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[hououinkyouma00]

I've never seen a pre-built that was cheaper - microcenter has (or had) great combo deals of RAM, CPU and motherboard but you are still assembling them and buying your case PSU etc.

I'll quote my own post right here.
Matching the parts they used as close as I could (they do not state the exact parts in some cases and only the brand/size/etc and me choosing the absolute lowest price I could for what I didn't know the exact match for it's $250-260 cheaper before tax.

If I go for the absolute cheapest I can possible go through Microcenter including using their CPU/MB bundles which can save you quite a bit the lowest I can get is $1380. That's choosing stuff like the cheapest possible air cooler instead of a 240mm AIO and what is definitely going to be a shitty case with shitty fans.

I would 100% choose the Powerspec over the cheaper build any day of the week especially considering a service warranty with 48 hour turn around on top of manufacturer warranties.

I'll second this.

I still say that building your own PC is more worthwhile but I know a couple people who bought their in house Powerspec PCs and like them. They unlike most prebuilt companies just use off the shelf parts from good brands like Gigabyte and the like.

For example

PowerSpec G728 Gaming PC; AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D 4.1GHz Processor; NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 12GB GDDR7; 32GB DDR5-6000 RAM; - Micro Center

Get it now! Powerful and fast, the PowerSpec G728 Gaming PC features an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D, RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB SSD. Shop now at your local Micro Center!

www.microcenter.com

This is $1500 right now. I quickly added the parts together the best I could (I couldn't find the exact Gigabyte B850 board so I chose the cheapest one they had and I chose the cheapest power spec non modular 750w PSU and the cheapest Samsung 2TB NVME since they didn't state the exact model) and without a case it came out to $1638 so once you throw a cheap case in there $1700 so it would save you $200 right now to just buy a pre built. Plus a 7600x3d + 5070 is a pretty good build IMO.

Edit: Also doesn't include a 240mm AIO which would add another $60 minimum so $260 under the cost of building it yourself.

 

[Hawk The Slayer]

I'll second this.

I still say that building your own PC is more worthwhile but I know a couple people who bought their in house Powerspec PCs and like them. They unlike most prebuilt companies just use off the shelf parts from good brands like Gigabyte and the like.

For example

PowerSpec G728 Gaming PC; AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D 4.1GHz Processor; NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 12GB GDDR7; 32GB DDR5-6000 RAM; - Micro Center

Get it now! Powerful and fast, the PowerSpec G728 Gaming PC features an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D, RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and 2TB SSD. Shop now at your local Micro Center!

www.microcenter.com

This is $1500 right now. I quickly added the parts together the best I could (I couldn't find the exact Gigabyte B850 board so I chose the cheapest one they had and I chose the cheapest power spec non modular 750w PSU and the cheapest Samsung 2TB NVME since they didn't state the exact model) and without a case it came out to $1638 so once you throw a cheap case in there $1700 so it would save you $200 right now to just buy a pre built. Plus a 7600x3d + 5070 is a pretty good build IMO.

Edit: Also doesn't include a 240mm AIO which would add another $60 minimum so $260 under the cost of building it yourself.

I bought mine last week at my Microcenter with a similar white case but $1900 dollars with the difference being a RTX 5070TI 16GB, a 9800XD3, 850 watt PSU, and a 360mm AIO.

Probably the biggest improvement ever over my last PC which I've used for nearly a decade.

Went from

Around $1000 after tax
i7 920k
GTX 970 4GB Vram
500 HDD
8GB system ram
120mm AIO cooler

To

Around $1500 after tax
i7 5820k
GTX 1070 8GB Vram
1TDD HDD
16GB system ram
240mm AIO cooler

To finally

Around $2000 after tax
Ryzen 9800 XD3
RTX 5070 TI 16GB VRAM
2 TB SSD
32 GB system ram
360mm AIO cooler

Keeping the 70s series, doubling my VRAM and System Ram, and increasing my AIO cooler by 120mm each time. Also spending around 500 dollars more each time which is the bad part lol.

I do have a small regret and that is I wish my PC had a Intel Ultra 7 265k instead since it runs cooler/less heat and runs around the same for 1440p which is what I'm going for.

 

[CuteFaceJay]

Semi built, I'll have to hold off my build till 2028.

 

[ByWatterson]

PS5 Pro owners:

 

[PSFore]

Don't call it prebuilt if it doesn't come with essential components. If you allow configuring a prebuilt without RAM, it's no longer a prebuilt.

 

[Hudo]

PS5 Pro owners:

How can I play Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun on a PS5 Pro?

 

[ByWatterson]

How can I play Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun on a PS5 Pro?

Brother you can play it on a fridge.

 

[Sweetloaf]

Don't call it prebuilt if it doesn't come with essential components. If you allow configuring a prebuilt without RAM, it's no longer a prebuilt.

It may have been pre-built then they took the RAM out, so it was built (pre selecting no RAM).

 

[PSFore]

It may have been pre-built then they took the RAM out, so it was built (pre selecting no RAM).

The idea behind a prebuilt is that it ships to customers with basic functionality- like it boots and you can get a video signal either from an integrated or discrete GPU.

Components like CPU, motherboard, ram, etc should be mandatory in any prebuilt configurator.

 

[demigod]

Just use page file on SSD.

For someone that is pcmr, how do you not know that you need RAM to POST, my goodness.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

It's like buying a controller before the console comes out, then sitting in front of the TV imagining you're playing your favorite game.

 

[Sweetloaf]

should be mandatory in any prebuilt configurator.

Why?

 

[The_hunter]

New meta for 2026, 40gb swap partition.

 

[Wastelander92]

Why doesn't the AI just download more RAM?

 

[PSFore]

Why?

Because it's not a prebuilt otherwise. If you want to sell prebuilts like that- where does it end? Allowing a person to order a single part, like a case, and eliminate everything else? That's not a prebuilt PC.

 

[yet_another_alt]

Microcenter

I'm somewhat excited that they're finally opening a store in my city next year. I've ordered from them online before but I've always heard great things about their brick and mortar stores. It's also going to be like 5 minutes away from where I live.

 

[poppabk]

I'll quote my own post right here.
Matching the parts they used as close as I could (they do not state the exact parts in some cases and only the brand/size/etc and me choosing the absolute lowest price I could for what I didn't know the exact match for it's $250-260 cheaper before tax.

If I go for the absolute cheapest I can possible go through Microcenter including using their CPU/MB bundles which can save you quite a bit the lowest I can get is $1380. That's choosing stuff like the cheapest possible air cooler instead of a 240mm AIO and what is definitely going to be a shitty case with shitty fans.

I would 100% choose the Powerspec over the cheaper build any day of the week especially considering a service warranty with 48 hour turn around on top of manufacturer warranties.

GPU - $500
CPU + Ram + Motherboard - $400
SSD - $230
Case - maybe $100
PSU - maybe $100

Thats a decent amount cheaper - and that's if you don't have a PC you are upgrading from.

 

[Krathoon]

Yeah. It turns out that I have a Micro Center near me. You can totally snag a great PC for $1,800. I do kind of wonder if you can go with a Ryzen 5 and get one for $1,500.

I am kind of wondering if it is better to upgrade now since things are getting scarce.

 

[hououinkyouma00]

GPU - $500
CPU + Ram + Motherboard - $400
SSD - $230
Case - maybe $100
PSU - maybe $100

Thats a decent amount cheaper - and that's if you don't have a PC you are upgrading from.

You aren't getting a 7600x3d+B850+32GBDDR5 for $400 even with bundles.

The bundle at Microcenter is $400 alone and you would need to spend another $170 for another 16GB stick to run dual channel.

And guess what it comes out to when you add $170 to your numbers? $1500 which is the price of the pre built not including warranties and stuff like the fact that the 7600x3d doesn't include a cooler and the PowerSpec prebuilt includes a 240mm AIO.

Again. If you want to go as cheap as possible the yes you can get cheaper the Microcenters own prebuilt but like for like parts you can't right now. I am and always have been an advocate of build your own but it doesn't always make sense and this is one of the times.

 

[Hudo]

Brother you can play it on a fridge.

But not on a PS5 Pro?

 

[SportsFan581]

Nothing like getting a pre-built that you can't even boot. What a ridiculous idea. I can see maybe sticking one 8GB stick in there, at least you can install the OS with that.

 

[poppabk]

You aren't getting a 7600x3d+B850+32GBDDR5 for $400 even with bundles.

The bundle at Microcenter is $400 alone and you would need to spend another $170 for another 16GB stick to run dual channel.

And guess what it comes out to when you add $170 to your numbers? $1500 which is the price of the pre built not including warranties and stuff like the fact that the 7600x3d doesn't include a cooler and the PowerSpec prebuilt includes a 240mm AIO.

Again. If you want to go as cheap as possible the yes you can get cheaper the Microcenters own prebuilt but like for like parts you can't right now. I am and always have been an advocate of build your own but it doesn't always make sense and this is one of the times.

Ah missed that it was 32GB. At this very particular spot a pre-built might be as cheap or cheaper, but once they burn through their available RAM prices will rise.
I'm sure when crypto hit there was also a lag period where pre-builts were a decent deal.