Is it worth it to build your own computer?

[Clonetool]

Can you guys that built your own tell me how much something with the new quad cores would cost?

[Lefty Robb]

OMG dude, its totally worth building your computer, that is, if you know how. Quad cores, IMHO are still a bit pricey, at least for the good ones, what do you plan on doing with your computer? You can get a decent Intel Q6600 Quad for under $200.

[Dino]

If you know alot about computers it is but if you are one of those people who needs to call tech support everytime something goes wrong the don't mess with it.

[ME.]

You can offcourse also just make a list off what you want exactly. Then have it build for you by a computerstore.

[brothersnowgone]

Originally Posted by ME.

You can offcourse also just make a list off what you want exactly. Then have it build for you by a computerstore.

This a great idea if you can't do it yourself, there are some websites that do this too. I don't know any, but my sister and her husband had a computer built for them and they seem quite pleased with it.

Either way you do it, it's better than buying a computer where everything is decided for you.

[Rotti]

I used to build my own. Now computers are so cheap that I think it's better to just buy one already made and upgrade it a little as need be. It is fun make one though so if your into it then sure go for it.

[Matheau]

It really isn't as worthwhile as it once was unless you want something really specialized or high end. You can get a pretty dirt cheap one for what most people use them for. Now if you want a high end, super gaming/graphics type thing where only a couple of very specialized companies produce them in low numbers, it may very well be cheaper to build it yourself. If you want something for a word processor, to check e-mail, and maybe a couple small things, probably just as well to buy one.

[chaos731]

I've built the last four or five desktops I've owned from the ground up. I would say, for the most part, it's always been worth it. The nearly limitless selection of components from which the prospective builder has to choose is pretty amazing, and that variety in a vast swath of price points makes pinpointing what it is that you're trying to achieve really simple. If you want a high-end gaming machine, most of your money is going to go to your RAM, processor, and video card (which will no doubt be the single most pricey component in your box). Anyway, the best overall advantage (to me) of building my own systems is that my systems are completely free of all of that extraneous "crap-ware" or "bloat-ware" that come pre-installed (and are surprisingly difficult to remove) on those cheap "complete" systems you see at Costco and whatnot for $300. There's a reason why those are so cheap, and a lot of it has to do with the amount of "advertising" that comes on them. If that's not a major concern for you, and you're just looking for a tinker box that you can use as a basic computer, then one of those off the shelf boxes will work just fine for you.

Not me, though...the advantages and selection (and the "fun" of actually building your own machine) far outweigh the perceived low cost of those ready-to-run units...even the HP's, Dells, etc. Just my opinion, of course.

Bottom line, you can build yourself a really solid all-purpose computer with current specs for under $700, and it will blow most off-the-shelf units right out of the sky. It might not be stuffed with the absolute cream of the crop of high-end components, but it will be a very serviceable and stable platform for you, capable of handling everything you throw at it.

[Clonetool]

I'm into 3d and graphics so I would love to jump on the quad core train. I'm seeing a big price difference in the motherboards. Looks like the processor, a nice video card, and Ram can really add up. Would it be a better deal to get a refurbished quad from Tiger Direct?

[jemsite]

really DIY is a total waste of time & $. you can buy nice core2 Quads around $400 and add the video card & second SATA drive to meet your needs.

ie such as this
http://dealnews.com/Dell-Inspiron-53...-h/249514.html

... glen

[jim777]

I useds to build my own all the time, it was fun to do. Now I work for a PC manufacturer, so I don't need to anymore

[ME.]

Originally Posted by Clonetool

I'm into 3d and graphics so I would love to jump on the quad core train. I'm seeing a big price difference in the motherboards. Looks like the processor, a nice video card, and Ram can really add up. Would it be a better deal to get a refurbished quad from Tiger Direct?

Do you mean 3d and graphics like in games? Then you probably could better get a dual core. Since, with the dual cores the speed of the individual cores are higher. That's more important for games than multiple cores, since the games won't be able to use all the cores.

If you however mean your into video/photo/sound editing and stuff like that, get a quad core.

Now, if budget doesn't matter: Get the fastest quad core cpu you can find!!

[Clonetool]

2d animation mostly Maya and Photoshop. I think Maya can make use of the quad.

[Lefty Robb]

There are a lot of great dual cores out there that still beat out some Quads, you just gotta do your homework, its all about the FSB and onboard Cache, not always the amount of processors, or its speed. Check out all the benchmark tests and stuff. http://www.cpubenchmark.net/

If all your doing is animation and graphics I would seriously get a Mac.

[newbieguitarmaker]

Always worth it to build your own in my opinion; however, there are downfalls if you aren't experienced. I usually save lots of money on all the builds I do for others or myself but when there are unforeseen problems you have to be ready.

Another thing is, you don't really have tech support on a custom built pc. Yet, tech support in general is horrible. One time my friend went to "Brand Name" tech support and she was completely unprofessional. They had an online chat where she could see all his computer and she was cussing and doing all these checks and tests that ended up going nowhere.