about technology as you build, and the satisfaction/bragging rights we mentioned earlier really do taste sweet.

When it comes to part selection, that’s up to you, but once you’ve chosen a GPU, CPU, and Motherboard, why not hop over our main website, as we make everything else you need to complete your PC build.

We also offer a range of DIY PC Built Kits (note: only available in the USA) to take the stress out of building your own PC with hand-picked parts and detailed instructions. Get everything you need to build your own PC in one convenient kit!

Alternatively, if you simply want a powerful machine built by professionals, check out our range of pre-built gaming PCs.