How popular are OEM/SI prebuilts where you live when compared to computer hardware retailer custom builds?

[MigratingCoconut]

In my country hardware retailers offer a PC building page similar to PC part picker.   Example build (Will show a blank build when you solve the captcha and enter the site for the first time)  Screenshot of build
Aside from picking your own parts there are featured builds you can simply order as is, or modify. You can also save and share builds you make so that others can order them. The part's prices are the same or cheaper when bought as part of a whole system, and the retailers will build your PC, test it, and install a clean OS for no extra cost, or a very small one.
Finally, The builds are often built by the sort of people who have likely built their own PC, and the biggest issue I'd see anyone having with them is the cable management not being quite as nice as they'd hoped it to be.

For these reasons most people I know who bought a PC did it in this manner, even older folks buying systems most likely intended for younger relatives.

In light of recent stream of (very negative) reviews of prebuilts from GN I started wondering: Considering the high price and poor quality, how popular are OEM/SI prebuilts?
It's also odd to me that Redux can take a 75$ fee for a build while obfuscating the specific model of part you're getting when there are multiple retailers in my country that would do a build for free and would let me choose a specific model of every single part. Then again, the global GPU shortage makes getting a GPU at MSRP quite difficult from any retailer.

I couldn't find a way to make a drop down list for the country in the forum's built in poll so I created this Google form (Country question is optional) And I'd love to see your feedback both in it and in the comments.

This sheet records all answers

TL;DR: I am wondering about the popularity of OEM/SI prebuilts in different parts of the world as opposed to hardware retailer's custom builds, so I made a Google form

EDIT: Changed text colour

Edited August 24, 2021 by LogicalDrm
Fixed color

[SilverbloodZero]

SI are more on US and Europe. in Asia its more on part and Local Prebuilts. Bundle Together but from different Brands and mixed match to form a specific Price Range.

 

OEM are abundant here. but warranty and RMA is the Problem.

[avg123]

50 minutes ago, MigratingCoconut said:

In my country hardware retailers offer a PC building page similar to PC part picker.   Example build (Will show a blank build when you solve the captcha and enter the site for the first time)  Screenshot of build
Aside from picking your own parts there are featured builds you can simply order as is, or modify. You can also save and share builds you make so that others can order them. The part's prices are the same or cheaper when bought as part of a whole system, and the retailers will build your PC, test it, and install a clean OS for no extra cost, or a very small one.
Finally, The builds are often built by the sort of people who have likely built their own PC, and the biggest issue I'd see anyone having with them is the cable management not being quite as nice as they'd hoped it to be.

For these reasons most people I know who bought a PC did it in this manner, even older folks buying systems most likely intended for younger relatives.

In light of recent stream of (very negative) reviews of prebuilts from GN I started wondering: Considering the high price and poor quality, how popular are OEM/SI prebuilts?
It's also odd to me that Redux can take a 75$ fee for a build while obfuscating the specific model of part you're getting when there are multiple retailers in my country that would do a build for free and would let me choose a specific model of every single part. Then again, the global GPU shortage makes getting a GPU at MSRP quite difficult from any retailer.

I couldn't find a way to make a drop down list for the country in the forum's built in poll so I created this Google form (Country question is optional) And I'd love to see your feedback both in it and in the comments.

This sheet records all answers

TL;DR: I am wondering about the popularity of OEM/SI prebuilts in different parts of the world as opposed to hardware retailer's custom builds, so I made a Google form

why did you make the text color black? i cannot see anything in dark mode

[Freakwise]

If computer shop that also make/sell a "prebuild" system count as an SI (bcs there is no actual SI brand from where i live) then the percentage would be something like

%55 DIY

%35 SI

And the rest is oem

 

 

Edited August 24, 2021 by Freakwise

[LogicalDrm]

-> Moved to Off Topic

 

We do allow external questionares when they are for personal or academic purposes. But they are only allowed in Off Topic and must follow our rules about privacy. This is fine in terms of those.

 

Also fixed your color. The correct way was to select "automatic" as reading grey text is bit annoying still.

[whm1974]

I always built my own Systems myself with parts from online vendors.

[TetraSky]

I'm not aware of any custom builders in my city or of any stores that sells them.
As such, most people will just turn to Best Buy and buy whatever is available. So prebuilts are "very" popular. Out of everyone I know, I believe I'm the only one who built my own custom PC. The rest either got one used or they got a pre-built from the likes of HP, DELL or whomever else.

 

I guess there's computer canada? But honestly, I have never heard of anyone say they went there. Even I didn't know they had a location in my city until last year.

Could be that my social circle just happen to not include anyone like that and others in the same city would have a different experience.

[LogicalDrm]

2 hours ago, James Evens said:

@LogicalDrm colours are still not what they should be.

Now they are. Automatic didn't work for some reason properly.