Posted: 5/30/2011 8:17:44 AM EDT
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My PC I have now is 9 years old. It's a dinosaur when it comes to gaming. I built it myself and now I'm ready to do it again.
It's been quite some time since I've kept up to the technology.... Is it cheaper to buy it pre built, Or build it myself? I've been looking into this system on Newegg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227352 |
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It's cheaper (though not by a lot, unless you're going super high end) to build it yourself. The hardest part isn't the actual assembly, it's catching up on the latest technology and shopping for the components best suited to your application. I had to go through this 7 or 8 months ago. Many moons ago, I was a PC Technician. I think I built my last PC for money around...1999 or 2000. From that point on (after transitioning to network engineering), all of my machines were laptops. To build a PC of my own in 2011, was not unlike learning it all over again. Very little of what I knew about hardware was relevant any longer. On the plus side, bridging the knowledge gap is ALOT easier in 2011, than it was when I started in ~1994. I learned everything I needed to know, in about two 4 hour sessions of googling and reading. And in a couple few years when I replace this thing, I'm certain I'll have to do it all over again. A good rule of thumb that I more or less followed, was identifying the absolute best components (think: God Box), then backing them off one revision/generation/iteration/model of each component. In this way, I built a hell of a freaking fast workstation, for not a lot of bread.  |
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Quoted:
My PC I have now is 9 years old. It's a dinosaur when it comes to gaming. I built it myself and now I'm ready to do it again. It's been quite some time since I've kept up to the technology.... Is it cheaper to buy it pre built, Or build it myself? I've been looking into this system on Newegg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227352 if you have to ask, get it pre-built. Go hit up the memorial day special here: http://ibuypower.com/ |
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Quoted: Ever since PnP, "building" a computer is like building with Lego's. It's about impossible to fuqq-up. That being said, I don't want to build a Cray for my wife to get her email and Facebook. I'd rather just buy something off the shelf if the price was right. All PnP did, was resolve IRQ conflicts on your behalf and make provisions for detecting hardware. It didn't really make anything much easier than it already was. At least nowadays, you don't have to low level format the drives. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Ever since PnP, "building" a computer is like building with Lego's. It's about impossible to fuqq-up. That being said, I don't want to build a Cray for my wife to get her email and Facebook. I'd rather just buy something off the shelf if the price was right. All PnP did, was resolve IRQ conflicts on your behalf and make provisions for detecting hardware. It didn't really make anything much easier than it already was. At least nowadays, you don't have to low level format the drives. How much time you got?  |
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My PC I have now is 9 years old. It's a dinosaur when it comes to gaming. I built it myself and now I'm ready to do it again. It's been quite some time since I've kept up to the technology.... Is it cheaper to buy it pre built, Or build it myself? I've been looking into this system on Newegg. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227352 if you have to ask, get it pre-built. Go hit up the memorial day special here: http://ibuypower.com/ AMD Phenom II AM3 DDR3 Configurator 1 x Case ( CoolerMaster HAF 922 Gaming Case - Black ) 0 x Case Lighting ( None ) 0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction ( None ) 0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( None ) 1 x Processor ( [= Quad Core =] AMD Phenom™ II X4 955 Black Edition Quad-Core CPU ) 1 x Processor Cooling ( Liquid CPU Cooling System [AMD] - [Free Upgrade] Standard 120mm Fan ) 1 x Memory ( 8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1333 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand ) 1 x Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti - 1GB - PALIT Sonic - Core: 900MHz - Single Card ) 1 x Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by ATI or NVIDIA ) 1 x Motherboard ( Gigabyte GA-770T-USB3 –– AMD 770 ) 1 x Motherboard USB / SATA Interface ( Motherboard default USB / SATA Interface ) 1 x Power Supply ( 750 Watt –– Corsair CMPSU-750TX ) 1 x Primary Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE –– 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive ) 0 x Data Hard Drive ( None ) 1 x Optical Drive ( 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black ) 0 x 2nd Optical Drive ( None ) 0 x Flash Media Reader / Writer ( None ) 0 x Meter Display ( None ) 0 x USB Expansion ( None ) 1 x Sound Card ( Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy SE ) 1 x Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) ) 1 x Operating System ( Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) - 64-Bit ) 1 x Keyboard ( iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard - Black ) 1 x Mouse ( iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse ) $1,140.00 $75.00 for shipping. |
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i would do something like this instead for that price....sandybridge i7 is so much sweeter
Memorial Day E2 Special 1 x Case ( Azza Spartan Gaming Case - Black ) 0 x Case Lighting ( None ) 0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction ( None ) 0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( None ) 1 x Processor ( Intel® Core™ i7-2600K Processor (4x 3.40GHz/8MB L3 Cache) ) 0 x iBUYPOWER PowerDrive ( None ) 1 x Processor Cooling ( Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-1155 & 1156] - [Free Upgrade] Standard 120mm Fan ) 1 x Memory ( 8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - ** FREE Upgrade to Corsair Vengeance ** Corsair or major Brand ) 1 x Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 - 2GB - Single Card ) 1 x Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by ATI or NVIDIA ) 1 x Free Stuff ( [Free Game Voucher] - Star Trek Online - Free with Purchase of Selected Intel Core i5/i7 Processor or SSD ) 1 x Free Stuff ( [Free] - 16GB Corsair USB 3.0 Flash Drive - Free with Any System Purchase over $999 ) 1 x Free Stuff ( [Free] - ASUS USB-N13 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 300Mbps Wireless USB Adapter ) 1 x Motherboard ( Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 –– 3x PIC-E 2.0 x16, DVMT Technology ) 0 x Intel Smart Response Technology ( None ) 1 x Power Supply ( 700 Watt –– Standard ) 1 x Primary Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE –– 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive ) 0 x Data Hard Drive ( None ) 1 x Optical Drive ( 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black ) 0 x 2nd Optical Drive ( None ) 0 x Flash Media Reader / Writer ( None ) 0 x Meter Display ( None ) 0 x USB Expansion ( None ) 1 x Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard ) 1 x Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) ) 1 x Operating System ( Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) - 64-Bit ) 1 x Keyboard ( iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard - Black ) 1 x Mouse ( iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse ) 0 x Monitor ( None ) 0 x 2nd Monitor ( None ) 0 x Speaker System ( None ) 0 x Headset ( None ) 0 x Video Camera ( None ) 0 x Case Engraving Service ( None ) Sub Total: $1,092.00 Then mosey on over to SquareTrade for a great price on a warranty. Use Coupon Code: FLAG in order to get 20% off the warranty as well. |
Build it yourself. You can get exactly the hardware you want for the price you're willing to spend and you don't have to deal with bullshit upgrade pricing from companies like Dell or HP who will charge you more for an upgrade than if you would pay if you bought the upgraded hardware separately.  
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Ever since PnP, "building" a computer is like building with Lego's. It's about impossible to fuqq-up. It's actually fairly easy to screw up between getting parts that dont work well with each other, getting the bios right, getting the operating system to run right etc etc. It's also frustrating and a pain in the ass when things dont work right and you have to trouble shoot everything yourself and fix whatever isn't working. Sure its easy to put a bunch of computer parts together in a box, but that doesnt get them working. But it's like AR's, once you have the tools and know how, it's stupid not to build it yourself. Unless you really care about the warranty you get with a new one (however you can always buy a third party warranty). |
| One of the most expensive parts you're going to put in it will be the operating system. Assuming your 9 year old PC isn't running Windows 7, you'll be purchasing a copy for your new build. Here's why it's cheaper to buy a pre-built system in a situation where high end isn't necessary. They purchase licenses by the bulk and get them cheap. You need one copy and Microsoft wants $140 for it. One of the best ways to put together a very capable pc is to buy something like this and throw a $70 video card in it for standard computing and even high def movies for under $400 or a $90 video card and a $50 power supply and it's a decent gaming computer for under $500. I've had good luck with the above mentioned PCs, I personally know of about 6 of them running fine. |
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Contrary to what I've read on the internet, my Dell experiences have always been great. I've had 3 different systems in the last 15 - 20 years and NEVER an issue that wasn't software related.
I just recently purchased a system from them and I couldn't find any way to have built it myself for cheaper. Intel i-7-2600 3.4 GHz 8 GB RAM 1 TB HD 1 GB Video DVD Burner Windows 7 McAfee for 3 Years Twin 24" LED Monitors $1250 Delivered 12 Months NO INTEREST 3 Years In home service 
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Contrary to what I've read on the internet, my Dell experiences have always been great. I've had 3 different systems in the last 15 - 20 years and NEVER an issue that wasn't software related. I just recently purchased a system from them and I couldn't find any way to have built it myself for cheaper. Intel i-7-2600 3.4 GHz 8 GB RAM 1 TB HD 1 GB Video DVD Burner Windows 7 McAfee for 3 Years Twin 24" LED Monitors $1250 Delivered 12 Months NO INTEREST 3 Years In home service http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a346/niceguymr/IMG_8928x.jpg Nice Twin Monitor setup. |
| I'd say it's cheaper to build if you shop for the parts. Of course cheap is relative. I gave just under a grand for my m11x alienware laptop and have yet to see a game I can't run. I bought it to run GTR2 which is a known badly coded resourse hog and my machine will run thirty car fields at max detail |
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I've always built a midrange system per the Anandtech guide. They come out with a new guide every 6-8 months or so. The midrange has always served me well although I may upgrade the vid card a bit over what they recommend.
Its the easy way to do it IMO. |
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Honestly?.... it's pretty much a wash. I built many a box for myself. After a few (many in computer terms) I did the math...
I could piece together a perfect box by myself for X...or have a box built to my specs (mostly) from Dell for maybe $20 more. Ripped up knuckles plus buying memory from some dodgy Chinese guy who's warrantee is "if you can find us, we'll trade your bad memory for more bad memory!", vs buying a box that is tested and works out of the box.... Yeah, in theory, it's cheaper to build your own. However, in practice...it's cheaper to buy from the mass marketers these days. Especially if you factor in 2 years later into your outlay. |
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Contrary to what I've read on the internet, my Dell experiences have always been great. I've had 3 different systems in the last 15 - 20 years and NEVER an issue that wasn't software related. I just recently purchased a system from them and I couldn't find any way to have built it myself for cheaper. Intel i-7-2600 3.4 GHz 8 GB RAM 1 TB HD 1 GB Video DVD Burner Windows 7 McAfee for 3 Years Twin 24" LED Monitors $1250 Delivered 12 Months NO INTEREST 3 Years In home service http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a346/niceguymr/IMG_8928x.jpg You can't beat Dell's service. Apple doesn't beat Dell's service. Make sure you get service that includes the on-site assistance though. If something breaks (usually hard drives aren't included in this, but everything else), they send a technician to you to fuck with it and fix it. Building it yourself you run the risk of hardware conflicts, blue screens, failures to boot and random freezes. Things may likely work for you if you do it on your own, but they WILL work if you go with Dell. Keep your finger on the pulse at techbargains.com and look for Dell coupons, they'll save you a bunch of money if you find the right coupon. |
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Quoted: i would do something like this instead for that price....sandybridge i7 is so much sweeter Memorial Day E2 Special 1 x Case ( Azza Spartan Gaming Case - Black ) 0 x Case Lighting ( None ) 0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction ( None ) 0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( None ) 1 x Processor ( Intel® Core™ i7-2600K Processor (4x 3.40GHz/8MB L3 Cache) ) 0 x iBUYPOWER PowerDrive ( None ) 1 x Processor Cooling ( Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-1155 & 1156] - [Free Upgrade] Standard 120mm Fan ) 1 x Memory ( 8 GB [4 GB X2] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - ** FREE Upgrade to Corsair Vengeance ** Corsair or major Brand ) 1 x Video Card ( NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 - 2GB - Single Card ) 1 x Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by ATI or NVIDIA ) 1 x Free Stuff ( [Free Game Voucher] - Star Trek Online - Free with Purchase of Selected Intel Core i5/i7 Processor or SSD ) 1 x Free Stuff ( [Free] - 16GB Corsair USB 3.0 Flash Drive - Free with Any System Purchase over $999 ) 1 x Free Stuff ( [Free] - ASUS USB-N13 802.11b/g/n USB 2.0 300Mbps Wireless USB Adapter ) 1 x Motherboard ( Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 –– 3x PIC-E 2.0 x16, DVMT Technology ) 0 x Intel Smart Response Technology ( None ) 1 x Power Supply ( 700 Watt –– Standard ) 1 x Primary Hard Drive ( 1 TB HARD DRIVE –– 32M Cache, 7200 RPM, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive ) 0 x Data Hard Drive ( None ) 1 x Optical Drive ( 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black ) 0 x 2nd Optical Drive ( None ) 0 x Flash Media Reader / Writer ( None ) 0 x Meter Display ( None ) 0 x USB Expansion ( None ) 1 x Sound Card ( 3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard ) 1 x Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) ) 1 x Operating System ( Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) - 64-Bit ) 1 x Keyboard ( iBUYPOWER USB Keyboard - Black ) 1 x Mouse ( iBUYPOWER Internet Mouse ) 0 x Monitor ( None ) 0 x 2nd Monitor ( None ) 0 x Speaker System ( None ) 0 x Headset ( None ) 0 x Video Camera ( None ) 0 x Case Engraving Service ( None ) Sub Total: $1,092.00 Then mosey on over to SquareTrade for a great price on a warranty. Use Coupon Code: FLAG in order to get 20% off the warranty as well. I'd go with this setup as well. The i7 is much better than the x4 Phenoms. If you want to save $15-$20 bucks, and you don't have any desire to overclock, get the i7-2600. (non-K) One benefit to building is that the parts you buy will be standard components. Dell, HP, and the others sometimes dick around with slightly different components. (Power supplies, non-[E]ATX motherboards] m |
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Depends on what you plan to do with it. Planning to do anything specific such as serious graphics and serious gaming? Build to suit. General PC and light gaming? Buy pre-built. This. For a general purpose home PC you aren't going to save much money, and the first time you have to deal with your sound card not working well with your northbridge, you will have spent way too much time working on your home built compared to a store built. One issue that made it almost mandatory to build your own for most gamers ten years ago is no longer valid, and that is shitty onboard video. While most onboard video is still crap, unlike ten years ago your motherboard will have a slot for the latest and greatest video card on it, unlike in the old days. Back then you typically either had an AGP slot or onboard video, but rarely both, and prebuilt systems almost always had a built in video card with no AGP. |
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