Discouraged from PC building

[Mark Kaine]

My opinion is "IT guy" is probably clueless or trolling.

Generally youll have more issues with prebuilts as they use cheap parts and often dont assembly things correctly. And sending it back for every little problem is a pain, and after 2 years or so you have no warranty anymore.

 

In the end it most likely will cost you even more and be more troublesome than building your own - which admittedly is a bit intimidating at first, but if you plan it right (try to keep it simple/basic) its not that hard and actually becomes pretty simple over time.

 

 

[Tonyx]

1 hour ago, NewwGuyy123 said:

Not even if I turn on XMP? Will that slow down / reduce the lifespan of my parts?

Again, XMP or not, is not an easy task pushing 4 sticks at 3800 cl14

 

[VelikiPCguy]

6 hours ago, LogicalDrm said:

Because of one bad person? Let me give you advice, don't let any one person to effect you. In good or in bad. Look at multiple opinions, and make decision when you think you have heard all sides. That minimizes any disappointments, but can maximize the good feeling when you get after everything has been working perfect for years.

Yeah no I 100% agree, it's just that this PC is something I've wanted to treat myself to for years now, and it's finally coming to fruition and I've decided not to spare any expenses and get it with all the bells and whistles, even if expensive / unnecessary. I'm trying not to spend a lot of money on something which might face problems or not work, so I'm extra vigilant about any possible setbacks / criticism. But yeah this forum and others like it are a godsend

 

Edit: just to clarify, I'm not opposed to spending lots of money on this PC per se, but what I don't want is for it to then not work*

[Dr_Whom]

"there are so many things that can go wrong"

"just get a prebuilt one [he suggested the new Alienware]"

 

 

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

 

Sorry. I'd love to be more constructive here but it seems everyone else has covered things quite thoroughly. I just couldn't get past this part.

[Amias]

On 5/20/2021 at 12:18 PM, NewwGuyy123 said:

He basically said "there are so many things that can go wrong, it wouldn't even be worth it for me to try to explain all of it to you, just get a prebuilt one [he suggested the new Alienware] where you know everything works"

His opinion can go straight in the bin. Dell are terrible.

 

However right now, you really can't get a hold of some critical components so self-building is kind of difficult.

[Triggeravus]

On 5/20/2021 at 7:39 AM, NewwGuyy123 said:

Yeah that's an entirely fair point, if I'm lucky enough to snag a GPU at normal price it'll be great, if not I might consider a pre-built one just for the GPU.

 

I mean mainly I intend to use the PC for high-end gaming, though I am trying to make it a bit overkill both for personal satisfaction and futureproofing (to the extent that futureproofing is even possible). Thank you, I'm finalising a list and I'll post it here soon to get people's opinions

Good luck getting even a prebuilt with a 3080 or 3090 at a reasonable price now.  The best deals are always sold out and you'll still get scalped at this point even by retailers.  I'm seeing 3070 prebuilts more expensive than the 3080 one I got a few months ago with worse specs overall.   It's mind-blowing. 

 

I checked NZXT a couple days ago and a 3080 build wasn't even an option.  Others prebuilt companies advertise at least a 4 week lead time, and Dell 2 months.  Basically people are buying up prebuilts and scalping things like a 3080 for $2500 or more on ebay currently.  

[12345678]

bother to talk with (the right) people only if you do have an actual problem

for example if you do have some problem with assembly your build, you can ask in this forum

and always question

 

don't ask to some random dude, who might provide shitty answers, or try to fuck with you 

I wasted years of my life caring about what other did say and did nothing 

[LogicalDrm]

On 5/20/2021 at 9:47 PM, NewwGuyy123 said:

Yeah no I 100% agree, it's just that this PC is something I've wanted to treat myself to for years now, and it's finally coming to fruition and I've decided not to spare any expenses and get it with all the bells and whistles, even if expensive / unnecessary. I'm trying not to spend a lot of money on something which might face problems or not work, so I'm extra vigilant about any possible setbacks / criticism. But yeah this forum and others like it are a godsend

 

Edit: just to clarify, I'm not opposed to spending lots of money on this PC per se, but what I don't want is for it to then not work*

Just to add, after checking your planned system. I wouldn't build my dream rig as first rig. Mainly because its expensive hardware and expensive to break something if you make mistake. As I said, I have broken hardware because of mistakes. And while losing that €70 still annoys me and serves as reminder, it would have been much worse to break something twice or triple as expensive.

 

Which is why I would recommend learning with some older hardware about the process of handling hardware and building first. I had our old PC to upgrade as first experience on things, before using €1k worth of my own money on PC.

[Whyleonhart]

I usually buy an office desktop and some cheap computers from pawn and thrift stores in order to build PCs that, with correct modification of the software, can run most modern games and programs perfectly fine with high performance.

[starwarscity9]

Whatever he said is false, the real issue is finding that gpu.

[Bartek.S]

8 minutes ago, starwarscity9 said:

Whatever he said is false, the real issue is finding that gpu.

You could always buy a prebuild that has a good GPU and sell the rest of the system but make sure if you are buying a prebuild that the GPU is made by someone who knows what they are doing and not one that has a cheap cooler that won`t cool it,

[Tristerin]

Sounds like your friend in IT is a software bro, not a hardware bro.  Thats most of your IT folks.

[freeagent]

Are you still worried about 3800 C14?

 

man..

 

The first time I fired up my AMD rig to install windows on it.. I didn't even set XMP. I didn't know the ram was running at 2133 and a bunch of 21s behind it. And you know.. it still felt faster than the Intel I came from.. Chances of running 3800 C14 with no hiccups is pretty slim.. maybe look at 3200 C14 instead? Runs at 1.35v.. I have 2 kits  and they rip if you decide to oc later.

[rockyroller]

there was a time, decades ago, when what he said could be true. Parts refusing to work or need bodge up software fixes to get them running. But now you can read how to build and get a computer to work via the WWW. All you need is an average IQ, hands that don't shake, and the ability to read.

 

I would even go as far as saying decades ago you could depend on brand reputation when buying  new pre-built computer. But all the build them cheap, nasty and ship them out fast Corporations bought out the reasonably priced and famed gaming brands and made them a expensive but crap computer. Go by lots of really good reviews before buying one these days.

[RoseLuck462]

Wow your coworker is a dunce 

[herb]

On 5/20/2021 at 7:18 AM, NewwGuyy123 said:

I recently spoke to a family acquaintance / friend who works in IT, and he basically vehemently tried to dissuade me from building my own PC. He basically said "there are so many things that can go wrong, it wouldn't even be worth it for me to try to explain all of it to you, just get a prebuilt one [he suggested the new Alienware] where you know everything works". He said if I just went ahead and mashed together all of the "best" parts, as I had planned to do, that quite possibly wouldn't be a workable PC, and it could just stop working 3 months in for no apparent reason, or not even want to turn on at all.

anyone who recommends an alienware desktop doesn't know crap about computers.

[Loote]

Gamers Nexus just made a video with Dell PC, not Alienware, but I think the bloatware and many build mistakes apply to Alienware as well. There's also secret shopper on LTT, prebuilds are... let's just say they're not as cool as building the PC yourself.

When I got work at a shop that sold PCs, they showed me how to build one in 20 mins, then I asked maybe couple questions, but in general, that was it, I was able to build basic rigs already. In months after this I just learned how hard it is to actually damage something accidentally and how to do it quicker..

There are many videos detailing how to build the PC, there are manuals, it's actually a good idea to skimp through mobo manual because you'll get instructions specific to the one you have.
This might be confusing: don't be afraid to use force, but don't use force stupidly. Pushing in ram can be quite hard, but make sure it's oriented properly and you're not bending the mobo/mashing it into the surface it's on before you use more force. Some parts click when they're in properly, regarding CPU cooler it might be worth getting thermal paste just in case, I was unsure about my paste application in the beginning, but taking the cooler off, seeing that you did well and doing it the same way again is an easy way to make sure.

In the end even Sarah thought building a PC was nice,

[Giganthrax]

PC building is extremely easy compared to what it used to be like. It's actually nicknamed "legos for grownups" for that reason.

 

However, if you haven't built a PC before and haven't had much opportunity to tinker with computer hardware, I would advise you to either get help from a friend who has experience with PC building and make it a team effort, or spend a few weeks watching PC building videos on Linus Tech Tips, Paul's Hardware, JayZ, and other quality tech channels. Carefully plan your build and don't be afraid to ask for advice on this forum to make sure all the components can actually work together. 

 

Despite what some tech enthusiasts on this forum may think, PC building does have many pitfalls (both software and hardware) that can catch a beginner completely off-guard and seem completely insurmountable. Also, hardware ain't cheap so you probably don't want to accidentally damage anything. It's best to come prepared.

 

Once you get the hang of it, it's immensely rewarding and fun (if you're into that sort of thing), and really saves you money in the long term. 

[Mark Kaine]

Also as already have been said, keep it easy, that doesnt mean you should use cheap components, but just keep it basic.

CPU usually comes with air cooler, if its AMD its easy to install.

2 RAM sticks (less complications)

2 sata ssds, fast, easy to install

mobo

a good psu

gpu (???)

a couple of case fans 

 

 

and youre done, any other stuff like rgb shenenigans and "water cooling" (because it looks so cool /s) can be done later after you made sure everything works as it should.

 

 

Also yeah, we dont know what "IT guy" said exactly , maybe he just suggested a prebuilt because of the current gpu situation, its not totally a dumb idea at all, it'll just be pretty low quality with mostly cheap components (at a huge markup of course)

 

Choices…

 

 

[Yoinkerman]

I bought a memory express prebuilt so I could actually get a gpu and I'm pretty happy with it tbh.  Name brand parts, wifi gaming Mobo, 3600ram

 

Honestly it's better than what I would have built for myself

 

That being said your family friend is a dunce

[NineEyeRon]

First PC? Yes get a prebuilt, when it’s a few years old try upgrading parts one by  one. Fix it yourself where you can, nice to have some sort of safety net. When you get better fix the things the builder got wrong, improve the cable management etc. Usually this requires a case and PSU change and for this Alienware is a MUST avoid!

 

When it comes time to replace you will be in a great place to build your own. Unless you are an aspiring enthusiast just go this route.

[thrasher_565]

On 5/20/2021 at 4:18 AM, NewwGuyy123 said:

Hey all, I've recently decided to build my first PC but I have to admit I'm feeling a bit deflated about that idea at the moment.

 

I recently spoke to a family acquaintance / friend who works in IT, and he basically vehemently tried to dissuade me from building my own PC. He basically said "there are so many things that can go wrong, it wouldn't even be worth it for me to try to explain all of it to you, just get a prebuilt one [he suggested the new Alienware] where you know everything works". He said if I just went ahead and mashed together all of the "best" parts, as I had planned to do, that quite possibly wouldn't be a workable PC, and it could just stop working 3 months in for no apparent reason, or not even want to turn on at all.

 

I mean I really don't know what to think of that now. I guess, maybe? Like I'm very inexperienced in this, but I haven't gotten the impression that building a PC requires this gem-cutting level of precision / knowledge etc. I've taken a look at PC Part Picker, everything seems compatible, and the only error messages I got were:

 

·        Warning! Some AMD X570 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Vermeer CPUs. Upgrading the BIOS may require a different CPU that is supported by older BIOS revisions. [further research determined that most newer X570 motherboards come with a BIOS update installed, and if they don't, I can always flash one on]

·         Note: The G.Skill Trident Z Neo 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3800 CL14 Memory operating voltage of 1.5 V exceeds the AMD Zen 3 CPU recommended maximum of 1.35 V+7% (1.444 V). This memory module may run at a reduced clock rate to meet the 1.35 V voltage recommendation, or may require running at a voltage greater than the AMD recommended maximum. [I found many forum posts basically saying ignore the voltage warning for your RAM, it won't affect anything; I'll admit I'm less confident about accepting that solution than the BIOS update above, but still, it doesn't strike me as something impossible to change (I can always get another RAM)]

 

So what am I missing? Where's that potentially fatal flaw that might crop its head a few months in? Is PC building REALLY that incredibly fatal error-prone? I've watched so many hours of LTT, PC Centric, JayzTwoCents, not to mention the LTT forum and Reddit subofurms. I'm not claiming to be a hardware expert now by any means, but c'mon, surely some catastrophic flaw warning would've cropped up somewhere?

 

Sorry if this is a bit ranty, I'm just feeling a bit discouraged about pursuing this idea now.

 

Thanks for any input!

at lest get some one els to build it for you. like a computer store, friend, should be cheaper then a good prebuilt and way better then a shit prebuilt. imo or buy something used ready to go. i guess you wouldn't no that value of it i guess unless you looked up each part.