Build or Buy a PC?

In My Humble Opinion
21

I second the vote for http://www.newegg.com

I bought practically my entire computer from them two summers ago:

AMD Thunderbird 1GHz
512 MB DDR RAM
GeForce 2 Ultra 64 MB DDR
Creative Audigy X-Gamer
40 GB Western Digital hard drive
3Com NIC
Case w/400 W power supply

for around $900. The GeForce was probably the highest-priced item there, too.

22

The 3 gigs of free software is one of the main reasons I build my own. I had an HP and it came with so much useless junky HP software that seemed to interfer with the stability of the computer. Of the stuff listed by you only Windows and WORD are of any use to me.

23

Agreed. Dell uses one of the best case designs I’ve ever seen. Very easy to work in. Even if one day I ditch everything I have in my computer right now, I’ll keep the case. You just can’t find a generic ATX case like that.

24

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You can buy your own ram, should get 512M or more altogether on these things otherwise they slow down a bit.

25
      • I prefer home-built. That way I can find reviews of each part before I buy it and know I’m not buying sh!t. I can’t afford the newest & best of anything, but I can make sure that the combination of parts I’m buying does work well together. I keep computers a long time though, and tend to upgrade incrementally until I have enough newer parts to put together another whole (newer+faster) computer.
  • Name-brand computers (such as Dell, HP, Compaq, Sony and so on) use generic/proprietary components, most often proprietary motherboards, which may not work properly with anything except the parts they shipped the PC with. If you’re one to upgrade pieces, that matters–you can put another HD in, but a better videocard may not work right. If you aren’t–if you only surf the net, send e-mail and play a couple games a bit, then buy whatever’s cheapest and leave it alone–off-the-shelf manufacturers’ warranties often don’t cover non-OEM parts & problems anyway.
    ~
26
      • Well nuts: I forgot to point out that it’s not particularly cheaper now to build your own. It tends to cost more than the cheapest off-the-shelf PC’s (for roughly comparable parts), but you get a much-better working set of hardware. So you have to consider if you want to save a bit of money and get tech support and a warranty for a lousier machine, or spend a bit more and try it on your own with a better machine that’s much less likely to need tech support.
        ~
27

This is really more an IMHO thing. Interesting, too, as I was discussing this with another doper this very weekend.

Off it goes.

28

I built my system from oem components for $1500 plus another ~$120 for shipping. At the time I priced out a nearly identical computer at Dell for $2400. It’s important to note that if you’re not very proficient with computers a name branded system might be better. The tech support for a system you build yourself is… you. Check out the message boards at places like anandtech, tomshardware, and hardocp. Many users there are very helpful to new builders. I spent a good month lurking before I pulled out the credit card.

If this helps, here is the guide I wrote for myself when I built my system. This is just about everything you do when building from scratch. The only tricky part can be getting on certain brands of cpu heatsinks. Some of them have difficult locking devices and if you install them improperly you can damage or destroy the exposed CPU core. The rest is relatively simple. Follow your motherboard and component manuals, set all proper jumpers, and connect everything where it’s meant to go. Boot up and start enjoying your new dream machine. :slight_smile:

AMD 760 Chipset, T-Bird, Win2k

  1. Place motherboard on its anti-static bag on top of its box
  2. Lift the Socket-A lever and align CPU with pin slots, gently lower CPU into socket and lock lever down
  3. Apply a very thin layer of Thermal Grease to CPU Core
  4. Attach the HSF, and make sure its clip is all the way in on the ZIF tab and the HSF is level on the chip. Then plug the fan into fan header on motherboard
  5. Install RAM chips into DIMMs, lock levers
  6. Check to see if Motherboard I/O backplate and Case I/O Backplate match. Hold the motherboard over the ATX tray, and use the I/O plate to align the motherboard with the tray. Screw risers into motherboard in appropriate holes
  7. Snap plastic spacers into the motherboard holes that correspond with the spacer holes on the tray and place the motherboard onto the tray. Slide the spacers into their holes and gently screw into risers
  8. Set motherboard jumpers
  9. Install Video card into AGP
  10. Insert labeled Front panel LED and speaker connectors into the motherboard headers
  11. Jumper and mount Primary Master Hard Disk
  12. Mount Secondary Master CD/DVD drive
  13. Mount 3.5” drive
  14. Connect IDE Cables and floppy cable
  15. Install Power Supply Unit and connect to motherboard
  16. Install case fans and connect to power supply
  17. Plug in keyboard and monitor
  18. Plug monitor and PSU into outlet
  19. Boot up System—Run Initial BIOS POST, check CPU temp and set core frequency
  20. Boot to Win2k disc, partition and format c: and install OS
29

I would build it if you feel comfortable. I built my first one 5 years ago and have been doing it since. You will not save money but should get better components. The prebuilt ones come with so much software that you will probably never use most of it. If you get the right case you can use that for future upgrades down the road. If you are unsure of installing CPU-Heatsink in the motherboard check out MultiWave.com they sell bundles that are installed and tested at good prices and Newegg is also very good with prices. You can also check out the forums at Techimo for advice from some very knowledgable folks.

30

What about the mobo and BIOS? They are custom made if not proprietary, which amounts to the same thing.

31

Err… how come everyone is grouping Dell & Gateway together? Last I heard, about the only proprietary thing in a Dell is the power supply. When I checked into Gateways, everyone told me they were strollin’ the proprietary highway. Unless something’s changed, don’t consider a Gateway.

The only computers I would buy:

  • a ‘build-your-own’, in case I lost track of my senses and decided that building a box sounded like fun
  • a Dell
  • a computer from a local OEM shop that had a great reputation.
32

Oh yeah, I’d get an Alienware if I got a great deal on it, but from what I could tell the price difference between an Alienware and a Dell wasn’t worth it to me. Yeah, it’s cool to have a colored case and the equivalent of Monster wire throughout the whole box, but I don’t want to pay extra for it.

33

“What about the mobo and BIOS? They are custom made if not proprietary, which amounts to the same thing.”

From the look of my 5440, it looks like you could just throw in any board you want…

Also, these are 2.4ghz, itll be a long time before they are out of date as 3.2ghz just came out…dropping the price of 2.8’s to under $400 just for the chip.