Where to buy Pre-Built PCs & Workstations

So, it’s time to get a new PC. Maybe you’re starting a new career. Maybe you’re an experienced pro, but your old rig is no longer up to the job.

Either way, it’s time to go shopping. But what are your options? You could upgrade your existing PC, but that’s not always possible. You could build your own PC which really isn’t all that complicated and you save quite some money.

Or you could hire someone to build a PC for you, but you still need to know a lot about PCs in order to get the right parts for it.

Finally, you could buy a pre-built PC. And when it comes to the pre-built market, you’ve got a variety of options.

Of course, your exact needs are going to depend on what type of work you’re doing. For most content creators, an inexpensive gaming PC is going to be your best option.

Image-Source: iBuyPower

This is because a good gaming PC has a lot in common with a good content creation PC.

Both will be built with high-end components.

Gamers are a much larger target group than Content Creators, that is why most of the pre-built PCs you can find to buy online are marketed at gamers.

This does not mean they are only good for gaming!

This is important to know, and a bit of an insider tip: For most workloads, you can work on PCs marketed at Gamers, just as well, as on Workstations marketed at Content creators – usually for a much more reasonable price.

True, they usually come with a lot of RGB Lights, but you can turn most of that off or hide the pc under the desk if it bothers you too much.

Image-Source: Corsair

Of course, if you need even better performance than what a gaming PC can offer, you’ll want a more bespoke system that comes with better components, support, and reliability.

Regardless of your needs, we’ve got a few recommendations for you.

Let’s take a closer look at available options!

Where to buy Pre-Built PCs – From a Retailer

Your first and easiest option is to buy through a major retailer, such as Amazon or Best Buy. The advantage here is that such retailers typically offer some level of protection.

You’ll typically have a return policy that covers you in case something goes wrong.

The downside?

You won’t usually get to choose a high-end PC but rather whatever falls in line with a most popular PC configuration (This is usually not in the high-end).

A popular pre-built on Amazon

And you can forget about customization. Still, if you want to get the best value for a reasonable price with fast delivery, shopping from a retailer may be your best option.

Let’s look at a few brands that sell popular PCs at major retailers.

iBuyPower

iBuyPower is one of the biggest names in gaming PCs. Over the years, they’ve built up quite the reputation.

They actively collaborate with the eSports community, as well as with major game developers, to produce quality gaming PCs at a reasonable price.

Image-Source: iBuyPower

They offer a wide variety of machines, from custom builds to pre-built options.

CyberpowerPC

CyberpowerPC was founded shortly after iBuyPower. They have a similar business model, producing both custom and pre-built PCs. Their custom PCs are highly-regarded for their performance.

Their pre-built PCs, meanwhile, are best known for their low pricing. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth using.

If you don’t have the most demanding needs, they might just be the best choice for you.

Image-Source: Cyberpowerpc

Again, keep in mind, that although most Cyberpower PCs are branded as “Gaming” PCs, they consist of the same components you’ll use in Content Creation PCs.

The target audience here is the gamers, but content creators can benefit from such good deals too!

Skytech Gaming

Skytech Gaming is another pre-built PC manufacturer. They design both basic PCs and gaming PCs, as well as offer some configuration options.

But their retail offerings are where they really shine. They offer a wide array of computers to meet just about any need.

Image-Source: Skytech Gaming

Where to buy a Pre-Built PC – Buy Direct

If you’re buying a PC at retail, you face a few distinct disadvantages.

One of these is that you’re limited to what the retailer is offering, so basically what the seller thinks will sell well.

If the specific pre-built PC you need isn’t a top seller, though, it’s going to be hard to find in retail.

Not only that but buying directly from a manufacturer can provide other benefits. For example, you generally get a better warranty making it easier to RMA directly to the manufacturer.

So if you want to buy directly from a manufacturer, who should you choose?

Here are a few options that we like to recommend:

Dell

Michael Dell founded the company while he was a student at the University of Texas at Austin, and ran it out of his dorm for the first year.

At the time, computers were more expensive than they are today, and they were sold by manufacturers who made all of the containing parts. Dell was built upon a novel idea; by using stock parts from various manufacturers, they could produce a good PC at a lower price.

Nowadays, just about every manufacturer sources their parts from a variety of sources, but Dell was the first.

Dell focuses primarily on office PCs, but they do have several well-engineered gaming PCs available.

They’ve even acquired Alienware, and now produce the entire Alienware line of gaming machines.

Image-Source: Dell

Dell also manufactures pared-down variants of their most popular series “G5” that use more affordable components. Check out their website for more info and configurations.

HP

HP (formerly Hewlett-Packard) has been manufacturing technology since modern computers were even a thing.

Most of HP’s computers are designed for business and office use, and their “workstation” line of PCs are quite overprices and fitted with components that are heavily overpriced.

The HP Z4 G4 Workstation for example runs on an Intel CPU that is a few generations old and somehow doesn’t even come with a dedicated GPU…?

Image-Source: HP

At the time of writing this article, we can’t in good conscience recommend HP Workstations to content creators.

HP does offer even more advanced machines, such as the HP Z8 G4 Workstation, but again, at that price, you might as well buy a specialized workstation from a premium manufacturer (with parts that you can actually make good use of).

Corsair

Corsair is an unusual beast. This company was founded in 1994, and their original rise to fame was through their RAM Modules.

They’ve also become known for their audio equipment, keyboards, mice, PC lighting, and quite some other components.

In recent years, they’ve also started manufacturing pre-built PCs, some of which are really well done as you can see in this review from Youtube Legend der8auer.

One of these, the VENGEANCE 6180 Gaming PC, is one of the most affordable liquid-cooled PCs on the market. It has an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X CPU, an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT GPU, and 16GB of Corsair RAM and all of this in a micro-ATX Form-Factor.

Image-Source: Corsair

It seems, Corsair has done a lot right, and they built the newest PC-Parts into their PCs making the best use of the current generation of releases.

Their newest iteration of “Gaming” PCs (targeted at Gamers but they work just as well for content creators) is the Corsair ONE Series. It sports some really high-end components in a relatively small Form-Factor.

Image-Source: Corsair

You do have to reach into your pocket a bit deeper than with a custom self-assembled PC, but these are might just be among the best out there in terms of pre-built PC offerings.

Where to buy a Pre-Built PC – Pick Parts and have them Assembled

Up to this point, we’ve been looking at out-of-the-box PCs. You choose a model, maybe choose between a couple of variants and the machine ships to your front door.

A pick and assemble PC is sort of like building a custom car. Provided all the parts are compatible, you can do whatever you like.

And by buying from a company that builds PCs professionally, you avoid the pitfalls and headache of building the PC yourself.

Here are three big players in the pick and assemble space:

iBUYPOWER

We’ve already talked about iBuyPower’s retail PCs above, but they also provide a variety of options for picking and assembling custom PCs. In fact, they’re one of the most popular manufacturers in this space.

There are a couple of ways to customize a PC on their site. If you’re less tech-savvy, you can use the Easy Builder tool on their site. This gives you a smaller number of options, tailored to your individual needs.

If you want to go a little deeper, you can also customize a machine from scratch.

Image-Source: iBuyPower

You can choose from any of iBuyPower’s parts, and even add accessories to your bundle. Along with your PC, you get a 3-year warranty on labor and a 1-year warranty on parts.

BLD

Disclaimer: NZXT’s BLD service has come under fire thanks to a safety issue in their H1 cases. Please watch Gamers Nexus’ video about their concerns for further details.

BLD is a relatively new PC manufacturer, founded in 2017. However, their experience goes back a bit farther than that. They’re actually a subsidiary of NZXT, which was founded in 2004.

NZXT is known primarily for their computer cases and liquid cooling systems, and they started BLD with the goal of expanding into the custom-built PC space.

Similar to iBuyPower, BLD lets you build a PC from scratch, starting with the motherboard and case and moving upward from there. If you’re not incredibly well-versed in computer hardware, you can also choose from several pre-built models and modify them by customizing individual parts.

Image-Source: BLD

BLD PCs come with a 2-year parts warranty and a 3-year labor warranty. On the downside, they charge a fee of $99 just for assembling your PC.

On the upside, the PC is shipped to your door within 48 hours of placing your order. When compared to the weeks-long process involved with many PC builders, this is a major benefit, particularly if you need your new computer as soon as possible.

Origin

Founded in 2009, Origin specializes in building gaming PCs. They started out by building liquid cooling systems, but now they sell both pre-built desktops and pre-built laptops.

They also allow for plenty of customization. All of their desktop machines are based upon four standard models. First is the Chronos, which uses a Mini ITX case.

Second is the Neuron, which uses a Micro ATX case. Third is the Millennium, which uses a standard ATX case. Last is the Genesis, which uses an eATX case.

Image-Source: Origin

The difference between these custom models and most pre-built models is that you can customize literally any component.

You’re not limited to one or two processor or GPU options. You can upgrade the power supply, the hard drive, the RAM, and any other part you desire. You can even customize cosmetic features, such as the color and lighting scheme on the case. Every Origin PC comes with a 30-day money back guarantee.

Don’t like your PC? Just send it back, no questions asked. Parts and labor are warrantied for 1 year, which can be extended to 3 years for an additional fee.

Buy a Specialized Workstation

For most people, the previous options should be sufficient to find their dream PC.

You’ve got plenty of options to choose from, whether you want a basic word-processing machine or a powerful video-editing machine.

But for some applications, you need a truly pro-grade system with all the added support benefits and expertise.

If you think a Gaming PC won’t cut it, you’ll need to buy a specialized workstation. The best way here, again, is to pick parts and assemble yourself (this is easy, too!) but for this specific article, we are assuming that building yourself is not an option.

You’ll be spending a lot more money than you would for either a self-built PC & Workstation or a pre-built or custom-pre-built gaming PC.

If you are shopping for your company and can’t be bothered with maintaining your PCs and need the best stability and support possible, the following three options might be the right fit for you:

Puget Systems

Puget Systems claims to be the #1 producer of specialized workstations in the US. They were first founded in the year 2000, and remain dedicated to building some of the most powerful PCs in the business.

Image-Source: Pugetsystems

They have six base models to choose from. From smallest to largest, these are the Echo, the Obsidian, the Spirit, the Serenity, the Deluge, and the Genesis.

With Pugetsystems’ machines, apart from high-clocked RAM or AMD GPU’s, you get access to pretty much all of the most recent PC-Components on the market.

While you should stay clear of their XEON CPU offerings (unless you know exactly you need these), the newest Threadripper CPUs and Ryzen CPUs offer great performance at a usually very competitive price.

“Usually”, because when assembling your own PC and buying individual components at market rates, AMD’s CPUs are a steal and they are topping almost every benchmarking chart in the area of Productivity and Content Creation.

At Pugetsystems too, you don’t really pay for the individual Parts though, but rather for the expertise, their reliability in assembly, their testing of newly assembled PCs, and the support that comes with your purchase. So expect to pay a premium for this.

Like most good business investments, you can pay for Puget Systems workstations in monthly installments, with payments broken down over the course of two years.

All Puget Systems workstations come with a lifetime warranty on labor, and a 1-3 year warranty on parts.

Boxx

Boxx is a global company with over 40 international resellers.

However, all of their manufacturing and support is still based in their Austin headquarters. In addition to building custom workstations, they also manufacture custom laptops, and even rack-mounted servers.

For our purposes, we’ll be focusing on their desktop workstations.

Boxx’s desktop systems are divided into three classes. From least to most powerful, these are the E-Class, the S-Class, and the X-Class. Each workstation has a default build that can be useful for many purposes.

Image-Source: Boxx

But if you’re going to pay a huge chunk of money for a specialized workstation, it’s important to get things right.

They too have a “Configure and Buy” option. Their configurator will walk you through each individual component, from processor to display and more.

You also get a variety of warranty options, with a standard of 3 years on parts and labor. Depending on how much you want to pay, you can get up to 3 years of extended support.

Again, expect to pay a hefty premium here over any of the other options mentioned above.

Titan Computers

Titan Computers specialize in producing professional-grade workstations, primarily for the film and special effects industries. They’re also a major supplier for the Department of Defense, as well as different militaries throughout the world.

Image-Source: Titan

One thing that’s unusual about Titan Computers, when compared to other specialized workstation manufacturers, is that they offer a whopping 28 base models.

These range from more-or-less standard PCs to truly powerful beasts. If you’re not terribly tech-savvy, this means you’ll be likely to find a system that works for you without a whole lot of customization on your end.

That said, you can still customize just about every part of any of these machines if you know exactly what you need. The standard warranty offers lifetime labor coverage and tech support, with 2 years of parts coverage. For a premium, you can extend that to 3 or 4 years of parts coverage.

Conclusion – Where to buy your pre-built PC?

Everyone wants a piece of the pie and there’s a lot of competition out there for PC-Sellers.

With all of those options to chose from, here’s our recommendation of where you should get your PC (in order of value):

1. Build the PC yourself
We can’t say it often enough 🙂 Build your own PC.

It’s easy, fun, you save a lot of money, and after a short time, you will be able to fix and troubleshoot any of your PC’s problems yourself without relying on expensive tech-support.

2. Buy a Pre-Built Gaming PC
If building your own PC is absolutely not an option, go for a Pre-Built Gaming PC that you can get off of Amazon or similar retailers. As I mentioned above, Gaming PCs essentially consist of the exact same parts as most Content Creation PCs / Workstations.

They are just targeted at the Gaming Market (And therefore often come with much RGB bling). This will most likely be the most cost-effective option for buying a pre-built and you can get away with only paying around 10-15% more VS. assembling the PC yourself.

3. Buy a customized Gaming PC
If you can’t build the PC yourself but do have a bit of knowledge in what components you need, go with a Gaming PC that you can customize yourself bought directly from the manufacturer.

Have it assembled by the manufacturer and shipped to your doorstep.

4. Get a specialized High-End Workstation
You can’t build yourself and this PC you want to buy will be responsible for earning your livelihood or you need specific high-end components like Threadripper CPUs, a huge amount of RAM or multi-gpu setups (that custom-built Gaming PCs just won’t offer)?

Then going with a specialized workstation manufacturer will be your best option, although you should expect to pay a hefty price premium.

That’s about it from our side – Have some more questions? Let us know in the comments or our expert Forums!