PC gaming seems to be all the rage these days. But, there’s this…stigma…around buying a pre-built PC. As you’ll see in our upcoming review, pre-built desktops can actually be pretty great, especially in this market. But, if you’re determined to get a custom-built PC and don’t know where to start or how to assemble one, Newegg has you covered. The company recently launched a professional build service that’s just $99 on top of parts, and honestly, it’s probably the best way to get your hands on next-generation GPUs right now. Keep reading to find out more and see why you’re able to get RTX 30-series and RX 6000-series graphics cards through Newegg’s new PC building service.
NVIDIA sidesteps price scalpers by selling GPUs exclusively through its PC building service
We all know how hard getting a new GPU has been. In fact, unless you were willing to pay over 100% more than the MSRP of a card, it was nearly impossible to get one for quite some time. While prices are starting to come down, it’s still not easy to find an MSRP card. Newegg is here to help with that, however.
The company has offered its PC Builder tool for quite some time, functioning somewhat similar to PCPartPicker in assisting you with the selection of components for your next system. However, with the recent launch of its $99 PC assembly service, Newegg has a bit more control over things. Before, you could pick out just a GPU through the service as it wasn’t any different than shopping on the company’s normal website. But, with the new professional PC assembly service, there are a few restrictions but greater benefits. For one, all components have to be available in the California warehouse of Newegg. But, most importantly, you have to select every component required for a build, including CPU, RAM, motherboard, GPU, case, power supply, cooler, storage, and an operating system.
This service is offered for $99, where Newegg’s professional team will assemble the desktop then ship it out. Since you have to pick out every part and then even pay Newegg to assemble it, the online retailer is now offering stock of GPUs exclusive to the service, as long as you pay for the full kit-and-kaboodle. While this might be annoying if you were just wanting to upgrade your existing system, those in the market for a full desktop will find it quite nice, as they can get the latest and greatest without having to fight scalpers. In fact, we put together a build here that features the Ryzen 5 5600X, 16GB of RGB RAM, and the ZOTAC RTX 3070 AMP. All-in, including the building cost, is just over $2,000. It’ll be hard to beat this system for that price, especially since it also includes a 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD in the price, as well as professional assembly.
For $99, you don’t have to troubleshoot a PC build, and that’s worth it, trust me
Now, let’s take a look at what Newegg charges for assembly here. $99. That’s not bad, and this is coming from someone who used to do PC assembly for a living. If you didn’t know, before 9to5, I worked as a local PC repair technician who also specialized in building custom PCs for clients. Everything from $600 entry-level machines to $15,000 dual GPU custom water-cooled systems I had my hands in. For our shop, we charged a minimum of $300 for assembly and OS install, so Newegg is only adding 1/3 of that to your total. Plus, Newegg, being a parts supplier, has easier access to components than I ever did.
Not only will Newegg assemble your new system for the $99 fee, but they’ll also troubleshoot it so that when it arrives, you can just plug it in and start gaming. According to the FAQ, it takes around seven to 10 business days for the build to be completed, and when it’s done, each and every PC goes through Newegg’s “quality control methods and rigorous testing onsite.”
If you’ve never built a PC before, it can be a bit intimidating. I’m not gonna lie — the first time I assembled a fully custom PC, my friend and I spent the better part of four hours figuring why it wouldn’t turn on…only to realize that we didn’t plug in the CPU’s EPS power connector. Not sure what an EPS connector is? I didn’t know either almost 10 years ago, but now, I’m a veteran builder. But, that only came through much frustration and troubleshooting. Newegg is willing to do all of that for you so that way when the desktop arrives, you can just plug it in and go.
Is it worth it to give Newegg $99 to build a PC instead of buy a pre-built?
Well, only you can answer that question. Pre-built computers can be quite limiting, but also somewhat freeing. How? Well, they’re limiting in that you generally don’t get to pick the internal components. The builder selects those items, and you get the same cookie-cutter desktop that everyone else who bought that model got. It’s nice because they’re easy to get, readily available, and major manufacturers have easier access to the supply chain than we do. But, it’s not unique.
Newegg’s PC building service is just a $99 fee on top of, generally, MSRP components, and you get to pick everything. That’s right, everything. You’ll get to choose what case the computer is built inside, be that fully tempered glass or only a touch. What cooler? That’s up to you as well. Want RGB RAM? Simple, just add it to your cart. The list goes on. If you want the customization that comes with hand-built PCs but not the hassle that comes with it, Newegg’s $99 fee is quite reasonable and well worth it.
9to5Toys’ take
While I’d rather people be able to buy a GPU standalone, that just isn’t feasible these days. Newegg’s service allows you to upgrade to the latest and greatest gaming gear with ease, honestly. I’m quite impressed by the price they offer it at, as well, since $99 seems like a small price to pay to not have to worry about anything. If you’re in the market for a new gaming desktop, I’d recommend you heavily consider Newegg’s PC building service.
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