The pre-built PC business is a cutthroat one with slim margins. One can tell when one’s social media feed is interlaced with pre-built PC ads from more than one PC store for every 3-4 posts. I decided to sample a couple of these builds, just so to see how much they can actually make per build. For comparison’s sake, I decided to take two builds, one each per store which were in the RM 4,000 price range. That price point is kind of like a sweet spot these days for a 1080p/1440p machine.
Pre-Built PC #1
So the first build is from one of the KL-based IT stores, headquartered in Low Yat Plaza, which happens to be the Mecca for tech-related stuff since the early 2000s. They’ve now branched out to stores across the Klang Valley and have a strong presence on e-commerce stores.
An Intel Core I5-13400F build, I really liked the fact that the advertisement listed down all the important parts right down to the brand and model name, which made it easy for me compare the prices of each component online. The choice of the 3070 as the GPU seems to be astute choice, especially when you compare with the alternative that is available, the 4060 (the word nerfed seems to come to mind whenever this card comes up).
If there was room for a couple of changes to the parts list, I would swap out the SSD and the PSU for better alternatives. A WD Black SSD would do this build some justice considering that it is using a B760 chipset motherboard, and a modular Gold-certified PSU such as the Corsair RM750X would be nice. All things considered, in the case of Pre-Built #1, you do save some money with the pre-built PC vs purchasing the parts and assembling on your own. The amount saved can be channeled to buying some peripherals.
Pre-Built #1’s ad does fall into a pet peeve of mine, borderline false advertising, but it’s not as bad as a McDonald’s burger advertisement. And why borderline? The ad did include a picture disclaimer. The build has an air cooler, but the ad features a machine with, you guessed it, an AIO cooler with a digital display!
Pre-Built PC #2
The second build is from a local chain of PC stores that usually specializes in custom-builds. They’ve branched out from Bangi and even have a store near my housing area. I like the fact that their online store has a PC customization module and their seemingly comprehensive post-sales warranty and service.
On to the build itself. Priced at RM 4,099, Pre-Built PC #2 feels like a mixed bag of compromises, with a 12th-gen Intel i5 12400F, a B660M motherboard and an RTX 4060 all sitting in the same box, which makes the Pre-Built PC #1 look half a step ahead. Unlike the first store, the second store didn’t really bother to list the brand/model of the parts that were used in the build, so I had to do some educated guesses to come up with the pricing for the parts.
I do feel that the ASUS motherboard is probably unnecessary for this build; a cheaper B760 from another manufacturer would have sufficed, and the savings could have been channel to a 13400F instead. The 4060 is another sore point in this build. In any case, building this on your own would have saved you some money versus buying from the store, but then again, you would be missing out on their comprehensive warranty program.
Our Pick?
IMHO, I’ll go with Pre-Built PC #1, on paper it’s simply a faster choice for the same price point. But why go with a pre-built PC you may ask. Well, Intel did come up with a pretty good guide which you can read over here, but my two-cents would be, if you are on a budget and are not so technically-inclined to build your own PC, or are intimidated by a custom-PC check list, going the pre-built route is a no brainer.
