If you were to build a custom PC now, you’d find the prices of several components have skyrocketed in recent years. While it isn’t unheard of for component prices to increase across the board, the fact that some SSDs out there are worth their weight in gold is baffling. But as computer hardware prices go up, building new PCs becomes more inaccessible. While it used to be cheaper to build PCs from scratch using individually purchased components, many are now finding that prebuilt systems from big-box stores like Costco are cheaper for similar (and sometimes better) specs. Why is that, exactly?
To answer that question, we need to examine the computer industry as a whole. The biggest reason why many of Costco’s prebuilt PCs are a better bang for your buck right now is because they come with components that were dramatically less expensive when they were assembled. As SSD prices have shot up, so have RAM and graphics card prices. Where an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 retailed for around $1,999 at launch (depending on the model), that same card is now selling for nearly $4,000 on marketplaces like Amazon. Some consumers expect graphics card prices to keep rising on account of the trends suggesting that Nvidia will significantly cut gaming GPU production in 2026 to better support AI data centers in lieu of everyday consumers.
AI is the crux of the issue
AI data center expansion is ultimately what’s driving the changes we’re seeing in the PC market today. The additional hardware that AI models now require to function has led big tech to leverage nuclear energy to help power data centers — which is leading to troubling trends in the PC market. As the materials typically reserved for manufacturing RAM are instead being used to create new chips for AI data centers, RAM prices are increasing. The upticks are extravagant, with analysts at TrendForce estimating 55% to 60% increases in Q1 2026 alone. RAM is becoming so scarce that we’re starting to see manufacturers talk about changing laptop specs for the worse in 2026 to help keep costs down.
All those issues help explain why building your own PC is so costly right now. But there’s another layer explaining why Costco can offer prebuilt PCs for so much cheaper: Either the manufacturers making those machines purchased components in bulk under an old contract — thereby affording them substantially cheaper RAM and graphics card prices compared to what they’d pay now — or they already had the components in stock before prices started rising. None of this is to say you can’t build your own PC, of course. But if you do, prepare to spend a lot more than you would on a prebuilt system.
Costco’s warranties are a secret weapon
There’s one other thing that makes buying a prebuilt Costco PC so enticing: the company’s exceptional warranty offering. So exceptional, in fact, that we recommend always buying your tech from Costco. The wholesaler gives customers a two-year warranty on major electronics — one year on top of the original manufacturer’s warranty — to provide extended coverage for your devices. The company also offers additional Allstate protection plans for computers and beyond, which you can purchase for an additional fee. Through Allstate, Costco offers three years of device protection for computers, which includes coverage for spills, drops, and other accidental damage.
Costco’s extended warranty can be quite the relief, especially should anything go wrong with your PC down the line. When you build your own PC, you get whatever warranties the companies of each component offer. That means keeping up with the terms of each individual warranty. So, if you want to make things as easy as possible for yourself, getting a prebuilt Costco machine is a fantastic option. It isn’t much of a surprise that even users on the r/pcmasterrace subreddit have begun recommending Costco’s prebuilt computers over custom builds to those seeking new machines.
