Prebuilt Gaming PC FAQs
What specs should a gaming PC have?
The best gaming PC for your needs will ultimately depend on what kind of games you like to play, the overall quality you want to run them at, and how much you’re willing to spend.
For example, you can spend more than $3,000 on a prebuilt gaming PC that can play any game at 4K quality, or you could spend around $1,000 for a gaming PC with comparable power to a PS5 or Xbox Series X.
When shopping for prebuilt gaming PC systems or separate parts, you should pay the most attention to the processor and graphics card. Intel and AMD are the leading creators of computer processors, while AMD and Nvidia are the leading producers in the graphics card market. How much storage space and memory (RAM) you need will also depend on what games are being played, but 16GB of RAM is relatively standard for prebuilt gaming PCs, and plenty for most gamers.
Here is a handy chart detailing which components you should consider in order to play PC games reliably at the three most common video resolutions:
Should you buy or build a gaming PC?
If you can find all the parts you need, building a PC will likely end up being cheaper than buying prebuilt, but you will of course need to put everything together yourself. Though a standard PC gaming build isn’t too complicated, many buyers may prefer to spend a little extra on a prebuilt computer so they don’t have to worry about assembling all the parts themselves.
If you build a PC yourself you should also be prepared to pay for peripherals and software that normally come included with a prebuilt machine, like a copy of Windows. Some prebuilt gaming PCs will also come with a service warranty that covers the whole machine. So, you won’t have to worry about dealing with different companies if a part breaks down and needs to be replaced, or you just need help.
Neither option is definitively better at this point, and it depends on how invested you want to be in PC gaming as a hobby. Putting together my first custom PC more than 10 years ago taught me tons about the parts I had taken for granted inside my PlayStation and Xbox consoles.
However, if you don’t have the time to handle your own repairs and just want to game instead of starting a hardware hobby, prebuilt gaming PCs are customizable enough that you don’t have to worry about getting sold short. They offer a simple and easy way to purchase all of the components you need and require no installation on your part.
How long do prebuilt gaming PCs last?
The best gaming PCs can last for a long time, since desktop parts, even on pre-built machines, can be easily upgraded. Processors and graphics cards generally last about five years before it becomes necessary to upgrade to keep up with gaming trends.
Most gaming PCs will need to be replaced when the motherboard grows too old to work with new parts, as newly released processors and memory sticks occasionally change design and configuration compatibility for new features.
Personally, I’ve built three different gaming PCs for myself since 2011, going about five years between major upgrades. However, many of the old parts I upgraded from still worked, so I was able to sell them and give them to friends for their own builds.
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