iBuyPower Element Gaming PC Review: i7-8086K and GTX 1080 Ti Inside
by Joe Shields on July 6, 2018 10:00 AM ESTConclusion
iBuyPower and system builders like them present users with an expedient option for buying a custom PC, taking all the building and testing hassle away and just leaving the 'plug it in and play' portion for the user. iBuyPower gives potential buyers a broad array of options to choose from including the case, down to wire lighting so it can really be a one-stop shop for those who may not want to build or feel uncomfortable building their own PC.
The Element system we have runs for $2199. If someone decided to build a system like this themselves, the cost would be around $250 less, but of course it wouldn't be built, configured, and tested out of the box for you. It takes hours to install hardware properly and route cables neatly as well as additional time to set up your OS and system, including overclocking as you like it. In some cases that process can be rewarding, and in other cases the desired reward is saving that time – albeit at an additional expense – something that can be worthwhile even for those who can put together their own PC. There is also a matter of tech support which a system builder provides, but when building your own, users are generally left to fend for themselves and find homes in forums such as ours. This is the value system builders can bring to the user.
We saw in our performance testing the iBuyPower system performs as it should out of the box which is what is to be expected. The overclock to 5 GHz for all cores on the Core i7-8086K processor improves performance across the board, making quick work against the lower clocked stock i7-8700K. One item of note with overclocking this system is to be sure adequate cooling is selected. Though the 120mm CLC kept things under the throttling point after a bit of tweaking, it was already at the limits so a warmer than average room (my office is kept at ~22C) it may be a tipping point. Because of this overclocking further, expecting to pass a stress test under 90C was a reach. Cooler is usually better and I would recommend a 2x120/140mm CLC for this processor if you want it to run at 5 GHz with little worry.
So where does that leave us? As someone who has built PCs with my own hands for well over 20 years, it can be difficult to find a lot of value in any system builder. But taking a step back and putting myself in the other 90% of people's shoes who do not have the experience and the worry removed from building a system and getting it set up for you can be priceless. The amount of time it can save and still have a quality system on your desk can easily be worth the price premium. The website, though it can be intimidating with so many options, was easy to work through and build systems with. Users can select to choose within the framework of their signature lines or build a completely custom system using the substantial catalog of parts they offer. Be it an AMD, Intel, or NVIDIA fan, small form factor or full tower, iBuyPower can put together some great looking and performing PCs and have done so with the nicely configured Element we had to play with.
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WasHopingForAnHonestReview - Saturday, July 7, 2018 - link
You complained about stock photos... Another whined about possiboe static electricity from foam packing. Another said he likes not having so many rbg lights. Lol get a clueNotmyusualid - Monday, July 9, 2018 - link
@ WasHopingForAnHonestReview- Thanks for saying out loud what was screaming inside of my head.
Go outside - the graphics are great!
just4U - Friday, July 6, 2018 - link
From the article: "So where does that leave us? As someone who has built PCs with my own hands for well over 20 years, it can be difficult to find a lot of value in any system builder."---
Like you I've been building systems for over 20 years now, and personally find it rewarding and your right it can be hard for people like that to find value in systems like this.. However I ran into a interesting problem this spring.
Building my own system would have cost me $275 more than buying a ibuypower or alienware computer. The parts would be better overall in the system if i built it myself but i couldn't get anything comparable due to high memory and video card costs. I eventually went with the Alienware as Im going to really look forward to tearing it down and rebuilding it in 4-5 years..whereas the Ibuypower is something more in line with what I'd build.. First time in a very long time I've actually purchased a (non laptop) system.. They have come a long way and certainly add value in the right areas these days.
lazarpandar - Friday, July 6, 2018 - link
I could build something that performs identically and is way less flashy for *way* less than $1950 estimated in the article.Hell eBay has been doing those 20% off sales like twice a month. Get your GPU one week and your CPU another, Newegg bundle whatever you can, check Slickdeals for SSDs, maybe put up with a rebate for your PSU. You could build this thing for like $1500.
Yvonne M. Miller - Saturday, July 7, 2018 - link
niceMDD1963 - Saturday, July 7, 2018 - link
Pleasantly surprised by this offering, actually; not everyone builds their own, and, $250 markup over all parts ordered individually is not a horrible deal, and, at least all parts seem 'brand name', although I'd sure skip the 8086K over a standard 8700K, refusing to pay another $150 for 200 more MHz or so....lazarpandar - Saturday, July 7, 2018 - link
It may be $250 markup on parts, but you have to also factor in which parts you wouldn't even include if you made the thing yourself. Like LEDs, closed loop cooler, you could get different parts that perform almost identically for way way less than $250 less. I'm sure that case is >$100 by itself, you can definitely good cases for cheaper. This doesn't even take into account the amount of savings you would see switching to AMD Ryzen 2 with probably a non-noticeable drop in frame rates.It's just a disingenuous claim that exists to make the value proposition of a prebuilt seem reasonable when in reality you can save way way way more than that.
P2C - Sunday, July 8, 2018 - link
It's disingenuous to say you could do it cheaper by switching or omitting parts when you could also modify the build from the system builder and come up with a comparable, cheaper system. The reality is if you need to build a system with these vendors using identical or near as possible components you would likely save less than 10% on a DIY. These companies will also include the necessary items to redeem manufacturer rebates. If you could wait for special deals you could save more but that's not always practical or convenient. Here's the system reviewed using PCPartpicker: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/HxQx9J with the only change being the case which is available at same price on Ibuypower. As of this post you save $134 on the DIY. Do the same for your build and the same at Ibuy or Cyberpower and show me the way way more savings.Arbie - Sunday, July 8, 2018 - link
@P2C - excellent comment; thanks for laying it out.lazarpandar - Sunday, July 8, 2018 - link
I would say that it's not disingenuous at all to state the following: You can get the same performance and save way way more than $250. I'm not talking about same parts, I'm talking same performance. I'm also talking about intelligently taking advantage of coupons and specials as they come up. Taking those points away from my argument is moving the goalposts a hell of a distance.If you watch eBay and Google Express for site-wide coupon codes, you can get your CPU and GPU at 15-25% discounts. You can check Slickdeals for the history of those coupons, they come up twice a month. EXTRA25 gets you 25% off Google Express orders (up to $100 savings) which include orders from Fry's *right now*.
No I'm not going to build some machine that adheres explicitly to the parts used on iBuyPower's website, that was never my point and would be a waste of my time. If you want to have the argument I'm trying to have, then go ahead and respond, but if you want to keep moving the goalposts, don't even bother.