DIY or Package?

Obviously building a PC from parts scores you a computer that is suited for your needs. But is it really any more cost effective than buying a PC as a package?

Ive found it is much cheaper to build from scratch (maybe canibalizing stuff from your old PC).

That way you can be sure that all the components you have in your PC are good ones and that no cheap shortcuts are taken (like great CPU/GPU but crap Motherboard /RAM).

I took my RAM/HDD and CPU Cooler from my old PC which is already about 50-100 EUR easily saved there, even if you only use the HDD as backup and buy a new one. Just make sure that the old components work and fit into the new System and that they are not too old.

Had this discussion with a guildie not more then 3 days ago.

It all comes down to one thing.

Are you building a mid-high end pc? or a low level entry pc?

If your building a mid-high end pc then by all means, piece it together because it is cheaper.

BUT, if your building an entry level pc, you would be an idiot to try and piece it together and expect it to be cheaper then dell, hp, or any other vendor. It'll never happen.

They've literally cornered the market in budget pc's.

If you take all costs into account - that is, mouse, keyboard, OS, etc. - building it yourself is not all that much cheaper than buying a package. But, as mentioned above, you can save a fair amount by reusing your current mouse, keyboard, case, OS, etc.

But, all the same, it is cheaper to build it yourself. It really comes down to whether or not the amount you save is worth the hassle. When comparing costs, don't forget to compare equivalent components.

Over the long haul it is cheaper to build yourself, even with a "low end" pc, due to the fact that you can re-use many parts when you need to upgrade in a few years (rather than buying a brand new one again from Dell, HP etc). You also don't have to deal with all the bloatware that is installed from the factory and have complete customization options at your disposal. Now part for part, you are likely not going to save enough all that much more, esp. if you consider your time spent, but it's certainly worth it over multiple years imo. Of course if start to consider a PC that you want to game on or use for more than basic web surfing and MS Office, a self built PC is assuredly the best option, both short term and long term.

Thanks a lot.

I think it depends on where you purchase the PC. I bought my last one from ibuypower.com and got quality components that I picked from lists and not a lot of crap programs. I paid $1200 and it is now 1-1/2 yrs old and still up there on the PCGamer power list. All I need to do is upgrade my video card at some point to handle anything that is projected for the next three years.

Another thing to consider is not just cost of hardware, but the support you get. When buying a package you get support if something goes wrong, the support team can help you fix it. Building it yourself usually only gets you support on certain components and not the whole system. So if you're good with PC knowledge then yes building it yourself is cheaper. However, if you're not that tech savy then the downtime you experience if something goes wrong could end up "costing" more.

Another advantage to building a pc is you don't have to 'buy' it all at once. If you're low on funds but want a great pc, you can buy one or two parts each month until you have everything you need. As mentioned in an earlier post, you can also take parts out of an oilder pc if they're compatible

I've always found building cheaper than buying if you're going for a high performance machine. You have the advantage of being able to scope out good deals and occasional sales, or if you hit up the right kind of shops in person you can negotiate the prices - usually works better with the smaller shops than the big box shops but it's ultimately a matter of how personable you are - I've been buying most of my parts from a local shop for nearly 20 years & the owners give me all kinds of deals, including free replacement parts in the instance that your kid dumps a can of root beer on the motherboard (doh).

At the same time, price is negotiable at big box shops, too - I paid $80 for a $250 video card & $900 after tax (15% here) for a 47" sony bravia lcd tv + stand + wireless surround + dvd + blue ray + delivery 2 hrs away + installation + all monster cables from Future Shop ... In order to get that price I agreed to put 80% of the purchase on my Future Shop credit card (I had intended to pay cash), which I promptly paid off less than 2 days later to avoid paying interest.

Prices are always negotiable, and if you find a sales person that's not willing to negotiate then they obviously don't want your business.

The pros of building your own machine is it's intimately tailored to your usage, and if you've done your homework you'll be able to fix anything that goes wrong. If it's a higher end machine it'll also be compatible for a few years with most things the industry throws at you.

The cons of building your own machine is the lack of tech support - but having built your own system you should be able to provide your own, if you can't you should start with spare parts and put together a crap system to toy around with first. The other downside is the rate of advancements in computing technology. A high end system today will be a low end system in 4 years. If you want to maintain a high end system, regardless of building it yourself or buying it complete, it IS expensive.


My rules of tech shopping:

1 - If it's first generation technology - DO NOT BUY! It will be unreliable or under developed, and upgrades/improvements will cost just as much (if not more) in less than 1 year. Take 3D tv's, iPads/iPhone4, and xbox 360's as examples, even though it took Microsoft longer than a year to fix their overheating issues.

2 - Negotiate a better price. While small shops are often more willing to negotiate on the price (and you'll get better life long service from them) they pay more for inventory than big box shops (which have significantly more buying power). Choose wisely in whether or not you want a bigger price cut (big box) or better support and relations (small shop). This can vary by the part or amount of money you're spending.

3 - Research & learn. If you can't provide your own tech support then don't attempt to build the biggest/baddest machine possible. Or, at the very least, don't scavenge parts from your current system. Keep a running machine handy in case you have to research diagnostics & possible fixes.