The Ultimate Question...Build Now or Later

[lockdownx1x]

I'm 15 building PC's for friends and my customers (More like my friends, well their parents friends)

I have 1500$ saved up right now and getting bigger

The 2 things I'm waiting for are:

1: Nehalem 6 Cores CPU
2:10*** Series GPU's

The reason I want to wait is that I want it to last. As my current PC has lasted 5 Years, going on 6 Years

Current Build:

Gateway PC
Intel Pentium 4 CPU 2.00GHz
Some Crap Intel MOBO
130 Watt Generic PSU
Integrated Graphics
256 MB DDR1 Ram - Samsung Brand
Sony DVD Writer (The only upgrade I have and will do with my dying PC)
Generic DVD Reader

Price 5 Years ago: 860$ + 200$ 15' LCD Screen

Grand Total:1060$

Comments?

 

[dokk2]

only one thing comes to mind off hand to wit; the hot,hot,system that you buy today?? will in a little while be yesterday's news quicker that your previous build,the only thing that one can do is try for the best possible upgrade path by purchasing an adequate mobo,as for dx 10 ,,don't hold your breath,yet..hmmm..

 

[StevieD]

The time to build is always now, especially if your rig is more than a few years old.

Can you wait? What are you using the poor out of date rig for?

 

[lilsage]

What I would do is start looking around for items like a multi-use case... something that will support any MB you put in it and that you think you could be okay looking at for 10 or 20 years... a decent power supply (minimum 600w) with a long warranty period (and that supports both dual CPU and dual graphics cards)... A kick ass CPU cooler with a huge life span (I like the Thermalright IFX-14 myself) and some of the normal odds and ends (case fans, dvd drives, ect). Then see where that leaves you financially.

If you do that, you have all the long term pieces ready to go (or at least listed)... then see if the money you have left is enough to get a decent motherboard, harddrive, processor, and RAM and still have enough to make you comfortable to save for the new stuff.

Since what you want is going to be very expensive when it comes out... would be better typically to buy something that will buy you time to wait till it becomes more affordable. If you buy pieces on the assumption of using them for a long time to come, then only have to replace the pieces that need upgrading. In the end will have the exact machine you want... but will likely save money and have it last longer because there was a machine in the middle.

I have learned in my life that it is better to buy two $1000 machines in series than it is to buy one $2000 machine now!

The only pieces right now that are not necessarily an investment for the future are Harddrives and RAM... HD's because the capacity and technology is changing... better to buy them when you need them. RAM because sooner or later the DDR3 will drop in price and make them more worth having. Currently can get DDR2 6400's for next to nothing comparitively... but no point limiting to such pieces when want other pieces that are so much better.

 

[harna]

lockdownx1 x

If you are building for others you really should be running something a little more contempary than that P4. It really should be in a good case and sporting decent graphics and RAM by now. How do you know what performance to expect and to benchmark against. I find net sites pretty unreliable and systems using the same components exhibiting some very variable behaviour. I strongly suggest you bite the bullet now so that you can demonstrate to others what they are getting for their money.

 

[boonality]

I would say upgrade now but try to do the best you can and come in around the $1,000 to $1,200 price range. Because most of your customers/friends will not be able to spend the money for a top of the line gaming rig, or they won't need to because that isn't their goal. So what you (in my opinion only) should is build the absolute best computer that you can for around the price range that most of the computers you build for other people come in at. This will boost your reputation as you can actually show people what they will be getting. By the time you are in college you could be making a couple hundred or so a month just doing what you enjoy based on referals.

Another thing to do is build a computer that's nice and sell that one, but in doing so remember that you will have to be the liazon (spelling) for warranty replacement and for troubleshooting.