Ask any PC nerd methods to get one of the best deal on a gaming desktop, and also you’ll get just about the identical reply: construct it your self. That’s nonetheless one of the best ways to get one of the best deal, however it won’t be the appropriate reply for everybody, particularly for somebody who’s much less technically savvy. Just ask YouTuber Braethorn, who’s constructed a complete channel evaluating pre-built desktops, from price range to benchmark-buster. And as an skilled builder in his personal proper, he is aware of what he’s speaking about, and we bought to choose his mind on the Linux Tech Expo 2023.

So what makes a great pre-built PC, in accordance with Braethorn? It comes down to 2 issues: the configuration, and the expertise. A superb pre-built has a selected choice of elements for a selected activity, be that gaming, video enhancing, or an all-round price range construct. You wouldn’t pair a top-of-the-line CPU with a price range GPU…and neither ought to a pre-built vendor. The expertise a part of it’s issues just like the match and end, as evidenced by Falcon Northwest‘s custom-made enclosures, customer service, and warranty. You’ll pay additional for it (as you at all times will for pre-builts), however the peace of thoughts and time financial savings would possibly simply be price it for the appropriate purchaser.

Further studying: Best PC computer deals, from desktops to all-in-ones

But even consumers who by no means need to crack open their PCs must perform a little homework. Make positive you’re getting the elements that truly meet your necessities, it doesn’t matter what you’re paying. For instance, many price range pre-built PCs will begin with an possibility for 512GB of M.2 SSD storage. And 512GB would possibly sound like quite a bit…however with new PC recreation installations coming in at 100 gigabytes or extra, that drive will get crammed up very quickly. So the financial savings aren’t actually price it.

For extra insights on methods to get one of the best construct from a system integrator, take a look at Braethorn’s channel. And for the newest information on laptops, desktops, and every part on the earth of non-public computer systems, subscribe to PCWorld on YouTube.