A new report alleges that PC hardware company NZXT’s PC rental program is “shady and manipulative.” The video from Gamers Nexus (via The Verge) accuses NZXT of changing prices and parts between “purchase” and “rental” versions of prebuilt PCs with the same (or similar) names.
For context, NZXT’s Flex program allows customers to rent prebuilt gaming PCs starting at $59 (though a renter would need to provide a monitor, keyboard, and mouse). Gamers Nexus claims that specs and prices of prebuilt PC models change depending on whether you select “buy” or “rent.” The exact prices and specs can change “day to day” according to the video.
For example, the video shows that a “Player: Three Prime” model PC contained an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 if a customer was set to buy it, whereas the rental version contained an RTX 4080 Super. However, the performance estimates–showing expected frame rates in certain games–did not change between the two models, despite containing significantly different hardware. These specs allegedly changed multiple times while Gamers Nexus was completing its report.
The Flex program’s alleged issues don’t stop there. Gamers Nexus highlights the Flex program’s price point. Within nine or so months, the price of renting one of NZXT prebuilds will outstrip the cost of buying the PC (or its component parts) outright, with no rent-to-own option. Additionally, the report calls outs the program’s “aggressive” terms of service, which allegedly allow NZXT to sell data created or stored on the rented PC.
NZXT has released a response on X/Twitter, which states, “We are aware of the recent claims made against us and are actively reviewing the situation. Rest assured, we are committed to addressing this thoroughly and will share an official statement soon. Thank you for your patience as we work to provide clarity.”