You don't need to build your own Windows gaming PC just to burn cash on RAM. Ready-made rigs do it for hundreds of dollars less.

I've built more gaming PCs than I can count, but I've also cheated a couple of times, too. Yes, I've picked up pre-built gaming PCs on occasion for myself and as recommendations for friends, because sometimes it's just too expensive (or annoying) to source all of the parts yourself.

These days, the prices of RAM, storage, and even graphics cards are reaching levels that come close to ruining the hobby, but ready-made PCs from brands like iBUYPOWER can be a tactical workaround if you catch them at the right time, including this soon-to-end (on March 31) Spring Cleaning Clearance event.

Add the coupon code CLEARANCE at checkout, and you'll also get $200 off "RDY" prebuilt systems over $2,999 (or $100 off systems over $1,999 and $50 off those over $999, respectively). The coupon doesn't apply to prices in the build-your-own custom PC lab, but you can still use it to waive the build fee in there. Nice.

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

Save $400

iBUYPOWER RDY Trace X R01: was $2,799 now $2,399 at iBUYPOWER

AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU pairs with 32GB of DDR5-6000 RAM, a 2TB PCIe 4.0 M2 NVMe SSD, and a Radeon RX 9070 XT GPU in a chunky case. Keyboard and mouse included!

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Ryzen 7 9700X

Save 11% ($200)

iBUYPOWER RDY Slate 8MP R01: was $1,799 now $1,599 at ibuypower

An aggressively priced mid-range rig with a 9700X CPU, 32GB of DDR5-5600 RAM, Radeon RX 9060 XT GPU, and still, a 2TB NVMe SSD alongside a keyboard and mouse.

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Core Ultra 7 265KF

Save 9% ($200)

iBUYPOWER RDY Element Pulse X B01: was $2,199 now $1,999 at iBUYPOWER

More of an Intel/NVIDIA fan? This U7 265KF CPU joins an RTX 5070 and 32GB of DDR5-6400 with, yes, a 2TB SSD and a bundled keyboard & mouse.

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Fair warning: Some of these PCs are HUGE

I know, it's tempting to go all-out when you see a few hundred dollars knocked off your ideal specs in a gaming PC that you don't have to assemble yourself, but please make sure you have enough desk space for some of iBUYPOWER's behemoths.

Well, at least the ones that use the curved-glass, fishtank-style cases. As beautiful as they are, you'll almost certainly get a shock when they arrive at your front door, as I did. Heavy, too. (I'm not complaining; my weak arms need this exercise).

A sample of the $2,399 RDY Trace X R01 arrived this week, and it's making for an excellent mix of business-first testing and procrastination distraction since it's one of the first times I've been able to get my hands on a modern Radeon graphics card: the 16GB Radeon 9070 XT.

You're pretty much spoiled for choice, as the RDY range offers AMD's gaming CPU champion, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and alternatives in the similarly dominating mid-range gaming champion, the Ryzen 7 9700X. Otherwise, you can opt for Intel's similarly mid-range Core Ultra 7 265KF, a CPU that sits between its entry-level Core Ultra 5 245K and high-end Core Ultra 9 285K.

Anyway, it's the 32GB of DDR5 RAM that stands out during the memory crisis, and it's pretty clear that it's overtaking 16GB as the "standard" for PC gaming, albeit gradually. I'm a big advocate for learning how to build your own gaming PCs, but even I started with a pre-built rig — and I still recommend them to seasoned builders. Sometimes it's just easier to let another professional do it.

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