**How Not to Buy Yourself a Gaming PC: A Big-Box Store Challenge**
Hey guys, this is Austin. Today, we're going to find out how not to buy yourself a gaming PC. After years of doing custom builds, I have one question: Is it possible to get a decent gaming PC from a big-box store? This is an area we've checked out before.
A few months ago, we picked up a $750 pre-built system from CyberPower that actually wasn't bad. But this time, we wanted to step up the challenge. What would happen when we walk into a store with $600 and asked to see what they have?
**The Challenge Begins**
I'm kind of looking for a gaming PC for around $600.
Immediately, the salesman offers him a $750 CyberPower PC. You know, the one we just did a video on, and definitely not inside the $600 budget. Soon, however, another option comes up.
Oh that's, that's really good. People must really like it. Okay.
Do you mind if I call my dad first?
Sure
Cool. Dad, what do you think about this deal? Is it any good?
Yeah, I'd say it's a pretty sweet deal. You're getting a decent graphics card and a good CPU for the price. Go for it!
Okay, thanks dad.
**The First Store: A Disappointing Experience**
We visited the first store, and they had options that were just really overpriced. They were talking about $1,000 for like a 1060. And you obviously want to avoid that kind of stuff, right? I think the mid-range is a little bit more of the sweet spot when you're buying something pre-built.
**The Second Store: A Better Deal**
Next, we visited another store, and they had a system that was actually pretty good for the price. It had an RX 480 graphics card and an i5 CPU, all for around $650. Now mind you, it would be a little bit nicer with a Kaby Lake i5 and an RX 580, but this deal is still a great one.
**The Verdict**
So, what do you guys think about how Ken did with the pre-built gaming PC? Honestly, I think he actually did a lot better than I was expecting. Keep your eyes peeled for deals like this, because they can save you a lot of money and get you a good gaming PC without breaking the bank.
We ran the numbers on this deal, and if you tried to build it yourself today, it would cost around $870. That's with a Kaby Lake i5 and an RX 580 graphics card. So, what do you think?
WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Hey guys, this is Austin.Today, we're going to find outhow not to buy yourself a gaming PC.After years of doing custom buildsI have one question.Is it possible to get a decent gaming PCfrom a big-box store?This is an area we've checked out before.A few months ago, we picked upa $750 pre-built system from CyberPowerthat actually wasn't bad.But this time, we wantedto step up the challenge.What would happen whenwe walk into a storewith $600 and asked to see what they have?- Um, so I'm kind of looking for a, like,gaming PC for around $600.- This is Ken. He usuallylives behind the camera,but today he has a mission.- Immediately, the salesmanoffers him a $750 CyberPower PC.You know, the one we just did a video on,and definitely not inside the $600 budget.Soon, however, another option comes up.- Oh that's, that's really good.People must really like it.Okay.- Oh wow. Okay.Do you mind if I call my dad first?- Sure- Cool.Dad, AMD FX-4300, eight gigs of RAM,one terabyte, 7200 RPM hard drive, RX 460- $450?- $450.- That's not crazy for $450,but it's not really good.- Dad doesn't approve.Okay, let's uh, I guesswe'll keep looking then.See if he was my real dadhe'd get me a GTX 1080 Ti.Do you want anything?- One Starbucks excursion later,Ken was on to another big-box PC storewhere the halls were filled with promise.Well, if you looked hard enough at least.- Oh really.- Oh well yeah, I'd imagine.Let me actually call my dad first.Core i3-6100T8 gigs of RAM,1 terabyte hard drive, GTX 750 Ti.- 750 Ti?- Yeah, for $449.- That is really old system. 750Ti is likethree generations old.- That's what I thought.- See that's not crazy terrible for $450,it's not going to be very good though.- Are there any other alternatives?- Yeah so, originally it was $700,and I think he's going to take off like30 or 40 bucks because it's a floor model.So the graphics card is basically worthmore than half of theprice of this computer.I'm like, that's actually not a bad deal.- All right, thatactually doesn't look bad.So, HP Pavilion, you cansee the Core i5 sticker,- Yep.- What's the deal?- So, this is an HP Pavilion somethingsomething something something.- (laughs) Sounds about right.- A really long name.It has a Core i5, RX 480.- 480, okay.- Eight gigabytes of RAM.- Alright.- It has a 1 terabyte hard drive,with a 128 gig M.2 SSD.- Oooh.Okay. So how much was this?- It was $664.- That seems like a pretty good deal.So you said it's a 480, it's a Core i5.Is that Skylake, is that Kaby Lake?- Is that older?- Uh, 6400?- So Skylake. Okay.- Skylake, yeah.- So it's a little bit of an older system.Probably like a 2016.Why did you get a floor unit?- Because this was the onlyone that they had left.Because everyone, apparently,that was looking for--- Oh, cryptominers.- Yeah.Everyone that was looking for those cardsjust swiped the computers for the cards.Probably just sold everything else.- This is a very small 480,it also has no branding on it,so I wonder who actually made the card.A 300 watt power supply!Well it's an 80PLUS bronze unit.300 watts actually is,that's really low for a 480.Um, I bet it probably just barely works.Oh dude, there's a cardreader and USB-C up front?- Wait, USB-C?- Yeah, right there.- Oh wow, I did not even see that, wow.- For like $660 this seemslike a pretty good deal,I mean you've got wifi, you've got an SSD,you've got a solid graphics card.Congratulations, you successfully defeatedthe big-box stores.But, I actually want to see what wecan actually do with this.I bet it's actually goingto be pretty good at gaming.First test will be Rocket League.And I have a good feeling about this.So right now, yeah, we're at122 frames per second on high at 1080.So what were you expecting when you wentinto (bleep) and, ersorry, (clears throat)Uh, random PC part retailer,what were you actually expecting?- Um, to get scammed?- Next we have Dirt 4.Now this is anothergame that's fairly new,but I think the 480 should be ableto handle it pretty well.Um, when you look at a system like thisfor about like $650,what you're getting hereis something that youreally should be ableto play at 1080 on high with most games.- Right.To be fair, all thosestores that we visitedhad options that werejust really overpriced,that were basically like that,like we're talking, $1,000 for like a 1060- And you obviously want toavoid that kind of stuff, right.I think the mid-range is a littlebit more of the sweet spot, ofwhen you're buying somethingthat's pre-built, itcan actually sometimesmake a little bit of sense,as I go flying off intothe woods. (laughs)So next we haveBattlegrounds, and since Kenis way better at this game than I am,why don't you take it away?- Yep.- What settings can we actually play on?- Let's find out.- Because Battlegrounds, Iknow it's been getting betterwith optimization, but it stilldoes not run very well.- No, it's pretty awfulon like a lot of systems.- Well it's defaulting to 1080 high,that's not bad.- I mean, we can see how it plays first.- It's a little bit loud.But then again, I mean,it's a fairly powerfulgraphics card in what is nota super well-ventilated case, so.- Yeah- This is actually runningreally well though.Again, 1080p high, we'regetting 50-60 frameswhich on PUBG, I thinkis actually not bad.- Not crazy.- Ken, Ken!- No, ah, dammit.- He didn't even see you, what was that?(Ken laughs)- All right, so Ken, whatis your conclusion herewith this whole experience of tryingto actually get a decentpre-built gaming PC?- The deals exist.Keep your eyes peeled.That's really what it comes down to.- (laughs) Such great advice.Just pay attention, and life will be okay.- Hey look, there are a lot of peoplethat will egg on you forgetting a pre-built PCwhen sometimes, maybeit is the better deal.- This is a good deal. You did a good job.I know you had to shoparound a little bit,you had to argue with some salespeople,but you're able to geta system that honestlyis a better deal thanwhat you could actually,could get on your own.So I ran the numbers on this,and if you tried tobuild this system today,now mind you it wouldbe a little bit nicer,with a Kaby Lake i5, and an RX 580,but it's going to cost you around $870.Now mind you, that 580 isway overinflated in price,but even once you cut that down,you get rid of somestuff like the DVD drive,and the wifi, you'restill looking at somethingthat's going to cost you over $700,which is more than what you paid for this.So, what do you guysthink about how Ken didwith the pre-built gaming PC?Honestly, I think you actually dida lot better than I was expecting.So.- Thanks, dad.- Anyway, let us know that youthink in the comments below,and we will catch you on the next one.Well, maybe I'll catchyou in the next one.Ken will probably be behind the camera,like usual, but, you know.- The way it should be(Austin laughs)
