What is actually better: building a PC yourself or buying a ready-made one? This is a common discussion among gamers, which usually ends with many people taking pride in building. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus sees it differently – and that’s why there has already been a quarrel in the editorial team.
Yes, I know, a lot of gamers turn up their noses and look down on those who buy their PC ready-made somewhere. But honestly: there are enough reasons to do exactly that.
I would even go further and say: Building it yourself only makes sense if, on the one hand, you have a lot of knowledge and, on the other hand, you want something very specific – such as a really unusual case mod or particularly cheap components.
Unlike my colleagues Benedikt Schlotman and Martin Vollert, I’m not a tech genius, I’m just a gamer. For me it is important that a computer works and doesn’t worry me. That’s why I bought a gaming laptop just for on the go.
But that’s exactly why we recently had a discussion. Benedikt and Martin both take the view that building things yourself is better. I say no. Buying is the better option for most gamers.
For some, this is a reason to build your own: Stylish housings:
Manufacturer shows stylish case, gamers are thrilled: “Great design! Goes straight to my wish list”
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The most important reason: Building it yourself is often not even cheaper
What most self-builders say is the biggest advantage is the complete freedom over the individual parts and the associated cost savings. As a rule, the individual parts of a computer are usually cheaper than the end product.
That was true when I started with my first computer. I was 15 or 16 at the time and had my brother put the PC together for me. I built my first computer when I was 17 or 18. At the time, it was a much cheaper option.
Today that is no longer true. There are many cases in which users can buy a PC more cheaply than assemble it themselves. This is mainly due to developments in recent years.
Certain hardware has simply become more expensive. Graphics cards, for example, have become extremely expensive because they are popular with miners, and processors can become real cost traps.
Retailers who install their parts directly can often offer them to the user at a better price. This happened to me on my last computers. I don’t have the historical figures at hand, but in the end I only paid about the same for my last two prefabricated PCs as if I had built them myself.
Most shops offer configurations
The second major advantage gamers find when building their own is the customization of the machine. Computers from discount stores are often simply not optimized and have some kind of bottleneck – usually the processor.
Most online shops now offer the option of either customizing the computer you have purchased or even putting it together yourself. The PC is then simply assembled on site and then shipped ready.
There may be additional costs here, but these have to be taken into account against the time and nerves that you have to build yourself. Because not everyone enjoys it – I, for example, am annoyed by things like cable management. That’s not worth my time.
Better guarantee, less effort, more service
The most important point for me, however, is that really bad mistakes can happen when building something yourself. If you’re not grounded correctly, if you handle an electronics incorrectly, if you’re unlucky, an expensive component can be lost.
Even if you can replace it under warranty, you’ll have to wait a few days for the new part and won’t be able to play for that long. That would be far too stressful for me. When I buy it I have a few advantages:
Some shops also offer an extended warranty. I then have peace and quiet for four years and don’t have to start looking for errors if something should happen. And after four to six years, upgrading or replacing it makes sense anyway.
In addition, the corresponding computers can then be set up so that they can be retrofitted without any problems. A few extra slots for RAM, storage drives, etc. are usually not a problem.
Is building it yourself always the worse option?
No, building your own computer from individual parts still has its place. That used to be the standard and that has largely remained the case. Building it yourself still has some advantages, for example if:
Gaming is no longer just a hobby for tech nerds. That’s why buying has simply become more “socially acceptable” and is certainly a better option for a large proportion of players – especially if you want to gamble without worries.
For people like me, who mainly want to play games (or work), buying is usually wiser. And now it’s no longer significantly more expensive or worse than building it yourself, and in some cases it’s even cheaper. It always depends on the offers, but that’s the case everywhere. For everyone who wants to know more, colleague Benedikt has a few tips here: 7 tips you should know before assembling a PC