I have zero experience on building them aside from connecting the wires and HDMI ports. I do indeed have a good PC with a 3060 graphics card, but I find it tempting to upgrade it to a 4090 and expand the storage, but I do not want to go into the hassle of simply upgrading it because I have no experience and YouTube tutorials are still confusing as hell.

I’ve got a $2,500–$3,000 budget for a prebuilt gaming PC, but honestly I’m starting to think spending that much is kind of a scam.. most “high-end” pre-builts in this range seem like overpriced RGB boxes with mid-tier parts, insane markups, and specs that barely outperform rigs $800 cheaper. Is there actually a prebuilt out there that’s worth this kind of money, or is the whole $3K prebuilt market just hype?

Currently I am looking at these pre-builts companies:

• CyberPowerPC

• iBUYPOWER

• MSI Codex

Thanks in advance for any recommendation or tips!

So I don’t know if I’m allowed to ask a question like this on here or in the simple questions thread because I didn’t get a response on the simple questions thread, so If it’s not allowed let me know.

Anyways, I’ve been researching for the best quality pre-builds I can find, and I’m seeing that two of the most talked about pre-built pcs are the ABS Cyclone Aqua and pretty much any of the CyberPower PCs. Although every one I’ve heard of has mixed reviews(obviously) so I don’t know if those two I mentioned are even actually good. And btw, I am indeed dead set on getting a Pre-Built, so I won’t be changing my mind. Anyways, if anyone has an opinion on what some of the top brands for Pre-Built PCs are PLEASE let me know.

P.S. feel free to list any PC that you feel is good quality with good customer service, my budget is flexible.

Before you say to build your own- I am way too disorganized to do that effectively.

I have been looking at prebuilt gaming pc’s but it’s very confusing for me. It’s hard to tell for me, what specs I would need for the games that I want to play? I’m currently saving money so my budget is anywhere from $1500-3000. I don’t need anything super top of the line, but I still want something good- you know what I mean? I’m not a hardcore gamer, but I do like to game a lot. I’d also like to be able to mod games as well. Aesthetics aren’t important. Luckily i’m not into a lot of AAA games, mostly indie. I’ll list some games I’d like to be able to play.

• BG3

• Terraria

• SDV

• Plate up

• Phasmophobia

• Minecraft (moreso modded)

• Subnautica

• Fez

• Hades

• Palworld

I had a laptop (mistakes were made) that I used to be able to play some of these on, but it’s gone kaput recently. I learned my lesson lol

So, this question has been asked a lot in our subreddit. To resolve it once for an all, I have compiled a list of Best Prebuilt Gaming PCs in 2024. I will keep on updating this with new choices as per other Reddit users comments.

1. Skytech Gaming Nebula

2. CyberPowerPC Gaming Xtreme

3. Alienware Aurora R15

4. iBuyPower Y40

5. Lenovo Legion T5

6. SKytech Gaming Archangle

7. Corsair Vengeance

8. Skytech Gaming Azure

9. Alienware Aurora R16

10. HP Omen 16

These are some best prebuilt gaming PC as suggested by other Reddit users in various subreddits. If you have more in mind, please mention them in the comments below.

Hello everyone, I'm in the market for a solid prebuilt gaming PC and was hoping to get some recommendations. I'm looking for something that's ready to go out of the box, with great performance for modern AAA titles and ideally some future-proofing.

Budget is flexible, but I'm aiming for the best value around the $1500–$200 range. I'd also love to hear any brands or specific models you’ve had good experiences with (or ones to avoid). Bonus points for good thermals, build quality, and upgradability.

Thanks in advance!

I’m looking for a good prebuilt for my boyfriend. He deserves a nice pc for gaming, but I don’t know anything about computers. He plays games like Destiny, Overwatch, and BG3. I’d like to be able to get him something to where he can enjoy these games without worrying about his little laptop giving out on him. Buying for Christmas, so figured I’d go ahead and ask. Want to buy him games & a new mouse, so I cannot go over $1500.

I can't build it myself but everywhere i look or ask, it just says to build one yourself.

I really need some suggestions for good PRE-BUILT gaming computers, so can I get some suggestions for websites where I could get one please?

I’m aware building your own is better but it’s my understanding that prebuilt is cheaper and obviously easier

Wondering what the best prebuilt company is to buy from. This would be my first pc and I dont want to break anything trying to build one myself. I’ve seen people say Digital Storm, NZKT, cyberpower, etc. But each one gets mixed reviews, wondering if someone could help point me in the best direction. My budget is between 2-3k.

Building a setup in my new apartment - I've got the desk and the peripherals, but I don't have the actual hardware yet (and I’m not knowledgeable at all lol).

I want something balanced and future-proof, mainly for gaming + productivity. I also stream from time to time (on my laptop which is pretty trash). Budget’s around $2000 total.

I'm mostly torn between Intel vs AMD. I’ve been eyeing stuff like the CyberPower i9-14900KF + RTX 5070 variant, some iBUYPOWER models, but I'm honestly lost

If you had $2K for a prebuilt gaming PC, what would you pick and why?

Any regrets or “I wish I…” stories are super welcome :)

Edit:

I made a list for future readers of some good deals on Amazon right now:

Budget tier

• CyberPowerPC Gamer (i5-13400F + RTX 5060) - $987 - Entry-level gaming PC. Good for 1080p at medium to high settings. Not ideal for consistent high-FPS 1440p.

Mid tier

• CyberPowerPC Gamer (i7-14700F + RTX 5060 Ti) - $1,359 - Noticeable step up from the RTX 5060. Strong 1080p performance and acceptable 1440p gaming.

• CyberPowerPC Gamer (i9-14900KF + RTX 5070) - $1,979 - Very strong CPU paired with a capable GPU. Smooth 1440p at high settings, 4K possible with compromises.

• iBUYPOWER Slate (i7-14700F + RTX 5070) - $1,789 - Similar gaming performance to the i9/5070 system but cheaper. Solid all-around 1440p machine.

High tier

• iBUYPOWER Y40 PRO (Ryzen 9 7900X + RTX 5070 Ti) -$2,269 - Strong jump in GPU power. Excellent 1440p high-refresh and capable 4K gaming.

• Alienware Aurora (Ultra 9 285 + RTX 5080) - $2,799 - Top-end option here. Best choice for high-refresh 1440p and consistent 4K gaming, but priced accordingly.

I'm needing some recommendations for a cheap gaming pc I can buy, but will still run decently. I know next to nothing about computers, but would love something that is straight forward to upgrade if I ever want to in the future. I'd prefer to stay as far under $800 as possible as I am a college student with a horse who costs me more money than I can afford to keep alive lol.

My current device I use to game on is a 10 year old macbook air which is at the point where I can't run base game Sims 4 (which was heartbreaking). I don't need anything fancy, though I would like to play Baldurs Gate 3 and Hogwarts Legacy in the future, I honestly just need something I can play my ridiculous horse girl games on.

I'm not going to be playing any online PVP games really where I need to be running on High Resolutions and framerates. The most online action I get into is Star Stable online, since I panic playing RDR2's storyline's combat, which I can't even run on my laptop lol, so that's about as much combat as I need.

If anyone has any recs please help me! I've been looking at a Periphio because they're cheap and I don't need anything fancy, but I honestly have no clue what I'm looking at and the more I research the more confused I get.

To prefix, have absolutely 0 experience building anything, and the only pc I've ever owned was a hand me down windows vista from 2007. Nonetheless, I'd like to try building it myself since I heard they'll last longer & are easier to fix. Not sure if I'd be better off just buying prebuilt based on my budget & experience building stuff, let me know. How hard can it be?

My budget is <$2500CAD. I'm currently on a mac, but I want to get into gaming... without the lag and the helicopter fan.

Any good videos/tips on how to build this thing, good parts/pcpartpicker links would be appreciated!

I’m looking at purchasing a pre-built gaming PC. I used to build my own computers years ago, so I already know that building your own rig is cheaper, but I honestly don’t have the same drive I once had when I was younger. I’m 45 now, and can afford to just have someone else take care of the physical stuff. 😁

Anyway, I’m just looking for the best company to purchase a PC from. I’m looking for companies who use actual commercial (quality) hardware that can be purchased by anyone (so not DELL, Alienware, HP, etc.), and also offer solid warranties.

The companies I’ve been currently looking at are:

• MSI

• iBUYPOWER

• Skytech

• Apex

Please post up your own experiences (good or bad) with a pre-built PC company, and any other details you might have. Thanks!

I’ve never built a PC before but I’m needing to upgrade my PC

And I was wondering if there’s ever a scenario that a pre-built Pc is worth it?

Or is it just better to build your own PC?

A little bit of context: I primarily play World of Warcraft with some other games mixed in between (like Stray, etc.) on my gaming laptop. I’m looking to get my first PC, but am in the $1000-1300 range. What can you guys recommend for a prebuilt? Thank you! Sorry if I don’t have enough information, I am willing to answer questions!

Introduction

The allure of owning a gaming PC has recently skyrocketed, breaking free from niche corners and seeping into mainstream culture. Yet, for many, the prospect of assembling a computer from scratch is a formidable task. Questions abound: Is it worth the effort to build one? Is opting for a pre-built gaming machine truly a cardinal sin? Do the convenience and peace of mind justify the extra expense? And if one does venture down the pre-built route, which company offers the best value for money?

To answer these pressing questions, I'll be scrutinizing three tiers of PCs from an array of well-known pre-built gaming PC manufacturers: an entry-level budget PC ($800-1200), a mid-range offering priced around $2000, and an ultra-powerful high-end beast. Each company will then be assigned a score reflecting the value, or lack thereof, we obtained from purchasing a pre-built system.

A few disclaimers:

• The prices were recorded in the United States and are in USD.

• Prices were accurate as of May 16th, 2023. I spent the night compiling the data, polishing the post on May 17th, 2023, so please note some pcpartpicker prices may have already shifted.

• I've purposefully chosen well-known brands like Samsung or Western Digital over less renowned ones, prioritizing warranty, reliability, and realism. For instance, our go-to case is the Corsair 4000D, a quality choice with great airflow at a reasonable price of around $100. Specific parts mentioned in the pre-built specs, like the "Corsair RM1000x 1000W 80+ Gold PSU," have been included as such; unspecified parts, like a mere "1000W PSU," are replaced with similar offerings from reputable brands.

• For simplicity, I've stuck to identical or as near-identical builds as possible. Constructing a higher-performance machine at the same price point is a different ball game altogether. Our focus here is to gauge the potential savings from purchasing the same hardware separately and assembling it yourself.

• For each company, I've picked one model from each price range - entry-level ($800-1200), mid-tier (~$2000), and high-end. I've then calculated an average percentage surcharge based on the difference between the pre-built and DIY costs.

• Note for future readers: as of the time of writing, GPU prices have eased from their previous crypto-induced highs, and are somewhat back to normal. Additionally, both NVMe and SATA SSD prices have seen substantial drops in recent months.

To kick things off, I'll walk you through a detailed analysis of the first two companies. For the remaining manufacturers, I'll provide the pre-built link, the pcpartpicker link, and the score. Given that the analysis process remains consistent across all brands, simply envision the same procedure being repeated for each.

Dell / Alienware

The Budget Alienware

I entered the dell website and navigated to the Alienware Desktops page, I found one of the cheapest budget gaming desktops for $1200, the Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R14 Gaming Desktop. Although they claim it used to be $2079 and is now on sale! Trying to see what specs it has is a nightmare, you can customize it, but finding out all the specifications it has by default I could only get it to do once I was one click away from checkout by finally getting a “View Full Specs” button… For $1200 what we get is:

• Ryzen 7 5800

• B550 Chipset

• AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT

• 2x8GB DDR4 3200

• 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD

• 120mm AIO

• 750W PSU

So, without further ado, we go to pcpartpicker. Now it turns out the Ryzen 7 5800 is OEM only, so we can’t actually buy that processor on its own. So, we’re going to have to go with the Ryzen 7 5800X, the next closest thing. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/d4VCjZ

Our total is $996, or $1000. So far, I’m actually decently surprised, not as bad as I thought it’d be. The budget machine is only 20% more expensive to buy from Dell. Okay, onto a high-end gaming rig.

Mid-Tier Alienware

For the $2000 Alienware, I found the Alienware Aurora R15 Gaming Desktop at $2000. Also, I cannot for the life of me figure out what chipset it has so, I’ll just assume it has a B650 chipset because it probably does.

• Ryzen 7 7700

• B650 Chipset (probably)

• RX 6700 XT

• 2x8GB DDR5 4800

• 512GB NVMe SSD

• “Air cooled” CPU, which I can only assume means stock cooler, all the pictures are renders…

• 750W PSU

On pcpartpicker, we get https://pcpartpicker.com/list/QgGHwc At merely $1025… Which means Alienware walks away with an extra $950 of your money, or +92% of the cost… Wowzers, that’s pretty bad.

The High-End Alienware

Alright, now we navigate back and pick a high-end machine. This is where pre-built companies have the capability to squeeze out some more margin. On the budget end of the spectrum an extra $100 is hard to add on top, but at the high-end, another $500-1000 can go almost unnoticed by some. To major companies like Dell, that’s what matters most, is that sweet, sweet margin. Because of this, I think I’ll be going with simply the most expensive pre-built from each company.

So, that gets us the Alienware Aurora R15 Gaming Desktop (boy they really don’t have many names) at a whopping $4300…

• i9-13900KF

• Z690 Chipset

• RTX 4090

• 2x32GB DDR5 4800

• 2TB NVMe SSD

• 240mm AIO

• 1350W PSU

On to pcpartpicker! https://pcpartpicker.com/list/KWRHwc And we get the exact same components for a total of $3059. Which means Dell / Alienware is ripping us off a whopping $1241 or 41% more expensive to buy from Dell than to build yourself!

Dell / Alienware Score [+50% Average Price]

For the scoring, it will simply be the percent of the “build it yourself” price that would have to be added on to the build for it to equal the price the pre-built company wants for it. I will be doing separate scores for low-end, mid-tier, high-end, and average. So, for Dell this is simply +17%, +92%, and +41%, for an average +50% average markup. Yikes. My prediction is that Dell / Alienware will be one of the worst ones. Let’s continue! But less talking, more scoring.

CyberPowerPC

Budget CyberPower

On the low-end, at $899 we get the Prebuilt Gaming PC GX 99162, catchy name. We also get quite a weird arrangement of parts, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it’s for future upgradability.

• i5-12400F

• Z690 Chipset

• AMD Radeon RX 6500 XT

• 1x16GB DDR5 4800 (Just one stick?)

• 1TB NVMe SSD

• Stock Intel Fan

• 600W 80+ Gold

On pcpartpicker we get, https://pcpartpicker.com/list/9pPYnt at $789. So CyberPower takes an extra $110 or +14% here on our budget build. Not bad, better than Alienware. On to the mid-tier machine.

Mid-Tier CyberPower

Near our $2000 target at $1945 we find the ULTRA 4070 GAMING PC

• Ryzen 7 7800X3D

• B650M Chipset

• RTX 4070

• 1x16GB DDR5 6000 (Still one stick? at this price point???)

• 1TB Kingston NVMe SSD

• 240mm AIO

• 1000W 80+ Gold PSU

Aaaand on pcpartpicker, https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Qk2T8r at $1645, CyberPower gets an extra $300, or +18% not too bad.

High-End CyberPower

We get the Hyper Liquid Alloy Black Mamba at a staggering $5147 (with the custom water loop changed to a 240mm AIO)… Okay, maybe Alienware won’t be so bad…

• i9-13900K

• Z790 Chipset

• RTX 4090

• 2x16GB DDR5 6000 (Finally dual channel RAM!)

• 2TB Samsung 990 Pro NVMe SSD

• 240mm AIO

• 1000W Corsair 80+ Gold

It comes with an ASUS PRIME Z790-P board, but we’re here for features, not brand names so we’ll be going with a cheap Z790 chipset board. And to try to keep up with all the RGB fans, we’ve added two 3-packs of Corsair RGB fans. https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nPrWxs Coming out to $3138, that gives CyberPowerPC an extra $2009, or +64% more expensive to buy from CyberPowerPC than to build yourself.

CyberPowerPC SCORE [+32% AVERAGE PRICE]

Much better than Dell / Alienware, but I’m still a little surprised. +14%, +18%, and +64% for an average of +32% of your money that could have been saved or better spent building your own PC.

Alright, it’s time to make these more brief…

iBUYPOWER

Low-Tier

Gaming RDY SLMRG210 - $1200

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wJ6mY9 - $857.35

Price Increase - $343 or +40% over DIY

Mid-Tier

Intel Z790 DDR5 Competition PC (6800 XT, 750W NZXT PSU, default everything else) - $1925

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/bswjtn - $1423

Price Increase - $502 or +35% over DIY

High-Tier

RDY Element Hybrid Max II - $4399

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/z7zWxs - $3101

Price Increase - $1298 or +42% over DIY

iBUYPOWER SCORE [+39% AVERAGE PRICE]

Origin PC

Low-Tier

I cannot find a gaming desktop here for our lower price target…

Mid-Tier

CHRONOS V2 RTS RTX 4070 - $2000 (CPU and Chipset conflict B760 and 13600K?)

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/rG7Ztn - $1700 (Would be even cheaper if we went with a 13600 due to chipset conflict in prebuilt)

Price Increase - $300 or +18% over DIY

High-Tier

NEURON 5000D RTS RTX 4090 - $3799

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/ZZk8nt - $3289 (Almost makes me want to cheat by putting cheaper components in)

Price Increase - $510 or +16% over DIY

Origin PC SCORE [+17% AVERAGE PRICE]

HP OMEN & VICTUS

Low-Tier

Victus by HP 15L Gaming Desktop - $970

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/Md4GKp - $801

Price Increase - $169 or +21% over DIY

Mid-Tier

OMEN 40L Gaming Desktop GT21-1455se - $2000

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zMPYnt - $1252 (They really get you on this one, at $2000 you only get a 3060…)

Price Increase - $748 or +60% over DIY…

High-Tier

OMEN 45L Gaming Desktop GT22-1455xt - $4000 (doesn’t specify chipset or PSU wattage)

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/pBfkFg - $2865

Price Increase - $1135 or +40% over DIY

HP OMEN & VICTUS SCORE [+40% AVERAGE PRICE]

COSTCO

While Costco isn't really a "pre-built gaming pc" company, posts from people seeing a pre-built at Costco are pretty common, so I thought it'd be nice to include them.

Low-Tier

Lenovo IdeaCentre Gaming Desktop - $800 (With random $400 off, proceeded to checkout, still $800)

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/tgTN3y - $828… Well I’ll be. We finally found one. This is definitely a one-off though, Costco PC’s aren’t usually great deals, and this one is normally $1200… So take this with a grain of salt.

Price Increase - -$28 or -3.5% under DIY

Mid-Tier

iBUYPOWER TraceMR257i Gaming Desktop - $1900

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/3btHwc - $1378

Price Increase - $522 or +38%

High-Tier

iBUYPOWER Y40 Gaming Desktop - $2900

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zscVJM - $2360

Price Increase - $540 or +23%

COSTCO SCORE [+19% AVERAGE PRICE]

Pre-Built Tax by Company and Tier / TL;DR

*Was only possible because they had a random $400-off coupon, making a $1200 computer $800, deal is temporary, but was still present at time of price comparison.

Conclusion

In the realm of entry-level gaming rigs, the price competition is surprisingly fierce across all brands, with a relatively modest pre-built surcharge of approximately $200. This additional cost can be justified considering the convenience of having your PC assembled and shipped with Windows pre-installed. Ideally, I'd like to see this premium reduced to around $100 on average in the entry-level segment, making pre-built machines an even more tempting proposition for those on a budget.

However, the landscape changes drastically as we scale the performance pyramid. In the mid-range and high-end pre-built market, I would assert that purchasing pre-assembled is seldom a cost-effective decision. Origin PC came the closest to a reasonable pre-built surcharge, but even then, the premium is substantial.

The pricing structure in the mid and high-end tiers is highly erratic, ranging from unimpressive deals to price tags almost double what you'd incur if you assembled the machine yourself. We're talking about potential pre-built surcharges of $500-$2000, an expenditure solely for the privilege of having someone else assemble your PC.

Consider this: let's assume, as a novice, it takes you a cautious four hours to assemble your own PC. If the pre-built PC you're eyeing carries an extra $400 in pre-built surcharge, then by choosing to assemble it yourself, you're effectively saving - or earning - $100 an hour for those four hours! If you ask me, that’s well worth my time!

For those considering a pre-built PC, I strongly recommend a thorough comparison. Utilize tools like pcpartpicker.com to select the identical or realistically similar parts, then compare the cost to that of the pre-built system. This will give you a clear idea of the 'pre-built tax' you'd be paying. Remember, the key to a satisfactory purchase is informed decision-making.

Real TL;DR

Buying a pre-built is pretty much always a bad idea, as we already knew. On the cheap-end it's not that bad usually around $200 in pre-built tax. Once you surpass $2000, you can be paying anywhere from $500-2000 in pre-built tax.