I always tell people to build their own gaming PC, but I can't anymore with Black Friday deals like this

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Buy not build is the message when PCs are getting as cheap as this.

For years, I've always told people they should build, not buy, a gaming PC. There's just something magical about building something just for you, and it's also a great learning exercise. However, with Black Friday deals like this ASUS ROG gaming PC reduced to $999.99, I can't really say that anymore. If you're quick enough to get one of the open box versions, you could save almost $100 more as well. 

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Why you should buy this gaming PC over building your own

(Image credit: ASUS / Windows Central)

So why is this a great deal? Besides being a pretty solid gaming PC at a great price, even with Black Friday deals, you couldn't get all of the parts and Windows 11 license needed to build this same machine yourself for less. Since you also don't have to then spend the time assembling it, installing Windows, cutting your finger on a motherboard I/O shield, making a mistake and having to spend time troubleshooting it, it's well worth it. 

Sure, it's using last-gen parts from Intel and NVIDIA, but that doesn't make them bad. Just because something newer and more expensive came out doesn't mean you should ignore the slightly older, cheaper stuff. It's also easier to find deals like this. 

The Intel Core i7-13700F is a great CPU for gaming with 16-cores and 24 threads, and honestly, the 14th Gen replacement is barely an upgrade so you're still getting one of the best. The RTX 3060 is also one of the best affordable graphics cards, capable of 1080p and even 1440p gaming at high details and frame rates. 

As all the parts inside are standard, you have a pretty good platform to upgrade in the future as your needs or budget increases. Probably the only downside is that it's using DDR4 not DDR5 RAM. For gaming, you won't be missing out, but it's one less part you'll be able to harvest for any future plans. But all-in-all, this is a strong discount on a well spec'd gaming PC you can simply unbox, plug in, and get gaming. 

Richard Devine
Richard Devine
Managing Editor

Richard Devine is the Managing Editor at Windows Central, where he combines a deep love for the open-source community with expert-level technical coverage. Whether he’s hunting for the next big project on GitHub, fine-tuning a WSL workflow, or breaking down the latest meta in Call of Duty, Forza, and The Division 2, Richard focuses on making complex tech accessible to every kind of user. If it’s happening in the world of Windows or PC gaming, he’s probably already knee-deep in the code (or the lobbies). Follow him on X and Mastodon.