i’ve been daydreaming about a new computer for over a year and last week my XP box didn’t load up the graphic card and i freaked out. well, unplugging the power supply and letting the CMOS reset (or whatever happens) took care of the issue and it’s been starting up fine
i have been looking at sales and also using CyberPower PC‘s online configurator to see what i can build for $700 USD. i don’t really have a budget figured out but settled on that number for some reason (my existing XP, which runs quite well for OpenSim, cost about $600 through an online build site 5 years ago)
however, DreamWalker (our scripter) recommended Velocity Raptor as a higher quality builder but their prices are significantly higher. then i read a few poor reviews for CyberPower PC that made me look deeper into alternatives for a new PC (to be fair, CyberPower has many great reviews and it seems that it’s worth the extra $40 USD to get better shipping packaging and better wiring management)
i started looking up how to build a PC myself. the thought of this is very (VERY) intimidating to me because i’m scared my components won’t work together or that i won’t have the right cabling and a host of other paranoid thoughts. funilly, i’m not worried about installing an operating system on a new hard drive because i have done that before (and i have an MSDN license to get an OS)
after reading some articles, particularly this lifehacker page complete with printable PDF, i started feeling brave (that will probably change if i actually start ordering parts!) =p
in the lifehacker article, they mentioned a very cool resource – PCPartPicker!
first off, the story of the site is cool – a dad of two kids started it two years ago as a hobby to help people build computers and find good prices on components and now he does the site as a full-time gig! =)
you can set up an account and build your own PCs online and it will display several vendors and their prices for each component plus provide a running total. people can comment on your build and you can look at what other people put together
when you build a system, it also displays approximate benchmarks for your complete build! that’s a really nice feature which allows you to see what changing one component or adding more RAM does to your expected performance *big thumbs up*
it also let’s you select to only show compatible components (so i don’t need to worry about mismatching stuff) and also information such as noise level for coolers and power supplies. there’s also filtering by user ratings and sorting by price and other factors (mail-in rebates too!)
to try it out and see if it’s cheaper to build it yourself, i built an identical machine* to one i had configured at CyberPower PC and here are the final costs for comparison
CyberPower PC – $905 USD | PCPartPicker DIY – $748 USD
that’s a decent difference of $157 but maybe not so big as to rule out a system assembled by professionals
i don’t know when i’ll be getting a new machine, but the thought of possibly building my own is a little exciting in a geeky way. building it yourself can also mean more options such as using some of your existing parts if they are decent. my power supply, optical drive, case, and two hard drives are good quality and would save $252 from this sample build. hmm . . .
maybe you are in a similar quandary, so give it a try and see what you think =)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* sample machine specs
- CPU: Intel i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
- CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 2.0 Performer Liquid ($59.99 @ Newegg)
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA1155 ($144.99 @ Amazon)
- Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 ($49.99 @ Newegg)
- Hard Drive: Kingston SSDNow V+200 120GB 2.5″ Solid State ($119.99 @ Newegg)
- Video Card: Asus GeForce GT 610 1GB ($44.99 @ NCIX US)
- Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower ($75.84 @ Amazon)
- Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V ($44.99 @ Newegg)
- Optical Drive: Sony DDU1681S-0B DVD/CD ($17.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $747.77 (includes mail-in rebates)
for sake of complete systems, compare the prices of Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit)
CyberPower PC – $209 USD | PCPartPicker DIY – $174 USD
you can even set daily/weekly email alerts for price drops on your system components
I always wanted to build a PC myself with uber stuff but without the hefty retail tag. These sites are they good for UK residents?
Eros Deus
11 Jul 12 at 10:50 am
I tend to rebuild and upgrade rather than build from scratch. Mostly due to my own unfortunate habit of frying the CPU chip. (Tip: make sure you use a static electricity ground!!)
My current system cost me CDN$500 off the shelf from WalMart, all taxes included. Quad core, 1.5Tb HDD, 6Gb RAM and ATI Radeon 6550D embedded graphics. Being on a pension, it takes a bit of time to upgrade, but my plans include installing a nVidia graphics card (a personal preference rather than anything technical) and increasing the RAM to 16Gb.
Sarge Misfit
11 Jul 12 at 10:59 am
I have been building and upgrading my own for years, but the current PC was bought off the shelf from an ebay supplier. When I was selecting and pricing components, I realised I could get almost the same spec ready built, tested and guaranteed for very little extra.
In the longer term, I don’t know if the supplier would be around to honour the guarantee, but the risk is not much different from self build, and the hassle factor somewhat less. That’s probably worth thinking about.
I wouldn’t put anyone off building though, but I would say, if you’re upgrading or using parts from an old machine, try and keep one fully working on the internet, so you can get driver updates, seek help with troubleshooting etc. In fact I tend to keep the old one, even if I’ve moved some parts to the new one, just as a back up plan.
keith selmes
11 Jul 12 at 12:52 pm
hye Eros, that site connetcs up with online merchants lke NewEgg and Amazon, so you should be able to get the parts (like amazon UK)
that’s a really nice machine Sarge! i also favour NVidia for OpenSim
exactly keith, the difference isn’t so huge as to not warrant a ready-made machine which will have a warranty like 3 years with CyberPower
i am very tempted to build via PCPartPicker and today i grabbed Win7 Ultimate and Office 10 from my MSDN license =)
Ener Hax
11 Jul 12 at 12:56 pm
I have built many PC’s. I have also bought pre-builts.
For the DIY build from a shopping list of parts approach, I advise the following:
Add together;
- The parts
- Add a $ amount of your time. Lets say $50
- Pick a major component and assume it fails. $80.
- Factor an RTM(warranty claim) on a part can be longer and have unpredictable outcomes.
- Possible issues with OEM software when buying from disparate sources. EG some specify you need a minimum Box, HDD, mobo, ram, and cpu bought from them.
How does it then compare to that pre-built system now?
It may be still worth it. It may not.
Breen Whitman
11 Jul 12 at 1:40 pm
TigerDirect has always served me and many others perfectly well without issues. Their service & support is excellent, they don’t mess around with replacement parts shipping and they even support people assembling their own from their Bare Bone kits.
See their bare bone kits below.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_tlc.asp?CatId=31
Many camps will argue different things. Intel versus AMD, ATI(AMD) versus NVidia etc….
CPU:
I can tell you that Intel/AMD is pretty much on equal footing for general use. Each have their strengths & weaknesses but only extreme power users tweaking to the absolute max will gain anything. I personally prefer AMD CPU’s over Intel as a Bang for Buck performance thing and never had issues using AMD CPU’s which are best Bang for Buck. From a usability & performance perspective both are pretty equal.
Video:
AMD-ATI is good and a lot of people use them. I “used” to be a Major ATI supporter till AMD bought them and caused so much stress with their drivers and interfaces. Therefore I recommend NVidia Video cards of the GTX Variety. There is significant differences in their video cards, even between say a NV-560-GT versus an NV-560-GTX. A Good Place to compare video card performance and their specs is here at http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
A SPECIAL NOTE ! The Video Card # does not indicate the actual performance. For Example the GT-610 rates only @ 266 points (low perf card) whereas a GTX-560 rates @ 2700+ points.
For $750 you can certainly build a rock & roll PC if you shop carefully.
Good Luck & Have Fun.
WS
PS: Using OEM Windows is NO PROBLEM and will work according to spec. All Vendors, be it Compaq/HP, Dell or whoever “ALL” ship OEM Software, including windows. In fact OEM Windows usually has extras not available in Genuine MS Packaging like backup software etc.
WhiteStar
11 Jul 12 at 2:18 pm
great advice Breen and the $$$ concern and warranty support is important. luckily i do my best to be self-reliant (like out OpenSim server) and understand that if the power supply fails, i ahve to figure out who to deal with to get it fixed as opposed to just “one throat to choke” of a pre-made system. and luckily, my hourly rate is my hobby and the learning experience valuable to me
i lived in Miami for a little while and actually shopped at Tiger Direct’s HUGE store there – in fact i still use a Sony monitor i bought there years ago =)
the NVidia info is so important and like you said, the numbers don’t mean much (there are many manufacturers of them and that’s important too) – i have a 6 year old 9600GT that is overclocked that still gets fabulous FPS (like 60 fps on our grid with 1024 draw distance and 4x anti-alias) and runs two big resolution monitors
i second that on Windows and will use Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit for this build if it happens in the next few months (i was eyeing Windows 8 in the MSDN download centre this morning)
Ener Hax
11 Jul 12 at 2:49 pm
http://www.pugetsystems.com/ is where I have gotten several work computers. Nothing but helpful service. Prices weren’t too bad.
Feb 2005 I bought my current system. I have since upgraded the guts just once and still have some of the original items still in there chugging away.
My advice is:
1) Never go cheap. It just doesn’t pay in the long run.
2) Don’t go for the absolute newest stuff (I don’t listen to that rule very much)
3) Get a LARGE case – it makes it easier to upgrade
4) Don’t get integrated stuff on the mother board except maybe the sound.
5) Get bigger Ram memory and leave slots open! Get 2 4GB Ram and leave 2 slots open for next year!
I paid $3700 for that system back in 2005 – Like I mentioned above, I went with the newest chip, newest hard drive, and newest video card…all were bought at a premium. If I would have gone with a bit older tech, I could have saved $1000 probably. BUT – the system lasted almost 6 years before I upgraded the video card…and even then I didn’t HAVE to. Last year I replaced the mother board and added a new hard drive. ALSO…it still is using the old DVD rom – the old CD rom, The old card reader, the old fans, old sound card, the old hard drive as a backup…..and the mega huge boat anchor of a case.
Will I pay 3700 for a new computer again…no – probably not…prices have come down some for good stuff…but if I had to buy a new one right now – I would probably get one for $2000-$2500 making sure I got good quality stuff and not be sad a year from now when stuff just won’t run without an upgrade.
The company I work for LOVED to buy the cheapest computers…and they would always wind up so slow within a year..and become useless in 2 years. It just isn’t worth getting $400 or $500 systems. Save up a bit longer, drink more water, skip some meals (noooo), make puppy dog eyes to your parents, spouse, or special someone, and get the upgrades!
Now how big of an SSD can I get?!!!?
Azzura
11 Jul 12 at 4:06 pm
I’ve built my own PCs for ages now. I use tigerdirect also. It saves dough. I love my Asus Mother Board I got there. They also have some nice barebones kits.
Araxie Longoar
11 Jul 12 at 5:23 pm
i like Asus also – that’s the mobo in my XP box and i have an Asus laptop with NVidia card
great tips on the barebone kits =)
Ener Hax
11 Jul 12 at 6:58 pm
hi Azzura! sorry that your comment got held for moderation (that must mean you are special) =)
first . . . $3700!!!! wow, you are part of the one percent! =p
just kidding but that is rich for me, however, a PC is a tool for many purposes and having a great tool is very good =)
Puget has an outstanding reputation and are among the very best in making custom systems =)
your advice is really good – never get “the” latest thing and get a big case (once it’s under the desk, who cares how big it is unless you are 14 and bring your PC to LAN parties), and extra RAM slots is key!
the PCPartPicker site let’s users select how may slots and max RAM supported as mobo filters
thanks Azzura and thanks on the friendship offer in Second Life – i haven’t logged in to SL so i’m not dissing you (i kept the offline email because it makes me smile to see that from you) =)
Ener Hax
11 Jul 12 at 7:05 pm
Probably needed moderation cause I put a link in there!
Not the 1% :) I just finally paid off that credit card! I use my computer ALL the time. I’ve just never been disappointed at buying top or near top of the line on tech. I’m still watching the same projection TV I bought in 1992. Though now it is annoying cause nothing plugs into it anymore cause it has the old simple A/V inputs and S-Video! My Roku died recently and the new ones only support HDVI and Composite Video! So no new Roku for me :(
Azzura
12 Jul 12 at 10:12 am
Like Keith and others have said, simply adding some memory and a REAL video card to an existing PC can do wonders for it.
An easy place to find more RAM (memory) is:
http://www.memory.com
Just type in the model of your PC (such as “Dell Vostro 200″ or “Inspiron XXX” and it will show you the correct chips, and the maximum RAM your machine can support).
~~~~
I still love Velocity Micro, which a nerd friend turned me onto years ago. They have nice models starting at $999, and they ship them with extra parts, cables, complete printed manuals, and all the backup discs (Windows, drivers, etc.). I don’t know of ANY other manufacturer that still does that. And their tech support is based in America, if that matters to you.
Yes, you could save a couple hundred bucks by shopping around and buying your parts separately. But don’t forget to include the cost of shipping, and $100+ for an Operating System (Windows 7 or whatever). For me, it’s worth it to buy from Velocity Micro or a similar specialty company, and not having to deal with separate warranties for all the individual parts. I agree with Breen on all that!
It’s great when a GUY sees my “gaming” PC and starts to drool!
~~~~
Shameless Plug:
The $999 Velocity Micro Edge Z40:
http://www.velocitymicro.com/wizard.php?iid=193
with Nvidia 1GB GTS 450 PCI Express 2.0, dual monitor support
or a choice of 10 other video cards (for a bit more $), and LOTS of other customizations possible
DreamWalker
13 Jul 12 at 5:26 am
super tip on the RAM McDreamster! remember that RAM depends on your OS – if you have an old XP like mine you can’t go more than 3.5 or 4 gigs
now, for me, i get my OS and Win products for free because i have an unlimited MSDN license so that solves OS for me
and, for me, i am kind of a creator type (this blog, SoaS, the Enclave Harbour grid, etc) so the thought of building my own with exactly what i want is appealing
if i had $999 and maybe wasn’t a Jew, i’d jump all over VM’s machines because for sure they will wire it better and have totally matched components
and, for me, i can save over $200 if i use some existing parts – so for $500 i can build a machine that would be $1000 otherwise
besides, i’m pretty self-reliant and take full responsibility that if a component poops out, i’ll need to be the one dealing with it
and really, wouldn’t you expect an Ener to build a computer? =p
Ener Hax
13 Jul 12 at 7:58 am
btw, very cool link – i’m gonna see what i can do for me – thanks! =)
Ener Hax
13 Jul 12 at 8:03 am
This is just my personal opinion Ener, but if you have never scratch built a PC before you might want to stay away from the water cooling kits. You could always add it later. The water kits just add an extra bit of detailing that the first timer might want to avoid especially if they are feeling a little tentative about the project. Better to have a noisy system then a system that got fried from a water leak.
Michael
21 Jul 12 at 12:59 pm
very good tip Micheal! i considered water cooling but then became apprehensive and went with an after market air push-pull cooler that is rated nicely and only runs $20 =)
like you said, i don’t need to be worrying about a water leak! that sounds like a mess!
Ener Hax
22 Jul 12 at 3:59 pm