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PC: Buy or Build
oniian
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Well this maybe a familiar thread; I am wondering whether I should either buy a new computer
or build one from the ground up?
On one hand I get a computer that I customized to my needs/wants.
On the other hand, I could get a decent machine already built that could be upgrade periodically,
potentially saving money or at least spreading out the cost while have a better machine, compared to my
current one, up and running immediately.
I should also note that this would be the first time building a computer from the ground up. Also I currently have atleast $600 to put toward this, and can later put more towards it as my paychecks from my new job start rolling in.
or build one from the ground up?
On one hand I get a computer that I customized to my needs/wants.
On the other hand, I could get a decent machine already built that could be upgrade periodically,
potentially saving money or at least spreading out the cost while have a better machine, compared to my
current one, up and running immediately.
I should also note that this would be the first time building a computer from the ground up. Also I currently have atleast $600 to put toward this, and can later put more towards it as my paychecks from my new job start rolling in.
oniian on
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The experience of doing it yourself is very much worth it, even if you somehow manage to get a better deal from Dell or what have you.
Edit: Don't ever forget to buy good thermal paste for the CPU when you order your stuff. I've done this one myself, but fortunately had a friend with extra.
Of course, you could be building a linux box, but its something to keep in mind.
On the other hand, if something goes wrong, you don't really have tech support you can call for your computer; the only warranty you have is the manufacturers' warranties on the parts, and if you fuck up and break something, you can't really take it back.
I built my last computer, and I couldn't be happier with it. Best computer I've ever owned, hands down, far and away better than any of the others.
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You could go half-way and buy barebones where the mobo/CPU is already installed in the rig and just add the needed parts yourself.
This is probably the only disadvantage I can think of as well. It's something to remember when you decide where you want to get your parts. Prices tend to be best when ordering from an online retailer (Newegg/etc.), but the cost of shipping any defective parts back and forth can start to grow. If you have access to a local retailing with at least somewhat similar prices, I'd suggest taking that route. Spending weeks waiting for a new stick of RAM, then a new motherboard, etc. can get annoying, and expensive. This is also the reason why if you opt for online retailers, be sure to stick with a site with good RMA and return procedures.
All that being said however, I built my first computer several years ago and couldn't be happier. It was a great learning experience, and I guarantee you I saved at least $1k compared to buying the computer, plus the added benefit of getting exactly what I wanted in my computer.
One thing to note: if you can have access to a computer and internet while building the computer, it'll be a thousand times easier if/when things go wrong, and you need some help. Actually, scratch that. Not if, but when - it's an inevitability something will go poorly. All the more for the learning process though.
When you get some weird bluescreen two months into it, you can't go check the Dell Support forums for a fix. Nope. You've got to track down the fix yourself. Or is it hardware? Or is it because you accidentally dropped the motherboard a little while mounting it in the case?
Seriously, just buy one. Buy one that has the stuff you want, but let someone else hassle it.
i'll back this sentiment. i also used to build systems back in the 486 days, although i started a little later with the 486/66 based PCs. hardware itself has gotten a lot easier to deal with, let alone software. SATA connections alone have been a godsend. and there's a strong enthusiast market that's popped up in the last 10 years that really helps builders out now, too. especially Newegg. cause they rock.
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Or, you could be an idiot like me and shove a stick or RAM into the slot backwards (I have no idea how that happened), but really, once you power it on and it works, it is phenomenal.
Also, Newegg has an awesome return policy, second only to Wal-Mart. In other words, you could take a crap in the box and send it back for a refund. Newegg is a great site. I am not trying to site-pimp here, it just is for this type of thing.
1. Case
2. Power supply
3. Mobo
4. RAM
5. HDD
6. Optical drive
7. Graphics Card (if you want to play games)
8. Monitor if you don't have one.
9. OS
If any of these fail, you're gonna deal with the headache FryLock mentioned. If you have the $$$ the peace of mind is worth it.
Do what Axim recommends and get a decent C2D, either the E6400 or E4300 (higher clockspeed multiplier means you can use a lower FSB, which means you can use cheaper RAM and motherboard). If you wait a couple weeks, both of these processors will be getting a sizable price cut (25-30% according to Intel). With a good aftermarket heatsink from Thermalright or Scythe, you can easily run 3.0-3.5Ghz, which is huge. C2D's are by far the best gaming and overclocking chip on the market. Intel is trying to rape AMD as hard possible, so you get incredible performance for cheap.
Also, if you wait a couple weeks, both Nvidia and ATi will have their full range of new video cards out, so you can get for $200, performance that used to cost $500.
1) I build all my machines, all my families machines and they all work perfectly with no problems, all the shop machines we had before always started acting up within a year, normally due to poor airflow and badly seated parts. I would always recomend building your own if you feel confident enough.
2) HOWEVER, you can get some pretty fine deals these days on shop machines in bundles... you see some deals that come with really nice monitors which are practically free if you look at the parts in the pc. I've often thought it might be worth buying one of those, then busting it open and fitting a new GPU etc.
in other words... bundled components in a shop bought machine are often overlooked for the general build quality, which if you're comfortable with tinkering in the first place, can often be fixed.... it's worth looking at both.
The biggest benefit to building your own PC though is the learning experience. You will you know every nook and cranny of your rig and if something ever goes wrong you'll be that much better prepared to tackle it since you're familiar with all of the hardware--or when upgrade time comes you'll know exactly how to swap your hardware out, and it won't be hot glued into place like *some* manufacturers do.
Assembly is really very straightforward. I built my first computer last may and it took about 3 hours from start to boot up, but only because I was very nervous about static electricity or mishandling my components and making sure all the power was routed correctly. After I figured everything out I could now probably assemble it from scratch in 15 minutes. It's like legos with electricity, prettymuch.
The only thing you have to be careful of is making sure that all of the components you pick will play well together so to speak, there are tons of forums full of people who will gladly review your newegg shopping cart or whatever and say if there are any hardware conflicts or if they can recommend better parts.
edit: Of course if money is no object and you just want it to work automagically, then I suppose prebuilt is your best bet. You said you were on a budget though so this probably is not the case.
If you decide to build your own, here's some advice:
-Use newegg
-Save up a little money and buy more power than you think you'll want/need. I don't know what you'll be using the PC for, but if you're building it for gaming, by a faster graphics card than whatever you were thinking of getting before reading this.
-Don't skimp on any part, no matter how trivial it seems. In particular, invest in some quality fans/heatsinks, not only for the sake of cooling but for noise reduction. When I built my first PC I skimped on the fans, and I ended up spending tons of money afterward trying to get it to not sound like a vacuum cleaner. I ended up using a lot of Zalman fans, which are almost silent inside my case.
Not to take the thread in a new direction but every warning/recommendation associated with a PC I have ever seen advises against overclocking for longevity reasons. Is this being overly precautious? What are the negatives of overclocking?
Overclocking also usually requires aftermarket cooling solutions to get any real gain, and in general you really shouldn't do it unless you absolutely know what you're doing.
That and they are pretty easy to build. Once you build one, you'll remember how to build them forever until they change how they're built
Any idea on how long I would be waiting for these offers to begin, JWFokker?
By the same token, if my wife was going to get a new PC and would not have my assistance, I would never encourage her to build it on her own. She could do the building without incident, I'm sure - it's really not that hard. But when something breaks, she doesn't have the same level of knowledge in terms of how to track down a fix or identify a problematic component.
One other thing I'd point out: one of the reasons I bought the case I currently have is that it has up-front audio ports (and USB and Firewire). I like the ability to plug headphones directly into the PC. However, at the time I did not know that those ports only work with the motherboard - not with the soundcard I purchased. I'm sure they could be wired to work with the soundcard, but that would take a lot more skill/knowledge than I have. I ended up simply leaving the soundcard out, and I am completely happy with the onboard sound from my motherboard. Still, it was kind of frustrating when I realized I wasn't going to be able to use the soundcard with the upfront ports.
April 22nd is the official date, though a few retailers have been known to drop prices a few days ahead of the official date. The E6400 will go from $213 to $183 and the E4300 will go from $164 to $113. The E4400 will be $133.