psst building pc,s is so darn easy

raggie33

*the raggedier*
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Messages
13,451
i see many post about buying a pc. guys and gals its so easy .if ya can put a bike togher ya can build one.there even easier now then before.and ya will get a way nicer pc if u build ya own.plus next time it breaks ya can repair it ya self. now it only takes me like 15 to 20 minutes to build the pc. then like 40 to install os. and get updates and better drivers.if i can build one any one can /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

markdi

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Messages
2,403
Location
Portland Oregon
ya I know
a smart 12 year old can build a pc

I am building my mom a pc

pricewatch and fry's are great for parts.

maybe I will make mommy assemble it.
 

tiktok 22

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 8, 2002
Messages
1,273
Location
Illinois
Step one. Put square peg in round hole...........DAMN!!!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 

Neg2LED

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
1,127
Location
'straya, mate!
i build pcs for cash

every hard rubbish (every 6 months or so) i go out and pick up a bunch of old PCs and remove the guts from them. i end up with piles of cases, mbs, i/o cards, processors, hds, cdroms etc. then i build 2 systems from every 3 ones i picked up, and sell them to people for $10-$20 loaded with SmoothWall, completely configured. modem card, dual ethernets, everything a normal guy could need for a firewall. if they use dial-up or ADSL, there is a simple web thing for that. it works all the time! so far i've made like 20 of these lil buggers. no unsatisfied customers. costs me nothing. sometimes people post ads like "free computer, ring: xxxx xxxx" and i ring them up and say for 10 bucks i can give them the ultimate virus blocker and they say ok come get the thing and you give me ten bucks, then if i get my virus blocker then i'll give you 20 bucks. it works.

what a way to get some extra cash!

neg
 

geepondy

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 15, 2001
Messages
4,896
Location
Massachusetts
Yeah but is it cheaper anymore? Say you go want to go compete with the cheapies so you go with integrated video/sound. Still by the time you buy mb/cpu/mem/case/cdwriter/hard drive, optional modem, floppy and then tack on a hundred to hundred dollars plus for XP (depending on whether you go upgrade or full), is it any cheaper then buying the base level Dell or the local Best Buy special of the week? I am not talking a Linux box where you might get the OS for free but an XP box for what the general masses are going to use. It's true you can repair it yourself but you have to identify the faulty component and then go after the manufacturer yourself whereas you could just call Dell and say my machine don't work anymore, come fix it.

Don't get me wrong, I like and still build my own pcs. I like to install the OS and drivers separately instead of using a "recovery" cd in which I see more and more manufacturers are not even including anymore (you have to burn your own from setup files stored on the hard drive). However economics/headache wise, I don't bother building for anybody else anymore except to keep my Dad's machine operational.
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

Flashaholic
Joined
Sep 4, 2002
Messages
11,041
Location
Shepherd, TX (where dat?)
I can sure see a lot of what geepondy is saying for real!

It isn't any mystery why the guy that built my K5 got a real job. He couldn't HOPE to last against the current onslaught.

I am hoping to still build my own. But even staying budget (cheap case/PSU - Celeron - Mid Grade mobo) it's going to come in at near $700. And that doesn't EVEN include Windaze.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif !!!!!!!!
 

mapson

Enlightened
Joined
Jul 25, 2004
Messages
246
If you built enough of them, you'll find they're NOT always easy. Countless reboots, switching of components to find fault, waiting for parts/exchanges, etc.

Yes, most of the computers at the retail level are cheapies, the good ones, then are overpriced.

Just got my friend to get a DELL 8400, you can't beat it for the price. I told him, I'd price a system to build for him (free labor) or find one equivalent. DELL won out, I'd get one from DELL myself in the future...and I'm a strong believer in DIY systems for the past 7-10 years.
 

IlluminatingBikr

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 26, 2003
Messages
2,320
Usually for upper end PCs, it's much more inexpensive to build your own. As you start to get into the budget PCs, buying one gets to be closer and closer to building your own.

I have seen somebody build a computer for $333 once.
 

NeonLights

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 18, 2003
Messages
1,493
Location
Ohio
[ QUOTE ]
IlluminatingBikr said:
I have seen somebody build a computer for $333 once.

[/ QUOTE ]

The P4 Dell PC that I'm typing this on right now cost me all of $300 (new). Of course I spent almost that much again after I got it upgrading to 1 GB of RAM and installing a 200 GB hard drive, but the basic PC with DVD-ROM drive and CDR/W drive only cost $300 after a $100 rebate. Heck, the Dell laptop we bought a few months ago only cost $675 with no rebates to send in. I like working on and building/rebuilding PC's too, but it's really hard to compete with the budget PC's some of the big companies are cranking out now.

-Keith
 

raggie33

*the raggedier*
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Messages
13,451
i dont like dell or ibm or gateway or copaq only store bought pc i like is alainware but there very very expensive
 

LukeK

Enlightened
Joined
May 30, 2003
Messages
529
Location
TX
It's just like IlluminatingBikr said, as the higher performance the PC gets, the cheaper it is to build it yourself.

I will say this: Putting the parts where they're supposed to go is easy; troubleshooting a non-functioning PC, when everything is plugged in correctly is a different story. It's not for everyone.
 

raggie33

*the raggedier*
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Messages
13,451
if ya buy good compoents and resecrh em it isnt that bad.i wont acept a pc that aint rock solid stable.i use many programs to test for stabilty from looping 3dmark. running memtest 86.runing prime 95,and running a voltage monitor program to test for stable rails like within 3% o and if i recall lainware designs there own mobos, but there pretty fast
 

Sub_Umbra

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
4,748
Location
la bonne vie en Amérique
I like rolling my own because I can get just what I want. I can take the $100 Microsoft Tax and put it into better componants. If you buy a Dell and the PSU goes out they will charge you $60 for a replacement and it will still be just ANOTHER $17 PSU. Many budget computers have extra ports and slots for expansion but their power supplies and thermal management is marginal even when they're new.

The PC market is so incredibly competitive that every single component is scrutinized for ways to shave a few cents off the cost. They have to do this. They don't have much of a profit margin. I don't have a lot of money but I can tell you that when I plunk down for a computer I sure don't want the builders primary consideration to be how much cost can be shaved from every single part. Would you buy a house that was built that way? A car?

For me, building the rig is not at all just about saving money. It's about getting just what I want instead of a bunch of cheap, questionable parts that I eventually need to replace anyway to get the machine I need.
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

Flashaholic
Joined
Sep 4, 2002
Messages
11,041
Location
Shepherd, TX (where dat?)
Fry's has an HP with a 2.6 or 2.8 Celeron, 512M Ram 80G drive, 64M shared video for $447.

I think I read that HPs are almost all non proprietary these days.

Would it be a good starting point to my dilema?
 

LukeK

Enlightened
Joined
May 30, 2003
Messages
529
Location
TX
[ QUOTE ]
raggie33 said:
if ya buy good compoents and resecrh em it isnt that bad.i wont acept a pc that aint rock solid stable.i use many programs to test for stabilty from looping 3dmark. running memtest 86.runing prime 95,and running a voltage monitor program to test for stable rails like within 3% o and if i recall lainware designs there own mobos, but there pretty fast

[/ QUOTE ]

True enough, but when a motherboard accidentally shorts to the case and the system refuses to POST will a normal user know what to do or have the time to troubleshoot? Building's a great option, and I think more people would do it if they knew how easy it normally is, but you have to be prepared to deal with things that you didn't necessarily expect to happen. Most times though it goes really smoothly. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

raggie33

*the raggedier*
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Messages
13,451
yeah ya may be right lukek, ive seen some odd odd stuff building pc.s i used to bench test the mobo and cpu before a case install but now im just carefull to check my case risers screw for proper placemnt, my pcs have to be stable for my use i edit video a lot and man aint nothing more a pain in the but then have a pc crash dureing a 10 hour encode job /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif things ive seen new pc user do as mistakes is things like not properly seating the agp card or memeory ive seen many people crush the amd cores they aint that fragile but peope seems to crush em
 

raggie33

*the raggedier*
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Messages
13,451
ya have to think about what ya use the pc for. gameing takes the most power geneley. but if ya just surf the web ya dont need to much . i realy dont like store boughgt pc,s if ya was closer id build ya a pc if ya bought the parts i wouldnt charge labor
 

PlayboyJoeShmoe

Flashaholic
Joined
Sep 4, 2002
Messages
11,041
Location
Shepherd, TX (where dat?)
They might let me spend $600 to $700 afterall...

Sister said "anything under 1K I thought was okay". "I just want you to be happy".

Worst case scenario, if the HP is too hokey (too low PSU or something, I can upgrade a few parts.

Or MAYBE, when I get out to Frys, I'll find SOMETHING that will do the job.

I never see Heavy online gaming. I do like Yahoo Poker, Pogo Black Jack at work. But I mostly surf CPF, do email, and fly flight sims that run okay on my K5.

The HP COULD be what the doc ordered...
 
Top