How much money is saved building your own rig?

[LoBlo]

As a general question, if I build my own rig, how much cash is save? I've been looking at custom builders like AVA direct, Pudget Systems, Maingear and I can't tell whether or not its worth to get the 'experts' to build it for me verses taking the plunge and doing my very first build myself.

Advice welcome.

[Reece]

You don't really save money, usually end up spending a bit more, but you get the system you want, getting to pick a good Motherboard with a decent chipset, processor, ram, HDD, a decent case and brand name PSU makes it all worth while!!:yeah:

[Castout]

Of course you save money Reecce

If you buy the exact components as those specified in branded PC package.

But most people just buy the components that they WANT because now they could afford them if they build their own rig!

By how much I don't know I live in third world country anyway but it's a lot here about couple hundred of dollars.

[oldschoolpcgamer]

You can save money initially, but as someone already said you end up taking a lot of time troubleshooting, installing, etc and if anything fails you need to RMA it with yourself. Those companies you mentioned are good, there is also Alienware but they got bought out by Dell. I heard of a new company started by old Alienware guys called ORIGIN PC. Check both of these companies out.

[mookiemookie]

I just ordered a new system from ibuypower.com. This will be my third from them...always had good experiences with them.

[Arclight]

You can save money initially, but as someone already said you end up taking a lot of time troubleshooting, installing, etc and if anything fails you need to RMA it with yourself. Those companies you mentioned are good, there is also Alienware but they got bought out by Dell. I heard of a new company started by old Alienware guys called ORIGIN PC. Check both of these companies out.
I'd rather spend some time troubleshooting (which I haven't, I just build something that works :O:) and installing an OS, than have to settle for something pre-build. Putting together a custom rig is better than an off the shelf system, but then I still wouldn't want to pay someone else to put it together; perfectly capable to do that myself. The money you save that way is wel spent on a better graphics card. :yep:

Imho any serious gamer should build his own rig. :)

I don't see the issue with doing an RMA either. Get a box, put the component in and write the adress + code on it, send it on it's way. :-?



At any rate, welcome aboard. :salute:

[Reece]

What I like to do, and I dare say Arclight would do the same, is do some research for a motherboard making sure that it doesn't have onboard video, but does have a good number of slots. Then decide on the CPU & GPU I want & get a board with a good chipset to suit, once I have the list I then do a search for reviews on them to see if any good/bad reports, then after deciding the final board I search for the best price!! much the same with video card, PSU, and even the case requires quite a lot of research, the cooling/filtering and layout is very important, plus it has to look the part!!:up:
The satisfaction of building one yourself, though it takes awhile, makes it all worthwhile!:yep:

[CaptainHaplo]

How much you save depends on the rig you buy or build.

If you go with a cheap, mass produced office desktop - integrated graphics, 350W power supply, 2 Gigs ram, etc - you actually can save money buying a prebuilt like a dell.

However, if you want a game machine, your going to save money multiple ways if you build it yourself.

Say you go with a "customized" machine - your still limited to whatever hardware your customizer company works with. If its your rig and your hands in it - you can choose any combination of parts.

Second - you can pick your parts based off a number of items - not just price. But then - it sure doesn't hurt when you see that vd card you REALLY wanted on tigerdirect's daily special does it? But it does when you really wanted it - went with a custom job from someone - and ended up with a lesser card. You can compare performance - not just across chips, but manufacturers. Say a company offers you a 260 card - cheap. But you spot one 5 bucks more at a local supplier. The brands are different - and you research and find with the extra 5 bucks - you get a lifetime warranty - instead of 1 yr. Etc Etc...

Lets check and see what the costs are shall we?

A prebuilt Alienware with the following....
I7 920
2x gtx260's
6 GB ddr3
640 GB HD
24x cd/dvd burner
SB X-FI Titanitum
Includes a chassis and Win7 64Bit HP.
Cost - $2374 (not counting shipping, handling and insurance)

Now - with that budget - lets see what a homebuilt the same can cost
I7 920 with Asus P6T MB - $505.00
2x gtx260's -$175 each - $350
6GB ddr3 - $316
1kw PSU - $112
24x cd/dvd burner - $33
Win7 64Bit HP (OEM) = $106
SB X-FI Titanium - $125

Total cost of the homebuilt - $1547
But tack on another hundred for shipping the pieces and lets round it to $1650. That still saves you $700+ for an equal system. Sure you get a year of "tech support" - and for a standard user, thats great. But for a hardcore person - the folks the "alienware" and similiar are supposed to cater to - they don't need that - so its a waste.

You can use that for more machine - use these numbers and see...

I7 950 with Asus P6T MB - $815.00
2x GTX 275's - $236 each - $472.00

More machine - and still a few buck left over for a nice looking case to stick it all into with good cooling.
Note that this price list was pulled in about 10 minutes - using a single research website which lists various vendors for the parts.

[Arclight]

Aye, I looked at one of those ORIGIN systems as well. Base price was something like $1770,- for their cheapest build, Phenom II.

That's about what I spend in total over time on mine, but I have a lot more for the money. My card was almost top of the line at the time, but there you would have an GTX260. I have an X-fi, there it would be onboard. I have 4 drives, 2 of which form a RAID0, there I would have just 1 drive, etc.
What I like to do, and I dare say Arclight would do the same, is do some research for a motherboard making sure that it doesn't have onboard video, but does have a good number of slots. Then decide on the CPU & GPU I want & get a board with a good chipset to suit, once I have the list I then do a search for reviews on them to see if any good/bad reports, then after deciding the final board I search for the best price!! much the same with video card, PSU, and even the case requires quite a lot of research, the cooling/filtering and layout is very important, plus it has to look the part!!:up:
The satisfaction of building one yourself, though it takes awhile, makes it all worthwhile!:yep:
Darn straight. :rotfl2:

Don't even want to guess how many hours I spend reading reviews and comparing components, ordering something, and then doing it all over and changing the order. :DL



For what it's worth, what I have now just works. Never had any major issues, such as hardware incompatibility or trouble with OS. If I want to switch out the PSU, I order one and put it in. From a recent thread I learned that that's not something you can do with a Dell, for example. :-?

This thing is my pride and joy :oops: hasn't failed me yet. :smug:

[Reece]

Yes the one I have works atreat, for a little while I had trouble but turned out to be the CPU, I took a chance and upgraded to a faster one and all my reset problems were gone 100% and it runs faster, @ LoBlo, the thing to remember is it is not worth having a motherboard with a powerhouse CPU if you have a poor chipset, you end up with a bottleneck and after testing with a good benchmark program find that your computer performs like the CPU speed is halved!!:damn: This is very important, in fact I would say that the chipset is more important for performance than the CPU!!:yep: It's job is to work (handshake) between the BIOS and the hardware such as CPU, CACHE, RAM, HDD, DVD, PCI Slots, GPU, plus many other onboard devices such as Clock, LAN, Sound etc etc, as you can see .... Very important!:up:

[AVGWarhawk]

I just ordered a new system from ibuypower.com. This will be my third from them...always had good experiences with them.


I used Cyberpower. I selected what I wanted in the box and anything else. I think I got a heck of deal. Ran like a champ right out of the box and still does today. Will be one year after the 25th of this month. Best part of building your own or getting one built, the OS is bloat free. Nothing! No free this or that. Try this or that free for 30 days. Bloatware is ever present on off the shelve deals.

[longam]

I've never done a cost comparison, but I wonder how much the difference it would really be after you ad the cost of the OS?

I know every time I would build my own that wasn't a factor because XP was around for such a long time, but the last pre-built I purchased the OS cost was a considerable savings compared to purchasing it separate.

Something else to consider.

[Arclight]

Well, like you say "every time I would build my own that wasn't a factor because XP was around for such a long time". As long as you stick with the OS that you have, you only pay for it once. With of-the-shelf systems, you pay for the OS with every buy.

I guess after 2 or 3 home-builds using your non-OEM copy you've recovered the additional cost (if any), depending on what edition you have. :hmmm:



I must admit I'm not looking forward to buying Win7 though; that RC is gonna expire 1st of March. :-?

[Reece]

Well, like you say "every time I would build my own that wasn't a factor because XP was around for such a long time". As long as you stick with the OS that you have, you only pay for it once. With of-the-shelf systems, you pay for the OS with every buy.

I guess after 2 or 3 home-builds using your non-OEM copy you've recovered the additional cost (if any), depending on what edition you have. :hmmm:



I must admit I'm not looking forward to buying Win7 though; that RC is gonna expire 1st of March. :-?Once you have purchased a copy of Win 7 is it possible to key in it's registration/activation number and keep going or just update, or it it a total install?:hmmm:
I have XP Pro and once the first SP is released for 7 then I will purchase, though I am not looking forward to the move, getting all the new drivers and setting up Internet/Network etc will be a pain!!:nope:

[Arclight]

Luckily I always save what I download, but I still always feel compelled to check if everything is up to date and wind up downloading again. :lol:

But yeah, it's a pain. Usually only takes 1 evening, but there's a bit of pressure behind the ordeal because you're constantly installing and rebooting. I recently did some maintenance and got that dual-boot working; a friend of mine comes on Skype and asks "what the hell are you doing?!", because he constantly got the pop-up of me logging in after a reboot. :haha:

Don't know if you can keep going, but I'd do a fresh install anyway. They probably made some changes going from RC to release. Not sure they can just patch those in. :hmmm:

[CaptainHaplo]

I've never done a cost comparison, but I wonder how much the difference it would really be after you ad the cost of the OS?

I know every time I would build my own that wasn't a factor because XP was around for such a long time, but the last pre-built I purchased the OS cost was a considerable savings compared to purchasing it separate.

Something else to consider.

Longam - the quote I used included the same version of the OS as the one from Alienware. Granted its OEM, but since your buying the hardware, you can legally get OEM pricing. So the cost was just slightly over a hundred bucks - and was counted int he price.

I know most folks reuse their existing OS unless they have good reason not to. It makes sense. But going with an OEM priced OS doesn't hurt nearly as bad as it would otherwise.

Too bad there is no OEM pricing for the Office suite!

[AVGWarhawk]

Too bad there is no OEM pricing for the Office suite!

I use openoffice.org. It is free and works just as well if not better than Office Suite. It is a shame that Office Suite is not part of the OS.

[goldorak]

Too bad there is no OEM pricing for the Office suite!

I use openoffice.org. It is free and works just as well if not better than Office Suite. It is a shame that Office Suite is not part of the OS.

Me too I use OpenOffice and a lot of other open source software.
I used in the past to buy commercial closed source software, now I don't bother anymore. The main reason being that a third party can dictate when, how and IF I can use the software I legitimely paid and I don't accept this kind of bull****. Thank god open source has really advanced a lot in these last few years (helped in a big way by the Google summer of code sponsorship) that I have no problem whatsoever using it.

[AVGWarhawk]

I was taken aback when I purchased Vista Home Premium and Office was not part of the OS. Since Windows 98 I have always had MS Office as part of the OS.

[Castout]

I use Open Office too :yeah:

[Konovalov]

For me it is not about how much money I do or don't save. Rather it is about the satisfaction that I get in building a machine to my exact specification which features a good blend of performance along with low noise characteristics. Also I select quality components which give me a good chance of attaining decent overclocking in the future when my machine starts to get a bit long in the tooth. Building your own machine is a great experience and there are plenty of internet forums dedicated to helping people with building their own PC's. Once you get over the fear of giving your machine a serious makeover you won't look back. :up:

[GoldenRivet]

I have always built my own rig since i first started PC gaming.

I have a life long friend - i have known him longer than i havnt known him - he is under the computer / tech department for a major manufacturer in the Forth Worth Texas area... i always seek his advice in such matters

I typically spend about $4,000 - $5,000 on a computer every 4 years, for that price you could get a top of the line AlienWare.

I dont really save money, but in doing it this way, as was pointed out earlier i get the rig i want instead of the rig some company is willing to manufacture for me.

When my current PC was new... it trumped alienware's finest. I am due a new build by Late 2010 (just my opinion).

I order parts from NewEgg.com as i am able to afford them over about a 6 month period - then when all the parts are here, my friend and I grab a six pack of our favorite beers, spread everthing out and get to building through the night.

Usually takes us a few hours to get everything right how we want it and get the first game installed.

I have decided that my next rig will have at least one TB drive, as the information it could hold will easily outlast the next hand full of computers i build (assuming nothing gets cooked)

[goldorak]

GoldenRivet : for the kind on money you're spending your next rig should definitely have a SLC SSD (or two in raid) :D. And use a 1 TB drive as a backup solution. This baby will fly and have performance that no overclocking will give you. Just think that even with an i7 at 4Ghz you're still hampered by mechanical drives that have access times measured in miliseconds.

[PeriscopeDepth]

I had a terrible experience with cyberpower from a system I bought last year. CPU cooling fan arrived broke due to shipping, which I guess I can see past. Bad stuff happens when shipping. The machine also arrived with a bad stick of RAM, which they took back and sent me a "new" one... Several times now. But apparently they don't care whether the new one is also defective and/or compatible with my motherboard. There's a reason they're so cheap, their warranty states they don't necessarily use new parts.

Definitely building my own gaming rigs in the future.

PD

[longam]

I dont really save money, but in doing it this way, as was pointed out earlier i get the rig i want instead of the rig some company is willing to manufacture for me.

Replace manufacture with assemble :O:

[LoBlo]

I'm such a novice that I'm nervous about trying to build my own. I want a quiet rig that at the same time can max out 100% the settings of my favorite games without problems (microsoft flight simulator X is a hardware hog).

Thanks for the advice guys, its appreciated.

[Arclight]

The noisiest thing in there is usually the graphics card. Get one with a dual-slot cooler, or something custom made, those are very effective compared to a small sink + fan combo. ;)

[Platapus]

One important thing to remember is that it does take some computer knowledge and frankly some experience to be able to build your own system.

One has to be honest with ones self about your capabilities. I tried to build my own system (actually just wanted to change CPUs and Motherboard. It is not as easy as some claim.

In the decision whether to buy a pre-made computer or build one yourself, I would like to add another option: Find someone knowledgeable (go with a professional not one of your buddies) and have them build your system.

That's the way I will be going in the future. I don't know that much about computers and have lost a lot of money trying to learn... the hard way.

[goldorak]

One important thing to remember is that it does take some computer knowledge and frankly some experience to be able to build your own system.

One has to be honest with ones self about your capabilities. I tried to build my own system (actually just wanted to change CPUs and Motherboard. It is not as easy as some claim.

In the decision whether to buy a pre-made computer or build one yourself, I would like to add another option: Find someone knowledgeable (go with a professional not one of your buddies) and have them build your system.

That's the way I will be going in the future. I don't know that much about computers and have lost a lot of money trying to learn... the hard way.

I'll tell you my experience. Up until my first build in early 2000 I had never seen the interior of a pc. Nothing, believe me I was literally afraid of **********g something up.
The thing is, building a pc is like building a meccano (if you're old enough you will certainly remeber those kits).
So you start from the basics, get an anti-static wrist and start building from the motherboard up. I had choosen a case with removable motherboard tray for this reason. I did the whole build outside the case and then pronto, slide the motherboard try inside, connect the power supply, and the different drives etc... And then close everything. Put the mains on and install the operating system.
The hard part is learning what to buy, but that's what magazines are for. Make yourself a culture about pc's and then go on build on.

[FIREWALL]

Nobody sells exactly what I built myself. :DL

[Wolfehunter]

I have my budget around $3k for the box only. Monitor's, keyboard, etc I buy once in a blue moon. I spend top dollar on that stuff. They should last me 5 to 10 years if I don't mess it up.

My rig's life span I try to make for 5 years. So I spend alot but only once in every 5 years. I may do some upgrades depending in between.. but normally not needed. Unless companies like creative screw there clients and force you to buy newer products because they've abandoned there older stuff. like the Xfi elite pro. When I bought that it was $500+.. For XP it was great. For vista it is a nightmare. For Win7 it works with PAX drivers. but creative sucks now.

Anyhow just becareful on what your spend. Do some research on there forums and see if there products are good or bad. Make sure you parts are compatible. Otherwise it doesn't matter what you spend, since it can be all a waist.