This question has been asked many times and by many people; “Should I build my own gaming computer, or buy a pre-made?”
Despite what others might say, there really isn’t a clear answer. It all depends on what your own needs are, how knowledgable you are about computer hardware, how much money you’re willing to spend, and whether or not you’re comfortable with building your own computer for gaming.
In this article I’ll talk about the advantages and disadvantages to both, and help you determine which is the right choice for you.
Your options
You have a good amount of options to choose from, especially if you want to build your own gaming computer.
If you build your own computer you can order your parts from various different stores and hardware manufacturers, so you can pick and choose the make and brand of each piece of hardware to suit you.
If you decide to buy pre-made you have a few options to choose from. Alienware, Falcon Northwest and Digital Storm are all well-known and reputable companies to buy from, but there are many others you can buy from as well if you choose to look elsewhere.
Your needs
Before you decide which route you’re going you’ll want to assess your needs and exactly what you’re wanting out of your new gaming computer.
For example: you don’t want to spend an extra $200-$400 for a computer with multiple video cards if you really only need one, or on the other hand, you probably don’t want to settle for a computer with only one video card if you plan on using multiple monitors.
Make sure to take some time to do some research on what you’ll want out of your new gaming computer so you don’t end up in a situation like the above examples.
Reasons to build your own
There are plenty of reasons to build your own gaming computer vs buying a pre-made, but for brevity’s sake, I’ll only list some of the bigger reasons.
Fully customizable
When you build your own computer you have the option of picking and choosing each and every part so you can fully customize it to your specifications. Want 5 hard drives and colored fans? Sure thing. Want 4 video cards and pulsing blue lights? Go for it. Decide you want a more conservative looking computer case? It’s all up to you.
When you build your own computer you get to make all the decisions and don’t have to conform to a manufacturers pre-set specifications.
Cheaper
It’s no secret that building your own gaming computer is a lot cheaper than buying pre-made. Sometimes it can even save you upwards of $1000 or more.
A learning experience
Not only is building a computer fun, but if it’s your first time you’ll get to learn the ins and outs of a computer and how all the parts work.
Reasons to buy pre-made
Just as with building your own, buying a pre-made gaming computer has a lot of advantages, but I’ll only be listing some of the bigger ones.
Easier
Since you’re not having to order all the parts and put everything together yourself, buying pre-made is considerably easier than building your own.
One warranty
When you buy pre-made you only have one warranty to worry about, unlike building your own where you have to manage all the warranties for each and every piece of hardware you bought.
Convenient
Since you can just order a pre-made gaming computer online and wait for it to be delivered, buying pre-made is definitely more convenient than building your own.
Conclusion
As you can see, both have there advantages and disadvantages. Hopefully after reading this article you’ll have an easier time deciding which choice is right for you.
