Introduction
Building a custom PC can be an intimidating but rewarding process. Getting to hand-pick each component allows you to maximize performance and value for your specific needs. However, sourcing all the parts and ensuring compatibility can be a major headache, especially for first-time builders.
This is where custom PC builder websites come in. These services allow you to configure a customized PC through an easy-to-use online interface. Their experts handle component selection, compatibility verification, assembly, testing and support – you just pick the parts you want.
In this ultimate guide, we will be reviewing 13 of the top custom PC builder websites:
High-End: ORIGIN PC, Xidax, Maingear, Falcon NW
Balanced Performance/Value: iBuyPower, CLX Gaming, NZXT, CyberPowerPC
Budget-Friendly: Build Your PC, AVA Direct, Skytech Gaming
Enthusiast/Boutique: Puget Systems, Digital Storm
For each builder, we will look at:
- Pricing and value
- Component selection/customization options
- Build quality and support
- Warranties
- Pros and cons
Let‘s dive in and find the perfect custom PC builder for your needs and budget!
Section 1: Top 4 High-End Custom Builders
ORIGIN PC
ORIGIN PC is one of the original and best-known gaming PC builders, creating fully customized dream machines since 2009. Their systems feature striking customizable designs, premium components, and unmatched performance.
Pricing starts around $1500 and goes up exponentially from there. The sample $2000 build exceeded our target specs, with an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X CPU, RTX 3070 Ti GPU, 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD + 1TB HDD. Price came out to $2165.
Pros:
- Striking customizable designs and paint jobs
- Top tier performance
- Lifetime 24/7 support and free lifetime labor
Cons:
- Very expensive, especially for mid-range builds
- Confusing website
Xidax
Xidax builds gorgeously designed PCs featuring custom liquid cooling, precision craftsmanship and tailored components. Their systems offer premium performance with stunning aesthetics.
Pricing is similar to ORIGIN‘s, starting around $1500. Our $2000 sample build matched target specs almost exactly, with an i7-12700, RTX 3070 Ti, 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD + 1TB HDD. Price was $2075.
Pros:
- Incredible attention to detail and craftsmanship
- Custom liquid cooling configurations
- Lifetime warranty on all parts
Cons:
- Much pricier than other builders
- Limited component selection
Maingear
New Jersey-based Maingear has been hand-building boutique gaming PCs with unrivaled craftsmanship and customer service since 2002. Their systems feature immaculate cable management, custom paint jobs and ultra-performance.
Maingear desktops start around $1,300. Our sample was very close to target specs but cost $2441 with an i7-12700K, RTX 3070 Ti, 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
Pros:
- Elite performance and craftsmanship
- Stunning customizable aesthetics
- Lifetime labor warranty with amazing support
Cons:
- Much more expensive than other options
- Confusing component selections
Falcon NW
Falcon NW creates exclusively high-end and ultra-performance PCs. Their systems feature striking designs, premium components, immaculate craftsmanship and world-class support.
As a luxury brand, Falcon‘s pricing starts at $2000. Our sample exceeded specs considerably with an i7-12700K, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD but still cost a massive $3750.
Pros:
- Leading performance and craftsmanship
- Heavily customizable
- 3 year parts & labor warranty
Cons:
- Astronomical pricing, even for high-end parts
- Very limited component selection
Section 2: Top 4 Balanced Performance/Value Builders
iBuyPower
One of the largest gaming PC builders, iBuyPower offers premium performance at relatively affordable pricing. Their systems can be easily customized across various budgets.
iBuyPower desktops start at $999. Our sample build matched target specs almost perfectly for only $1999, with an i7-12700K, RTX 3070, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD.
Pros:
- Great performance for reasonable pricing
- Slick easy-to-use customization interface
- 3 year labor/1 year parts warranty
Cons:
- Questionable quality control
- Tech support could be better
CLX Gaming
CLX Gaming offers high performance fully-custom PCs focused on gaming. Their systems allow customized builds across various budgets backed by solid warranties.
CLX desktops start at $999. Our sample exceeded specs slightly with an i7-12700KF, RTX 3070, 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD + 1TB HDD for $2133.
Pros:
- Strong price-to-performance ratio
- Extensive component selection for customization
- Lifetime labor warranty
Cons:
- Mixed reviews of product quality and support
- Confusing website and builder interface
NZXT
NZXT builds high quality, high performance PCs focused on gaming, streaming and content creation. Their BLD Kit systems are also perfect for first time PC builders.
Pricing runs from $899 to $3000+. Our $2000 sample exceeded specs with an i5-11600K CPU and RTX 3080 GPU but pricing was excellent at $1991.
Pros:
- Great pricing for performance
- Quality craftsmanship and clean internal design
- 2 year warranty with global retailer network
Cons:
- Limited component selection
- Only caters to gaming segment
CyberPowerPC
One of the largest custom gaming PC builders, CyberPowerPC offers extensive configuration options at aggressive pricing. Their systems feature excellent build quality and performance.
Prices range from $500 to $4000+. Our target spec sample was only $1874 making it the cheapest offer yet.
Pros:
- Extremely affordable pricing
- Huge range of component and peripheral options
- 3 year labor/1 year parts warranty
Cons:
- Very gamer-focused
- Mixed reviews of build quality and support
Section 3: Top 3 Budget-Friendly Builders
Build Your PC
As the name suggests, Build Your PC aims to make PC building easy for novices on a budget. Their team handles everything from expert component selection to assembly, testing and support.
Entry level configs start at $799. Our $2000 sample with an i7-12700F and RTX 3070 Ti performed well while costing $2048.
Pros:
- Great budget pricing
- Super simple customization process
- 2 year labor & parts warranty
Cons:
- Very limited component selection
- US only availability
AVA Direct
AVA Direct offers a huge selection of pre-configured and customizable PCs focused on price/performance. Their InstaBuilder tool allows tailored builds even on tight budgets.
Budget AVA builds start at just $399. Our $2000 target sample was $2116 showcasing their value, with an i7-12700F, RTX 3070 Ti, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD + HDD storage.
Pros:
- Outstanding pricing and hardware value
- Huge selection across budgets
- 2 year labor and 1 year parts warranty
Cons:
- Very limited high-end component options
- Support needs improvement
SkyTech Gaming
SkyTech provides excellent bang-for-buck by letting you customize gaming desktops across budgets. Their systems are expertly assembled and tested for gaming.
Prices range from $799 to $4000+. Our target spec sample came out to an amazing $1890, with an i7-12700F, RTX 3070 Ti, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD + 1TB HDD.
Pros:
- Exceptional pricing for performance
- Intuitive customization interface
- US-based support team
Cons:
- Very limited high end configurations
- 1 year warranty only
Section 4: Top 2 Enthusiast/Boutique Builders
Puget Systems
Puget Systems creates state of the art, ultra performance PCs exclusively from top-tier enterprise grade components. Their systems offer unmatched quality, support and performance.
As expected, Puget‘s pricing starts at a steep $1800. Our high-end sample with an i7-12700F, 32GB RAM, RTX 3070 Ti was over $4000.
Pros:
- Elite attention to detail and quality
- World class post-sales support
- Customized for specific workloads
Cons:
- Exorbitantly expensive, even for high-end parts
- Very limited component selection
- Only available in US
Digital Storm
California based boutique builder Digital Storm has been creating high performance yet affordable PCs for over 15 years. Their systems expertise and support capabilities are exceptional.
Digital Storm systems start at $1200. Our sample was once again over budget at $2534 but featured top notch components like a water cooled i7-12700K CPU, RTX 3070 Ti GPU and 1TB SSD.
Pros:
- Great design and build quality
- Custom water cooling expertise
- Lifetime US labor warranty and global part replacement
Cons:
- Prices often exceed expectations
- Very singular focus on highest specs
Conclusion
Custom PC builders make getting your dream computer easier than ever. Prices range from budget picks like SkyTech and AVA Direct starting under $1000, to performance leaders like ORIGIN PC and Maingear crossing $4000+.
Key factors when deciding are your budget, performance requirements, customization needs, build quality standards and warranty coverage. While boutiques like Puget Systems and Falcon NW created unparalleled high-end monsters, excellent mid-range options exist like CLX, iBuyPower and NZXT.
Competition and configurability is improving drastically across builders. As the PC market evolves with trends like the metaverse, these custom PC websites will undoubtedly continue to innovate while making personalized computing power accessible to all.
