Community Newsletter: Q&A: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer?
- 4/22/05 2:56 PM
Like last week
by colin1935 - 4/23/05 4:38 AM In reply to: The devil is in the details! Response to buy or build by donyI wrote and said my pal has learnt as he went along and like yours, we all get computer gifts,,The big plus was one firm sent him a picture booklet of BIOS settings and includes a pic of each move to make in Y and N. telling you which to select but details wot happens or doesnt happen if you select wrongly.
I only ever purchased one top of the range computer which was a B......d but the worst thing was the company expected you tobe a fully trained in computers and offered no encouragement it arrived without a CDrom drive (the type fitted to laptops),
After an hour or so the fitter said he had found one in his car addressed for me but as he had been with me over an hour I had to fit it myself..
The first puter purchased was from TIME and they really know how to treat a first time purchase...sending you two videos to learn the pros and cons from opening the box to your first Email before the puter arrives.. Colin
Should I buy or build a computer?
by whjh - 4/23/05 12:18 AM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Ken, you should really look at building your own computer. Computers today off the shelf are a piece of junk. I built my computer 2 years a go, P4 3.0 512Ram true 533 FSB, top of the line motherboard and very fast. You can build your computer much better then you buy off the shelf. Mother boards, ram, hard drives, cpu's, are the cheapest you can buy if you buy a computer off the shelf. Integrated video on the mother boards are the worst, and whats really bad with off the shelf computers if the video goes out on the integrated video you are stuck with buying a pci video card, because the cheap mother boards on the off shelf computer does not have a AGP slot for a good video card. I also work on computers and I have to put new video cards and ram on a lot of off the shelf computers, and for up grade room on these computer their is none, because they are cheap. Make sure you buy good mother boards, I only buy 5 differant makers of mother boards, MSI, GIG ABYTE, ASUS, IWILL, ABIT, I only buy Corsair, and Kingston ram, and Western Digital Hard drives, they are the best. If you are going to build you a AMD computer build it with a Barton processor they have 512 chached ram built in the processor. If it was me I would build a AMD computer over Intel because they are cheaper to build and run faster over Intel computers. I'm getting ready to build me a new 64bit AMD system lastest and greatest. Do some research and have fun building your own computer, you will be happier that you did in the long run.
Should I buy or build a computer?
by Annemich - 4/23/05 6:01 AM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Over the years I bought many desktop models from Dell. Even though I spent lots of money for the best components, after usually a few months, I only had troubles. (Their CS is the worth!) At one point, I chose to built my own system with the help of a Tech. That was 4 years ago! Not only did the machine costed me half of what I used to pay to Dell, but I never had any problems ever. I still have a wonderful machine.
Best of Luck!
Build Your Own!!!!
by FireworksT9 - 4/23/05 7:15 AM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
There is nothing better then building your own computer. The satisfaction you get is awsome. Its true that you will know alot more about your computer then if you buy it off the shelf. Assembly does not take days or weeks it takes at most 3 maybe 4 hours. Plus you choose what you want so you can put anything you want in it.
Reply
by han - 4/23/05 8:07 AM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi, i would like to know if anybody has a step-by-step video demonstration of someone making a computer. I have done some basic stuff on the PC and am thinking of getting my own custom built one but i would like to be sure i am doing everything correct.
Buy a new, low-end computer every year
by lingsun - 4/23/05 3:02 PM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It's a huge waste of money to build your own computer. I buy refurbished computers from compusaauctions on eBay. In January I got a Compaq Athlon 3200+ computer for $430 when new ones were still selling for $599 or more. Next year I'll sell my computer on eBay for no less than half of what I paid for it. Then I'll buy another refurb for less than $500.
Cheap, Cheap,Cheap
by dweave - 4/23/05 4:15 PM In reply to: Buy a new, low-end computer every year by lingsunYou must also drive one of those 3 cyclinder motor cars too that can't get out of it's own way.
No, I drive a 1995 Lincoln Continental that FLIES!!!!
by lingsun - 4/23/05 5:46 PM In reply to: Cheap, Cheap,Cheap by dweaveI also drive a 1985 Cutlass Supreme. An older, better built car is better than a newer piece of junk.
I will post my disagreement here
by rprosser - 4/23/05 8:47 PM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
The debate over build vs buy has been a hot topic for the last few years. As I am a system builder (NON OEM) I can say that the statement made that buying a PC off the shelf is cheaper is absolutely ridicules. 1st off the larger system builders charge extravagant amounts of money for low to mid quality products at best. There is little to NO expandability of these systems and for what there is offered it must be with there own hardware or in most cases it won’t work at all.
If you are purchasing a system for gaming, I would think you don’t want all the extra software crap that comes pre-installed on pre-made systems. In most cases the average user let alone the avid gamer will never use 90% of the pre-installed software. This leads into another subject of privacy/security which I won’t get into here.
The other issue that is brought up is tech-support for the pre-built systems. If anyone has purchased a pre-built system and had to call in for support then when I say it would be better to call the local pizza shop and ask them, you know what I’m talking about, not to mention that it would be easier to understand what the person on the other end of the phone is saying as it most likely will be in English.
I could go on and on with this subject but will cut it short and in closing my opinion is that pre-built is a waste of you time and money. So if you are going to spend the time and money, DO IT YOURSELF……….
Other avenues and advantages to self-built
by jd7wilson - 4/24/05 5:46 AM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
First of all, James is absolutely right with everything he said, especially with the first step being research. However, not knowing where James comes from and what options he has available in his locality, he may be unaware of some other options that may be available where you live. There is a happy middle ground to building a computer yourself and buying one off the shelf - custom built by someone else, and there are various degrees to this option.
First, you must determine what your immediate needs are as well as your projected needs, so that you can build a system that will suit you now, but be capable of upgrading to what you need later - i.e. is there a high-end digital camera in your future?; are you going to want to print pictures yourself?; etc. Once you know what you want, then the next step is to find someone who can build it for you. Ideally, a trusted friend who knows a lot about computers who can be your guide as far as what to buy and how to put it together. Otherwise, look around your town for an independent computer business that builds computers for people. Of course, there are disreputable ones that will put junky equipment together and install pirated software and charge you as much or more than what you would pay for an off-the-shelf computer that at least has some warranty. Having said that, I'm more optimistic and think that there are more honest and reliable independent computer techies than there are dishonest. The key is to find out who else they build computers for - individuals, businesses, schools, nonprofits. Find out how dependable the machines are and what type of support they get. Generally speaking, if they build for other people, they put a generic warranty on everything and give you the paperwork and information for the individual warranties of the various components.
Now, you're probably asking, "What's the advantage of this versus buying one off the shelf?" For one thing, you still get to choose the hardware and software that gets put onto your computer (more on this later). And you can even request specific brands, more than likely, rather than just letting them put in whatever they happen to have lying around. It would be important that you do at least a little research on what components will deliver the performance you want. If it's a reputable place, they'll make recommendations based on your needs, that you can rely on. Doing it this way, you can put aside your fears of actually having to put all the pieces together yourself.
Another option along these lines is to have a name brand computer built to your specs - Dell, Gateway, whatever. You get the better warranty, like you would with an off-the-shelf model, and it would cost less than one built totally from scratch from parts that you choose. Otherwise, I have issues with these for the same reasons I have issues with off-the-shelf models. They're still gonna load their software.
I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE to buy another computer that comes preloaded with software that is not 100% of my choosing. I have no proof, but I do have damning circumstancial evidence that all that bundled (junk) software that gets thrown in for "free" is responsible for 99% of all problems relating to system slowdown, spyware and virus attacks. Even worse, when you do encounter problems, you get to put up with customer support that may or may not be competent to even answer a phone. No joke, when I was new to the world of computers (and didn't know any better) and had a Gateway laptop, I was told 3 times by a Gateway technician to reformat the drive for what turned out to be a simple browser problem. Ever since I started using all stand-alone software, including and especially the operating system (in other words, you don't load your entire system from one or two discs provided by the manufacturer), I have had hardly any problems. Those I have had, were because of mistakes I myself made, not because the manufacturer built the computer to break down.
The fewer hassles encountered on a self-built computer is enough to make me cast my vote in that direction. To be sure, it will probably cost $100-200 more. And, as James mentioned, it will take longer to get it up and running. But the extra time and expense up front will be worth it later on when you're breezing through whatever computer applications you use, all the while reading horror stories on CNET or hearing horror stories from friends about being without their computer for 2-3 weeks while it gets debugged or reloaded or a faulty part that was installed on all models A-D gets replaced.
Good luck,
jd7wilson
short addendum
by serraguard - 4/24/05 7:42 AM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
James did an excellent job of addressing your primary concerns with building or buying. However, there is one advantage to going with a home-build over an off-the-shelf model. If you are judicious in your initial purchases, considering the specs for your components, you can prepare yourself for only needing to upgrade as opposed to buying new at your next "need something better" cycle. This can save quite a bit in the long run even though it may cost a little more now, but it is rarely an option with off-the-shelf models. Secondary to this is the quality of components that go into many off-the-shelf models. Many of the best deals only look like good deals because they don't go into the secondary specifications of the components. If you are going to buy off-the-shelf, make sure to look at more than just the processing speed and the bigger-is-better numbers (Hard Drive, RAM, etc). It will save you alot of headaches later.
Best of luck,
Sean S.
Building Your Own
by otoojo13 - 4/24/05 8:43 AM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I did it about 4 years ago using C-net instructions and I used all current components. Then PC were not as cheap as they are today. So then I did save money, but the big kick was being able to say I built it. It took about 8 hours taking one apart and putting a new box and all together and it worked on the first boot. Lucky me!
Should i buy or build a computer?
by tim bradley - 4/24/05 4:46 PM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Build it, you will not be sorry. You will get much higher quality, and the most up to date parts on the market today if you do your homework. The most important item you will order is the case, which will carry you many, many years into the future. Buy a large high quality case that is easy to work inside of, because whoever upgrades it in the future, it will decrease the downtime of a repair or upgrade. Have you seen any large case computers at Best Buy? Maby one or two. Did you like there style and quality? Probably not. Can the floor person at B.B. tell you who supplys the hardrive or the memory for the PC you are about to buy? No way! To make a long story short, you can save money by building it yourself. You will have a high, and I mean a very high quality computer that you will never have to throw away, that is easy to upgrade and repair, that rarely ever breaks down. I payed $200.00 for my first PC, a used version from a PC show. I payed $1,800.00 for the second. I built it with the help of a friend. That was two years ago. Even today my PC is cheaper and has more and better bells and whistles than most of the ones off the shelf, minus the vedio card which I need to upgrade. Yes, by all means, build it!!!!
Please Read This Answer !!
by mcgilbdd - 4/24/05 6:57 PM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Wow ! I got in on this late, and the post are many. I agree with the vast majorty of them. Building is an option that SHOULD be considered. However just remember thise important things or reminders:
1. have a lifeline, call a friend (someone who can help you out of a jam if you get stuck)
2. Understand that is is almost certain that you will have to re-install Windows , even if you are using your old hard drive to boot on. That means BACK UP EVERYTHING that you feel you need to keep !!! The new mainboard will have all new drivers, and most likley will not boot your old operating system. You can import most of your old stuff if you use WinXP...and you should.
3. Don't get in a hurry, it takes time, and if this is your first time, there will be issues to work through. It is a rewarding expierence, and you will learn. Be patient. The rewards are many, and if you pick wisly, you can come to within $200 of a comparable off the shelf system, but yours will be much more configurable and will be faster and much more upgradeable when compared to the "factory" system.
Have fun, and enjoy the challenge !!
mcgilbdd
BUY or Build New Computer
by EvelynShoultz - 4/25/05 5:23 AM In reply to: 4/22/05 Should I buy or build a computer? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
ANSWER:
By all means BUILD. If you lack the expertise find a
friend who has the expertise.
Off-the-shelf computers now days are little more than
JUNK. Competition among computer manufacturers has
become so fierce components are getting cheaper by the
day. Those who once could be relied upon as top quality
manufacturers are cheapening their product until it is
about like the saying "WHAT YOU BUY IS WHAT YOU KEEP"
There are still some quality motherboards out there
which permits using quality components.
THERMALTAKE cases (all aluminum) gets my vote for
starters. Main boards with integrated sound ect.are
hardly worth the effort. Buy main boards that allows
you to use any type card you choose.
BUILD and enjoy.
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