pros and cons of building a pc

[Ryan Gadek]

I am looking to build my own computer but i am not sure if i should try to build one or just buy a prebuilt system. I was wondering if it was worth it to build a pc instead of buying one.

[Oshino Shinobu]

It's generally worth it. You tend to get more for your money and you learn something when building it, also making it easier to know what you're doing when you want to upgrade a component. 

[arbellason55]

I'd say it is very worthwhile to build your own if you have the patience. You can put together a system that is perfect for you performance wise and ensure that decent quality parts are used. You will also likely pay less than what a comparable prebuilt would cost as you do not have to pay for the labor. 

[Ryan Gadek]

i am just scared that i will not know where to put everything. I have watched some guides but it still just seems really hard.

[Sauron]

It's always worth it, the only "downside" is that you have to know how to do it and you will have to solve any problems yourself (or pay someone to do it for you).

[dany_boy]

1 minute ago, Ryan Gadek said:

i am just scared that i will not know where to put everything. I have watched some guides but it still just seems really hard.

Watch more guides (specially build logs) or have a friend help you.

[Bananasplit_00]

1 minute ago, Ryan Gadek said:

i am just scared that i will not know where to put everything. I have watched some guides but it still just seems really hard.

just watch a few guides and builds, its hard to place things in the wrong spot seeing as everything goes in only one place usiually, and if you buy a prebuilt system you will get quite a bit less for your money

[Mira Yurizaki]

The biggest downside is if something goes wrong, you're on the hook to fixing it.

[HKZeroFive]

Building your own is generally better bang for your buck and essentially gives you a learning experience. The obvious downside is that you need to invest a decent amount of time.

 

As the popular saying is, "building a PC is just like building with Lego... except for adults". It's understandable to be scared seeing how the "lego pieces" or parts are usually expensive but it's generally difficult to "mess up".

[DemonicHeart]

There's no cons to building a pc if you build it right!

[Mira Yurizaki]

Also don't let your lesser computer savvy peers know you've built a computer. They may think you're a wizard and will ask you for all sorts of things

[arbellason55]

5 minutes ago, Ryan Gadek said:

i am just scared that i will not know where to put everything. I have watched some guides but it still just seems really hard.

There's not much to it besides knowing how to put things in slots that typically only fit one way. Just take your time building it and ask questions.

[DemonicHeart]

build step by step while on youtube....dont do anything too roughly and you should be fine

[NinJake]

Not to mention pre-builts normally cheap out on power supply and graphics card. Leaving you with a SUPER AMAZING i-7 7700 CPU that really won't do you much good if you're still using a gtx 600 series

 

Set aside and plan for 3-12 hours total for building the pc.(Take a break if you get frustrated, don't rush things) And some more time to get all your software installed, and a BACKUP image and recovery disk. It's always good to have backups.

 

Also, if you're still living with your parents or have any siblings... ask them to lend you a hand with things or get a second opinion if you get stuck. The motherboard manual is pretty specific about how things are supposed to get setup too.

 

I say go for your own personalized build, it is intimidating at first, but it's really not too difficult and very rewarding once it's complete. Best of luck to you!

[mikat]

15 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

Also don't let your lesser computer savvy peers know you've built a computer. They may think you're a wizard and will ask you for all sorts of things

if you're old enough you can do this for $$$, which is very nice

[kladzen]

you are here on linustechtips... the man himself have made multiple videos of step by step guides with build log videos he made... go watch them all and you will be a champion

[Sir Asvald]

Just now, mikat said:

if you're old enough you can do this for $$$, which is very nice

But it gets frustrating when family friends ask you to do it for free. Which is annoying. I've had so many people ask me. "I'm a friend of your friend, please do it for free" I charge people if I don't know them..  

[mikat]

2 minutes ago, Abdul201588 said:

But it gets frustrating when family friends ask you to do it for free. Which is annoying. I've had so many people ask me. "I'm a friend of your friend, please do it for free" I charge people if I don't know them..  

Yeah also feel that way, but I've built my dad's, my mom's and my dad's work computer for free and have only built one for money.

but fixing laptops by uninstalling old programs, running malwarebytes and recommending SSDs is also pretty good, i've earned a reasonable amount for my time  

[Sir Asvald]

1 minute ago, mikat said:

Yeah also feel that way, but I've built my dad's, my mom's and my dad's work computer for free and have only built one for money.

but fixing laptops by uninstalling old programs, running malwarebytes and recommending SSDs is also pretty good, i've earned a reasonable amount for my time  

Yeah.  although I've stopped working on repairs due to studies, It can get frustrating. It used to take 2-3 hours on one PC alone. Now, I might start to get people to "work" with me. 

[Froody129]

It's not that hard, the trick is kind of just to know what goes where. With enough research you'll be fine. I built my first build with a friend who'd built PCs before and one you've built one you're fine

[yathis]

Some in random order

 

warranty

price

time

damage

RMI'ing

color scheme

 

ya I could add more of a description but who cares

 

 

[thefrecklepuny]

Self / home building will rarely save you much if any £/$. However, you can spec the parts yourself. As a result, you should know the make, model, speed and capacity of the motherboard, CPU, memory, HDD, SSD, graphic card and so on. Easier to diagnose should any issues arise.

 

Your warranty should also be better. A pre-built PC may have a bog-standard 1 year warranty. A self / home build will have a components with an average warranty of 3-5 years.

 

Speaking for myself, one reason I did it was to build and upgrade inside a much smaller aluminium case taking up much less physical space with components I chose. 

[yathis]

Just now, thefrecklepuny said:

Your warranty should also be better. A pre-built PC may have a bog-standard 1 year warranty. A self / home build will have a components with an average warranty of 3-5 years.

Isnt the loop hole "Installed by a professional"

[mrchow19910319]

Linus has a bunch of old building guides on his channel. (Those 40min long one)

Follow those rules and you will be fine. 

 

The only downside is that you have to do it your self, and learn to troubleshoot. 

But in the long run it can save you a lot of money. 

[mealto]

It's clear from the comments here that building your own PC has many advantages but saving money in the near term or long run is just not one of them. A pre-built comes with Windows and can be had for a much lower cost (especially when they go on sale) than spec'ing your own PC most of the time.