Pre-built PCs worth it?

YaqootK

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Feb 16, 2014
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Hi guys

I've recently been looking into building a PC, and have decided I want an AMD FX-8350 and a GTX 770, as they seem to suit my price range atm. I also compiled a part list and everything, and will soon have the money to buy the parts.

However, the problem is building it. I'm on a very heavy work schedule and barely have a couple of hours in a day, and I know that if I have to build it myself the parts are going to be lying around for at LEAST a couple of months, and after spending around £700 that's something I really don't want to do. So I've decided to consider getting a pre-built system on eBay, as I have seen a lot of good-spec systems at decent prices. I'm currently looking at this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AMD-GB-8350-Eight-Core-Gaming-Pc-Computer-1tb-16Gb-Nvidia-GTX-770-2GB-Galaxy-/141000497116?pt=UK_Computing_DesktopPCs&hash=item20d448d7dc

All I want to know is, are all the parts decent and should I not have any problems? Will I be good to go after installing the OS?

For reference, here is the part list I was originally going for - http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2U7Fs

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
 

mrmez

Splendid
Pre-built can be good.
As for that specific system, the case is rubbish, the power supply is average (though luckily it's got plenty of power), and the rest of the components you know.

As usual, pay with paypal/credit card in case there are dramas. Even then, you will be liable for any postage/shipping.

Ps. How will you get time to use said computer if you don't have time to build it?
 
The psu and motherboard in that pre-built isn't very good, which is why most of us dislike pre-builts. Building your own computer should only take about 2 - 3 hours for beginners. If you can fit 2-3 hours of building into 1 - 3 days, then you should be fine. You don't have to worry about installing any programs yet. You just need to make sure it boots properly so you know that everything works.
 

YaqootK

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Feb 16, 2014
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How much will a bad case affect me? I don't care about the look of it, but if there could be cooling issues then that could be a problem, as the place I keep my desktop isn't well ventilated.



I'm buying a PC for the long term, my hefty work schedule should ease off in a few months when I go back to college.


So, is it really worth getting the parts (http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/p/2U7Fs) and taking the time out to build it as opposed to buying that pre-build?

Right now it's a matter of -

Zalman Z11 vs Galaxy 3 case
8gb G-Skill vs 16gb Corsair Vengeance RAM
Gigabyte GA-970A-DS3P ATX AM3+ vs Gigabyte 78LMT-USB3 Motherboard
XFX 550W 80+ vs Aerocool VP Pro 850 Power supply

If I'm going to have a considerably better experience with a PC I've built, I'll probably just take some time out and build it.
 

bozari

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Jan 27, 2012
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I would build my own for the following reasons.
1) you get to pick your own parts.
2) since you picked your parts, if something goes wrong you have invoices to send back part.
3) saves money
4) really doesn't take to long
5) right of passage or personal gratification
 

YaqootK

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Feb 16, 2014
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I'm planning to use this for gaming, mostly. I also do some video editing, but I'm not looking for stupidly fast render times. As for gaming, I want to be able to run most new games at ultra, with one 1080p monitor. My budget is around 650-700. And I don't plan on overclocking, but I'd like the option to be there if I wanted to.
 
Here is one you can possibly do:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor (£104.39 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler (£25.45 @ Scan.co.uk)
Motherboard: Asus M5A97 R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard (£64.76 @ Scan.co.uk)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£62.75 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£35.94 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (£202.99 @ Novatech)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case (£45.90 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£46.98 @ Aria PC)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (£11.52 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £600.68
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-26 19:21 BST+0100)

-The FX-8320 is cheaper and the exact same chip as the 8350. The only difference is the 500mhz clock difference. I used the saved money into a better motherboard to allow for better overclocking capabilities.
-The R9-280X is on-par with the GTX 770.
-Case is up to you, but I believe the 200R has better cooling over the Zalman Z11.
-Leaves enough room to add a SSD if you like.
-I would only get this build if you do overclock because AMD processors are meant to be overclocked.

If you don't plan to overclock, go for this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor (£128.03 @ Ebuyer)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (£72.38 @ CCL Computers)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£62.75 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£35.94 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: MSI Radeon R9 280X 3GB TWIN FROZR Video Card (£202.99 @ Novatech)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case (£45.90 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply (£46.98 @ Aria PC)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer (£11.52 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £606.49
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-04-26 19:23 BST+0100)

-Intel i5 is the best for gaming.
-Locked processor so you can't overclock.
 

YaqootK

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Feb 16, 2014
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I'm a complete noob when it comes to overclocking. How do I do it and is it worth doing? Does it come with risks, etc. ?
 
Yes it has a huge risk and voids the warranty, but honestly, as long as you do it safely and take it slow then you shouldn't really hurt your processor.
You have to go into BIOs and disable all the power saving and cooling options. Then you would slowly raise the multiplier and SLOWLY raise the voltage. You should always do it in small increments and then stress test each try to make sure it's stable. It can be a long and tedious process, but it is worth it to some people. If you don't feel safe with overclocking, just go for the Intel build. It should be more than enough at stock speeds.