CLSII

I've been looking to buy a new PC with a 939 motherboard, AMD 3400 processor, 200GB Hard drive, 1024 mb Ram, etc etc

I'd be really grateful for any advice.

Is it worth doing it yourself or does the warranty and the fact that companies buy in parts so cheap mean that its cheaper to buy a system than DIY?

All replies appreciated

Regards

CLSII

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

It's always cheaper to diy, but if u don't want the hassle of a self build, then you might as well buy a retail box. The sum of it's parts would not be alot more then if you bought them yourself. Plus of course you get a warranty on a shop PC as a whole.

Barmyclown

It`s close on something like what you have just stated above, because the big companies like dell etc. are buying all the components in bulk so get a better price for all the components.

The Big advantage with building your own is you can get exactly what you want and you don`t get all the rubbish you get preinstalled on these manufactured pc`s. A second advantage is you get a bit more knowledge about your computer especially if you have teathing problems with the hardware due to air gaps at connectors etc.

MJW

Sometimes with pre-built systems some of the components can be of relatively poor quality. In particular RAM memory and mainboards. Building your own means you can be very selective and buy decent quality components. Each of the components will have their own warranty, so if one part fails you can send it back. Check and double check that components are compatible eg. motherboard, memory and CPU. Putting them together is a lot easier than some people think, most of the parts just plug in and all come with fitting instructions.

Buying off the shelf can be ok if you're not going to be doing anything too taxing ie. just surfing the web and using wordprocessors and spreadsheets. When I buy machines for work its just off the peg cheap Dell stuff. If you're wanting to play games or run any other demanding programs it'd be better to build it yourself.

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

If you want a top-end system, or want to overclock, then always make your own - you'll save at least £300. If you want a low-end system always buy. For mid-range systems it's sort of up to you. Warranties aren't worth much as little of the hardware ever goes wrong - mostly it's software problemes, and you can sort nearly all of them out with a reformat. Extended warranties are a complete waste of money.

Personally I've built my own for the last five years and always ended up with a better rig than anything I can get in a shop for the money. They may be able to buy in bulk, but I don't have overheads to support.


M

Dream Weaver

I built my last 2 and they worked out more expensive than pre built systems, but they had much higher spec on every component, you can choose what you want, and its satisfying putting it all together.

My new system's worked for 2 years now without a problem or even a crash (touch wood)

lightning101

Remember if you buy it pre-built, you can't **** about inside it, invalidating the warranty.

Also each component carries a full years warranty minimum, so if a card breaks, you just send back the card for a small postal charge which is then returned.

If your dell/mesh breaks you have to send the whole unit away, i.e. no PC to play with.

DrEvil

If you want the best quality components, build yourself.
Otherwise look at mesh computers and the likes, and buy a prebuild.

Some parts companies will build the PC for you to spec, at a charge, too.

Daz34

Don't agree.
If you want a certain spec ie very quiet/fast then build your own but the pc he describes isn't cutting edge & he should be able to pick one up cheaper than sourcing the parts himself.

bioforger

iTrader: (1)

Nah dont agree. You can definately pickup the parts he wants cheaper than buying the box pre-built. My PC is similar spec to his, bar better gfx, ram, hdd etc, and it was about £250 cheaper to build myself than to buy the same spec prebuilt. This was about a yr ago though, so unless prices have levelled out, its going to be the same deal now.

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

Both have pros and cons, with pre built you get a warranty and software installed (legitimate). Pre built systems are quite reasonably priced these days for the specs that they offer. However as someone else pointed out previously not all components are top quality, so the motherboard could be sh!te and the ram sh!te as well (these are the 2 common parts that are generally poor quality in pre built systems)

For diy, you get exactly what you want component wise, but you obviously only get parts warranty so if anything goes wrong, you have to remove that part yourself and probably have to send it away (removing it wont be a problem considering you have built the system). Where it can start to get costly is when you install the operating system. For windows your looking at £50 + vat upwards for XP home (legit copy). Of course if you have the copy that was installed on your previous machine then this can be used (as long as it is removed from the old machine - yeah right). then there is all the other software as well.

So think about what you will be using it for internet, games, productivity etc and go from there.

_Meridian_

iTrader: (1)

Actually the biggest scrimping is usually done on the gfx card: you get something like a 6800 non-GT if you're lucky, AND they have the cheek to describe it as a "Gamer's Card". It's amazing how many companies will give you a top-end CPU, 1gig of RAM and mate it with a £40 graphics card. If you're not overclocking then the type of motherboard and RAM makes little difference except in features, but the type of gfx make s HUGE differnence if you plan to game.


M