Archived from groups: alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt (
More info?)
Paolo Pignatelli wrote:
> I have made some preliminary choices for the components for a new PC that I
> want to build, but am not sure that I will be able to spare the time (or
> have the ability). There are some PC repair shops around here that say that
> they can get the components, and build it for me. What price can I expect?
> Generally, it will be an Intel based computer with a Sonata case and an Asus
> ((P5AD2-E Premium) mb) with 2 gigs of ram and 2 250SATA drives.
>
> TIA
>
>
This is all about user needs.
You may or may not be able to save $ by building your own. I plan my own
builds not with the thought of saving money, but with the goal of
getting a machine suited exactly to my current needs, that has room for
future upgrades, and that is free from proprietary surprises (like the
Dell power supply fiasco). When finished, it is also free of bloated
"software" packages that offer little in the way of actual utility, and
seem mostly designed to get the naive user to purchase either a full
edition, online services, or spend money on consumables (like ink!).
After almost 20 years of PC use, I've been suffering as a user for
almost as long as many of the marketing asshats that are trying to
convice me to buy from Dell, Gateway or a big box store have been alive.
I have a much better idea about what my needs are than they ever could
have. It's also a pretty good bet that the Best Buy/Circuit City sales
person knows damned little about what he/she is offering other than to
push their current loss leader and get you to try and bite off on the
extended warranty.
"Homebuilt is cheaper". "Storebought is cheaper" Both are true: if the
price point is your ONLY consideration, you can either shop or select
cheaper build supplies to meet the low price mark.
Of course, you will end up with a $25 motherboard that may not ever get
the BIOS update it needs to move from Windows 98 to XP (or it may just
stop playing with USB devices..). You will end up with a hard drive that
is possibly guranteed for as a little as one year (when there are 3 and
5 year guranteed drives available for only marginally more expense).
You will have "integrated everything"...that tend to be harder to
troubleshoot and repair/replace.
For my own user needs (large dual displays for academic work and photo
editing, more than the minumum ammount of RAM, high quality sound for a
good 5.1 speaker system, lots of storage and both USB and firewire
connectivity): I can certainly build for within 10% on either side of
what I can buy. And, because of the occasional issues with my own
technical expertise, I have an established relationshiop withn a very
good local PC repair guy. He's told me that if I ever get tired or
misconnecting wires or forgetting basic troubleshooting (yes, it did
cost me $75 once after I neglected to try and reset the CMOS), he'll
assemble my machine for a 1-hour labor charge. But, each of my homebuilt
projects has worked from the first power-on.
I've bought mid-upper cost prebuilt in the past, and found them full of
compromises. At least with a home built (or self-selected components
assembled by a trusted tech) I get to decide where to make them.
Many people have had perfectly good experinces with mass market/prebuilt
machines, and I'm delighted for them. I prefer the greater control
results in my eventual computing experience when I roll my own....
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