There are two main reasons to buy a traditional tower desktop instead of a laptop. First, you can achieve performance not possible on a laptop. For PC gamers, AI developers, content creators, and anyone else who uses the extra power, desktop PCs are still unbeatable in this regard. Even if you don't have a maxed-out system with an Nvidia RTX 5090, you'll still get more performance for the money you spend. This remains true on prebuilt desktop PCs as much as on DIY systems that you build yourself. However, with RAM prices escalating like crazy, if you don't need anything special in terms of performance, buying a laptop is a cheaper way to go—at least, for now.
Secondly, people buy desktop PCs for their upgradeability. Not only is it fun to tinker with the technology, but it's also a cost-saving measure that lets you replace parts piecemeal. You can choose when to replace a specific part, and there's a thriving aftermarket for old parts. This benefit only partially applies to prebuilt systems, as your ability to upgrade varies from system to system. Standard PC manufacturers use a mix of proprietary and off-the-shelf parts, which affects the long-term lifespan of the PC. Meanwhile, more expensive PCs built by boutique system integrators like Falcon Northwest, Origin, or iBuyPower use mostly off-the-shelf parts.
As a side note, some smaller PC manufacturers and system builders, like Minisforum and CyberPowerPC, have already started raising prices on desktops due to the memory shortage, But many of the options we've listed below are still selling for normal prices, and based on what we're hearing, prices on all PCs in 2026 are going to eventually go up. That makes it a uniquely good time to buy a prebuilt.