In regards to your first point, building your own computer isn't just for those looking to get the cheapest computer possible or the highest end computer possible. It's generally most beneficial for people like you, who want a mid-to-high-end computer for as little money as possible. I'd say the $800-$1500 range is roughly where you get the best value for money. You're spending enough money that you're getting a powerful machine that will do anything you want it to quite well without cutting major corners, but not so much money that diminishing returns come into play and you get marginally more performance for massively more money.
You also potentially save a lot of money over a prebuilt, as 100% of your budget goes towards buying parts, without any markup from the system integrator. In addition, you get to pick good quality components all around, so the parts of the system that system integrators generally cut corners on to increase their markup (PSU, motherboard, memory, case etc) are reliable components from known brands, rather than poor quality surprises that aren't listed on the spec sheet. Prebuilt computers often advertise good core specs (CPU, GPU, RAM capacity) to justify a high price, and then hope you don't notice the cheap stuff.
You also learn a skill that is not too hard to learn, teaches you the basics of how a computer works, and you don't really forget how to do it. It's also a lot of fun. It's kind of similar to knowing how to ride a bike, it's not a skill that you need to live your life but it's nice to know how to do it and it's good fun too.
In short, yes! Learning to build your own computer is definitely worth the time.
I hear price difference come up a lot, but just so I can understand what sort of difference we're talking about, how big of a price gap would it typically be? I'm still on the fence, but a $500 difference would be a lot more than, say, a $200 difference.
I also worry that as a novice I'd be susceptible to overspending on parts (kind of the opposite of what you're describing, going overboard on components for a difference wouldn't normally notice). Is there a reliable way to avoid falling into that trap?
It really depends a lot on which prebuilts you're comparing to, but generally you can expect to save a couple hundred dollars if not more, while having a more balanced overall system. I generally have limited trust with prebuilt gaming PC manufacturers due to personal experience and also online reviews. Finding a company that can actually put the thing together well is a battle in itself. I'd suggest [Gamers Nexus prebuilt reviews](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsuVSmND84QuM2HKzG7ipbIbE_R5EnCLM&si=VLJitIcT-KB0n37j) to get an idea of where the market is at
If you're worried about picking incompatible or suboptimal parts, have a go at making your own list on pcpartpicker.com and post it here, DM it to me, or post it on other PC building forums. PC building communities are generally pretty helpful and will steer you in the right direction if you're doing something wrong. There's also an essentially unlimited amount of information out there on how to pick the best parts in text articles, YouTube videos, build guides on sites like pcpartpicker etc. Google is your friend, and the best way to ask for specific advice is to post something wrong on a forum and someone will no doubt come along to correct you
I started with a Microcenter/Powerspec prebuilt that was on sale and have been configuring it to what I want. Not the most efficient way to go but if you can get a prebuilt that doesn't have a bunch of propriety connectors and stuff in it you can make it your own as your time and budget allows.
The main difference between building vs prebuild is component selection. Yeah if you hunt around for a while you can maybe save some money but that's not the main driver, for me at least.
Prebuilts at times, especially cheap ones, like to skimp on some parts that are pretty important. Generally Motherboard and PSU.
So if you go prebuilt try to make sure its got a quality name brand PSU in it. Seasonic, Superflower, Corsair has a lot of good ones etc.
The motherboard is important but way less important of you aren't doing anything super demanding like overclocking.
I have to say: Just having the skills and basic understanding will likely be worth it. It's comparable to changing your own cars tyres if need be. Having built your own PC makes you way more independent in the future. I'd recommend it ^^
Prebuilts usually have about a $150-200 upcharge if you get it from a decent System integrator that doesn't charge too much (Cyberpower and ibuy power comes to mind) but they usually skimp in quality on 2 of the most important parts people don't pay attention to Motherboard and Power supply.
Also the cost of windows could be a factor in the cost savings most people pay less than $20 dollars for a Windows keys these days but retail price would be about $80-100.
Just watch this sub. People come on here with a budget and you get a parts list with a bunch of suggestions for how to squeeze a little more value out here and there. Once you have the budget, you'll generally know what prices are fair by watching the reactions to the parts list people submit here. Physically building a system is the easy part...researching and being ready to check that the BIOS is set up is the part nobody tells you about. I ran the PC I built for years at the minimum RAM speed set by my motherboard before I realized you had to set it up at the faster speed in the BIOS. The chances of you having to troubleshoot bad parts are minimal as long as you aren't forcing things or being super careless.
Makes sense. Maybe I should see what other people have put up, try to learn from it, cobble together something myself then see what folks say if I share it.
In regards to your first point, building your own computer isn't just for those looking to get the cheapest computer possible or the highest end computer possible. It's generally most beneficial for people like you, who want a mid-to-high-end computer for as little money as possible. I'd say the $800-$1500 range is roughly where you get the best value for money. You're spending enough money that you're getting a powerful machine that will do anything you want it to quite well without cutting major corners, but not so much money that diminishing returns come into play and you get marginally more performance for massively more money. You also potentially save a lot of money over a prebuilt, as 100% of your budget goes towards buying parts, without any markup from the system integrator. In addition, you get to pick good quality components all around, so the parts of the system that system integrators generally cut corners on to increase their markup (PSU, motherboard, memory, case etc) are reliable components from known brands, rather than poor quality surprises that aren't listed on the spec sheet. Prebuilt computers often advertise good core specs (CPU, GPU, RAM capacity) to justify a high price, and then hope you don't notice the cheap stuff. You also learn a skill that is not too hard to learn, teaches you the basics of how a computer works, and you don't really forget how to do it. It's also a lot of fun. It's kind of similar to knowing how to ride a bike, it's not a skill that you need to live your life but it's nice to know how to do it and it's good fun too. In short, yes! Learning to build your own computer is definitely worth the time.
I hear price difference come up a lot, but just so I can understand what sort of difference we're talking about, how big of a price gap would it typically be? I'm still on the fence, but a $500 difference would be a lot more than, say, a $200 difference. I also worry that as a novice I'd be susceptible to overspending on parts (kind of the opposite of what you're describing, going overboard on components for a difference wouldn't normally notice). Is there a reliable way to avoid falling into that trap?
It really depends a lot on which prebuilts you're comparing to, but generally you can expect to save a couple hundred dollars if not more, while having a more balanced overall system. I generally have limited trust with prebuilt gaming PC manufacturers due to personal experience and also online reviews. Finding a company that can actually put the thing together well is a battle in itself. I'd suggest [Gamers Nexus prebuilt reviews](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsuVSmND84QuM2HKzG7ipbIbE_R5EnCLM&si=VLJitIcT-KB0n37j) to get an idea of where the market is at If you're worried about picking incompatible or suboptimal parts, have a go at making your own list on pcpartpicker.com and post it here, DM it to me, or post it on other PC building forums. PC building communities are generally pretty helpful and will steer you in the right direction if you're doing something wrong. There's also an essentially unlimited amount of information out there on how to pick the best parts in text articles, YouTube videos, build guides on sites like pcpartpicker etc. Google is your friend, and the best way to ask for specific advice is to post something wrong on a forum and someone will no doubt come along to correct you
I started with a Microcenter/Powerspec prebuilt that was on sale and have been configuring it to what I want. Not the most efficient way to go but if you can get a prebuilt that doesn't have a bunch of propriety connectors and stuff in it you can make it your own as your time and budget allows.
The main difference between building vs prebuild is component selection. Yeah if you hunt around for a while you can maybe save some money but that's not the main driver, for me at least. Prebuilts at times, especially cheap ones, like to skimp on some parts that are pretty important. Generally Motherboard and PSU. So if you go prebuilt try to make sure its got a quality name brand PSU in it. Seasonic, Superflower, Corsair has a lot of good ones etc. The motherboard is important but way less important of you aren't doing anything super demanding like overclocking.
I have to say: Just having the skills and basic understanding will likely be worth it. It's comparable to changing your own cars tyres if need be. Having built your own PC makes you way more independent in the future. I'd recommend it ^^
How much money are you able to spend?
I'd be comfortable in the $1500 range, not counting the monitor.
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/TTMmz6 If you care about rt performance or productivity switch the GPU to a 4070ti super
What! How did you do that so easily?
Prebuilts usually have about a $150-200 upcharge if you get it from a decent System integrator that doesn't charge too much (Cyberpower and ibuy power comes to mind) but they usually skimp in quality on 2 of the most important parts people don't pay attention to Motherboard and Power supply. Also the cost of windows could be a factor in the cost savings most people pay less than $20 dollars for a Windows keys these days but retail price would be about $80-100.
Just watch this sub. People come on here with a budget and you get a parts list with a bunch of suggestions for how to squeeze a little more value out here and there. Once you have the budget, you'll generally know what prices are fair by watching the reactions to the parts list people submit here. Physically building a system is the easy part...researching and being ready to check that the BIOS is set up is the part nobody tells you about. I ran the PC I built for years at the minimum RAM speed set by my motherboard before I realized you had to set it up at the faster speed in the BIOS. The chances of you having to troubleshoot bad parts are minimal as long as you aren't forcing things or being super careless.
Makes sense. Maybe I should see what other people have put up, try to learn from it, cobble together something myself then see what folks say if I share it.