building computers vs. pre-built machines(compaq/hp/etc)

[DrLove'sKuDang]

ive been building my own towers, minus my first computer ever.


a couple co-workers of mine are looking to get a new tower, but they just want one for everyday use, for the most part. was it just an assumption of mine, or do prebuilt budget computers use lower grade parts?

they were only looking to spend between $3-400. but i could easily build them a decent tower, since neither of them need anything beyond onboard video. is it worth the time or are they all the same at that price point?

[DrLove'sKuDang]

nevermind, i answered my own question.

if anyone was interested, here are my quick results. i went on bestbuy and searched for the cheapest tower they had.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Compaq+-...tems&cp=1&lp=1

sempron 2.3ghz/2gb ram/320gb hd - $309


my tower on newegg:

Athlon ii x3 2.7ghz/ocz 4gb ddr3/wd 320gb - $301.95


i guess, if you have the knowhow, building is always better, even if you dont want to OC... eventhough, with the built tower, you could.

[mj213]

The other option to consider is the warranty. Compaq provides that. Would you provide warranty support for your homebuilt pc? That entails replacing failed components on your dime. Keep your receipts!

[Law Grandeur]

also virus protection for at least 3 months. ive always wanted to build my own pc but dont have the know how. i could always get my friend to do it but the opportunity never arises. when i needed a PC i needed one asap so i bought this piece of shit compaq for $300. god i hate this computer

[DrLove'sKuDang]

The other option to consider is the warranty. Compaq provides that. Would you provide warranty support for your homebuilt pc? That entails replacing failed components on your dime. Keep your receipts!

no warranty with me. im not a business, and i wont be making much if any money on the deal. im basically doing it for a favor and because i like doing it.

also virus protection for at least 3 months. ive always wanted to build my own pc but dont have the know how. i could always get my friend to do it but the opportunity never arises. when i needed a PC i needed one asap so i bought this piece of shit compaq for $300. god i hate this computer

exactly. those compaqs are garbage. if you wanna send me the money, ill build you a tower and mail it back. 1 day turn around. $50

[Law Grandeur]

haha ill remember that for next time!

[TheFirstNutZo]

Building is better as long as you don't use shit parts. Entry level computers use very shitty PCBs and (more importantly) capacitors that are prone to premature failure. Better yet, they fail in strange ways that are hard to track down for a while and tend to BSOD for no "apparent" reason. Of course the reason is that its a piece of shit. Build with quality parts, you end up with a better machine. Build with shitty parts, and you end up with the same shit Compaq offers, without the warranty. Your call.

[EJX_Michael]

The biggest thing is that pretty much no matter what parts you buy, you wont be able to build a computer for the same price...

The big Mfgs. like Dell, Compaq, HP, ect. all buy parts and the operating systems in bulk. They pay much less for everything.

One of my family members recently asked me to build them one. I quoted them at around $550 for something entry level with parts that I know are good and last. They were all like "oh! but walmart has a full setup for that has better specs for $300." The only thing I could tell them is that I really couldn't compete with that price because I can't buy parts at wholesale, and I prefer to use quality parts. A copy of Win7 for me is $100 alone! Needless to say they went with the walmart pc.

I'm not just going to thrash prebuilt PCs simply because I build my own though. They do offer some really good deals. (dual core, 3GB ram, 500 GB HDD with windows 7 for $300? hell yes!) But like ^ said though, they are usually built with shoddy parts...

Its really up to what the person wants. Like most things in life... You get what you pay for.

[DrLove'sKuDang]

The biggest thing is that pretty much no matter what parts you buy, you wont be able to build a computer for the same price...

ive actually found the opposite to be true.


other than my original post comparing the compaq and my faux-build, i did a search on BB for the most expensive amd machine. it was $950. i priced out the parts and made the same machine(pII x4 3ghz, 8gb ddr3, 1tb) and i was able to do it for almost $300 less. you wont have a manufactures warranty, but i think building is always cheaper, and if you pick right, better.

[92cord]

A copy of Win7 for me is $100 alone!

Michael, I got a legit copy of Win7 for $15! There are perks working for a college.

[deevergote]

I've found some pre-built systems that were a good deal cheaper than anything I could build similarly (without reusing old parts, that is).

Of course, many of those pre-built systems DO use cheap crap parts. However, the more reputable companies (even if they use crap parts) tend to use parts that work well together. While it works, it will work smoothly.

I've always built my own. I was having issues not too long ago, and I nearly caved and bought a pre-built system, just to avoid the hassle. I'm not an expert, so most of my own systems (I've also been building my own since my first... started in 1998) have had numerous issues that I just ignore. For example, the case that I got back in 2004 has front USB ports. I've never hooked them up. My CD/DVD drives stopped working... I just don't use discs.
Pre-built systems will function 100%, at least while they're new! Self-built systems will only function as well as you make them (if you're knowledgeable and not lazy like me, then there's probably never a need for pre-built)

[EJX_Michael]

ive actually found the opposite to be true.


other than my original post comparing the compaq and my faux-build, i did a search on BB for the most expensive amd machine. it was $950. i priced out the parts and made the same machine(pII x4 3ghz, 8gb ddr3, 1tb) and i was able to do it for almost $300 less. you wont have a manufactures warranty, but i think building is always cheaper, and if you pick right, better.

Actually now that I think about it your right. I was only thinking about entry level systems that manufactures build to sell on the cheap.

Looking at more powerful systems though, building your own is the cheaper way to go as mfgs. seem to bloat prices.

[deevergote]

"performance" machines sell for like $3000 or more, I've noticed!
Yeah, you could definitely build one of those for less. Especially since you can cut out features that you're not going to use.

Budget machines... There are $300 pre-built entry leve computers out there that would cost me at least $400 to build myself.

[DrLove'sKuDang]

"performance" machines sell for like $3000 or more, I've noticed!
Yeah, you could definitely build one of those for less. Especially since you can cut out features that you're not going to use.

Budget machines... There are $300 pre-built entry leve computers out there that would cost me at least $400 to build myself.

parts nowadays arent that expensive. if you look back at post #2, my build was equal in price, but had better parts. for $300, its definitely something i would use as a 2nd bedroom computer.


and included in my newegg build price was a dvd-rw and tower w/400w ps, i just didnt list.

[mj213]

parts nowadays arent that expensive. if you look back at post #2, my build was equal in price, but had better parts. for $300, its definitely something i would use as a 2nd bedroom computer.


and included in my newegg build price was a dvd-rw and tower w/400w ps, i just didnt list.

What about an OS? Pirating is bad news if you don't know how to maintain it on your own.

What about all the little things - case, heatsink, cables, etc? You may have the cables but does the cpu come retail with heatsink and fan? That's another thing - what about case fans? Keyboard, mouse and monitor? Driver install? All that stuff takes time. I don't know about you but I NEVER like to work for free.

There's a fine line between saving money by having a machine custom built, and buying a pre-built. To the buyer, they want a warranty. If you don't provide it, they'll eventually regret having one custom built when they can get one from Dell or whoever for a little cash (and in turn, a little reassurance). It's getting very hard to compete with retail prices on prebuilt machines. Dell uses a reputable vendor for their PCBs. Their fans are awesome, as I keep them for my home computers (they are still a consumable part at this time). Fully adjustable speeds, quiet as hell and they push a good bit of air.

Breaking down prices on custom built computers:

PC Case: 30-40
PSU: 30-50
CPU: 75-90
RAM: 50-70
Mobo: 75-90
HDD: 60-75
ODD: 30-40
OS: 100+

This range is from $375-555 for a good solid computer. No keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers. All integrated components (sound & video).

Adding a video card can easily add another 100 bucks or so. Sound cards are around 50 or so for one that would be worth upgrading over the integrated sound.

Comparing this to a prebuilt Dell Studio Desktop (one of their nicer desktop models) and I'm looking at $518 shipped to my house. Here are the specs:

Gloss Black PC Case ($35)
Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 (3MB L2 Cache, 2.39GHz 1066MHz FSB) ($109)
Windows 7 Home Premium ($179)
2GB DDR2 @ 800MHz ($50)
Integrated GMA X4500HD Graphics, 7.1 Audio Motherboard ($75)
500GB SATA 7200RPM HDD w/DataBurst Cache ($60)
Integrated 16in1 Media Card Reader ($20)
16X DVD+/-RW Drive ($30)
Studio Keyboard and Optical Mouse ($30)
Productivity Software - Microsoft Works ($35)
1 Year Warranty

If you were to buy this specific configuration, you'd be spending $623 not including shipping for each part, and not including the time it takes to assemble, install the OS, drivers, any software, etc. If it's for you, it's not a big deal. It's rather fun if you're doing it for yourself.

Let's say you would be able to buy all of that stuff from Newegg. Shipping would be a minimum of $50 for all of that shipped to your house.

Now, if you consider buying a 'bare bones' system - you may get a bit of a discount. Unfortunately, you're more likely to find older technology. A lot of bare bones systems have motherboards that support only 1 stick of RAM (Maybe 2). They also tend to peak out on Memory at 2GB. If you're putting a copy of XP on there, sure it's not a big deal. But with barebones systems, you usually have to buy the processor, and the cases are frequently the slim line style. Of course there's a whole selection of bare bones systems that will allow you to buy any number of configurations, but they always go up in price. Then you're back to square one - saving money.

The worst part about custom builds (for yourself as well as other people) is the time invested. When it's for a customer, you have to probe the person for what they want (some people can't live without that 16 in 1 card reader...!) and some want Blu-Ray capabilities in their Celeron built computer. They want Office 2007. We all know that's not cheap.

Building a machine for yourself is much easier since you are the buyer and you are the one who has to answer for the bad choices you make when purchasing.