pros and cons of building a pc

[Spenser1337]

2 minutes ago, mealto said:

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.

False

link a single prebuilt that is a good deal

[ThinkWithPortals]

5 minutes ago, mealto said:

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.

Even if that's true, the pre-built will also fall well behind the self-built machine in performance.

[JoostinOnline]

Some pre-built computers cost less than their individual parts (which wasn't always the case), and you get a warranty. So sometimes it's not worth it. Having full control over the components is great though. 

 

Putting a computer together isn't that hard. It's picking the right parts that's really difficult. I had no idea what I was doing the first time I built a computer. Looking back, I realized I was pretty stupid about the choices I made. I've had to replace most of the parts. 

[JoostinOnline]

12 minutes ago, Spenser1337 said:

False

link a single prebuilt that is a good deal

 

 

[Spenser1337]

Just now, JoostinOnline said:

 

 

This computer was not a good deal, I've seen the video

[JoostinOnline]

Just now, Spenser1337 said:

This computer was not a good deal, I've seen the video

It cost significantly less than the individual parts.  I'm not sure how that makes it a bad deal.

[Spenser1337]

Just now, JoostinOnline said:

It cost significantly less than the individual parts.  I'm not sure how that makes it a bad deal.

Untrue, the cost was not significantly less they were around the same price factoring in OS which you really shouldn't do cause you can just get it for free

 

also Oem motherboards are insanely hard to upgrade most of the time

[JoostinOnline]

3 minutes ago, Spenser1337 said:

Untrue, the cost was not significantly less they were around the same price factoring in OS which you really shouldn't do cause you can just get it for free

 

also Oem motherboards are insanely hard to upgrade most of the time

$100 difference.  And not everyone wants to pirate Windows or go with Linux.  I have a computer business.  It's easy to install upgrades on OEM motherboards.  Stop sticking your fingers in your ears and humming.

[Mira Yurizaki]

2 minutes ago, Spenser1337 said:

Untrue, the cost was not significantly less they were around the same price factoring in OS which you really shouldn't do cause you can just get it for free

Why not?

 

I mean, I guess technically you can download the Windows 10 ISO and use it without a license key and you won't get locked out

2 minutes ago, Spenser1337 said:

also Oem motherboards are insanely hard to upgrade most of the time

I'm pretty sure most OEMs use the ATX family of form factors.

[Spenser1337]

1 minute ago, JoostinOnline said:

$100 difference.  And not everyone wants to pirate Windows or go with Linux.  I have a computer business.  It's easy to install upgrades on OEM motherboards.  Stop sticking your fingers in your ears and humming.

All I asked is that you link me a computer I could go and buy that would be equal or cheaper than if i were to build it

 

Then you send me a video from 2015 

 

 

i genuinely don't care what you do in your free time, I see people buying 500$ pcs on amazon all the time with no gpu and an a4

if you're so confident it exists, link me a prebuilt that is a good deal

[JoostinOnline]

2 minutes ago, M.Yurizaki said:

Why not?

 

I mean, I guess technically you can download the Windows 10 ISO and use it without a license key and you won't get locked out

I'm pretty sure most OEMs use the ATX family of form factors.

Having seen more OEM motherboards than I can count, I can confirm this.  Unless you buy a very oddly shaped one, it's going to have some version of an ATX motherboard.

[Princess Luna]

Pros: you get the best for your budget,you have fun, you learn more about PCs, you get upgrade path.

Cons: none.

[Spenser1337]

1 minute ago, JoostinOnline said:

Having seen more OEM motherboards than I can count, I can confirm this.  Unless you buy a very oddly shaped one, it's going to have some version of an ATX motherboard.

Yes the form factor is atx but they have different connectors instead of a 24 pin and  often have 1 power button/hdd led/reset cable that only works with the case so you can't change cases. Also many prebuilts don't come with a 6pin so you're restricted in gpu upgrades as well 

[Mira Yurizaki]

13 minutes ago, Spenser1337 said:

Yes the form factor is atx but they have different connectors instead of a 24 pin

I have not seen a system builder use a a different connector since Dell stopped doing it back in mid-late 2000s because people were blowing up their computers when buying aftermarket parts for replacement.

Quote

and  often have 1 power button/hdd led/reset cable that only works with the case so you can't change cases.

The front panel stuff is only a problem if the end connector fits only the motherboard it came with, but then again, the front panel connection headers aren't standardized to begin with and you can probably pop the pins out and wire the front panel to a new motherboard anyway. Unless they used the smaller 0.01" pitch connector on the motherboard end.

 

Either way, there's nothing special about the front panel that you cannot fix with some elbow grease.

Quote

Also many prebuilts don't come with a 6pin so you're restricted in gpu upgrades as well 

So you get another power supply. Or if you're certain that the power supply can supply the power, you can use a molex to PCIe adapter.

[Spenser1337]

Just now, M.Yurizaki said:

I have not seen a system builder use a a different connector since Dell stopped doing it back in mid-late 2000s because people were blowing up their computers when buying aftermarket parts for replacement.

The front panel stuff is only a problem if the end connector fits only the motherboard it came with, but then again, the front panel connection headers aren't standardized to begin with and you can probably pop the pins out and wire the front panel to a new motherboard anyway. Unless they happened to use a different front panel connector type.

 

Either way, there's nothing special about the front panel that you cannot fix with some elbow grease.

So you get another power supply. Or if you're certain that the power supply can supply the power, you can use a molex to PCIe adapter.

Seems like a pain in the ass, if you just built you wouldn't have any of these issues. You'd probably save a buck in the process too. Also hp and dell and others still use different connectors specifically for fans and the front panel and you can't just figure which one is for which button because they're switched around all over the connector for minimal user upgrades

[Mira Yurizaki]

6 minutes ago, Spenser1337 said:

Seems like a pain in the ass, if you just built you wouldn't have any of these issues. You'd probably save a buck in the process too. Also hp and dell and others still use different connectors specifically for fans and the front panel and you can't just figure which one is for which button because they're switched around all over the connector for minimal user upgrades

To be fair, anyone who buys from a system builder probably had no intention of upgrading it anyway.

 

System builders serve a different market. Gear heads like to tell us that we can save a lot of money doing our own car maintenance, but not everyone would like to invest the time learning how to wrench on a car or the money in obtaining the tools to do so. But those gear heads will never see any service station as a "good deal" because they can do it for much less.

 

But if someone wants a computer that just works out of the box, a system builder will give them that. Likewise if I want my car's oil changed, I'll take it to someone who knows what they're doing (hopefully) and has the tools to do so.

[JoostinOnline]

45 minutes ago, Spenser1337 said:

All I asked is that you link me a computer I could go and buy that would be equal or cheaper than if i were to build it

 

Then you send me a video from 2015 

 

 

i genuinely don't care what you do in your free time, I see people buying 500$ pcs on amazon all the time with no gpu and an a4

if you're so confident it exists, link me a prebuilt that is a good deal

Free time?  I said it's a business.  I get the feeling you're 15 and don't understand most people work during the day.

 

And a $500 PC with an A4 and iGPU is a terrible deal.  I'm not saying every prebuilt (or even most) are good buys.  Just that they exist.

 

And here.  I matched the parts as best I could, picking the cheapest quality options, and it still ended up costing more.  My alternative build also doesn't include a warranty, bluetooth, mouse, keyboard, memory card reader, or software.

Edited March 15, 2017 by JoostinOnline

[Mira Yurizaki]

1 minute ago, JoostinOnline said:

And here.  I matched the parts as best I could, picking the cheapest quality options, and it still ended up costing more.  My alternative build also doesn't include a warranty, bluetooth, mouse, keyboard, memory card reader, or software.

I managed to get this:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zbt9vV
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zbt9vV/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($108.29 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H110M-DVS/D3 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($54.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($49.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.33 @ OutletPC)
Case: Zalman T2 Plus MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($23.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq 350W ATX Power Supply  ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: HP DVD1265I DVD/CD Writer  ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN781ND PCI-Express x1 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter  ($12.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard  ($9.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Mouse: Logitech SBF-96 Wired Optical Mouse  ($5.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $359.03
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-15 12:12 EDT-0400

 

Still without an OS, Bluetooth, or memory card reader though.

[App4that]

39 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

It cost significantly less than the individual parts.  I'm not sure how that makes it a bad deal.

The lack of an upgrade path.

[JoostinOnline]

Just now, M.Yurizaki said:

I managed to get this:

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zbt9vV
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/zbt9vV/by_merchant/

CPU: Intel Core i3-6100 3.7GHz Dual-Core Processor  ($108.29 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock H110M-DVS/D3 Micro ATX LGA1151 Motherboard  ($54.00 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($49.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($49.33 @ OutletPC)
Case: Zalman T2 Plus MicroATX Mini Tower Case  ($23.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq 350W ATX Power Supply  ($28.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: HP DVD1265I DVD/CD Writer  ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: TP-Link TL-WN781ND PCI-Express x1 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi Adapter  ($12.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Keyboard: Logitech K120 Wired Standard Keyboard  ($9.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Mouse: Logitech SBF-96 Wired Optical Mouse  ($5.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $359.03
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-03-15 12:12 EDT-0400

 

Still without an OS, Bluetooth, or memory card reader though.

No on-board WiFi.

[JoostinOnline]

1 minute ago, App4that said:

The lack of an upgrade path.

I upgrade prebuilt desktops all the time.

[App4that]

Just now, JoostinOnline said:

I upgrade prebuilt desktops all the time.

So that Pre-built can allow for overclocking of the CPU? Handle the heat generated by performance parts?

 

*bent down and looks you in the eyes"

You think upgrading a Prebuilt isn't making up for the poor parts quality? Hmm

[Mira Yurizaki]

4 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

No on-board WiFi.

It's included as an add-on card.

[Spenser1337]

2 minutes ago, JoostinOnline said:

Free time?  I said it's a business.  I get the feeling you're 15 and don't understand most people work during the day.

 

And a $500 PC with an A4 and iGPU is a terrible deal.  I'm not saying every prebuilt (or even most) are good buys.  Just that they exist.

 

And here.  I matched the parts as best I could, picking the cheapest quality options, and it still ended up costing more.  My alternative build also doesn't include a warranty, bluetooth, mouse, keyboard, memory card reader, or software.

So you included windows 10, which you can download from Microsofts website and have full windows for free

 

You got a psu and case combo that would have been cheaper and better quality apart

 

For some reason you got an h170 for an i3 6100, when a 50$ b150 would have been sufficient 

 

And your computer has no ram

 

so I went ahead and added some ram,changed the mobo and removed windows

also got the same case and a nice psu

 

 

pcpartpicker.com/list/vWbTqk

 

Seems a lot cheaper to me

also you can get full windows for free

free, no cost I just did it over the weekend

didnt pirate anything

[JoostinOnline]

1 minute ago, App4that said:

So that Pre-built can allow for overclocking of the CPU? Handle the heat generated by performance parts?

 

*bent down and looks you in the eyes"

You think upgrading a Prebuilt isn't making up for the poor parts quality? Hmm

Like 95% of the people on here don't have a motherboard capable of overclocking.  It's very rare that anyone suggests it.

 

It's wrong to say that building your own is always cheaper.  Buying pre-built isn't always the best decision, but they usually have plenty of upgrade options.  Power supplies are nicer than they used to be, and there are almost always extra RAM slots so you can go further.  They have extra SATA ports, on-board WiFi, and quality RAM and HDD's.

 

This isn't 2000.  Things have changed.