Build it or buy it?

[kkerswell]

This is from a person who is an above average user who can put a system together but by no means an expert in terms of current technology.

I want a system that can hold its own when it comes to gaming and I don't want it to be about 2 years future proof if possible.

Would I be better off buying a new off-the-shelf system, a customer built one or building one myself?

Factors would be the following:

1, cost
2, minimising wastage i.e. components I'll never use
3, effort required

Say, for example a price of £500 (no peripherals, but entire system (no OS)), which method of the three would get you the best?

 

[QuietPC]

This is from a person who is an above average user who can put a system together but by no means an expert in terms of current technology.

I want a system that can hold its own when it comes to gaming and I don't want it to be about 2 years future proof if possible.

Would I be better off buying a new off-the-shelf system, a customer built one or building one myself?

Factors would be the following:

1, cost
2, minimising wastage i.e. components I'll never use
3, effort required

Say, for example a price of £500 (no peripherals, but entire system (no OS)), which method of the three would get you the best?

How comfortable are you with buying the components, assembling them, trouble shooting any problems and handling issue that require replacements or contacting the parts manufacturers while under warranty? Do you want someone to give you a 2 or 3 year warranty vs. the 1 yr that is general with buy and assemble it yourself?

 

[g-unit1111]

How comfortable are you with buying the components, assembling them, trouble shooting any problems and handling issue that require replacements or contacting the parts manufacturers while under warranty? Do you want someone to give you a 2 or 3 year warranty vs. the 1 yr that is general with buy and assemble it yourself?

Yeah you'd definitely have to ask yourself that question before you decide to build it yourself. As great as having a computer that's entirely customized is, you're on your own when it comes to service and support. The problem with buying from big box manufacturers (Dell, Gateway, Samsung, Sony, etc) is that they use a lot of proprietary and watered down hardware that doesn't use standard form factors which makes upgrading incredibly difficult and in some cases near impossible.

 

[kkerswell]

I have often purchased small upgrades for my PC in the past, so have no problem with that. I've also had to send stuff with and obtain RA numbers etc, so no probs there.

Warranty, to be honest, not all that fussed. Some individual components will come with a long warranty anyway.

So I guess really, all that aside, my original question still stands.

 

[kkerswell]

Also, I'd ideally like to build my own PC but as I said, I'm slightly out of touch with new technology. I don't want the very latest, due to its price, and I don't want to hold off for X component - unless it makes the previous component drop significantly in price.

Like, I know Intel is Better than AMD but for the price difference and where I'm aiming, will it really matter?

What's the difference between X and Y GPU, which Motherboard should I get...and memory?

Some of the above I will research but will also use forums like this one to get some more help.

So I guess the simple question is - which method will get me the most bang for my buck?

 

[g-unit1111]

I have often purchased small upgrades for my PC in the past, so have no problem with that. I've also had to send stuff with and obtain RA numbers etc, so no probs there.

Warranty, to be honest, not all that fussed. Some individual components will come with a long warranty anyway.

So I guess really, all that aside, my original question still stands.

If you've purchased small upgrades you can easily build one - once you get the motherboard screwed into your case and the case headers hooked up everything else hooks into place.

Also, I'd ideally like to build my own PC but as I said, I'm slightly out of touch with new technology. I don't want the very latest, due to its price, and I don't want to hold off for X component - unless it makes the previous component drop significantly in price.

If you do a search on Google or whatever you can find hundreds of videos and resources about how to build your own PC, the videos are extremely helpful.

Like, I know Intel is Better than AMD but for the price difference and where I'm aiming, will it really matter?

Any Intel Sandy Bridge-based build will run circles around any AMD build, even the lowest end Pentium G620 still outperforms the highest end FX-8150. Even the i3-2120 and i5-2400 are great options for not a lot of money and they'll be infinitely faster.

What's the difference between X and Y GPU, which Motherboard should I get...and memory?

Once you have your CPU selected the motherboard you get will revolve around what socket you get. If you get, say the i3-2120 you will need a Z68 or H67 motherboard with socket LGA 1155. If you get, say the Phenom II X6 like I have you will need a motherboard with socket AM3+.

As far as GPU goes that's very debatable (and has been debated ad nauseum :lol: ) about whether the GTX or Radeon is better - right now the mid range Radeons (78XX) are far outperforming their NVIDIA equivalents in every single category but with the new NVIDIA cards being released quickly that could change any minute.

So I guess the simple question is - which method will get me the most bang for my buck?

Building your own - in the end - will give you a system that will last far longer than anything you can get from any big box manufacturer (Dell, HP, Sony, Gateway, etc). And the reason being is that like I said they use proprietary and watered down hardware that doesn't use standard form factors making upgrading incredibly difficult and in some cases near impossible. If you're confident - building and upgrading your own is the way to go - your system will last far longer.

Here's a sample £600 build that I just put together:

Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 - £37.72
PSU: Corsiar CX600 V2 - £53.52
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z68XA-D3 - £80.02
CPU: 3.1GHz Intel Core i3-2100 - £91.36
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1600MHz 1.5V - £39.36
HD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB - £81.00
Optical: Sony 22X DVD Burner - £16.78
Video Card: Power Color Radeon HD 7850 - £190.54

Total: £599.89