/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25717623/247361_PS5_Pro_VPavic_273.jpg "PlayStation announces ‘deeper collaboration’ with AMD to infuse games with AI")
I love building PCs, but I get why pre-built gaming desktops are popular. They remove the guesswork of buying components and making sure they’re all compatible with each other, and you don’t need to go through the stressful process of installing them all. I’m also coming around on pre-built PCs largely because they’re sometimes available for a steal, like iBuyPower’s Y40 model that’s $999.99 at Walmart right now.
You can quickly surmise the value of a pre-built gaming PC by figuring out how much the GPU inside would cost by itself. With the Y40, its RTX 4070 with 12 GB of video memory would set you back $500 or more — roughly half its cost. Its AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU would set you back another $275, not to mention its motherboard, the 16 GB of fast DDR5 (5,200 MHz) RAM, its all-in-one liquid-cooled system that keeps the CPU cool, and its 700 W 80+ Gold power supply. Also, the Y40 comes with a RGB wired keyboard and a mouse — you only have to supply a monitor to plug into it.
Even though Nvidia and AMD likely have new GPUs coming in 2025, the RTX 4070 inside of this machine will likely be a gaming powerhouse for years to come. It will tear through any game at 1080p resolution, and likely at 1440p resolution, too. Even as the system begins to show its age with future titles, Nvidia’s DLSS AI upscaling tech, which is supported by many games, will give it more legs by running games at lower resolution, then intelligently sharpening the image seen on your screen. Even if games run great, DLSS is a boon to performance as it lets you squeeze extra frames per second from your GPU.
