Building a PC vs prebuilt: What kind of gaming desktop is right for you?

If you’re keen on entering the PC gaming scene, you may be wondering: should you build your own gaming PC from scratch or opt for a ready-to-go prebuilt gaming PC? When considering building a PC vs prebuilt, both routes have their own perks, you just need to decide which path’s benefits best align with your needs. Here’s a rundown of what makes both DIY and prebuilt gaming PCs great choices.

Prebuilt gaming PCs are optimized by the experts who build them

When you buy a prebuilt gaming PC directly from a company that specializes in gaming PCs, you’re scoring their knowledge in the process. They know how to use their hardware to deliver the absolute best machine. This is especially true when buying a rig from the ROG lab. Take our ROG G700 prebuilt gaming desktop: because we’re building it with tried-and-true ASUS components using our internal expertise, we know the difference between compatible and optimal. We aren’t just slapping parts together in a case — when we build a machine, we validate every component, carefully design the overall thermal configuration for those parts, and run the machine through a full battery of quality tests to make sure you’re getting a strong build that’ll stand the test of time. This means that whether you go with a value-oriented configuration sporting an ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 4060 Ti or opt for a powerhouse ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 config, you’ll get an ROG G700 machine that gives you every drop of performance it can spare.

And better yet, when you go prebuilt, you don’t have to rely on blind faith that your PC will work perfectly, because you’ll also score a convenient all-in-one warranty with your purchase that protects you against surprises and hiccups. For many, this will be more convenient than having separate warranties on each individual part, or a warranty from a separate assembler, since responsibility for all parts and construction falls solely on one company, negating delays in assessments and remediation. If you buy an ROG prebuilt PC and you need service, we handle it. It’s that simple.

DIY gaming PCs are built exclusively for your needs

One of the biggest debates among gamers is building a PC vs prebuilt. While some prefer the convenience and reliability of prebuilt gaming PCs, others enjoy the freedom and customization of the DIY approach.

With a DIY gaming PC, you get exactly what you’re after. Nothing more, nothing less. If you don't want to pay for hardware bells and whistles you have no use for, you don’t have to. If you want all the extra features of a high-end motherboard, you can pick the model that best suits your needs. By building your own gaming PC, you make sure every dollar spent goes exclusively toward features you’re interested in.

Want control over how many PCIe and M.2 slots your PC packs? Need two HDMI ports on a graphics card, in a small enough form factor that leaves room for an extra PCIe expansion slot? If you’re the type of gamer with the technical know-how to be asking these questions in the first place, you may find the most value in building your own rig.

This is especially true if you have very specific needs for your desktop that the average prebuilt won’t accommodate. For example, let’s say you want a machine with premium, RGB-infused gamer flair and need tons of storage space for media but don’t want to spend on a strong graphics card because you only play graphically lax games. You may not find a dream prebuilt packing 8TB of storage and gorgeous gamer style alongside a more value-oriented graphics card. So, if you’re budget-conscious and need every penny to go toward a hyper-specific use-case scenario, DIY is the way to go.

Unique prebuilt offerings abound

Certain desktop gaming PCs only exist as specialty prebuilt machines designed and produced by companies with access to proprietary tech, tools, and talent. Take our ROG G22CH prebuilt gaming desktop  — this machine crams GeForce RTX 40 Series GPU horsepower into an ultra-compact design that'd be difficult to replicate with off-the-shelf parts (it’s possible, but it’d be a more advanced build). Furthermore, it features exclusive elements like its stylish ROG case, which isn’t sold separately.

There’s also our 2025 ROG NUC, another great example of a prebuilt gaming PC combining serious horsepower and tiny size — and this one definitely can’t be DIYed. This mini PC packs the power of NVIDIA’s latest 50 Series as well, offering up to a GeForce RTX 5080 Laptop GPU alongside strong Intel processor options, up to 2TB of storage, and a huge I/O selection. Those are the ingredients of an absolute killer gaming machine, all snuggled inside of a chassis that could easily be mistaken for a hardcover novel given its tiny size. The engineering that goes into making something like the ROG NUC is truly special.

The creative benefits of DIY gaming PCs

Though plenty of prebuilt gaming PCs pack power and style, every gamer is different. If you’re a particularly discerning techie who wants an extremely specific aesthetic or hardware profile for a rig, building your own gaming PC is perfect for you.

When you go DIY, you have the freedom to mix and match parts and assemble rigs with wild, one-of-a-kind features like custom liquid cooling loops or specialty case designs. And if you want a specific theme, like a desktop built to look like it’s from a steampunk universe or a wisecracking robot, you’re not likely to find something so specific that’s prebuilt and ready to ship.

DIY creativity isn’t limited to the design and assembly phases, either; it extends to creative shopping. If you’re building your own gaming PC, you can tactically wait for discounts on the best components, then grab what you need item-by-item to score the overall lowest parts cost. A Black Friday deal here, a previous-gen score there, and you’ll be able to save some cash on a killer PC.

And when you’re shopping for individual parts, remember: even if you’re not getting the convenience of an all-in-one warranty on your entire machine, individual components can make up for that fact with their own long-lasting warranties. Just look at our wide assortment of ROG power supplies. We arm each of these units with extra-long 10-year warranties so you know they’re built to last, and you can easily use them for multiple builds.

Prebuilt gaming desktops offer incredible accessibility

With a prebuilt gaming PC, you don’t have to worry about assembly. Scared you’ll plug something in the wrong way and destroy an expensive component? Nervous about drowning your machine in thermal paste? If you’re the risk-averse type, you may be best off going prebuilt. That way, you can rest easy knowing your machine was put together by professionals who’ll deliver you a grade-A desktop gaming PC.

This is one of the biggest points in favor of prebuilts. You’ll get all the perks of PC gaming — inexpensive games, owning a gaming machine that can double as a workstation, not having to pay a subscription fee to play online multiplayer, etc. — without the DIY learning curve. While PC assembly has gotten simpler — we have a ton of exclusive motherboard features that make building more beginner-friendly — we know some gamers feel more assured with a prebuilt that’s been designed and assembled for them. This makes the prebuilt route an especially attractive option for gamers new to the PC space or even veterans who just don’t want to take the time to build.

Plus, when you go prebuilt, you can always ease yourself into hands-on fun later. Our new ROG G700 is built such that, when the time comes for an upgrade, you’ll be able to take off a side panel and swap out parts with ease. If building a PC from scratch sounds like too much for you but plugging in a graphics card seems doable, you’ll be well suited to a prebuilt gaming desktop. It’s a good starting point.

Building a PC vs buying a prebuilt: Which is right for you?

Both DIY and prebuilt gaming desktop PCs can be excellent investments; it all depends on what you’re looking for in your gaming PC experience. When considering building a PC vs prebuilt, prebuilt gaming PCs offer convenience, peace of mind, and special builds only available from major companies, whereas DIY gaming PCs give you the utmost in freedom and control, letting you shape your new rig from the ground up. But whether you build your own gaming PC or buy it pre-assembled, you’ll still enjoy one of the biggest benefits of PC gaming: the flexibility to choose your own path.