Pre-built VS Self-built Gaming PC Undecided

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Jack Jackson

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Jul 17, 2013
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Wanting to get a new gaming pc but am undecided whether i should go with a pre-built pc which is cheaper or a self-built pc with around about the same specs.

This is the prebuilt pc
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/INTEL-Core-i5-3570K-3-4GHz-DESKTOP-COMPUTER-1TB-8GB-HDMI-Quad-Gaming-PC-/111083845900?pt=AU_comp_dekstop&hash=item19dd1cf90c

This is the list of parts and the prices i want if i self-build
Case: Antec 1200 $100
PSU: Antec HCG-750 High Current $139
CPU: i5 3570K $259
Motherboard: Asrock z77-Extreme 4 $119
Ram: Patriot Signature 8GB Kit (4Gx2) DDR3-1600 $76
Storage:WD 2.5" Scorpio Blue 1TB $85
I've already got a MSI 7950 so graphics aren't an issue

Can anyone give me some advise on which would be better? i heard prebuilt pc's have cheap PSU's etc.
Thanks. EDIT: I do live in Australia so everything is in AUD.
 
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SNA3

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Jul 17, 2013
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get a Haswell CPU and Z87 Motherboard.

and please tell me your budget

 
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Jack Jackson

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Jul 17, 2013
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I picked the 3570k just for the reason everyone says its a gaming beast and my budget would be at the very max $800 if i had to stretch my budget but its at around $750. Thanks for the replies.
 
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clarkjd

clarkjd

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Dec 7, 2005
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Look at it this way, if the parts for your computer cost $x, then the cost of the pre-built is $x +$y where Y is the cost the builder charges to put the parts together. If you can afford $x + $y, then you can get better, more powerful parts, than the pre-built system can offer.
 
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ubercake

ubercake

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Oct 28, 2009
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Cyberpowerpc.com lets you pick the parts you want in the PC with the exception of some HDDs. They can get parts cheaper than retail and will often sell an equivalent PC for less than you can buy it and send you the boxes with the parts so you get all of the individual manufacturer's warranties.

If you're on the fence, price out a build on their site and compare it to what you can build it for (including the OS). Also, there are often offers on the coupon web sites that give you an additional percentage off a build.

I hate to sound like a plug for a vendor and personally I love to build my own PCs, but I've dealt with them in the past and they have a great thing going. Plus, if you can pick all of the parts you want in your build and they ship it to you for less than you can build it, it's a good way to go.

The only thing is they don't offer every case, psu, video card, etc...
 
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SNA3

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Jul 17, 2013
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buying from Australia ?
 
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Jack Jackson

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Jul 17, 2013
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Yes I live in Australia. All part prices are from http://msy.com.au/news.jsp?newsid=5 Closest thing to a Microcentre
 
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Robert Pankiw

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Mar 26, 2012
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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($215.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro4-M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($92.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($89.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($75.00 @ Scorptec)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($77.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Power Supply: Antec High Current Gamer 520W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($85.00 @ Scorptec)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($109.00 @ PCCaseGear)
Total: $742.00
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-07-18 02:07 EST+1000)

Going with an FX-8250 is a huge cost savings, even after the cutting I already did.

In that $742 is a Win8 license, not sure if you need that.

Oh, and this seems to be the PSU that the pre-built will use.

It's true that many people say the 3570k is the best bang for buck gaming CPU, but the 3470 is just as good (but won't overclock), and AMD has some very compelling options, considering the $185 price tag ($30 less than the 3470, $74 less than the 3570k, and it does overclock, which is a big bonus).

Oh, and some people like the FX-6300, which cuts the price even more but doesn't leave too much performance on the table.
 
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