did you build or buy your pc?

That works great, until everything moves to the BTX standard after you bought an ATX case

 

You can't not totally. But if you shop smart then you can find parts that will make it easy to upgrade in the future. I will explain what I mean a little more in my next post got to go. :wave

 

This is what I had priced out about 4 months ago. Run a little short on funds. :cry Still trying, will be my first build. :drool

ASUS P35 P5K Delux Wifi MoBo
Intel Core 2 Q6600 2.4GHz 1066 MHz LGA775 8MB cache
OCZ DDR2 PC2-8500 Platinum SLI-Ready Edition OCZ2N10662GK Memory
Enermax ECA3052-B Chakra Mid Tower Case
Antec TruPower Trio 650 650W Power Supply
(2) Western Digital WD 1600YS 160GB 3.0 Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200 RPM SATA
ASUS GeForce 8500 GT PCIE 512MB DDR2 Extreme Silent EN8500GT SILENT/HTD/512M Video Card.

The above was at about $1050.00 4 months ago..

www.zipzoomfly.com

 

Sure...That only makes sense, as you have no earthly way of knowing what changes might come in the future. I mean...it's pretty common knowledge that the second you get the newest machine it's basically obsolete compared to what's in development. I just couldn't figure the logic in complaining that one could only build a machine right now that would only run current games.

I don't actually need an explanation of how to build a better machine...I already do that. My point was as I mentioned above...why complain that you can't build a gaming machine now that will run games in the future when you can't possibly know what those games might be, nor can you know what their hardware/software requirements might be? Shoot...when I was your age, Atari was the height of technology. Pong ruled!

 

Hell you can't build a machine that can run current games with all the eye candy turned up at wide screen resolutions never mind games of the future,microsoft flight simulator X will probably still be a slideshow a year from now with a 9800GTX SLI setup

 

Thank you for saying it so succinctly! That was my point!

 

I think the computer marketplace has gotten so cut throat competitive that's it's difficult to argue that today it's still cheaper to build your own. On the other hand I prefer building my own, even if it's a bit more expensive. I like picking and knowing exactly what's in my system and not having to remove a bunch of pre-installed software I have no desire to use. And by building my own machines (about 6 so far) and installing the OS and all the other software I've learned a good deal.

I voted "built my own" but it's really more complicated than that. My last two machines were home built and before that I bought a "second" computer, a Compaq, because the price was very good and I needed a second computer fast to use at a "home away from home". I've also built a desktop computer for my girlfriend, but we bought her a laptop rather than trying to build one.

And when I started out, in the pre-IBM pc days, my first computer was a Radio Shack TRS-80 Model 1! Natakel, talking about the cost....that first computer cost me, I think, around $700. $700 for a clunky black and white display, no hard or even floppy disk at that price (cassette tape drive to load and save programs and data), and a massive 16K (not megs or gigs) of RAM!

Later I moved on to an Atari 800/800XL, then a Commodore Amiga and after that I bought my first Windows machine -- a Win95 setup put together by a small local vendor with a 1.2 gig hard drive and 8 megs of RAM (which I soon upgraded to 16 megs)! And that machine was about $1600 I believe!

Anyway, I enjoy building and getting just what I want and having my OS install disks and all my hardware driver disks and knowing what I'm going to find when I crack open the case to do something. And each time I build another computer I learn a little more too.

 

I was not trying to give you an explanation of how to build a better pc. What I was trying to do was explain how I wanted to accomplish that goal. IMHO you can make a game machine that will run future games. I just have to remember that each year the hardware requirements for games get steeper and plan accordingly. As for my complaint I was just lamenting that my eyes are bigger than my wallet. So. I can still get decent parts just not the ones I want and I wont get the best performance because of that. Also....BTW how old do you think I am.

 

That is what I am trying to do. Treat the case as an investment.

 

There are cases out there that have mountings for multiple formats.ATX, BTX etc

 

Just a note I tried the links above and they did not work.

 

I got the impression you're maybe 20.

 

They were never meant to. Head to dell.com and try it for yourself

 

You usually pay a premium for them, once again nudging the price favor towards OEM. Not that cheap cases are the way to go, I've had cuts bad enough from cheap cases that I bled all over them.

 

It was requested of me to post my thoughts on DIY vs. OEM for clarification. So here goes.

I have always built my own for myself, and bought OEM for my wife. Building them yourself is a great experience, but:

1. There is a ton of homework and research to be done prior. Compatible doesnt=works well with each other. So you need to be looking up each part on the net and seeing what people's both negative and positive experiences are with it, and even cross reference it against other parts. For example, you might find a certain video card clashes with a sound card, etc. To be informed is king.

2. It is time consuming. Patience is key here, and one wrong move= a dead part, which more often than not is expensive. Then, sometimes when you get it all together, you find something that never worked in the first place. And you want to cry. Or worse

3. Warranties are not consolidated. You must register ever part prior to building so that the warranty is valid. You must remove each part when warranty issues arise.

4. Extra cost. These days its hard to beat OEMs at their own game. When sales happen, and its often, prices are incredible. Some brands are just cut throat with their prices.

5. Resale vaslues are lower than OEM. Stupid, but true.

Those are the cons. The Pros:

1. You get what the doctor ordered.

2. You get a better understanding how a machine works.

3. It is the only way to get a real gaming machine,without paying thousands more in OEM. When it comes to gaming, OEM gouges ya. You also end up with a potentially faster machine than OEM.

4. Better future upgradeability. While this is true, keep in mind technology works at turbo speed, and obsolescence is planned with DIY, or OEM.

5. Overbuilding for the future is cheaper than going OEM. I spent 1500 on this desktop 3 years ago. In stores, they still sell equivalent machines for 8-900 dollars, with much lesser video cards. Thats not bad for a computer value. Resale is hell though.

My closing thoughts:

Unless you game or do graphics intensive work, OEM will be fine for most people. The idea that OEM charges out the nose for ram is true. So the idea is to get an OEM machine will the least amount of ram available, yet the other specs you want. Then go somewhere like newegg and buy a huge amnount. Price savings=immense. Then the price drops way below DIY. Sometimes you can do it with the video card too, but keep in mind that some OEMs have crap PSUs.

So either way, homework must be done.

 

I bought mine. Next time ill build it.

 

Desktop - Built

Laptop - Buy

I build mine so I get exactly what I what for the dollar the wife will let me spend. Plus I know where I can upgrade, etc. and I typically never build a whole new system...I just continually upgrade a piece at a time and it's not as much of a sticker shock. Plus you don't have to worry about getting trapped into proprietary parts that some of these brand name OEM's use!!

Roger

 

This one is bought but there are several here that I built. I often find older PCs at thrift stores for $5-10.If they don't work they become another skeleton in the bone-pile. The only one I built from the ground up was obsolete by the time I finished it.

 

bought my own parts and did it all myself its alot less costly and u get exactly wat u want in a comp only if u kno how to build one it took me alot o patience now i got my core 2 quad put together working like a :major:major:major:major army