• Build it myself or pre-built?
    39 replies, posted
Hey guys. I was looking to upgrade my GPU to something better but then I realized I needed a new motherboard to go along with it, and then a new case because my current one wouldn't fit the new card. So now I think I want to give my computer to my brother (who also needs something better) and just go all out and buy a brand new computer. At first I was looking up different parts and adding up the prices and seeing where I could buy them from ebay. Then I saw this; [url]http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/INTEL-Core-i5-3570-3-4GHz-1TB-8GB-GTX680-2GB-Gaming-Computer-Quad-Desktop-PC-/360614766806?pt=AU_comp_dekstop&hash=item53f650a8d6#ht_16274wt_1140[/url] Ignore the pink, you can request other colors as well. After adding up the cost of all the individual parts, it would actually cost me more to build my computer than to buy this pre-built one with similar specs. So I was wondering what your thoughts were on buying pre-built PC's online, and if you think that is a good price for what I am getting? If you scroll down there are more details on what is in the build. Thanks.
Pre-built is cheaper and will save you time. Build it yourself only if you find it fun.
According to Whirlpool people have had shitty experiences with PCmeal Getting dead GPUs and dealing with shitty service who say the card never arrived, then refuse to believe it was broken and eventually send a replacement, which is also dead. Somebody else ended up almost getting a single core CPU when they charged for a dual core I'd go with building it, it's more fun and if you get a DOA part, warranty is a shitload easier to deal with
Building it yourself pros/cons: Pros: You pick what hardware you want, and can search multiple stores for cheaper costs/alternatives You don't pay someone to build the PC for you You learn about how your computer works, when you put it all together It's fun, have a friend join you in building it It is cheaper, pre-build PC's will end up having shitter specs and charge you more just for putting the pc together Cons: Cable management: frankly most pre-built pc's come with horrible cable management Incompatibility: if you were to buy a HP or Dell PC's, I've seen some made so you can't upgrade hardware Costs more: you're paying someone to build it for you Warranty: you're not allowed to touch the inside of your PC, if you were to buy it from retailers, or else you void your warranty I'm sure theres much more, but this is off the top of my head.
NEVER EVER buy a PC from eBay. They cut so many corners it's not funny.
We have a whole section for this, just thought I'd let you know. [url]http://facepunch.com/forums/243[/url]
Me and my dad built our first computer, it's really not hard - you just have to read instructions [i]really[/i] carefully, and make sure that parts all match before you buy it.
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40009183]Pre-built is cheaper and will save you time. Build it yourself only if you find it fun.[/QUOTE] I paid 1800$ on a AMD phenom 9650 quad core with 4gb ram and a 9600GS gpu from a HP prebuilt back in early 2009. Sure it's more expensive here in sweden, but prebuilts are no way in hell cheaper. And it was pretty much impossible to switch out parts without buying a new case or PSU.
I learnt my mistake by buying a prebuilt computer the hard way back in 2008. I got a prebuilt HP and the case was tiny and the motherboard didn't support 64bit even though I had 4 GB RAM. It's THAT bad.
[QUOTE=Ruzza;40009465]Building it yourself pros/cons: Pros: You pick what hardware you want, and can search multiple stores for cheaper costs/alternatives You don't pay someone to build the PC for you You learn about how your computer works, when you put it all together It's fun, have a friend join you in building it It is cheaper, pre-build PC's will end up having shitter specs and charge you more just for putting the pc together Cons: Cable management: frankly most pre-built pc's come with horrible cable management Incompatibility: if you were to buy a HP or Dell PC's, I've seen some made so you can't upgrade hardware Costs more: you're paying someone to build it for you Warranty: you're not allowed to touch the inside of your PC, if you were to buy it from retailers, or else you void your warranty I'm sure theres much more, but this is off the top of my head.[/QUOTE] You posted the pros of building it yourself, and the cons of not doing it. Nice job. I can only speak for myself but in Sweden buying pre-built is generally cheaper. The reason being that despite the cost of assembly, buying in bulk cuts down on the price, and resellers probably take a smaller profit margin on a $2000 PC then on cheaper, separate components. This article backs this up: [URL]http://compreviews.about.com/od/general/a/BuildvsBuy.htm[/URL] However I can imagine that many in this section would be in denial of this fact, even if it were true.
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40012852]You posted the pros of building it yourself, and the cons of not doing it. Nice job. I can only speak for myself but in Sweden buying pre-built is generally cheaper. The reason being that despite the cost of assembly, buying in bulk cuts down on the price, and resellers probably take a smaller profit margin on a $2000 PC then on cheaper, separate components. This article backs this up: [URL]http://compreviews.about.com/od/general/a/BuildvsBuy.htm[/URL] However I can imagine that many in this section would be in denial of this fact, even if it were true.[/QUOTE] did you even read the article you used as a source [quote]The cost disadvantage does not always hold true though. As the more money one is willing to spend on a computer system, the more likely you will be able to save money by building the PC yourself. This has to do with the top of the line specialized systems are often marked up for extra profits per unit by the manufacturers. So, if you are looking to spend big, investigate building it yourself first.[/quote]
[QUOTE=Amiga OS;40013029]Every way you look at it, you are cutting out the middle man and are saving money. You can source your parts from anywhere you like to drop the cost even more, and you aren't paying for somebody else's time.[/QUOTE] Try harder, read my actual post. Also, this is from the article I posted, the top search result for "buying vs building PC": [quote]The second biggest disadvantage with building a computer system is cost. In most cases, the cost of building a computer will be slightly more expensive than purchasing a pre-built computer. This is due to the fact that the manufacturers can buy in bulk for steep discounts that translate into savings on the computer system. They also include software with the systems that must be purchased separately when building a system. OEM software purchased with hardware does help reduce the costs on custom built systems. The cost disadvantage does not always hold true though. As the more money one is willing to spend on a computer system, the more likely you will be able to save money by building the PC yourself. This has to do with the top of the line specialized systems are often marked up for extra profits per unit by the manufacturers. So, if you are looking to spend big, investigate building it yourself first.[/quote] Why don't you recommend he start mining for raw materials and build the components himself? He'll cut out even more middle men. [editline]23rd March 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Yumyumbublegum;40013122]did you even read the article you used as a source[/QUOTE] See bellow. [QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40012852]buying pre-built is generally cheaper[/QUOTE] [quote]The cost disadvantage does not always hold true though.[/quote] Finding a statement in the article I posted that on simplistic analysis seems to disagree with me, wow, you sure showed me. As both me and the article were stating, buying pre-built is generally cheaper. Of course there's no reason not to confirm this before buying.
uh yea for an average user that just wants a computer to browse the internet/play facebook games but gaming computers always have huge markups on them, and usually use poorer quality parts [editline]23rd March 2013[/editline] i guarantee you if you posted a prebuilt gaming computer in the OPs budget someone could build an equivalent/better computer cheaper (i've been out of the hardware game for a while, I can't)
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40012852]You posted the pros of building it yourself, and the cons of not doing it. Nice job.[/QUOTE] If I could rate you agree for just this part of your post, I would
Build it yourself. And we have a special section on this forum for that.
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40013143]Try harder, read my actual post. Also, this is from the article I posted, the top search result for "buying vs building PC": Why don't you recommend he start mining for raw materials and build the components himself? He'll cut out even more middle men. [editline]23rd March 2013[/editline] See bellow. Finding a statement in the article I posted that on simplistic analysis seems to disagree with me, wow, you sure showed me. As both me and the article were stating, buying pre-built is generally cheaper. Of course there's no reason not to confirm this before buying.[/QUOTE] Hi welcome to the section where people actually know things about computers. Are you for real right now? I'd rather take my personal experience instead of advice from an article online. Thanks, though. OP, building your own PC is the better way to do it. Sure a prebuilt might be cheaper in price, but it's going to be cheaper in quality as well. Personally that's not a sacrifice I like to make. Here's a snapshot from that eBay ad, holy shit: [t]http://i.imgur.com/0XVkC6y.png[/t]
[QUOTE=MTMod;40036466]Hi welcome to the section where people actually know things about computers. Are you for real right now? I'd rather take my personal experience instead of advice from an article online. Thanks, though. OP, building your own PC is the better way to do it. Sure a prebuilt might be cheaper in price, but it's going to be cheaper in quality as well. Personally that's not a sacrifice I like to make. Here's a snapshot from that eBay ad, holy shit: [t]http://i.imgur.com/0XVkC6y.png[/t][/QUOTE] I hate when my SATA 3's only can get the SATA II :/
[img]http://i48.tinypic.com/20tno5c.png[/img]
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40038666][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/20tno5c.png[/img][/QUOTE] [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joke[/url]
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40038666][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/20tno5c.png[/img][/QUOTE] what point are you trying to make if the point is "people who build PCs are nerds" you have fallen directly onto the shoulders of irony
I would have posted a link to the article for [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem"]ad hominem[/URL], but that might imply the perception there was an actual debate at any point in the thread. Few circumstances justify buying a prebuilt system, only very lightweight compact low profile PCs can be justified to the typical consumer. (~$100-$150 systems with very low specs). If you want to play videogames or do anything even remotely taxing on a computer, building it yourself is the only way to go.
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40038666][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/20tno5c.png[/img][/QUOTE] [IMG]https://public.dm1.livefilestore.com/y1pJLJk3lyXr6N7ESEy4DmvybZkLBFXKekbVeZgQ8aiZ7gvI6h66PFu7sSzWBpE-VxArcz1EbpLjkWqQfuDSYCkxw/youraidiot.PNG?psid=1[/IMG] Something tells me some of these should not be taken entirely serious.
Even if prebuilts were available for the same price, you'd still be better off building the computer yourself. If you understand the sentiment conveyed by the phrase "Teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime", you know exactly what I'm talking about. Odds are that at some point you'll want to upgrade your system, and you'll want to know how everything is set up. You'll want to know what the output on your powersupply is off hand, how many open pci-e slots you have, etc. I've learned a lot from building computers over the years, from both my successes and my failures.
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40038666][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/20tno5c.png[/img][/QUOTE] Garry deliberately puts incorrect information in forum names and descriptions to trip up morons like you. Try again.
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40038666][img]http://i48.tinypic.com/20tno5c.png[/img][/QUOTE] Oh [i]wow[/i] you sure showed us! What infalliable proof! Seeing as you didn't see the sarcasm in that picture, my post is also sarcastic.
lol, section description disagrees with me, must be sarcasm! The description is implying that "nerds" would value the experience of building a PC and the increased customization, so that it may outweigh a higher price. Something that may not be true for the average consumer. This is honestly not the best place to ask this question (due to bias) but at least some pros and cons have been posted. With some quick research you can get an idea of what the components in any pre-built PC would cost if bought separate. [editline]26th March 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=GoDong-DK;40038900][IMG]https://public.dm1.livefilestore.com/y1pJLJk3lyXr6N7ESEy4DmvybZkLBFXKekbVeZgQ8aiZ7gvI6h66PFu7sSzWBpE-VxArcz1EbpLjkWqQfuDSYCkxw/youraidiot.PNG?psid=1[/IMG] Something tells me some of these should not be taken entirely serious.[/QUOTE] But it's true. Threads in Sensationalist Headline [B]are[/B] incredibly sensationalist, and outrage is common.
^ You should just leave.
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40040100]lol, section description disagrees with me, must be sarcasm! The description is implying that "nerds" would value the experience of building a PC and the increased customization, so that it may outweigh a higher price. Something that may not be true for the average consumer. This is honestly not the best place to ask this question (due to bias) but at least some pros and cons have been posted. With some quick research you can get an idea of what the components in any pre-built PC would cost if bought separate. [editline]26th March 2013[/editline] But it's true. Threads in Sensationalist Headline [B]are[/B] incredibly sensationalist, and outrage is common.[/QUOTE] Can we just stop and have you find a prebuilt that we won't be able to match with similar or better components for the same price or cheaper? There's a few, but it's pretty uncommon. There's some situations where your time may be worth enough that building and servicing your own PC would effectively make it cost more, but that's not quite what we're talking about.
It's amazing. All these really irritating people I come across just keep posting "This message is hidden because *username* is on your ignore list".
[QUOTE=PowerBall v1;40040100]lol, section description disagrees with me, must be sarcasm! The description is implying that "nerds" would value the experience of building a PC and the increased customization, so that it may outweigh a higher price. Something that may not be true for the average consumer. This is honestly not the best place to ask this question (due to bias) but at least some pros and cons have been posted. With some quick research you can get an idea of what the components in any pre-built PC would cost if bought separate. [editline]26th March 2013[/editline] But it's true. Threads in Sensationalist Headline [B]are[/B] incredibly sensationalist, and outrage is common.[/QUOTE] Surprised that nobody has done this yet, but someone should kill this with actual facts. Ok, im going to keep this short and sweet. See this build from iBUYPOWER? [img]http://puu.sh/2obdP[/img] Alright, now look at the same specs, bought separately, through newegg. No promo codes, no cutting on parts. [img]http://puu.sh/2obj0[/img] If you don't believe the numbers that are right here, do it yourself. You'll come out with the same exact thing.
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