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.
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-

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