For my next computer should I build or buy new again?

Robert McClelland · Feb 21, 2008, 10:30 PM

I was thinking going with ibuypower webiste for my next computer they got great parts for good at the price for 45 bucks more I can get nvidia 8500 GT 1gig of video ram hehe I'm thinking going that way. I'm not an heavy gamer like most people. I just play racing games and sports game thats about it. If I build my own I don't know what ram to get what mother board ect... I plan save up to 900 bucks and going get xp pro instead of vista.
I'm hoping I get enough money by summer time. I don't need a sound card I love sound card allready I have hehe

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**kris23** · Feb 22, 2008, 09:29 AM

no..... you dont know what kind of stuff you got already and you dont got good support.

CDsDontBurn · Feb 22, 2008, 12:38 PM

so, for $900, are you going to get a keyboard, mouse, speakers, and monitor as well? i'm asking because all of those things factor into that budget that you have.

**ChaosMinionX** · Feb 22, 2008, 02:32 PM

I always say theres nothing more rewarding than putting together your own computer.... So I would say build it, you know the parts going into it, and you know what you want.

CDsDontBurn · Feb 22, 2008, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaosMinionX

I always say theres nothing more rewarding than putting together your own computer.... So I would say build it, you know the parts going into it, and you know what you want.

couldn't have been said any better!

thenewguy001 · Feb 22, 2008, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaosMinionX

I always say theres nothing more rewarding than putting together your own computer.... So I would say build it, you know the parts going into it, and you know what you want.

There's also nothing more frustrating when you fail, sitting there, wondering what's wrong with your $1000 paperweight.

swimtech · Feb 25, 2008, 08:57 PM

...that's when you come to the DH forums!

Really though, that's part of the fun and the challenge most of us thrive on, and how we all learned...

kn00tcn · Feb 25, 2008, 10:15 PM

totally

just build & reuse old parts like keyboards, maybe monitors

it's not like you're starting off blank, you can copy off the same parts as some built system, adjust according to what you need & voila

BlueMak · Feb 26, 2008, 02:26 AM

I have found that I only keep keyboard, mouse, mouse pad and sound card when building a new PC. I rarely keep something else.

I have only twice bought a ready system (1 was a laptop the other was my first PC) and it both felt great not having to spend time and worry if I build it right, but also kind of weird and detached from the system, like, sleeping with someone else's girlfriend or something. (not that I would do any such thing).

caqde · Feb 26, 2008, 02:38 AM

Heh I haven't built a "new" machine in years. I guess the last "new" machine I built would have been when I upgraded my computers motherboard, processor, memory, and videocard all at the same time (AGP-> PCI-E and DDR -> DDR2) other then that I usually do many incremental upgrades throughout the year. Last upgrade I did was buy a new harddrive.

So truthfully I would say build it yourself, but then again that is up to you.

Robert McClelland · Feb 27, 2008, 11:17 PM

Ya thanks for input ya right now I got 400 save I plan save 500 or 600 more but depends how much I really save into summer time. My last day work is March 13 so I only got 2 more pay checks comming after that I have put 50 a month a side later on. My bro build his own computer it took while and hassel to do so. For me I don't know if I can do that lol. What if put to much thramel paste on chip by chance lol I could really mess it up. I found this new company that prebuilds computers very good cost too.
It's called XtremeGear

You can get a quad core 2 2.4 for same price for dual core 2 3.0 for same cost again I don't know which is faster and you can get both video cards for 1037 thats what I pick from that web site

I'm hoping way our encomny sucks right now computers will get cheaper hehe. Thats why I'm waiting to Summer or Late summer for my next system. I don't need keyboard or mouse or speakers allready got those plus my new 1932widescreen viewsonic HD LCD TV/pc monitor kickass allready hehe Plus I have my old 1730FPD LCD monitor as back up incase I wanted watch tv and surf internet

Exilon · Feb 28, 2008, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thenewguy001

There's also nothing more frustrating when you fail, sitting there, wondering what's wrong with your $1000 paperweight.

Building a computer nowadays is comparable to a nine piece jigsaw puzzle with uninsulated electrical parts that may or may not be dangerous under certain conditions.

thenewguy001 · Feb 28, 2008, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Exilon

Building a computer nowadays is comparable to a nine piece jigsaw puzzle with uninsulated electrical parts that may or may not be dangerous under certain conditions.

It's a tad more complicated than that, with jumpers and whatnot.

BlueMak · Feb 28, 2008, 01:02 PM

You very rarely have to do any changes to jumpers any more. I know I didn't have to for either my current system (last summer) or the one before it (december 2005)

**ChaosMinionX** · Feb 28, 2008, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thenewguy001

It's a tad more complicated than that, with jumpers and whatnot.

About the only jumper you should ever use nowadays is to reset the CMOS.... other than that you will never touch a jumper. And not to mention high end motherboards have even gotten rid of jumpers, and gone to switches with buttons for resetting CMOS (Mainly ASUS ROG Class motherboards, newer ones of course).

While there are many things that could go wrong with building a system yourself if you don't really know how, there is a multitude of help out there for any possible problems that arise.

And if your doing a straight forward rig, there isn't much you can damage unless you mix up PSU connectors (IE- Forcing a molex connection upside down into a harddrive or optical drive, and swapping the 5V and the 12V

) Of course its assuming you buy IDE HDD, or SATA that have Molex connectors still on them, most today are SATA with SATA Power connections.

But in reality, its real hard to kill a system these days if you pay attention to what your doing, and ask questions about things you dont know, or arent 100% sure about doing something. Its still better to be safe than sorry, so ask lots of questions.

thenewguy001 · Feb 28, 2008, 06:46 PM

The last PC I built, I had to set jumpers for CMOS on the mobo and hard drive. And then then there were the little pins connecting the mobo to the case buttons/lights which are tiny and unlabeled.

**ChaosMinionX** · Feb 28, 2008, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thenewguy001

The last PC I built, I had to set jumpers for CMOS on the mobo and hard drive. And then then there were the little pins connecting the mobo to the case buttons/lights which are tiny and unlabeled.

How old is this mobo you had to do this on? That or it might of been a lowend board...

Wouldnt happen to have a model name would ya?

thenewguy001 · Feb 28, 2008, 08:37 PM

It was a low end board I built for my sister. I believe it was an ASRock on a VIA chipset ~$50

BlueMak · Feb 28, 2008, 09:24 PM

Dude, don't buy ASrock motherboards.

thenewguy001 · Feb 28, 2008, 10:42 PM

I know that now. At the time, though, we were looking at the cheapest replacement she can get for her dead pc. She doesn't game so it's only for email/browing and office apps. Unfortunately, the machine wasn't much faster than her old pc, and the onboard sound was terrible and had no gain on microphones. However, we reused everything except the mobo and cpu (some 1.8 ghz celeron) and I got some free ram from a friend. cost about $100 total for the mobo and cpu.

Robert McClelland · Feb 28, 2008, 11:28 PM

Ya see this what I mean I don't know jack about mother boards what kind get or parts lol thats why I'm thinking about buying a config system like from cyber or ibuypower or xtremegear

**kris23** · Feb 29, 2008, 06:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert McClelland

Ya see this what I mean I don't know jack about mother boards what kind get or parts lol thats why I'm thinking about buying a config system like from cyber or ibuypower or xtremegear

but we do.... lol