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General discussion

Build or Buy? THAT is the question!

Oct 12, 2004 4:58PM PDT

My current desktop is a 500 MHZ P3 I had custom built about 5 years ago. Over the years, I've upgraded and/or replaced the hard drives, RAM, power supply, & CD burner. I definately know my computer inside & out! I've finally decided that it's time to put this old beast out to pasture & get a new computer.

My budget is <$1200 (not including peripherals). Would I be better off buying another custom built PC, buying a "brand name" PC, or buying individual components & building it myself?

I want to get the most "bang for my buck." Please let me know if my following perceptions are accurate:

1. Buying a custom built PC costs more, but I won't get any bundled software that I don't want.

2. "Brand name" PC's offer more performance at a cheaper price (not to mention customer support), but they come bundled with lots of worthless software.

3. Is there a cost benefit of building a PC from scratch myself? If their is, I think this is the route I'd like to try.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me!

-Joel-

Discussion is locked

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 12, 2004 9:51PM PDT

Yes, buying the components for a home built PC do cost more and you do not have factory support. However, if you do your homework and select quality components you'll save money in the long run because you'll have a pc which is fully upgradable. Try getting 5 years out of a manufactured pc. Other then adding ram or a HD there usually isn't a lot you can do.

Tech support is at this point in time terrible unless you like talking to India and the components you'll buy will still carry warranties through the manufacturer. So support is sort of a moot point.

The software issue is a tad more costly. However if you check out different web sites you can usually buy OEM versions of software at reduced prices.

The key advantage is you'll have your own creation built with components you selected to satisfy your own specific needs and computing style. Something a pre-built manufacture usually can't do and those few that do usually charge a higher premium.

Bottom line - Home built usually means higher quality and a longer life.
Pre manufactured - Cheaper, less reliable, and built for the masses not YOU.

Of course all this is really just opinion. There probably are some good bargins out there with the way the prices continue to drop. FYI... I just built a high quality PC for less then $800 for a friend of mine.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 12, 2004 11:37PM PDT

I haven't looked into the economics of buying a PC in a long time, so thanks for the input!

-Joel-

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 13, 2004 7:40AM PDT

i'm also looking into building my own pc in the coming months and am definatly leaning in that direction...if you do decide to go this route i would suggest checking out the newegg website...i've order parts for my current system several times and have been very happy with them...also they very good prices (especially if you check back for specials weekly)...

anyway, good luck

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 13, 2004 10:14PM PDT

Thanks for info everyone! I think that I'll end up building a pc from scratch.

Besides newegg.com, are there other online retailers I should check out for good deals on parts or software?

-Joel-

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Y Build it from scratch
Oct 14, 2004 10:02PM PDT

all you really need to buy is a new motherboard Proccessor and RAM as you could always just re-use the cdrom drive and other hardware this will save you a lot of money. and maby a new case and thats it, everything else can be re-use and you still get the computer spec that you want.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 21, 2004 8:47PM PDT

One of my favorites that I have used often is krex.com

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 13, 2004 10:19PM PDT

>>2. "Brand name" PC's offer more performance at a cheaper price (not to mention customer support), but they come bundled with lots of worthless software.<<

This statement is wrong, flat out. If you take the time and use sites such as pricegrabber, you cna build a MUCH better system for MUCH less money on your own. See my thread about power supply requirements.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 15, 2004 4:30AM PDT

I think that you should build an entirely new PC. If you look on Cnet at the desktops section, it has a feature on the right side about what you can do with an old PC. Two of the most appealing options are to either put Linux on it or (better yet) turn it into a hardware fire wall. This will really beef up your security and the software is free! check it out.

Also, you should definitely use Pricegrabber.com They have lower prices than Cnet and they show more accurate seller ratings. Have fun building your new PC. Hope it screams!!

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 15, 2004 6:52AM PDT

Oh it's gonna....socket 939 witha gig of dual channel ram and a raid 0 array with two 10000 rpm drives...

I can feel the burn already Wink

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 15, 2004 7:21AM PDT

A socket 939 Athlon 64 would be nice. I suggest that people either build it themselves, or get it custom built by a local shop or seller on the net that lets you choose the exact components that go into it(perhaps a nice Asus or MSI motherboard, an Antec power supply and or case, high quality ram, etc.).
A desktop made by one of the largest brands is probably not the best idea, although one should buy a notebook from one of the well known companies.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 21, 2004 4:53PM PDT

I recently built the machine that I'm typing this reply on. Athlon 64, 1.5GB RAM, 480GB Internal HD, 128MB Dual DVI Video Card, 8X Dual Layer DVD Burner in a mid-tower case with 2 Dell 17-inch Analog/Digital Flat Panel LCD Monitors, Logitech 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers, and Logitech Wireless Keyboard/Mouse.

I picked up the parts some on E-Bay, some locally - getting the best deals at Best Buy, CompUSA, etc - when I found the right deal with a hefty rebate.

The entire system cost me about $2200. Without monitors it would have been $1400-1500. I saw a comparable "gaming computer" the other day in a magazine for $5000 and it didn't say that any monitors were included in that price. An Athlon 64 based computer at CompUSA w/out monitor would've set me back at least $2795.

If you have the know-how, build your own machine. You get exactly what you want and can save a lot of money vs Dell or Gateway or some off the shelf Best Buy model.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 21, 2004 7:38PM PDT

I just faced the same dilemma. My two old 400 MHz P2 PC's were upgraded about as far as they could be and I'm starting a video editing project that requires a minimum of 500 MHz P3 and loads of RAM. I looked at newegg.com and tigerdirect.com for mobo's, processors, and RAM, but got so confused by what chips can be used where, etc. that I gave up on that idea.

Then, just for the heck of it this morning I clicked on a Dell ad in CNET for a video capable PC. That led me eventually to Dell's Outlet store and a special 2-day sale they were having on refurbished PC's. There were 100 PC's in stock when I started looking through the list, but by the time I read the notice about "due to the high demand, carts with no activity for 15 min. will be returned to stock", there were only 50 systems left. Anyway, I put two systems in my cart and then decided between them, returning the extra PC to stock.

I ended up buying a Dimension 4600 3.06 GHz P4 with 800 MHz FSB, Windows XP Pro, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB EIDE SATA 7200 RPM hard drive, 1.44 Floppy, 16x DVD ROM, 16x DVD +RW, 56Kbps Fax Modem, integrated A/V/NIC, mouse, keyboard and DVD software (NO pre-installed gratuitious AOL or other "trial" software) for under $800 including tax and free Fed-Ex ground shipping and 1 year parts & labor warranty.

Just the 939 socket mobo, CPU, RAM and an Antec case and power supply at newegg priced out at over $1,000. I can steal the audio and video cards (which are only a couple months old) from one of my old PC's to make this a screamer and if I get tired of looking at the Dell logo, I can always move all the components to a new Antec case for another $96.

Good luck with your decision.

Bill

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 22, 2004 2:01AM PDT

Reason that DELL and HP and other mass marketers and sellers are able to put together their machines and sell them so cheap, is that they use the cheapest parts and components. I had a DELL went through two hard drives and one cd rom drive in the first year. Of course it was after the 90 day warrenty. My friend is on his third hard drive in his laptop. By all means if you can afford quality parts it is a large benefit to buy your own.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 26, 2004 6:38PM PDT

It's interesting that you make this type of comment. I have had a Gateway computer for over 5 years that is still runnning great. The Intel board was commented by many others that have had good longivity. What I know about Dells components is more related to proprietary replacement and support issues than MTBF component issues.
But my point is, after purchasing a case, power supply, board, CPU/fan sink, memory (which most likely would need to be upgraded anyway, video, nic, modem, sound board, CD ROMS, DVD ROMS, etc., and your Free labor (and possibly fustration), you could easily have spent hundreds less on a "store brand". And like the other comment, use the older box for a low-end server or firewall gateway, etc.
And with all the other comments here, this is IMO.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 21, 2004 8:10PM PDT

1. Build if you are a gamers or Video Editor!
a. Choose a Top of the Line Gigabyte Motherboard with Intel 925 Chipset It's The Best Motherboard/Brand I Could Recomend to You.

2. If you are not a gamer Wait for another year or two then wait for the full 64-bit computer.

I'm Still using a 450MHz Pentium 3 and i can do a lot of graphics on my 1Gigabytes of Memory and two 200GigaBytes Hardisk, Video Editing are slow in this computer but i didn't use it for video editing & Gaming, thats why i'm gonna wait also for a couple of years.

But if your a geek, then build it As soon as possible!!!

P.S. i use windows 98 & windows XP SP2 on my computer if i want some speeds on gaming i installed it on Windows 98 save your money it's not a economical decission to upgrade now.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 22, 2004 1:15AM PDT

Hey Joel,for 1,200 if you live near Columbus,Ohio I
can put together (1) super PC for you with XP Home
and a lot of good software to boot.The whole (nineyds)
etc.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 22, 2004 1:35AM PDT

I have built 3 PC's without any problems. The hardest part is to find out what parts are compatible with each other. Most parts retailers provide enough info to make the right decisions.
To save some extra cash, buy OEM versions of Microsoft Windows (if you decide to use Windows). Most retailers require you to buy PC Hardware with the OEM Version. You will save some money and they are legit versions. They usually have a stripped down manual and no box.
If you're confident installing components like RAM and CD Drives you shouldn't have any problems.
THe hardest part is configuring the Motherboard, so make sure you read through the Motherboard Manual thoroughly so you configure the jumpers and case switch/light connectors properly.
Have Fun and Good Luck!

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 22, 2004 1:55AM PDT

Hi Joel:

What you wrote sounded just like me 6 months ago. I would suggest that you build your own. With a $1200.00 budget you should be able to build a top notch, fast computer to meet all your needs for 5-7 hundred dollars. That leaves a lot left over for other things. If you already have the software you are way ahead of the game. There is a good book out there "Building the perfect PC" I got it at FRYS for $20.00 then got a rebate from the company for $20.00. I also got all be parts and pieces from FRYS, they seem to have everything that you are looking for. Good Luck
Dennis

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 22, 2004 2:51AM PDT

I think from price point of view by building a computer you can get to a higher price than buying a new computer.
However in US there is an escape: mail in rebates. I will just make a list of what I remember as the best deals in the last two years:
At Microcenter they had motherboard + CPU (I bought a AMD 2400+ at the beginning of this year) combo for $100 (amir = after mail in rebates). At that time I received a 50$ gift check for applying for a credit card in their store (no annual or other fees, not any commitment). So the CPU + motherboard was $50. Now I saw that they give $100 if you apply for the card and buy a CPU + motherboard combo from them. So you could do a better deal now.
At OfficeMax I bought once a 80GB ATA100 8MB buffer HD with $20 amir.
At TigerDirect there was a free case with 350W power supply free amir, the shipping was $13
At CompUSA or Microcenter they had 64M AGP videocard for $20 amir or 128M for $40
At OfficeMax they had a DVD-Writer with $30 amir
At CompUSA they had 256M DDRAM 266MHz free amir
Recently Best Buy had a 2x512M (1G total) 400MHz DDRAM for 64 amir
Anything else like modem, network card, firewire, CD-ROM you can find them free amir at stores like OfficeMax, Staples, CompUSA or Microcenter.
So by adding numbers for the hardware the cheapest made PC (at the beginning of this year) cost me 50+20+13+20+30 = $133 + taxes = 150 -160 $.
Warning ! you may look a year to find prices as good or better ! The good news is that once you made on computer you can do an upgrade every time when you will see a good deal.
Unfortunately mail in rebate system does not work so great for software. So if you are not installing Linux the software will rise your price up. I'm not sure here but if you buy a computer with an operating system you may not use that software on the next PC (if you decide to throw it out). So the good news will be that if you buy software separately (not bundled with the PC) you can move that software to your next PC when you will upgrade. I'm not a legal expert so I could be wrong.
For the operating system if you are looking at windows: XP Home $100, XP pro $150 for OEM versions. On eBay you might get 10-15$ less.
Of course there are complete systems that have mail in rebate. I saw once a 2.8GHz Pentium4 Dell Desktop (I'm trying to remember 128M or 256M DDRAM, 40G HD, Windows XP Home) with $400 amir.
I just want to add that I had once a Pinnacle Studio project that needed 4-5 hours of rendering. On a home made PC that I had (AMD 1700+) the program was crashing every time after 1-2 hours of rendering. All other programs were running fine and there was no other sign of malfunction. After trying different memories, video cards, put more fans,... I move my hard drive with the project on a Compaq PC (AMD 2400+) load the project with the same program and the render succeeded at first attempt. This incident make me wonder if at a price of a custom made PC one should add the time that he will spend if he will be unlucky to get into some compatibility issues or other problems that I had. Some might look into that - having a problem and solving it might give them a sense of satisfaction that buying an off the self PC can not. Also it can be a learning experience that I am recommending that for anyone who thinks that will make a difference in his future and accept the risk.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 22, 2004 4:27AM PDT

I would strongly suggest building your own pc. There have been a lot of good advice here so I guess I will add my two cents.

Yes you can buy a pre built system for less but if you look at the long run your not really saving any money. If all you do is surf the web and check email then the low priced pre built computers are perfect but if you are a gamer like myself who also likes mp3s and dvds then the pre built computers are not what you are looking for. Like someone said the pre built computers offered by dell, gateway, and others can sell these computers for cheap because they are using generic parts. I want my system with good parts from good manufactures with warranties. These prebuilt systems don't have the high end graphics cards, the top hard drives, the top motherboards, or the good sound cards.

Yes getting the top components can be expensive but I saved so much money on my system going through newegg.com and at Frys. I have a $2500 system that I built for $1100. Basically what I've seen some companies charged for a high end system I could have built 2.

I have a thermaltake case, asus deluxe motherboard, p4 3.0 cpu, nvidia 5900 ultra, 1 gig of kingston ram, 74 gig 10000 rpm raptor hard drive, 120 gig western digital hard drive, audigy 2 sound card, and thermaltake 480 watt power supply.

The deals are out there you just have to find them.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 22, 2004 8:35AM PDT

While I enjoy building and upgrading my own equipment, I typically suggest that non-experience users buy off the shelf. Vendor support for off the shelf is a lot simpler than hodge podge home-grown. I recently purchased a laptop with 2.8ghz/512mb/40gb/DVD for $550 after rebates. I've also recommended desktops for much the same price with flat panels monitors! You can't buy the parts that cheap! Licensing on several Microsoft Programs (including Office) allow install on 2 personal machines, greatly reducing software costs. Check your licensing agreements.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 22, 2004 9:40AM PDT

I just built a computer, my second one, and I will never buy off the shelf again. I got just what I wanted
with a top notch motherboard and processor. I added 1 gig of dual RAM and this thing flies! Total cost about $900.00

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 23, 2004 2:35AM PDT

BUILD!!

I have always built my machines, never having purchased
a complete system. When building, you have a choice of motherboard, CPU, drive size, quantity of drives, video card, memory, etc.

MOst ready made systems have all components as part of the motherboard, so your options are minimal. The only advantage of buying is the software bundle, some of which is useless.

It sounds like you are comfortable working on puters and $1200. can buy a lot of puter.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 23, 2004 5:02AM PDT

If you know what you want in terms of components, you can usually buy a computer for a reasonable price. Since you will build it yourself, there will be no labor cost, and if you have the software you want to use, you're in business. All you need to do for the software is take it off of your old system and place it on the new. This will take care of the licensing, but if you want to get full versions of major brand software, you can get it cheap if you browse on the net.

Either way, if you know about computers, and can build it yourself. As for the support issue, all of your hardware will be under warranty when you purchase it, and software too. If the software is out of warranty, vendors still usually provide basic support for the program.

Overall, a home built PC will let you customize it the way you want, and put on only the software you want and need. Most PC's that you buy come with a lot of bundled software that you'll never use, so if you're technically inclined, the best bet is to build it yourself.

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 23, 2004 6:44AM PDT

I guess since everyone is saying "Build", I'll send some
comments in favor of "buy" I custom built my P-90,
PII-266, and Athlon 1.2GHz systems, so I'm not totally
foreign to the concept, but the last two systems I've
bought have been off-the-shelf low-end dells (for my
kids), and I'm seriously considering a Dell as the
upgrade for the 'good' PC as well... Here's why:

1) Price. I spent about $1000 at Dell. That got me
a 2.4GHz Celeron system, a 2.6GHz P4 system, a 17inch
flatpanel display, two copies of WXP home, a copy of
microsoft office, a GigE network card, and a CD-RW
drive in one of them. (actual prices were about
$350 for each PC, and the rest for the flat panel.)

2) Quiet. It's really nice to have a MB and case
with their cooling system designed together. The
two dells together are much quieter than the Athlon.

3) Performance, or the lack of it. One starts to get
realistic about how much performance one needs.
Neither of these dells is at the cutting edge of
available performance. No hyperthreading, no dual
channel ddr, no AGP graphics card. But they're not
bad, and they sure outrun any 500MHz system they
replaced. Being on the cutting edge of performance
just costs WAY too much, and doesn't last very long.
In two years, I can buy the next entry-level bargin
system, and then do in again in another 2 years,
and still have spent less than $1200...

4) Upgrades, or the lack thereof. Over the history of
my assorted PCs, I've upgraded disks (relatively
frequently), writeable optical (occasionaly),
memory (occasionaly), and video card (once.) All
except the video upgrade can be done to the dells
nearly as easily. (historically I've bought cases
with lots of bays, which the dells don't have. Also
historically, I haven't used all the bays.) After
a couple years go by, you really resent paying extra
to upgrade the OBSOLETE memory technology in your
old computer. Same for disks. I had a Mac 8500
that was still OK, except 50pin SCSI disks were
rare, small, and expensive. EDO DIMMs were mostly
very expensive (but have recently gotten cheap.)
I *can* upgrade the dell video with a pci card, but
those are pretty rare. OTOH, the newer bargin dells
do have AGP slots...

5) The user experience. The UE, it seems to me,
depends more on the display, keyboard, and mouse than
on the CPU. Consider a cheap computer, and spend
the extra money on a nice flat panel and desk. I
have a mac I use "mostly." The main reason that
it's a mac is that it was "built" downward from the
23inch cinema display I lusted after...


Now, I am not a heavy-duty gamer. I am not a heavy
duty video editor or photoshop wizard. I am not using
my PCs in mission critical applications where the
utmost in reliability is a major factor.
But the bargin pre-built PCs are SUCH a bargin that you
need to seriously think about reasons why you couldn't
use one...

(I have noticed that as one upgrades pre-built dells to
closer to state-of-the-art, they rapidly lose their
bargin status. Disk, memory, optical, and other "upgrades"
are more expensive than you can but the parts elsewhere.
If you were going to spend 1200 on a dell, you MIGHT need
to look seriously at building your own instead.
But you can't build yourself a $400 system that will
compete with a $400 dell (or similar), IMO.)

BillW

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 23, 2004 12:23PM PDT

I built my first comp 6 months ago. I don't think there was any cost saving as I bought parts retail. A small computer shop can give at least as good a price. I went for good parts and that drove the price up. There is tremendous satisfaction in building your own and you will learn things that you can't put a price on. If you are thinking about it, perhaps it's time to step up to the plate (so to speak). Good for bragging rights too. Some people willl be impressed!

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 24, 2004 12:05PM PDT

Holy Replies, Batman!

I never expected so many people to chime-in. Thanks for all of your responses! Well, here?s what I?ve decided. I?m going to go ahead & build my next computer from scratch. However, I?m going to wait another 6 months or so until the prices come down on the 939 socket Motherboards & processors. I want to go with 939 so I can upgrade later, but right now the 939 processors are still pretty spendy. This way, I can use the money I save to upgrade my keyboard & mouse (I?ve been dreaming about going cordless for way too long!). In the meantime, I have to be content to reading the weekly ads & checking out the deals on various websites.

Thanks again for all of your replies! You?ve been a HUGE help in deciding what to do for my next computer!!!

-Joel-

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 25, 2004 1:44AM PDT

You've really answered your own question. It seems you got what it takes to build and the research in any buying plus OEM vendors may offer in comparsion, so just get what makes you happy. Really, take it from there as you what it takes to make yourself happy from a system. You may not think this answers your question, but it does. Happy Remember, cheap is cheap no matter what the source, so quality does matter.

good luck -----Willy Happy

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 25, 2004 10:12AM PDT

Isn't ordering the new computer tailor made from a local PC outlet or an Internet store (eg MonarchComputer) the best of both worlds at only a $50 buider's fee: customized reliable computer parts plus the know-how of their compatibility, current drivers, updated Bios, etc.? (Note of this was previously mentioned by JK654}

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Re: Build or Buy? THAT is the question!
Oct 25, 2004 12:46PM PDT

You are very close on all your perceptions and thats a question you really have to answer yourself.What do you really want in this new computer.I like building my own because I know what I have in my PC and know what I want as far as the extras,video,audio,usb and modem cards.Main thing is that the main board you buy,just make sure it will do what you want it to do and can handle upgrades and lots of memory.I just dont like it when some other company knows all your bussiness and you have to use there software because you bought there product.I know that they have the worse spam and spy ware of all.Your choice?