One of many everlasting questions within the PC world is whether or not it is a greater worth to construct or purchase a PC. Positive, constructing could virtually at all times be extra enjoyable, however cash is essential, too! We have seen it go each methods lately, based mostly on provide and demand, however with Black Friday offers in full swing, we wished to see how present pricing would have an effect on the calculus.
To make our comparisons, we grabbed two pre-built PC configurations off of our Greatest Black Friday PC and Laptop computer offers web page — one considerably boutique, the opposite via a giant field retailer — and tried to construct one thing related (with some changes that we may afford) to see how they’d come out.
With present pricing, and the assistance of some present offers, we have been capable of undercut each programs. However not by as a lot as you may suppose.
Boutique-ish: NZXT Participant: Three
| Header Cell – Column 0 | NZXT Participant: Three | Customized Construct | Customized Construct Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-13700KF | Intel Core i7-13700KF | $336 |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti | MSI Ventus 3X E OC GeForce RTX 4070 Ti | $734.99 |
| CPU Cooler | NZXT Kraken 280 RGB | Corsair iCue H115i Elite Cappelix XT Liquid CPU Cooler | $159.99 |
| SSD | 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD | WD Black SN850X (1TB) | $79.99 |
| Motherboard | Z790 | MSI MAG Z790 Wi-Fi DDR4 | $199 |
| RAM | 32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 | Corsair Vengeance RGB Professional 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 | $94.99 |
| Case | NZXT H7 Stream | NZXT H7 Stream | $109.99 |
| Energy Provide | 750W Gold | Thermaltake Toughpower GF A3 850W | $109.99 |
| Complete | $2,099 | Row 8 – Cell 2 | $1,824.94 |
The NZXT Participant: Three we discovered was on sale for $2,099, down from $2,499. It has an Intel Core i7-1700KF, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, 1TB SSD, 32GB of RAM and a 750W energy provide.
For this construct, we stored a number of an identical elements, together with the identical case, the NZXT H7 Stream, in addition to the CPU. NZXT does not specify a selected motherboard or SSD you get (that doubtless has to do with provide), which means we had some freedom to choose them. I matched the 1TB drive with a high-end WD Black SN850X, and admittedly, I most likely may’ve match a 2TB SSD in right here.
I additionally selected to go along with an 850W PSU with ATX 3.0, somewhat than the 750W one in NZXT’s construct.
I may shaved a bit more cash off our model by going with RAM or a CPU cooler not made by Corsair, however they fell effectively throughout the price range and nonetheless got here in effectively under the prebuilt system.
General, our construct saved us $275 earlier than taxes and Home windows. When you want an OS, see our function on the best way to get Home windows without spending a dime or low cost.
Huge Field: Lenovo Legion Tower 5
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Lenovo Legion Tower 5 | Customized Construct | Customized Construct Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 7 7700X | AMD Ryzen 7 7700X | $310 |
| GPU | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | Gigabyte Windforce OC GeForce RTX 4070 | $549.99 |
| CPU Cooler | Air Cooler | Deepcool AK500 Zero Darkish | $43.99 |
| SSD | 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD + 1TB HDD | Essential P5 Plus (2TB) | $89.99 |
| Motherboard | AM5 motherboard | AsRock B650M Professional RS Wi-Fi | $124.99 |
| RAM | 16GB | Patriot Viper Venom 16GB DDR5-5600 | $58.99 |
| Case | Legion Tower 5 | Phanteks Eclipse G360A | $79.99 |
| Energy Provide | 500W | EVGA SuperNOVA 750 GT | $89.99 |
| Complete | $1,499.99 | Row 8 – Cell 2 | $1,347.93 |
The Lenovo Legion 5 is at the moment priced at $1,499.99, $430 off the common worth at Greatest Purchase. Greatest Purchase does not record all the specs, giving us some room to be versatile. In different places, I selected to make some modifications that I feel will make for a greater expertise.
We caught with the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, however made different part modifications. As an example, Lenovo mixed a 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD with a 1TB mechanical HDD. I modified that out for a single 2TB SSD, offering for extra speedy area and simpler set up.
I additionally selected to bump the PSU from 500W to 750W, which is able to make additional upgrades simpler.
Lenovo does not promote this case and motherboard individually, so we went with considered one of our favourite price range instances and an reasonably priced mini-ATX motherboard (some may desire a full-sized ATX, board which you possibly can get for not far more).
All in all, Lenovo’s worth distinction wasn’t as stark as NZXT’s right here. However in that worth vary, we have been additionally capable of make a number of enhancements. Nonetheless, we’ved saved $152 earlier than taxes and Home windows.
Paying for labor
In fact, one factor we won’t worth is your time. For many people right here at Tom’s {Hardware}, constructing a PC is enjoyable. We would most likely spend a bit extra to construct, as a result of it is enjoyable, instructional, and we get precisely what we wish.
Many individuals shopping for pre-builts simply wish to have a PC present up at house, plug it in, obtain video games, and get began. For them, they’re paying for the labor to place it collectively, plus some revenue margin. And so they’re saving a number of hours of time, which by no means goes on sale.
Simply make sure that your required system is in inventory or able to ship when you’re going the prebuilt route. Usually, when you go for a customized configuration, it could possibly take weeks earlier than your PC truly ships, relying on the corporate you purchase it from, the inventory of elements that firm has readily available, and the way backlogged it may be with orders already.
Solely you possibly can determine the way you worth your time. However on worth alone, you possibly can, with some Black Friday offers, at the moment save a bit of cash by constructing your individual PC.