For many years, it's usually been cheaper to build your own PC using hand-selected components than purchase a pre-built machine, but is that still true in 2026?

Building your own PC is kind of like cooking: deeply satisfying if you know what you're doing, mildly traumatic if you don't. Pre-builts, meanwhile, are microwave meals. Not bad, not great, and ...

In the old days of computing, users often bought kits and put together their own machines. Part of the fun of owning a computer was figuring out how everything worked together. You still can build ...

Prebuilt PCs and computer peripherals sit atop a Costco display counter - vietanh85/Shutterstock If you were to build a custom PC now, you'd find the prices of several components have skyrocketed in ...