Why don‘t people like prebuilt gaming PCs?

The main reason PC enthusiasts tend to dislike prebuilt gaming PCs is a perceived lack of value compared to building your own custom PC. Many feel prebuilts use lower-quality components, have poorer performance per dollar, and don‘t offer enough customization. However, prebuilts can still be a smart choice for some gamers.

Prebuilts often cheap out on crucial components

One of the biggest complaints about prebuilt gaming PCs is that manufacturers tend to cut corners on vital internal components in order to reduce costs. This leads to a more unreliable, underpowered, and noisy system compared to a DIY build.

According to Linus Sebastian of Linus Tech Tips, who regularly tears down and analyzes prebuilt PCs, "The power supply, motherboard, and cooling solutions are almost always subpar in these systems. They simply don‘t invest in adequate components because the average buyer doesn‘t understand the importance of these parts."

Prebuilt gaming PCs tend to use generic power supplies with poor efficiency ratings, unstable voltages, loud fans, and little headroom for future upgrades. A 2017 study by Tom‘s Hardware found that a high-quality 550W 80+ Gold PSU can cost around $100, while low-quality prebuilt units go for around $20-40.

The motherboard is another area where prebuilt machines cut costs. They often use inexpensive OEM boards with weak VRMs that can‘t provide stable power delivery to high-end CPUs. This reduces performance and overclocking capabilities.

Finally, cooling is where prebuilts compromise the most. A DIY build will use high static pressure fans and large air coolers or liquid AIO coolers to maximize thermals. But prebuilts rely on cheap, low CFM case fans and small stock coolers that lead to thermal throttling under load.

Component	DIY Build	Prebuilt Gaming PC
Power Supply	80+ Gold, 550W+, Modular	80+ Bronze, 400W, Non-Modular
Motherboard	Quality VRM & components	Cheap OEM board, weak VRM
CPU Cooler	Noctua NH-D15, 280mm AIO	Intel/AMD Stock Cooler
Chassis Fans	5x High SP fans	2-3x Generic fans

As you can see, DIY builders are willing to invest more into these overlooked but vital components. In contrast, prebuilt gaming PCs manufacturers focus on flashy GPUs and CPUs while cheaping out on other parts. This compromises real-world performance, stability, longetivity, noise levels, and thermals.

Prebuilts cost more for the performance

Another major complaint about prebuilts is that they usually provide worse value and performance per dollar compared to a custom DIY build.

Let‘s compare pricing and components for similarly specced high-end prebuilt gaming PCs versus DIY builds:

Specs	CyberPowerPC	iBUYPOWER	NZXT BLD	DIY Build
CPU	i7-11700K	i7-11700KF	i7-11700K	i7-11700K
GPU	RTX 3080	RTX 3080 Ti	RTX 3080 Ti	RTX 3080 Ti
RAM	16GB DDR4-3200	16GB DDR4-3200	16 GB DDR4-3200	16GB DDR4-3600
Storage	1TB NVMe SSD	1TB NVMe SSD	1TB NVMe SSD	1TB NVMe SSD
PSU	850W 80+ Gold	850W 80+ Gold	850W 80+ Gold	850W 80+ Gold
Price	$2,699	$3,300	$3,500	$2,200

According to PCPartPicker price estimates, you can build a comparable or better custom PC for 15-37% less than a prebuilt with the same core components. This shows the pricing premium you pay for the convenience of buying prebuilt.

Prebuilt vendors also often pair premium CPUs and GPUs with slower RAM, storage, power supplies, and motherboards to cut costs. This leads to an unbalanced system. A custom DIY build lets you maximize performance across the board.

So objectively, DIY builders are correct that you sacrifice value and true high-end performance by opting for a prebuilt gaming PC. But not everyone cares about maximizing every frame per dollar or buying the best individual parts.

Limited customization options

Enthusiasts also dislike that buying a prebuilt PC means you‘re stuck with whatever configuration the vendor gives you. There‘s little to no flexibility when it comes to choosing your ideal components.

With a custom DIY build, you meticulously hand-pick every single part according to your budget, performance needs, and personal preferences:

• Processor – Intel or AMD, number of cores, clock speeds
• GPU – NVIDIA or AMD, memory size, brand variation
• RAM – Capacity, speed, timings, aesthetics
• Motherboard – Form factor, chipset, WiFi, USB ports
• Storage – SSD brands, capacity, M.2 or 2.5"
• Power supply – Wattage, efficiency rating, modular cables
• CPU cooler – Air, AIO, custom loop liquid
• Case – Size, design, glass side panel, RGB
• Case fans – Size, airflow, noise, RGB lighting
• Accessories – Cables, lighting, controllers, peripherals

This total control over the parts selection allows you to tailor every aspect of your PC to your needs. In contrast, buying a prebuilt locks you into whatever configuration the manufacturer determined was optimal. If you want a specific SSD, CPU cooler, case fans, etc., you‘re out of luck.

While customization is limited, most prebuilt vendors do offer some flexibility when it comes to the core components – CPU, GPU, RAM, storage. You can choose between a few configurations rather than being forced into a single fixed spec. But the customization is still minimal compared to a DIY build where you buy each individual part separately.

Proprietary parts hinder future upgradability

Some prebuilt PCs, particularly from bigger OEMs like Dell/Alienware, HP, and Lenovo, use non-standard proprietary components which can‘t easily be replaced with aftermarket parts.

For example, Dell often uses:

• Proprietary motherboards with custom layouts that only fit their cases
• Non-standard power supplies with custom pinouts
• Custom case and CPU cooler mounting holes

This means if you want to upgrade the case, cooler, motherboard, or PSU down the line, you may need to replace most other components as well. With a DIY build using standard components, you can swap parts effortlessly for years.

Renowned tech reviewer Gamers Nexus calls this use of proprietary parts in prebuilts "an intentional restriction of consumer rights to maintain vendor control."

Thankfully, most custom boutique prebuilt companies like NZXT, CLX, and Origin PC now use standard components allowing easy future upgrades. But it‘s still worth double checking before you buy a prebuilt gaming PC.

Poorer thermals and noise

One of the biggest differences between DIY builds and prebuilt gaming PCs is cooling performance. As mentioned earlier, prebuilts tend to skimp on fans and coolers leading to hotter, louder systems.

A high-end GPU like an RTX 3080 Ti alone can output 300W+ of heat under load. And a CPU adds another 150W on top of that. Effective cooling is required to dissipate this heat and prevent thermal throttling which drastically cuts into performance.

Most reputable prebuilt gaming PCs at least have adequate CPU coolers and a few case fans. However, cheaper OEM models still rely on noisy, inefficient stock Intel/AMD coolers even on expensive CPUs.

DIY builders obsess over thermals and acoustics by selecting the best aftermarket air coolers or liquid AIOs, filling up cases with high airflow fans, and optimizing fan curves for the lowest noise level at target temps.

For example, the difference in thermals between a 120mm AIO cooler in a prebuilt vs a 280mm AIO in a DIY build can be over 25°C on the CPU according to tests by Gamers Nexus. Those extra degrees translate directly into reduced performance due to thermal throttling.

So if you‘re building a compact high-end gaming rig, a DIY build will pay close attention to advanced cooling solutions. Prebuilt vendors are likely to throw an undersized AIO in a small case and call it a day, leading to jet engine noise levels and artifacts from excessive heat.

Prebuilts come loaded with bloatware

Finally, PC builders dislike how prebuilt gaming PCs always come pre-loaded with various "value-added" software that did not request and likely do not want:

• Trial antivirus suites
• OEM support and management tools
• Phone/text syncing apps
• Cloud storage solutions
• Aftermarket media players
• 3rd party system monitoring widgets
• Manufacturer branded wallpapers and utilities

This unused bloatware litters your fresh Windows install, consumes storage space, launches unwanted background processes, nags you with notifications, and hurts system performance.

Meanwhile, a DIY gaming PC builder performs a clean OS installation without any bloat from the start. You only install the software you actually want and need for a smoother, faster system.

Prebuilts offer simplicity and warranty coverage

Now that I‘ve covered the major complaints about prebuilt gaming PCs, let‘s discuss their benefits that appeal to many gamers:

Convenience and instant gratification – A prebuilt lets you unbox it, plug it in, and immediately start gaming. No research, part hunting, building, or troubleshooting required. For gamers with limited time and patience, this convenience is well worth the premium.

Warranty support – Prebuilt gaming PCs come with 1-3 year warranties. If any issues arise, you can get replacements or repairs covered under warranty rather than paying out of pocket. DIY builders must deal with individual part warranties.

Expert assembly – Unless you‘re highly experienced, it‘s unlikely you can assemble a system as neatly and optimally as a professional builder. Prebuilts ensure everything is properly configured out of the box.

Cost effectiveness at lower budgets – When your budget is limited to under $1000, prebuilts tend to offer better value than DIY builds which require buying Windows and peripherals.

Simplicity – Those new to PC gaming may feel overwhelmed by picking parts, compatibility, assembly, cable management, BIOS settings, etc. Opting for a prebuilt simplifies the entire process.

Portability – Boutiques like Maingear, Falcon Northwest, and Origin PC offer specially designed portable prebuilt gaming PCs for gamers who need to transport their rig or take it to events and LAN parties. This level of portability and convenience is difficult to achieve with a DIY desktop build.

So while DIY PC building offers the ultimate flexibility, performance, and customization, prebuilt gaming PCs fill an important niche as well. The convenience, warranty, simplicity, and instant gratification can make a prebuilt the best choice for entry-level or time-constrained gamers. They remove much of the complexity from getting started with PC gaming.

The sweet spot for prebuilt value is $1200-$1500

Based on my in-depth analysis, I believe the best value prebuilt gaming PCs are in the $1200 to $1500 price range. At this mid-range budget, you can get a decent prebuilt with a current-gen Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5 CPU, NVIDIA RTX 3060 or AMD RX 6600 XT GPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, and 80+ Gold PSU.

The more affordable prebuilts under $1000 suffer from major corner cutting on components and cooling. Anything above $2000 sees rapidly diminishing returns as you end up paying huge premiums for top-shelf CPUs and GPUs compared to DIY builds.

By targeting this sweet spot around $1200-$1500, you can get solid 1080p and 1440p gaming performance from a prebuilt without overpaying too much for the convenience. Going higher-end than this does start to become questionable from a value standpoint.

This middle ground gives you the benefits of buying prebuilt while still getting premium components, smooth frame rates, and longevity. You also have more flexibility to upgrade later on since this tier avoids overly proprietary parts.

Closing thoughts on the prebuilt vs DIY debate

The truth is, there is no universally "better" option. Prebuilt gaming PCs versus DIY builds each have pros and cons that appeal to different users depending on their needs:

• Casual gamers who prioritize convenience, warranty, simplicity, and instant gratification are well-served by buying a quality prebuilt.

• Experienced enthusiasts who want total control and customization are better off building their own PC tailored to their needs.

I recommend that first-time buyers strongly consider going prebuilt for their introductory gaming PC. Learn the basics without the headaches of building and troubleshooting. After a few years, if you yearn for more customization and value, you can dive into an addicting DIY build!

Whether you buy a prebuilt machine or build your own from the ground up, the most important thing is that you get started with PC gaming, which offers incredible flexibility, high framerates, and access to a vast library of games. Both prebuilts and DIY builds can serve as great entry points into this exciting hobby.