Some things are meant to be rented: cars, homes, and some higher-end cameras. Smartphones and gaming PCs should not be on that list. (Don’t message me about the smartphone thing; we shouldn’t be leasing smartphones like they’re cars.) But NZXT is banking on you not taking my advice, as the PC manufacturer has launched a new program where you can rent a rig for as low as $59 (peripherals not included).
Dubbed the NZXT Flex, the subscription program allows gamers access to a brand-new PC tower with free upgrades every two years. You can cancel anytime; you have to return the system, as NZXT explicitly states that this isn’t a rent-to-own service. Your subscription also comes with 24/7 customer service and a lifetime warranty. However, there are limits to the warranty, as it doesn’t cover “exceptions only for cases of negligence, theft, or intentional damage.”
And in case you’re wondering, this won’t result in a hard inquiry on your credit. NZXT might do a soft inquiry during the verification process. Now, if you don’t pay or return the system, the company might refer you to a collection agency “as a last resort.”
Subscription pricing
According to The Verge, NZXT has been running its Flex subscription service for a few months. Since its inception, the company has tweaked the model structure. The current iteration of the service has three subscription tiers: Player One, Player Two, and Player Three. Player One is the $59 entry-level tier of the plan, offering a desktop PC with an Intel Core i5-12400F CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, 16GB DDR4 3,200MHz RAM, and a 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD. NZXT recommends the tier as being “for the average gamer on standard settings.” A solid configuration will net you good frame rates on most games. However, those rates will drop significantly if you’re interested in 4K gaming.
If you want something with a bit more oomph, there’s the $119 Player Two mid-tier. This tier is for “enthusiasts to play the latest releases at great FPS.” That bumps you up to an AMD Ryzen 5 5600X processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, 16GB DDR4 3200 MHz RAM, and a 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD. It’s definitely a step up and should produce some serious frame rates. However, those with 4K gaming on their brains will need something even more powerful. That’s where Player Three, the $169 top-tier, comes in. Specifically targeting those on the hunt for “cutting edge performance and 4K gameplay,” this tier brings a 16-core, 3.4GHz Intel Core i7-13700KF processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GPU, 32G DDR5 5600 Mhz RAM, and 1TB NVMe M.2 SSD.
No matter which tier you choose, there will be an additional $50 fee for “setup and shipping.”
Subscription vs. Preconfigured vs. DIY
Alright, now let’s get into some math. If you go with the Player One tier for two years, you’ll be shelling out $1,416. Player Two and Three will cost $2,856 and $4,056, respectively. Yeeesh! For that kind of money, you can build your own PC with more powerful specs—think RTX 4080 or even 4090.
I went to a couple of popular desktop PC manufacturers to see if their preconfigured systems were cheaper. Something I immediately noticed is that each preconfigured system was more powerful and cost less than two years of the Player Three tier. Two of the desktops were even cheaper than the Player Two tier, and each system also had more powerful specs.
I started with Dell and the Alienware Aurora R16, which costs $3,699.99 (Intel Core i9 14900KF, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU, 32GB DDR5, 5600 MT/s RAM, and 2 TB, M.2, PCIe NVMe, SSD). Next, there’s the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 (Intel) with RTX 4080 Super GPU. It costs $2,649.99 and has an Intel Core i9-14900KF CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, 32GB DDR5-5200MHz RAM, and 2 TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen4 Performance TLC Opal SSD. And finally, I went over to HP’s site and found the HP Omen 45L Gaming Desktop GT22-2085t. It costs $2,289.99 and comes with Intel Core i7-14700K, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER GPU, 16GB DDR5-5200 Mhz RAM, and 1 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe TLC M.2 SSD.
Okay, now let’s look at building out a system. I stayed on NZXT’s site to build a system from scratch using the most expensive components, employing the same process for the CPU and GPU. For the case, I went with the H9 Elite, currently on sale for $169.99, a pair of the Kraken Elite 360 RGB fans ($299.99 each), a F140 RGB DUO Twin Pack ($84.99), a C1500 Platinum ATX 3.1 power supply ($369.99), and Intel® Z790 ATX Motherboard ($299.99), a NZXT Control Hub ($34.99), an Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition Gaming Graphics Card ($1,976.59), and an AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D CPU ($546.82) or an Intel Core i9-13900K CPU ($476.14) depending on your preference.
If you choose the AMD CPU, the grand total is $4,048.35, while Intel fans will pay $3977.67. Both prices are less than a two-year Player 3 subscription.
NZXT’s program might be good for people who are on the fence about making the jump to PC gaming and want to dip their toes in the water. It could also be a cool way to ensure your rig always has the best specs—it depends on how solid NZXT’s upgrade program is. Consumers looking for a system will be better off either snagging a preconfigured rig or building their own.
