We recently ran a story talking about the trend of custom PC builders going the ‘bring-your-own-RAM’ route. In other words, brands are selling systems without any RAM and asking customers if they’d like to supply their own to save on costs. This started at the tail end of last year as shortages began to devastate the industry. So, we thought we’d ask our readers whether they would be happy to buy a prebuilt without any RAM in it. The result was a resounding ‘no’ – 72% would prefer get a complete system.

Companies such as Maingear have a whole BYO RAM program that recommends consumers reuse their existing RAM (if possible) or grab it from a cheaper source, such as eBay, a family member, or friend (again, if possible). The reality of it is that upgrading your memory right now, especially DDR5 RAM, is a pricey affair regardless for most people, and perhaps not worth the effort.

Prebuilt PC buyers probably don’t want to deal with the extra work

This poll is still up and running if you’d like to contribute, but at the time of writing, just 17% of respondents say they could simply use their old RAM after buying a RAM-less build. This seems to suggest that many people buying prebuilts these days are finally moving on from their DDR4 rig up to a DDR5 system running current-gen AMD or Intel processors, which are not compatible with their existing memory. Just 11% say they are happy to buy RAM separately, and considering the asking price of most kits these days, it’s hard to blame them, even if it does mean saving a little bit of cash comparatively.

Buying from PC builder brands has always come with the luxury of being a plug-and-play experience – no extra hardware installation, no need to source your own components, and a professionally put-together build with years of warranty in place. It is worth noting that Maingear does offer to install the RAM you provide, but again, that requires sending it off to them. These companies continue to sell full prebuilts; the BYO RAM initiative is purely optional.

Supplying your own RAM is an extra hassle in a market that thrives on its ease of access. Plus, you may have to deal with different warranty coverage between the RAM you provided and the rest of the prebuilt PC. We think it’s fair to say that people who buy prebuilts accept that they’re paying a premium for a shiny new system, so eating the added cost of RAM provided by the PC builders is less of a worry. Convenience seems to be the winner in the end.

About the Author

Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.