If you can find all the parts you need, building a PC will likely still be cheaper than buying pre-built, but be prepared to pay for things that normally come included with a pre-built machine, like a copy of Windows.  Some pre-built gaming PCs will also come with a service warranty that covers the whole machine. So, you won't have to worry about dealing with different companies if a part breaks down and needs to be replaced, or you just need help. Neither option is definitively better at this point, and it depends on how invested you want to be in PC gaming as a hobby. Putting together my first custom PC more than 10 years ago taught me tons about the parts I had taken for granted inside my PlayStation and Xbox consoles.  However, if you don't have the time to handle your own repairs and just want to game instead of starting a hardware hobby, pre-built gaming PCs are customizable enough that you don't have to worry about getting sold short.