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Buying and building a computer in June 2025

Published on 22nd June 2025 by Simon Fearby

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So, you’ve decided it’s time for a new computer—but now you’re staring at endless options online and wondering, “Should I just buy one, or can I actually build one myself?”

Buying a prebuilt PC from Dell, HP, or Lenovo can be convenient — but if you’re even a little bit curious or willing to learn, building your own system offers huge advantages in terms of performance, quality, and long-term flexibility and upgradability.

Are brand name PC's OK?

It depends, do you have the time and want to learn?

Common Prebuilt PC Limitations (Dell, HP, etc.)

Limitation Why It’s a Problem
Weak Power Supplies Brand name PC's can have poor powers supplies that limit upgrading.
Proprietary Parts Non-standard cases and motherboards limit upgrades.
Weak Power Supplies Low wattage prevents GPU upgrades.
Low RAM or Slow Storage Often uses single-channel RAM or HDDs instead of SSDs.
Limited Cooling Smaller cases lead to poor airflow and higher temperatures.
Overpriced for Specs Less value for the money compared to custom builds.
Bloatware and Trialware Unwanted software that slows down performance.
Harder to Repair Some parts are hard to replace without exact OEM versions.
Limited BIOS Options Locked settings prevent advanced tweaking or upgrades.

If you care about performance, value, and long-term flexibility, building your own PC is a smart move. You’ll get higher-quality parts, better performance, and more satisfaction — all for less money than a typical big-brand prebuilt.

If you did not want to build your own PC you can buy a ready to go PC built by stores that care about quality and performance.

Australian Stores with Ready to go Gaming systems

I have dealt with all of these retailers

Buy gaming or business hardware?

Always get gaming grade hardware over business or chsaper hardware options.

Taking this a step further you can choose each part and get a better performing and higher quality system.

Benefit Description
Better Parts Choose reliable brands for every component. No mystery parts hidden inside.
Better Cooling Custom builds run cooler and quieter with better airflow and aftermarket CPU coolers.
Faster Performance Pick modern CPUs, GPUs, fast NVMe SSDs, and dual-channel RAM.
No Bloatware Install only what you need — no trialware or system-slowing apps.
Standard Parts Everything fits standard sizes — easy to upgrade and repair.
More Upgrade Options Bigger cases, better motherboards, and quality PSUs let you expand later.
Longer Lifespan High-quality parts last longer and are easy to replace.
Price Transparency You know exactly what you’re paying for — no hidden costs.
Fun and Educational Learn how your PC works and enjoy building it yourself.

Choosing your own parts

Sites like https://au.pcpartpicker.com allow you to choose PC parts, check compatibility and chart prices over time

Some stores have parts builders

Once you know individual parts and you can use https://staticice.com.au to see who sells the same part at the cheapest price.

First: What's Inside a Computer?

Before you start shopping or picking parts, it helps to understand what makes up a PC. Here are the main components you'll hear about:

Step-by-Step: Using PCPartPicker.com

PCPartPicker.com is a free website that helps you plan your computer build. It checks part compatibility and estimates power usage and total price.

  1. Go to https://pcpartpicker.com
  2. Click on "System Builder"
  3. Start adding parts:
    • Pick your CPU first (we’ll use AMD in this post)
    • Then the motherboard that matches that CPU
    • Add RAM, storage, GPU, case, and power supply
  4. Watch the price update as you go
  5. PCPartPicker checks for compatibility issues automatically
  6. Once you’re done, you can buy the parts from multiple online stores or share your build link with a friend for feedback

20% of your time may be investigating parts and 80% will be trying find all the parst from one reseller or as cheap as possible

Suggested AMD + NVIDIA Builds for 2025

Here are a few lists for different budgets using AMD CPUs and NVIDIA graphics cards. All include Windows 11, Wi-Fi, and solid SSD storage.

Prices may fluctuate, so treat these as rough estimates. All parts are compatible.

Budget Build ($998 AUD)

Perfect for Office Apps, Minecraft, indie games, media, and daily tasks.

⚖️ Mid-Range Build ($1,930 AUD)

Great for 1080p or 1440p gaming, light video editing, and multitasking.

🏆 High-End Build ($2,950 AUD)

Built for creators, gamers, streamers, and professionals.

Ordering and Building Tips

  1. Order from trusted sites (Scorptec, Umart, MWave, CentreCom, PLE. Do not order from eBay or social media./
  2. Double-check compatibility on PCPartPicker
  3. Wait for all parts to arrive before building.
  4. Use online guides (YouTube has amazing step-by-step videos).
  5. Install Windows using a USB stick and activate with a license key.

Power Supply Tips - Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum etc

When choosing a power supply (PSU) for your computer, it’s tempting to just pick the cheapest one that meets the wattage—but that’s a mistake. The PSU affects long-term power usage, heat, noise, and reliability. Power supplies are given efficiency ratings under the 80 PLUS certification system. This tells you how efficiently a PSU converts electricity from the wall (AC) into usable power inside your computer (DC). The higher the efficiency, the less electricity is wasted as heat.

Rating Efficiency @ 50% Load
80 PLUS Bronze ~85%
80 PLUS Silver ~88%
80 PLUS Gold ~90%
80 PLUS Platinum ~92%

For example: if your PC uses 200W, a Bronze PSU may draw 235W from the wall, while a Platinum PSU might draw just 217W. Over time, this adds up.

Power - Real-World Usage: 3 Example PC Builds

Let’s estimate the electricity costs over 5 years for three types of PC builds. We'll assume:

Build Avg Load Total Energy Use (kWh)
Budget PC 150W 1,641 kWh
Mid-Range PC 250W 2,735 kWh
High-End PC 400W 4,377 kWh

5-Year Electricity Costs by PSU Efficiency

Approximate cost over 5 years based on the PSU's efficiency rating:

Build Bronze Gold Platinum Potential Savings
Budget PC $410 $365 $355 ~$55
Mid-Range PC $684 $608 $592 ~$92
High-End PC $1,095 $975 $951 ~$144

Which PSU Should You Choose?

Summary Table

Rating Best For Notes
Bronze Budget builds Cheapest, but least efficient
Silver Rare in 2025 Often skipped in favor of Gold
Gold Most users Best balance of cost and performance
Platinum High-end or pro builds Quietest, coolest, most efficient

Investing in a quality PSU pays off. Not only will your system run more efficiently, but you’ll also generate less heat and noise—and save money long-term.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re buying a ready-made PC or building your own, the key is understanding what you need and what you’re getting. In 2025, you don’t have to be a tech expert to get a great computer—you just need the right tools and a bit of planning.

Building your own might sound intimidating, but for many people, it turns into a fun and rewarding experience—and often saves money in the process.

There is a lots to learn but once you build a PC you will never buy a pre built PC again.

Thank fpor Reading

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