

We could do this around any price point, but we’ll go with a $2,099 PC at Best Buy, America’s largest and most well-known big-box electronics store. Let’s price out what it costs to build a gaming desktop versus buying a similarly-configured prebuilt PC or gaming laptop. You can usually be done within two hours, barring any problems. There’s no soldering or heavy machinery involved, just plugging in some wires, mounting the motherboard, and installing and tightening some screws.

And there’s no doubt that you’ll feel the pride that comes from being a creator, not just a consumer of technology.īy the way, it’s not difficult to put together your first PC (we have a tutorial on how to build a PC). You’ll get it made exactly the way you want, and you’ll be better able to fix and upgrade it in the future. Depending on your build, you can save hundreds of dollars by building your own PC.

You can take the tack that your computer, like your TV, is a sealed box that should just turn on, or you can take control by building it yourself. Well, that’s one way to relate to your technology. But now that he has run into a technical problem on a recent build, he thinks that putting together your own system is a waste of time. The author claims to have been building PCs for 20 years. On, Sunday, our sister site Tom’s Guide (which is a different publication targeted at less-tech-savvy readers), published an op-ed from writer Dave Meikleham claiming that building PCs is "a mistake" and that everyone should just buy gaming laptops instead. However, if you can build your own PC, you should. Still others prefer the convenience and manufacturer support that comes with one of the best prebuilt desktops. Some users need laptops, which aren’t available to build from scratch (excepting Frameworks’ kit), and for them we maintain a list of the best gaming laptops and best ultraportable laptops. Thankfully, not only is there a PC for every need, but we have the amazing ability to build our own desktops from the ground up, with just the right components to suit our personalities and budgets.
