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One of the biggest debates in the gaming world is the question of whether it’s better to build or buy a gaming PC. These days it seems like most gamers would recommend you build your own, but are the benefits of customisation and lower costs worth the time and effort? If you’re looking to invest in your first gaming PC, it can be a hard decision between building your own PC or buying one, especially as there are clear pros and cons to both.
Ultimately, it comes down to three things: your personal preference, how much money you’re willing to spend and how much time you have. There’s a lot to think about so in order to make your decision a little easier, here’s a breakdown of some things to think about when choosing to build or buy your next gaming PC.
Building a gaming PC
Deciding to build your own gaming PC is the more challenging option especially if you don’t have any experience with hardware components. You need to have enough spare time to be able to dedicate yourself to researching and looking for your specific components. You’ll also need at least a few hours to build the PC while expecting to run into some unforeseeable problems. However, it’s much easier than it used to be as nowadays you can find lots of helpful articles and information online to guide you through the process. Although it might be a daunting prospect to take the reins and build your own rig, there are some great advantages!
Customisation: With a pre-built PC, you’re limited to what designs and parts are available at the time or what the company gives you. Whereas, with your own custom build you can choose exactly what parts go into your system and design the PC for your specific needs. Building gives you a lot more freedom to really fine-tune your build and customise it to your specific preference. Although it will take longer and will be more of a challenge, the result will be a build that is unique to you and something you can be proud of!
Cost: If you’re on a budget and looking to save some money, building your own PC can be a huge advantage. By choosing your own parts, you can shop around to find the best prices and avoid the added cost of paying for expensive parts that you don’t need. By building the PC yourself, you also save on the premium cost of labour that comes with buying a pre-built system. If you’re really budget conscious you can even buy used parts and build a budget powerhouse!
Knowing your own system: Building your own PC will increase your knowledge of all the basics of computer hardware which is a great skill to have. It also means that you know the system inside-out, therefore if something goes wrong, you won’t need to pick up the phone to call tech support since you can pinpoint the problem yourself. Having that knowledge about your own system will prove invaluable if a component stops working or you want to upgrade your system.
However, it’s important to remember that building your PC will come with its own challenges. Putting together your own gaming PC will take a few hours at best, even longer once you’ve put in the hours researching and waiting for your parts. There’s also the likelihood that you will run into problems during the build and must spend more time fixing what went wrong. Warranty is another challenge as sourcing the components yourself means that all your parts will have different warranties and you might run into issues in the future. If you buy used, there’s a chance that it won’t come with any warranty at all. However, if you have the time and patience to really dedicate yourself to building your own PC, it’ll give you a sense of pride over a build that is completely made by you, for you. #BuiltNotBought
Buying a gaming PC
If you’re someone that doesn’t have the extra time to sit and build your own gaming PC, don’t feel bad for buying. Buying a PC shouldn’t be seen as an easy way out. It just depends on what you see as the best use of your money and time. Although it might cost you more money, there are some great benefits to buying a pre-built gaming PC!
It’s done for you: When you buy a pre-built system, everything is done for you. From finding the components to checking their compatibility, to turning the PC on and making sure everything works, it’s all done by the company. For people who don’t know much about computer parts, buying a gaming PC removes the stress and chances of something going wrong. Also, for people with busy schedules, you save yourself a lot of time by buying a pre-built system.
Warranty: The cost of buying a PC is for more than just parts. Spending that extra money also means that you get the added benefit of a warranty on the entire build. This means that if you ever have any issues, the company will be able to repair it for you. For people who aren’t familiar with the workings of a PC, this warranty and reliability will be vital if your PC ever stops working.
However, the cost of a pre-built system is likely to be higher than the cost of building your own PC. You’re paying for the labour of those building your system, and someone to do all the compatibility checks and testing for you. It’s also a lot harder to customise your own system as the manufacturer will be using the parts available to them. If you’re looking for a specific look or a specific component to be featured, buying a PC probably isn’t the route for you. But if you have the extra money to spend, you will be saving yourself time and have the reassurance that your build will be working and ready to go.
The bottom line is that it’s completely up to you whether you build or buy your gaming PC. Would you prefer a system that you built and customised or a system that someone else built but is guaranteed to work? Both methods achieve the same goal but take different paths getting there. It’s a very personal decision, so you need to decide what works best for you. These days many gamers choose to build their own so they can ensure they have the best components and the best performing rig for their gaming experience. But you can also get some high-performance pre-built systems for great value with the option to customise or upgrade later down the road.
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