Find a local build-it-for-you shop. They are usually small retail stores in a strip mall, and they don’t usually have many computers already built. However, you can walk in, tell them what you want the computer to do and how much you want to spend, and they will build the computer for you in a few days.
The advantage is that you get a machine that you like, and which does what you need it to do. These kinds of shops also provide all the service you might need, so you don’t have to worry about shipping the computer off somewhere else.
That, and the software alone can wind up costing more than a cheap computer when you roll your own. It’s a lot easier to do so if you’ve got the software already available from an earlier computer or can at least pay for an upgrade version instead of a full version.
I don’t know if I agree about the parts–you can spend a bit more on parts that are less likely to break down in the first place. My replacement DVD and CD-RW drives, for example, are a lot better than the ones that came in my Dell (though they are several years younger.)
You know, last time i bought a new computer i tried that. Not only because it’s nice that you can take the computer back to the same place for repairs, but because i like the idea of supporting small, local businesses.
But i’m a grad student on a limited income, and unfortunately the local stores just couldn’t come anywhere near the price i could get for an equivalent system from Dell or a big box store like CompUSA or Best Buy.
The computer i ended up buying from Dell cost me about $1200 and had the following specs:
P4 3.0GHz processor with Hyperthreading Technology, 800Mb FSB
1Gb RAM
160Gb Serial ATA HDD
Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM and 8x DVD+RW
128MB DDR GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI
Sound Blaster Live! 5.1 Sound Card
Dell 17" E172FPb Flat Panel Display
By contrast, my local computer store offered me:
P4 2.8GHz
2x120Gb SATA HDDs
1Gb RAM
4x DVD-RW/CD-RW drove
256Mb GeForce FX5200 video
WinXP Home No monitor
$1699
So, the local store cost about $500 more, had a slightly slower processor, only one (slower) optical drive, and didn’t have a monitor.
The only thing it had over the Dell was more hard drive space.
Now, it’s entriely possible that this was just a rip-off, and that other local independent stores could do much better. But i was amazed at the price difference and it was enough to send me to Dell.
It definatly seems like your local store is a rip-off; other stores have better prices. I know the one near my town often has a pretty nice Athlon 64/DVD Burner/1 G RAM/ect machine for $700 or so.
I’d wait and watch the ads to see what sales/rebates come in your area. I recently bought a new computer. It has the following:
3.2 gig P4
512 RAM
200 gig hard drive
DVD writer
CD writer
128 meg Nvidia video card
A decent sound card(don’t know the brand)
17 inch flat screen monitor. Note this is flat screen, not flat panel.
Set of speakers
Keyboard
Mouse
Lexmark Z715 inkjet printer
Windows XP Home edition
I got all the above for 650 after the rebates. I got it at Best Buy. It was ~1050 before the rebates. The brand is Medion. The only thing it didn’t have that I wanted was a wireless network card. I just yanked that from my old computer and plugged it in. As an aside, I was very impressed when I took my computer apart to put in the network card. It is well built, good case and nicely arrainged (all the cables were tied off which made it easy to work in). As an added bonus, it came with the drive already partitioned, one partition for the OS, one for storage etc. Nice.