Self Built vs. Brand Name (with my skills in mind)

I have been considering gettin a new PC and i was wondering... is self building easy (just putting parts simply together)? i have never built a pc before and my friend has had numerous PC built for him. The same friend just bought a Dell and he says he always had problems with the custom built ones. He says buying brand name is alot better.

What do you guys think? and what should i do?

Unless you're into serious modding or tweaking, building your own is much easier than it used to be. I've built my last 4 rigs and will build another maybe after USB 3.0 comes out. It's pretty much cookie cutter now, couple of suggetions though:

1. Case with slide out mobo tray - This is save you much time and hassle.

2. Power supply with modular cabling - Use only the cables that you need, less clutter.

3. Invest in a good PC tool kit.

Good luck.

Da Worfster

motherboards manual is basicly all you need to build a computer. it has clear pictures and instructions for installing every part. and you basicly can't even stick wrong cards/cables to wrong connectors. it's idiot proof nowadays.

you just have to make sure the parts are compatible with each other when choosing them. you can get a lot of advice on this matter from forums.

1. 80-90% of all board posters here built their own PC's so its kind of like asking should I eat meat at a vegan convention.

2. There is no right or wrong between buying a pre-built PC or building your own. If you don't want to make the time investment or don't feel comfortable building your own PC; the pre-built's are a great alternative.

3. Custom builds are cheaper and give you exactly what you need so if money or specific functions (like gaming) are issues, I suggest you go that way.

4. I also suggest you research exactly what you want your PC to do, the parts it will need, and then compare the two paths. By the way, if building a PC was brain surgery then 99.99% of us PC gamers would be playing console games.

if building a PC was brian surgery then 99.99% of us PC gamers would be playing console games.ct1615

Is that like an operation on the Griffen family dog? :lol:

[QUOTE="ct1615"]if building a PC was brian surgery then 99.99% of us PC gamers would be playing console games.luamhtrad

Is that like an operation on the Griffen family dog? :lol:

i failed to proof read my post :cry:

but the good news is I'm that .01%, now take that knight's helmet off...this won't hurt a bit.........

:D

[QUOTE="ct1615"]if building a PC was brian surgery then 99.99% of us PC gamers would be playing console games.luamhtrad

Is that like an operation on the Griffen family dog? :lol:

That. Was. Epic.

I can have you build a monster for under $1000 compared to say, a Dell XPS 630. Half of it will be already assembled.

Okay, let's get started:

Pre-Assembled Bare bones kit(No need to assemble case and fit motherboard) $319.99:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2410569&CatId=2846

That scratches out the Case, MoBo, 1GB of RAM, Decent AMD Dual Core Processor and a nifty media card reader.

Now lets add another Gigabyte of RAM ($21.99):

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1558837&CatId=1554

A hard drive($79.99)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3529749&CatId=2459

A sound card (29.99)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2687624&CatId=2769

A DVD Burner:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3606229&CatId=89

Most Imporatantly, a Video Card, XFX 9800GTX XXX ($269.99) With FREE COD4:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3797702&CatId=1558

Windows Vista Home Premium($239.99):

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3700749&CatId=672

Total: $986.94

Now thel Dell XPS 630 Core Model:

XPS 630 Intel® Core™2 E8300 (6MB,2.83GHz, 1333FSB)

Operating System Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Service Pack 1

Optical Drive Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability

Memory 2GB2 Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs

Hard Drive 500GB4 - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache

Video Card ATI Radeon HD3870 512MB2 GDDR4

Sound Cards Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

Total:$1,149-$162 more expensive, yet it has a twice as slow Graphics Card that doesn't come with a free game. To get it to the same performance level with Dual 8800gt's (roughly the same performance I believe) you're looking at a$1469 computer, $483 dollars more. Are you willing to pay almost $500 for labor and crapware pack-in software? All the parts to the computers come with manuals. And look, building a computer is this easy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SINjiyZ3yNs

I hope I've been of help :)

Thank you quite alot FunkWeasel, that video influenced me alot. I think i will build a PC instead of going with the laptop i was looking at.

[QUOTE="luamhtrad"]

[QUOTE="ct1615"]if building a PC was brian surgery then 99.99% of us PC gamers would be playing console games.death1505921

Is that like an operation on the Griffen family dog? :lol:

That. Was. Epic.

Just the way my mind works. To the TC, it all depends on pricing. For me, it was cheaper to go pre-build with discounts and such. I also like the 4 year complete care warranty that I got with the system. I love building/modding computers, but this time around it was worth it to have it done by someone else...

4200+ decent? That's on the low end of cpus. And it'll bottleneck the hell out of the 9800. Get a core 2 duo definitely. E8400s are awesome and overclock really well.

Case: Antec 900 $90 w/rebate

Motherboard: ASUS P5K Pro $110

CPU: Intel E8400 $190

GPU: EVGA 9800GTX $300 (step up when GTX 260/280 are out)

PSU: Corsair 650TX $100

HDD: WD Caviar 640GB $110

RAM: 4GB G.Skill DDR2 1000 $85

OS: Vista Home Premium 64 bit $100

DVD Drive: Lite On DVD Drive $35

That'll handle anything you throw at it. $1,166.10 with shipping

These guides will explain things

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1NxsHpaL_s

http://tools.corsairmemory.com/systembuild/report.aspx?report_id=12472&sid=1http://tools.corsairmemory.com/systembuild/report.aspx?report_id=78237&sid=1

Plus when you build it it feels great, and it feels like you can call it your own.millerlight89

Agreed, you understand alot more about your system them too.

I can have you build a monster for under $1000 compared to say, a Dell XPS 630. Half of it will be already assembled.

Okay, let's get started:

Pre-Assembled Bare bones kit(No need to assemble case and fit motherboard) $319.99:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2410569&CatId=2846

That scratches out the Case, MoBo, 1GB of RAM, Decent AMD Dual Core Processor and a nifty media card reader.

Now lets add another Gigabyte of RAM ($21.99):

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1558837&CatId=1554

A hard drive($79.99)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3529749&CatId=2459

A sound card (29.99)

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2687624&CatId=2769

A DVD Burner:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3606229&CatId=89

Most Imporatantly, a Video Card, XFX 9800GTX XXX ($269.99) With FREE COD4:

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3797702&CatId=1558

Windows Vista Home Premium($239.99):

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3700749&CatId=672

Total: $986.94

Now thel Dell XPS 630 Core Model:

XPS 630 Intel® Core™2 E8300 (6MB,2.83GHz, 1333FSB)

Operating System Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Service Pack 1

Optical Drive Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability

Memory 2GB2 Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 2 DIMMs

Hard Drive 500GB4 - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache

Video Card ATI Radeon HD3870 512MB2 GDDR4

Sound Cards Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio

Total:$1,149-$162 more expensive, yet it has a twice as slow Graphics Card that doesn't come with a free game. To get it to the same performance level with Dual 8800gt's (roughly the same performance I believe) you're looking at a$1469 computer, $483 dollars more. Are you willing to pay almost $500 for labor and crapware pack-in software? All the parts to the computers come with manuals. And look, building a computer is this easy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SINjiyZ3yNs

I hope I've been of help :)

FunkWeasel

The comparing of systems was pretty bad also. Not only did you compare it to dell, but you compared a model with a processor(E8xxx) thats more than over $100 more than the x2 4200. Not only that but the 9800gtx is not more than 2x the performance last time I checked, its just an overclocked 8800gts 512mb which if thats true, then thats far from 2x the performance hell even the better processor on the dell could probaly close the FPS gap between the two systems to very close.

Also the powersupply in that barebone which is one of the main componets is a cheap generic one that comes with the case I wouldn't call that quality the risk of overheating and underperforming your video card are alot higher.

thanks alot you guys, and to let some of you know FunkWeasel was just suggesting thoughs parts to show me how easy it was if you bought a barebones kit. I already had a list of parts that i was gonna buy if i were to build my own PC. Mine included A Q6600, 4gigs of 1066MHz RAM, and a 512mb 8800 GT though...

How much better is the 9800GTX?

Well its basiclly a 8800gts overclocked so that should give you an idea, not much stronger than 8800gtx, but I would wait for the new cards coming out this monthmillerlight89

that depends... are the new cards that are coming out soon gonna cost like $400?

3. Invest in a good PC tool kit.

Worf101

What? The only tool I ever needed was a screw driver iirc.

[QUOTE="millerlight89"]Well its basiclly a 8800gts overclocked so that should give you an idea, not much stronger than 8800gtx, but I would wait for the new cards coming out this monthjon9o4

that depends... are the new cards that are coming out soon gonna cost like $400?

Well yea, the gtx 260 is gunna b round 450 and the gtx 280 is guna b around 650, i'm not to sure about ati's new ones though

ehh i dont need that right now anyway. id go with the 8800GT, that can basically run anything maxed anyway thats out now.jon9o4

Of course it can except crysis, but hell what can lol, it's a great card and you won't b dissapointed. I was just pointing those out if money wasn't a problem or you didn't have a tight budget, but yes 8800 gt is a great card. Plus I am getting gtx 280 and looking to seel my 8800gtx for round $150 if you were intereste

Neither, Brand named is usually overpriced, but self-built does have some of its own problems. Best bet is to choose the parts and let a store assemble it for you for about $50 more. Saves you wondering why won't your PC start. But if you are very knowledgeable then go ahead, I'm not, so I'll get a store to piece it together for me.leonhead

All I can Say is there is no greater feeling of when you first boot up a computer that you made and it works great. Then again There is no worse feeling then when u try and boot up your computer and somethings wrong. All I have to say is do allot of research before you build and when you build it take the right steps. I built my computer over a year ago (it was my first build and I treated all the parts like they were glass) I recently change it to a Antec 1200 case and did so very half A$$. I was working on carpet I wasn't grounded and I was doing about 10 other things i shouldn't have been doing. Needless to say something went wrong ! I fryed both my motherboard and my CPU and I gotta tell u the only thing that kept me sane was that fact that at-least I got to upgrade. So Basically what I'm trying to say is its okay to build your computer but don't be dumb like i was, every-time you do something on your computer take your time and do it right.

P.s. Just Incase anyone is wonder my mistake cost me 350 to fix, but I upgraded those two parts because there was no point in buying the same old ones again. The upgrades are in my sig.

Thanks alot for the advice you guys. It just kinda sucks... I REALLY want to build my own PC but by the time i get the money i need it will be a few months from now and by then some of the parts ive already chosen will be out of date. Then again i guess i dont really need to be top of the line...

And brayant321 mentioned that he wasnt grounded and he fried his cpu and mobo, ive heard how this could happen. If i have 2 feet on the ground and a part of my body touching the case should i be fine?

Thanks alot for the advice you guys. It just kinda sucks... I REALLY want to build my own PC but by the time i get the money i need it will be a few months from now and by then some of the parts ive already chosen will be out of date. Then again i guess i dont really need to be top of the line...

And brayant321 mentioned that he wasnt grounded and he fried his cpu and mobo, ive heard how this could happen. If i have 2 feet on the ground and a part of my body touching the case should i be fine?

jon9o4

By the time you get the money, the new parts will be cheaper ;).

BTW, if you're in no hurry, I'd advise you to wait until the holiday season. Newegg has some EPIC black friday deals.