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Or do you always build your own?
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Or do you always build your own?
I have always built my own for the enjoyment and self education..
Only once, not long after I switched to PC's from my extensively modified Amiga 1200 (towered, 603e PPC accelerator with the Blizzard vision GPU), a Packard Bell with the first 1GHz K7 Athlon CPU. Cracking little machine to be honest and served me well. After that I built my own.
I always build my own PC because I can pick the parts I want within my budget and color/theme. With prebuilts you may end up getting questionable quality parts. You can still take a full day making your build look clean and neat, or sloppy if you want to finish fast (30 mins).
I typically build my own - i've only ever bought a pre-built once, and that was back in 2008 when I bought a Mac Pro (and promptly put windows on it) as it was over £500 cheaper to do so than to buy all the parts individually.
Granted it was a specialist case as I wanted a dual Xeon machine given my workload at the time wasn't entirely gaming (I did spec it with an 8800GT though, as it was also used for gaming).
Since then it's been cheaper to source my own parts and build myself - so i've gone back to that approach and will likely continue...but the main driver for me is the cost more than anything else.
I have promised myself I will do a hard line watercooling build next time though, which does make me nervous enough that I would consider going pre-made...at least until you look up the cost of pre-mades with hard line cooling ;)
My first PC was a pre-built Mesh around 20 years ago, the second was a custom build from Kustom PC. Since then I've built my own with the aim of achieving the quietest system I can get using quality cooling and psu from Noctua & Seasonic. The case (Silverstone FT01) has remained since the first build. That press brake bent aluminium unibody is fabrication art!
Always built my own for choice, price and the enjoyment of it. These days both choice and price have gone as nothing is in stock or if it is then it's way above RRP so I might actually consider buying pre-built if I were in the market for a new machine.
Other than my first few machines from way-way back, I've built my own machines, except when I need 'an computer' without any specific requirements, e.g. games or budget, I just hop on to Ebay and get an ex-corporate Dell or some such desktop. Deadly reliable and easy to sell on without losing much value or having to break it apart to sell as components.
My first pc was a prebuilt Time Machine, in my defence it was bought as a home office machine
When starting out I bought a pre-built machine from Evesham Mircos. I did later install a 486 CPU on it. The only other time was a Dell and I really regretted doing that.
My next PC will probably be a pre-built one though. I need to upgrade everything and it seems the only way to actually get the components that I want. I was hoping for a new Ryzen on the AM5 socket but that might be more than a year away.
My very first PC was pre-built - that was a 486dx66 from Escom - but I added the soundcard and extra stick of RAM myself rather than have them added to the base model by the shop.
Every desktop since then, and there have been many, has been home-built.
Not since the very early 1990s when I brought a 486 SX25 based system (later upgraded to a 486 DX4)? Since then all my PC's have been built by me. My younger brother did by a Pentium 166 MMX prebuilt system a few years later, but even since then I've built his and his family's PCs.
No chance, my aged father once did, he was distraught when I showed him how much he overpayed.
The build process has always been fairly simple, the rewarding part comes from the tidy cable management and it actually working when you press the power button :pQuote:
The simplification of various components is such that the build process arguably isn't as rewarding as it once was - what used to feel like a day-long operation can now be completed in 30 minutes flat - and with the advantage of buying in bulk, system integrators often offer base units at price points that individuals will struggle to match.
I've considered buying a prebuilt but never have, that's purely down to component choice as well as warranties on individual components exceeding anything offered on a prebuilt PC. Price wise there isn't enough to justify sacrificing on the component choices. If those component choices as well as warranties were there without extra costs involved above and beyond someone building and testing it all works (and shipping) for a nominal amount I'd be more inclined to go down the prebuilt route, as long as it was from a trusted source.
I'd certainly never consider a Dell etc though, I've had to deal with those poor choices made by family members in the past (which is why I now build theirs to their budget and usage scenarios).
Nope. However,at the rate component prices such as GPUs are going up,its cheaper to buy a prebuilt system.
For me, no. I've recommended them to others though. While most are either overpriced for the parts or oddly unbalanced (great GPU with a terrible CPU or vice versa,) there are some decent systems out there.
My first PC was a pre-built back in 2003 and was based around a AMD Athlon 2000+ and a GeForce MX200 if I remember right. I bought it from a local independant PC shop and it died just after it's miserly 1 year warranty ran out. It was 1-2 weeks outside it's warranty and the shop didn't want to know about it. I knew very little about pc's back then and didn't really know what I was doing but on taking the side panel off it was obvious what had failed from the awful electrical burning smell coming from the cheap ass Mercury PSU they had used. I bought a better replacement along with a hdd as the PSU killed that when it failed and was up and running again. Once I started doing some research it was obvious that they had used the cheapest of everything in that pc despite charging quite a high price for it. The PSU weighed next to nothing!! I vowed never to buy a pre-built ever again and have been building my own ever since.
After getting my first serious job at a tech firm in the early 1990's, I invested in a big brand 486 SX25 system. These humble beginnings gave me a taste of the alien world of PC architecture, after many years of being part of the Amiga faithful.
Fitted my first ISA Card (an Orchid 'SoundWave 32' sound card) in that modest PC, expanded the RAM and was instantly hooked on the flexibility of upgrades that PCs offered. The fact I could do serious work on that PC, learn and also play the odd X-Wing mission makes me look back on that as a golden time that expanded my horizons - even if I still loved the Amiga I had just sold in the name of progress (the writing was on the wall for Commodore by then).
Gonna stop there before I start getting all emotional over building my first rig with a 3DFX Voodoo card in it - and the many years of silky smooth Unreal Tournament that followed ;-)
They were awesome! Came with a bus that you could plug a CD drive (woah, future tech) into as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by KultiVator
NEVER HAD, NEVER WILL.*
*commissioned, custom build may be exempted
My first "PC" was a Spectrum, followed by Atari, Commodore, Amiga and then an Evesham so yes I've bought many pre-built machines.
Since the 90's though I've always built my own PC from scratch.
once 20 years ago , but now enjoy doing it myself
yes 2 times, and that was my first PC the DX2 66 MHZ speed wonder, and the following 266 MHZ machine.
The next one was my 700 MHZ machine but that one i build myself, and it was also the first machine i overclocked on, it was also my first AMD machine.
In this day and age no one outside of gooberment should buy prebuild machines, but sadly i am sure the figures on that are going the opposite way, as people today are too stupid to build their own PC.
My most recent system was prebuilt - the Corsair One form factor was too neat, too tempting, and there was no equivalent available as parts.
My first PC (by which I mean DOS/Windows box, as opposed to other computers) was pre-built from a cheap chassis with a 486/66, offered by long-gone chain Escom in a local small town. I had them change a few parts (eg. soundcard) and asked to watch them do it. Having some experiece of upgrading my non-PC systems, and having used PC co-processors etc, I watched them somewhat ham-fistedly work on the machine, and helped out a little getting drivers sorted (edit - in hindsight I must have been a real pain in the neck for them). Having seen them do it, I could hardly *not* DIY in future, because it was almost like lego!
Twice, but both in the early days, by which I mean mid-'80s. This was when home PCs were nearly unheard of, not least due to being blooming expensive, and second, the parts industry was, at best, nascent. The first was a Dell 8086 and I bought a bare bones system even then, and added the graphics board and hard drives, and CD drive, myself.
The second was a "family discount" scheme for employees of a computer manufacturer, and was at least partly designed to get employees to gain subsidised experience. That was a state of the art high end system, otherwise known as a '386, but it had a 338MB (yes, MB) HD, a tape backup drive and a full retail price a whisker under £10,000. I got it a LOT less than that but even so, it was a good proportion of a price of a decent spec brand new Ford car. My Capri 2.8i special was about £9k.
However, nowadays, I seriously would think about a pre-built, albeit a custom-spec'd system. I would not buy a generic machine, like HP or Dell, but a custom build from Scan or similsar? Yeah.
Why? Exactly the reasons given in the article, plus one or two. Certainly, convenienceand warranty. Secondly, availability of parts. Thirdly, a large reason would be convenience.
TThese days, I'm only interested in computers for the things they enable me to do, not for the inherent interest in either building, or working out the spec. There are some people on here (you know who you are) that will get a "Heyyyyelppppp" PM when it comes to optimising components because I'm simply too out of touch. Also, building a PC holds about as much interestand appeal these days as buying the bits and building my own car. i.e. zero. I just want minimum fuss, minimum hassle, and the quickest and easiest way to get the right machine.
Within reason, the cost is low down the priority list. Obviously, I'm not looking to chuck money away for noreason, but minimising the hassle, especially if the build process doesn't go smoothly, has a value attached for which I would pay a modest premium.
I don't mind sticking a board or two, etc, in, and updating drivers but the notion of a ground up build has no appeal.
And one final reason.
All my existing kit is so old that, excepting maybe case and possibly PSU, there's not much I'd be looking to cannibalise for a new build. And for just those, why not buy new? A good reason for building my own always was just buying the bits I needed to upgrade, and moving over the rest. Now, there's precious little (hardware) worth moving over. Software, of course, is a different story.
So yeah, my next PC (probably my last ever) desktop may well be a custom-built complete (or nearly complete) system. Maybe. I certainly wouldn't rule it out, and it's more likely than me building it.
Not since 1987, when I got an Amstrad PC1640 very cheap from Dixons.
Kept getting HP Compaq Presario for some reason. Horrible quality and reliability. The price that HP was charging for pre-built's back then was totally not worth it. Most likely still isn't. This is why I really try to get people to build there own PC. So you can do the research and know what brand of quality you will be getting and choose something else. You will also will be able to figure out what's wrong with your PC hopefully. So you will not have to do expensive repairs like me back in the day. I really don't support pre-built's 99 percent of the time. Unless you have no other choice where you live and how much you can afford. I recommend doing it yourself.
I bought a few prebuilds to start off with, but graduated onto proper builds where I could be sure of every aspect being a quality component and not simply something to cheap out on for maximum profit by the prebuilder.
My preference will always be self-built (for maximum choice) desktops, with custom-built desktops being a close second.
I don't know why you wouldn't go for pre-built. Prices are on point, the components DEFINITELY work together, and the warranty is usually far superior to individual components: plus, if it breaks it's not your responsibility to find out which component went wrong, you just send it off and it's their problem.
I'm sure people on here love cable management and troubleshooting driver/compatibility issues for days on end but I value my time way more than that maybe £100 saving you're getting for buying separately.
Bought a few Amiga units way back when but when they went down - i built all my dos units. For the youngsters dos preceded windows but a smidgen. Then again i learned programming on punch cards.
Next unit will be an Alder lake - later this year. Don't need the speed but the present stuff if getting old.
Sort of...
Parents bought my first few computers due to still being in school (this was 486 era)
First PC (had c64, atari 1025ste first) one was off the shelf (packard bell iirc), second one was built by a computer shop and third was a prebuilt (tiny, yeah I know seemed 'good value' at the time).
Then I went and had one built to my hardware spec by a local pc shop, so sort of pre-built I suppose... which then had issues.
I've built every one since then (since around 2005ish), having said that if the current shortages keep up I may have to resort to a prebuilt (am5 time) to get an update to my current setup, it's starting to show it's age in the work I want it to do.
The last time I purchased a pre-built PC was in June of '96 (HP Pavilion 5040). I've been building my own boxes since August of '97.
I wouldn't disagree with that for the large integrators, like Dell/HP, though there are exceptions even then. In my opinion, you will get a basically functional device but the ones I've seen have been built to be highly price-competitive and that has often mant trimming spec here, there and everywhere.Quote:
Originally Posted by Korrorra
But you have to realise that some, indeed probably most, PC users regard a PC like they do a TV, kitchen blender or washing machine - it is bought to do a specific job and as long as it does it satisfactorly, most of those trimmed corners don't much matter. For instance, my wife uses a PC for credit control for her employer. It runs their (custom) accounts software, lets her write letters, send/receive emails and browse news sites at lunchtime. Oh, and n these lockdown days, use MS Teams (or whatever) for team meetings. Beyond that, she has about as much interest in PCs as I do in automated knitting machines. It's a tool, and provided it works, she has zero further interest.
Most users of a forum like this, however, go quite a way beyond that .... or are here to learn how to go beyond that. There is an interest, absent in my wife, in how PCs work, and what to tweak/tune/replace to get them to work better. For instance, is PSU 1 better than PSU 2, and if so, is it worth the extra price? Or, what spec of HD/SSD should I get? What's the difference in WD drives between Red, Blue, Black, Gold, Purple, Green or the plain silver HC class enterprise drives, and when are you best advised to use one versus the other. What about PMR/CMR/SMR? And so on.
So users here probably benefit, most of the time, from building machines because, yes, it's a learning process and yes, once you have the knowledge, you can fine-tune the spec to include your optimised choice of components.
BUT .... even for users of a forum like this, there is a case to be made for pre-built machines. Some posters have already referred to several of them.like selfishtoaster (great name, by the way) a few posts up (#30).
In my case, I've built machines for several decades. I'm out of date on the intricacies of certain components now, but tat's why I'd talk to some of the people here before finalising my desired spec for my intended uses, which would include photo editing and some video transcoding, but would not include gaming as a priority.
Then, I can go to a custom integrator. Not to the likes of Dell or HP, but to those much smaller integrators who, atleast to some extent and in Scan's case, to a pretty wide extent, will let you spec a machine to your needs. I can choose case, mobo, CPU, PSE, memory amount, type, speed and up to a point, brand and then add or not add various levels of storage, pick my GPU and so on. It then gets built, tested and shipped to me ready to configure the OS and install my applications. What I don't have to do is spend several hours bolting it all together, then sorting out what is wrong is something doesn't work, and possibly arguing with one of several suppliers about component replacement. That's all sorted by Scan before I get the machine.
In other words, you pay usually a modest premium for the convenience of not doing the grunt work. And by not doing it, I save that time. Why do things for myself that are best done by someone else, leaving my time free for me to use in the optimum way?
If price is your ultimate priority, sure, try to minimise it by building yourself. But I don't need the learning curve from the experience. I just want a PC that works, and works well. I'll pay someone with the experience to build it and the parts availability to troubleshoot it, just as I'll pay my solicitor £220/hr to vet contracts rather than do it myself. He's better at it than me, and I don't have to stick my face in the nitty gritty of contract verbiage. There is a lot to be sad for selectively outsourcing tasks better done by someone else, and entirely depending on an individual's circumstances, buying a pre-built machine might be one of them.
I'd certainly advise building for some people I know, but I'd strongly advise against it for others.
I highly doubt you'll get a better warranty period on a prebuilt PC compared to individual components, individual components tend to at least match prebuilt system warranties, or in many cases exceed those offered (such as 10 years on a PSU or 5 years on an NVMe drive etc). Cable management isn't hard and doesn't take long to do properly.Quote:
Originally Posted by selfishtoaster
As for the point about driver issues / compatibility issues? I haven't seen those for a decade (literally, pre Sandy Bridge was the last time I saw those problems).
Also sending off an entire system seems particularly cumbersome, especially when you can get advanced replacements on most parts (had a replacement monitor dealt with this way). I'm not sure I've ever seen an option to have an entire prebuilt system offer an advanced replacement service? However if you think £100 extra is worth those additional hassles, feel free to spend it.
Never ever will. What made up my mind years ago when I almost did was when they said pay a bit extra for the warranty but with the likes of corsair they have long warranty periods but the most important thing for me is it's taking the enjoyment away of building a PC and putting in the components that you particularly want in the case.
Nope, I've always built my own. The first one was a 386 with a maths co-processor. Ah happy days!
Yeah great soundcard in that era - and talking of the CDROM add-on... installing CorelDraw from 1 CDROM was a revelation back then. Way nicer than the alternative - from memory, something like 12 or 14 floppies for a minimum install.Quote:
Originally Posted by kalniel
The CDROM version was also packed with example artwork, fonts, clipart, etc. whereas the floppy version was pretty barebones.
It was also the time for Microsoft Encarta to carve out a niche on CD-ROM - offering a new way to satisfy your enquiring mind in the pre-Google epoch.
Which involves the technological knowledge of:Quote:
Originally Posted by Iota
1.)Knowing what parts to buy in the first place.
2.)Being able to assemble the PC with a degree of competence.
3.)Understanding how to install an OS,etc.
4.)Having time to go through the build,and having time to troubleshoot any issues.
5.)Being able to read reviews in detail. Its one thing knowing a Ryzen 5/Core i5 is a good gaming CPU,or a RX5700XT will give you 60FPS in your favourite games,but what about all the other aspects?? Knowing what types of RAM to get,what motherboards,what parts will work properly with X and Y.
Then if there is a problem:
1.)Being able to identify what has actually stopped working. The system stops booting - is it the PSU,the motherboard,the GPU,etc?
2.)Have spare parts to test other parts to enable the first point. Knowing how to test for issues.
3.)Then contacting the retailer/company to return such part, usually at your own cost and time. A number of RMA locations are in foreign countries. You might not get that postage cost back. Plus some companies and retailers have a history of dragging out RMA requests.
4.)If the retailer/company tries to fob you off,having enough knowledge to be able to escalate the issue.
5.)Due to the new import regulations,many companies have fallen foul of the new rules,so RMAs are being charged VAT,handling charges,etc as the companies have not understood what they should be doing.
How many of us have acted as tech support for people we know?? What if they didn't know anyone who could help. Also during the pandemic people haven't been able to travel as easily too,a company just collecting the whole PC at the doorstep certainly is more viable.
Or they could go to a PC shop/retailer/builder. Then ask for advice from the sales staff who might point them in the right direction. They can then buy the PC then and there,or buy a more customised one from a retailer like Scan or CCL Computers,who offer onsite warranties,collection from home,and telephone/e-mail support. IIRC,even retailers like Scan and OcUK will build a custom PC with parts you specify if you contact them directly.
Its far more convenient especially for someone who just wants a PC. It's also a reason why consoles and phones are popular for gaming - there is no real technological knowledge to run a game on it. If it does not work return the whole shebang to the retailer,etc.
The issue is a lot of people look at PC as like a TV or washing machine - its a device which does a job. Most PC owners have no interest in keeping up to date with hardware,because it bores them to tears. They have very little interest in mucking about with it. Just like some people like modding cars,many will just go down to the dealership and buy an updated version of the previous car they owned.
We are the car modders in that regard. We like knowing about computer technology as a hobby and we like mucking about with hardware,as that is part of the reward of owning a PC.
Even in the current climate,even if you know how to build a PC,there is bigger set of problems - cost and availability. Its cheaper and easier to buy a prebuilt gaming PC or gaming laptop then a self built one. It involves far less faffing around waiting on alerts to get a GPU at a reasonable price. The other alternative is to buy a GPU like an RTX3060 at nearly £600. You can literally get a laptop with an RTX3060 for as low as £850~£900. You are lucky if you can even get an RTX2060 for under £450.
Does a NUC count?
If not, then no.
just my first box more years ago than I can really remember. Every one since has been built by me.
Yes, not embarrassed to say I have as I had to learn my skills some how. An Escom DX2-66 then a Mesh Pentium II based PC. Both at the time gradually upgraded with memory, sound cards, graphics cards and CD/DVD-Rom burners. That was 20 years ago and since then I’ve built from scratch, upgraded & repaired many PCs.
I've always built my own since the first machine I put together in the mid nineties. The frequency has reduced considerably, and I'm now still on a i5 4670K / 980 I put together in 2015 or so, would love to build a new machine but have been a solo indie Dev for a while and yet to earn, and the market now is absolutely dreadful for the likes of us now ☹️
First computer was a pentium 2 machine from Tiny computers, in my defence I was still at school and had no idea.
With that machine over time I learnt, I added voodoo3 graphics, more ram, a second hard drive, a cd-burner, eventually I even swapped out the motherboard.
As that I did later buy a use HP pentium 4 PC with the intention of adding a graphics card (ati x1950 pro).
After that its been self built, the first being an intel e4300 overclocked pc, and a constant evolution from there. I don't think any part of that PC remains in my current setup but there has never been a 100% new rebuild and on that from that this case may be my forever case as I cant find a single suitable replacement.
The last time I bought a pre-built system was when the only way you could get a computer was to buy pre-built. I've been building my own since.
Only ever one was my 1st PC, it was a Dell. Ever since I've made my own, many reasons for this :
Choice of parts
Price
Warranty
My first ever PC was a pre-built 12Mhz Turbo XT with 640K ram and Hercules graphics. My most recent desktop was a pre-built 16core Ryzen just over a year ago. All the others (maybe 90-100) were self-built. I usually have to self-build because nobody makes a good computer case any more.
All valid points, and if time or lack of knowledge are sticking points then yes, certainly, a prebuilt is the best solution (custom prebuilt, I'd never recommend a Dell etc). Also very guilty of being one of those who doesn't mod a car, but just updates it for a newer model. That's actually quite a good analogy to use.Quote:
Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH
Yes, it is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Iota
I haven't modded a car since my teens, and that was Hobson's choice. I could afford an older car and the mod's, but not the newer (and better spec'd) model.
But I haven't modded (*) a car in ages, as the factory-fresh one does the job I want. These days, so would a custom PC.
(*) In terms of modding a car, I'm excluding fitting or upgrading the sound and/or security systems. Those, I most emphatically have done on every new car since my teenage years. But I don't regard that as modding the car. I could say much the same about PCs as I nearly always upgrade their sound capabilities, but in recent years, through mainly external devices.
It would be interesting to know how many computers in homes (not businesses), let's say in the UK, are home built. I'm guessing maybe 0.1%.
I think you might get shocked. There has been a huge growth in people building there own now.Quote:
Originally Posted by judge56988
Interesting point.Quote:
Originally Posted by judge56988
I'd guess (and this is just based on people I know) about 50% my friends/family, and maybe more than that, use a laptop only. Which doesn't count in this thread.
Of those remaining, with desktop systems, I'd guess more like 50% have either home-built or shop-bought custom/modified PCs. And sure, part of that will be my influence, having often been asked for advice, but a bigger part is that most of my friends.family are pretty computer-literate.
But extend that to the general public, a lot of whom aren't computer-literate (though that's far less common than say 20 years ago) and I honestly wouldn't like to even guess what percentage it is. It would totally be a WAG, not even a mildly informed guess.
back in the days of PCMart and MicroMart (classifieds and cheap listings papers) my first PC was a 486 DX2/80 prebuilt that came in at around 550 UKP for the tower only
that's the first and last prebuilt. Pretty good experience, got a free mobo upgrade on it but the graphics adaptor fell out in transit. Easy enough to fix up.
Not since I moved out on my own, though prior to that, my family had prebuilts. Initially a local whitebox builder, but later Sony and HP. The build quality from the local place was quite low (they no longer exist), while the Sony was very well-built, with the HP in between.
Granted, I've kept the same desktop in operation, with upgrades, since moving out on my own. Normally I'd say I plan to build my next one as well, but given component shortages of late, I'd consider a prebuilt if it meant I could get the components I wanted when build-your-own didn't. It'd have to be similarly quiet, however; I don't want to switch to a noise box.
No. Always built my own. Originally for cost. Now I just enjoy it.
Only pre-builts ones I've used have been work supplied or there was a HP base unit that I won.
It's worth the money for the less hassle. When a component goes that's the computer out of action anyway, unless you're hoarding spares, and even then you've got to mess around trying to make it work (which is not guaranteed).Quote:
Originally Posted by Iota
A decent system warranty is comprehensive; especially if you're paying for it. Component warranties are so full of ifs and buts that it can be not worth it. Years ago (on a pre-built system) I had a component fail and the supplier wouldn't replace it like-for-like, they wanted to give me a worse component. This was all fine because it was written into their garbage 'warrenty'.
I do feel free to spend because my time isn't worthless; I always have to weigh up cost in money vs cost in time and effort. If you enjoy putting computers together then good for you, pat yourself on the back, but don't pretend it's some sort of 'superior' option. It isn't.
Last pre-built I bought was an Acorn RiscPC in 1996.
Yep I've bought one from Scan, but I usually build my own. The only time I did was for tax reasons. The flat rate VAT scheme allowed me to claim back the VAT on purchases over £2k. So it was easier to do this with a complete system than components.
Never had to use the warranty for any of it, which is good as I've pulled it apart and reassembled several times since new and now it's runnging in a completely different case.
My first computer was a prebuilt Olivetti PCS Educator 486/50 ... Awesome machine! 2x CD-ROM, 500MB HDD, 4MB RAM... Wish I still had it! From this one on I've always built my own... Latest build is an Ryzen 5 5600X, but is kinda being upgraded over the years... Still rocking my blue tinted acrylic case from 2004 and my GeForce 980 4GB from 2015. It's funny, because now I've being on a purchase spree of old prebuilts! I have now a couple of Compaq Presarios AMD K6/2, a Compaq Deskpro 2000 (Pentium 200 MMX), a Compaq ProLiant 5500 Server, found an eMachines eTower 633IDs and bought that too (Upgraded it from a Celeron 633 to an Pentium III 850MHz, then slapped a couple of VooDoo 2 in SLI in them and ive been playing MDK 2 on that like crazy), then an IBM Aptiva Pentium 166 (non MMX)... Also have an IBM PC330/450 (486DX 50, kinda fill my hole for the Olivetti)
My last prebuilt was a Tiny PC Pentium 200 MMX back in 1996/7 I think when I was a 15/16 year old? Built my own ever since.
Since 2002,
not only keep building my own desktop computers, I also establish & build desktop pc's for (probably a few dozens of) my friends.
I neither had, nor used laptop computers in my whole life.
Since 2002, countless ultra expensive (so called "cutting edge") laptops come and gone... Custom build desktops are always progress through time.
Most people I know don't have a desktop anymore - laptops can be used anywhere in the house and connected to an external monitor if a bigger display is required. An external storage device and/or the cloud can take care of all your storage needs. Unless you use a PC for gaming or heavy duty work related tasks such as CAD, video editing, whatever; what's the point of them? having said that, I'm not about to give up my desktop or laptop!Quote:
Originally Posted by ozkrmz
Completely subjective. It depends on what you're building and if you have the time available. I guess I'm lucky I have the time and enjoy it, without any serious issues of note since doing so.Quote:
Originally Posted by selfishtoaster
would say my 386SX at wooping 16mhz was pre-built... it had a turbo button as well... so you can switch between 8 and 16mhz.
Started with 1mb ram over 4 sticks... later on upgraded to 4mb.... uh... it had 256kb GFX card too... on top of that it had 90mb HDD and of course a 3.5" floppy drive.
Somehow the 14" monitor could picture SVGA as well, found that out on my next system my 486DX100, think it also had a turbo button haha.
My C64 before that was also pre-built, however got it modified.
Yep, loads including half a dozen Macs and more Dells than you can shake a stick at. Every few years I'll build a high spec box and obsess over every component.
Always buy pre-builts now. I know my limits!
No, I have not bought a pre-built gaming PC since the mid-90s.
Personally, just my first PC from Dell many moons ago. A few for friends and family.
I bought one from PC World many many years ago just to find they had put glue in the graphics card expansion slot! Back it went.