Gaming enthusiasts often prefer custom-made PCs, laptops, and equipment to enjoy the fun and pleasant experience of video games whether alone or online with friends. iBUYPOWER is a name that you see frequently appear in discussions of buying a custom gaming PC.
iBUYPOWER has become a popular go-to option for discerning gamers who want to make their gaming systems built based upon their choice and minimum performance requirements – from a processor to a graphics card and everything in between, all without the effort and time necessary in making the decisions and building it themselves.
Founded in 1999, iBUYPOWER is a US-oriented company with headquarters in CA and sales and support staff spread over Asia and Europe. The company has gained a positive reputation for offering suitable choices for PC gaming machines for those who don't want the responsibility and time burden of purchasing compatible components or requiring the expertise of knowing how to put it all together successfully.
- Assured compatibility of PC components
- Professional desktop assembly & quality control
- Faster access to stock starved components like graphics cards and CPUs
- Helpful customer service and after sale support
- You'll pay a premium over buying the components and building the PC yourself
- Some pre-built configurations harness mediocre components that may bottleneck the system
What is the iBUYPOWER brand known for?
It is a wholesale manufacturer of custom-fabricated desktop computers. This manufacturer has become the go-to site for developers that want to buy a powerful gaming computer from cheap sources.
There are also pre-configured desktop PCs available for customers who don't want to spend much time choosing a single component. The company also does sell gaming laptops, but these aren't custom PCs like in the case of their desktop builds.
The company is committed to offering high-quality gaming PC choices at competitive prices with the benefit of ongoing customer support. iBUYPOWER's desktop models are developed with gaming enthusiasts to enjoy maximum gaming performance. This results in machines that offer highly overclockable power and very competitive features.
Keep in mind, iBUYPOWER is not a manufacturer. Although iBUYPOWER talks about their custom gaming PCs as they are building them themselves, they do not manufacture any of the components that go into your system. They simply select and purchase those parts from multiple well-known brand manufacturers on behalf of their customers to be able to build their custom gaming computers.
This also means that you will not find this company mentioned on the various product boxes for their components. They don't create the actual hardware you use. Knowing this, iBUYPOWER is known as more of a online retailer or wholesale seller than a true computer manufacturer.
Does iBUYPOWER Have Good Reviews From Customers?
User reviews for iBuyPower computers through major review portals such as ConsumerAffairs, TrustPilot, and Sitejabber are all the majority being positive. Numerous customers have said the brand has excellent products and customer service for an affordable price.
Consumer Affairs: 4.7/5 stars (1,616 reviews)
TrustPilot: 4.6/5 stars (4,019 reviews)
SiteJabber: 3.5/5 stars (73 reviews)
Do They Actually Build The PC For You?
iBUYPOWER is a reseller of customized desktop products and that includes the actual building process as well as the component sourcing. You are able to take responsibility for virtually every aspect of how the construction of your computer takes place.
Once you've confirmed the components that you want from iBUYPOWER and gotten a price quote, you can pay for your new gaming desktop. As soon as the order is processed it is taken away to its assembly team who starts assembling and gathering your PC using the components which you chose within your order.
This means when your new iBUYPOWER PC arrives, it will be all set up, properly configured with the latest drivers (at least up until it shipped), and ready to use right out of the box which saves a lot of headaches for less tech-savvy consumers.
Does iBUYPOWER use quality PC parts?
iBUYPOWER utilizes high-end components from good brand manufacturers like Intel, NVIDIA,, AMD and others. The quality and performance of the components used within your iBUYPOWER system will be based entirely on your budget.
You won't be able to buy the best gaming PC with the latest CPU and graphics cards with a low budget of just $500-$1000 although the company will recommend a few of their most ideal options based on your budget.
As you raise your budget up to the $2K+ range, you'll be getting a top-of-the-line gaming system with higher end components offering maximum performance gaming experience. These builds take care of all of the delicate wiring and ensure optimal chassis airflow even with a liquid cooled option in some iBUYPOWER products.
Are iBUYPOWER pre-built PCs reliable?
IBUYPOWER pre builts supply you with PCs that allow you to enjoy stutter-less and convenient gaming experiences. Since these iBUYPOWER PCs are run configured to work with compatible components and put together by employees of the company, their reliability is often a lot higher than you'd get when making your own custom build PC especially if you aren't experienced with the process.
As in any situation, PC components aren't the most reliable and things will go wrong from time to time on your custom build PC whether from a reputable reseller like iBUYPOWER or your own doing. While we can't say confidently that an iBUYPOWER gaming PC won't suffer a reliability issue, but they are do go through a quality control process to prevent any common defects and malfunctions before shipping.
Does iBUYPOWER accept returns?
iBUYPOWER computers and components purchased directly from their website can be returned within 30 days of purchase as long as the items are all still in the original packaging and in like-new condition. It will be up to iBUYPOWER's discretion whether an item can still be considered like new or not.
Also, if items are returned for a refund you will be subject to receiving 20% of the price in store credit only because the items were custom configured to your specifications. Customer service is available 24/7 via live chat on their website and they are typically around to answer any of your questions or concerns within a few hours.
For those who purchase iBUYPOWER items from another retailer like Amazon, NewEgg, Best Buy, or B&H Photo, you'll have to deal with their own customer service departments for return requests or for those seeking a refund.
Final Conclusion
iBUYPOWER is a reputable seller of custom built desktops and PC components although they are not an actual manufacturer like Dell or Alienware. They offer the expertise of purchasing a custom built PC with amazing performance with the convenience of skipping the stressful part compatibility and installation process.
