I'm currently a student working in video editing and motion design, and I'm using an Asus Zenbook 13, which isn't quite powerful enough for my needs in After Effects. I initially planned to build my own PC in September but I've never done it before, so I want to take my time. Given the current PC market situation, I'm thinking it might be simpler to just buy a pre-built PC from Amazon or somewhere similar instead. My budget is around 1500-2000€ and I live in France. What's your take on this? Should I go for a pre-built, or is building my own a better option? If a pre-built is the way to go, what specifications should I look for?
5 Answers
You could put together a really nice setup for just over 1700€. Here's a link to a PCPartPicker list I made for a solid build. If you find a pre-built that matches this performance and price, go for it! But I doubt it can be topped by a pre-built.
I've known professionals who built their own systems and ran into issues. There's a learning curve, and it might lead to frustration for first-timers. It could be a safer bet just to buy one and avoid the hassle.
Pre-built systems often end up being a worse value because they tend to use lower-quality parts and are marked up pretty high. Unless you stumble on an incredible deal on a pre-built machine, I’d suggest going the DIY route.
True, but I see pre-builts listing high-end stuff like a GTX 5070 and 32GB of RAM at competitive prices.
The pricing on pre-builts can reflect the inflated costs of components, like RAM, so don’t expect to save a ton there. On the other hand, building your PC isn't that hard, and you can score some great deals online—I've found good parts from Germany while living in Ireland.
With your budget, building a decent PC is definitely still an option. However, prices and availability can vary a lot across different European countries, so it's good to consider that. Make sure to check local listings for parts.
Thanks for the context! I'm actually in France, so I'll look into French retailers.
Yeah, I'm just concerned about making a mistake while building it myself!