I'm a big lover of prebuilt gaming PCs, but even I'm willing to admit one of their biggest shortcomings in recent years. You might think I'm referring to an inability to swap out parts or unreasonable pricing, but honestly, these machines aren't the problem child they used to be. My issue is that I think the best gaming PCs often don't look as good as ones you build yourself.
It's not that these machines look bad, by any means. But I think if you lined up a sample of prebuilt machines and custom builds, most people would probably be able to spot which was which. iBUYPOWER up until now, has probably been one of the bigger culprits of that but, as it launches its latest product range today, it seems to me a new leaf has been turned.
Amidst a RAM pricing apocalypse, the brand is "powering" through with the Gen X range it first showed off at CES, and I must say, it looks absolutely stunning. This brand's new cases, AIO cooler, and even bundled-in mouse and keyboard are so much more stylish than the usual sorts of products we see from system manufacturers that are as widely available as this one is.
The highlights of this new iBUYPOWER product range start with the Trace X and Element Pulse X cases. The Trace X has beautifully curved side panels that follow the design trends from the NZXT Player Three and the Maingear Zero Ruby. The Element Pulse X takes the RGB strips we've seen on previous iBUYPOWER machines like the iBUYPOWER Slate 8MP I reviewed, and gives it a more minimalist streak.
The AW5 AIO liquid cooler is also new, and it has a fancy display on it so you'll be able to peek in at some system stats while gaming. Of course, not every prebuilt comes with an AIO, so iBUYPOWER has also updated the Tower cooler it will install in entry-level to mid-range configurations. The AC5 RGB Tower Heatsink has a side-mounted 120mm ARGB fan, which I like, since going for an air-cooled CPU for gaming usually results in less pretty lighting within a build.
Each of the new Gen X builds will come in either black or white, giving people a nice range of options, and the brand has even started selling its components separately, which you hardly ever see from prebuilt brands. Not to be outdone, iBUYPOWER will also now let you create your own custom gaming PC via its PC Lab service it launched recently.
And the icing on the cake is that even the bundled-in mouse and keyboard you'll get with one of these Gen X PCs has received an update. The KM10 mouse and keyboard combo pack in just as much classy RGB, with the palmrest of the mouse even glowing underneath your hand. Although these accessories can feel a bit cheap and cheerful when lumped into a full computer purchase, these ones actually complement the design of the new cases, in my opinion.
I don't think I really had anything against iBUYPOWER's previous designs, but I think seeing a step forward into this bolder, classier design world really makes me sit up and take notice. These PCs don't look like everyday computers ones you'd find so readily stocked at Walmart and wider retailers. These look bespoke, and like something fit for veteran PC players, not just newcomers. I love that for this brand, but I do hope pricing doesn't impact things too much.
Even in the years since I've been reviewing PCs here at GamesRadar+, iBUYPOWER has gone from a very accessible budget brand to a slightly pricier manufacturer. Now, with new, flashier cases, I hope prices don't go even higher. Bought separately, the two cases will only set you back $99.99, which, for a full-sized ATX PC chassis, isn't too bad.
The mouse and keyboard bought on their own only cost $34.99, and the AIO only seems to cost $99.99 too, so initial pricing for these components actually seems pretty reasonable.
But for the prebuilt machines, the RAM situation is definitely causing some inflation. The new Element Pulse X R01 featuring an RTX 5070 and Ryzen 9700X combo with 32GB of DDR5 will set you back $1,949. For context, an RTX 5070 build was around $400 cheaper during Black Friday.
iBUYPOWER says its new products are available now at its own gear store, and configurations using the new components should begin to appear at wider retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart soon.
Take a closer look at the best RAM for gaming, the best graphics card, and the best computer speakers.
