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03/13/2004 01:44:04 PM · #26 |
tiger direct
sells many makes of sdram and others, including crucial i think, you need to be sure the new ram you buy runs at the same speed as the old ram - or replace it all with new ram - might be issues running say 100mhz along with 133mhz chips - even though the new ram is backwards compatible - that is reffering to the mainboards FSB speed
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03/13/2004 02:16:12 PM · #27 |
| i agree about newegg.com...i've used them for several items and have had really good luck with them. for a lot of items, they offer free shipping so that saves some money. |
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03/13/2004 05:51:25 PM · #28 |
Originally posted by soup:
how do you suppose its cheaper only if you 'pirate' all your software.
did you consider that folks may already OWN legimate software licenses?
which could be installed on the new system... |
I just base it on what I see. I don't know too many people that actually pay for the software they run anymore. The operating system alone adds at least $200 to the build price. These days, software is like camera lenses. The price of all of it is more than the cost of the PC itself.
You can definitely nickel and dime your way into a new pc and save some money in a lot of cases.
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03/13/2004 06:36:17 PM · #29 |
just stuck with the win98 copy that shipped with the 5yr old gateway, and bought the win98se upgrade - not happy with the new versions of windows ( wish win98se supported more memory... )
you dont necessarily need the most current versions of all the software to be happy
you can always run linux ;} free
as well as lots of free software... in a legal way on top of that
my point is - you only have to upgrade what you need a lot of the time - you dont always need the whole package.
EDIT - building yourself also allows you to build it stages - adding things as you can, and see fit.
Message edited by author 2004-03-13 18:37:58.
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03/13/2004 07:06:02 PM · #30 |
It is not that hard to build a computer if you have a reasonable knowledge of all the parts. It is the way to go if you plan on upgrading the system in the future. Most manufacturers use proprietary boards and built-in cards that really hamper upgrading.
Check Tech TV search all of their web sites they should have ample info for building a system. I think Leo may even have a book out on upgrading or building your own system. The biggest thing you have to be careful with is installing the CPU and heat sink. Go through the motions and follow the instructions several times and it should not be a problem.
I built all of our computers and installed the home network with CAT5 cable. I bought most everything from CompUPlus.com and newegg.com (memory). Compuplus usually had cheaper prices and better selections than newegg on most of the equipment. Plus they shipped quickly and used FED-EX and not the UPS gorillas that smashed every box I ever ordered. I bought a lot of it as OEM. You get everthing but the printed manuals.
Originally posted by outofreachx:
Is it difficult? I know its WAY cheaper, but if its too difficult a task I will just buy one from a store. Also is there a site or book that goes in depth about how to build a PC from scratch? Thanks |
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03/13/2004 07:45:40 PM · #31 |
General Response:
Hardware: I prefer AMD as the price/performance ratio beats Intel. I use a 'generic'(aka standard) MoBo ($41 delivered, DDR, USB 2.0, etc), a generic box bought a computer show, same with RAM. My floppy drive and monitor have migrated from one machine to the next. HD is from circuit city when a rebate was happening (see staples too)
A new system needs to run 24 hours for burn in - i havve not had anything fail, but this is when it will. DO not go too cutting edge as the parts have to work together (memory is the most delicate of these).
As to OS's - I am not on the cutting edge - I wait a year or 2 before moving up in OS's. I now have XP Pro. I get 2 years from a omputer and then upgrade, get a new HD and reinstall my same OS. I NEVER upgrade ontop of a working OS - by the time i need to upgrade I need a bigger HD anyway. THis way i have a backup if i really need one.
OLD os's are NOT supported by MS, get no updates, have poor driver support for newer software, are slower, etc. For the $90 that XP Home (or less online - my XP pro cost $135, NOT 299) it is worth getting it - a BIG improvement over 95/98/Me.
If you build a system with OS, you may not save a lot in absolute dollars, you WILL get more for your money, know your system and be able to upgrade (or repair it).
chris |
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03/14/2004 02:08:09 AM · #32 |
I've built several systems (my own and for friends). I originally decided to build my own due to the upgrading frustration/incompatibilities I had 5 years ago on a store bought Compaq. Building your own PC forces you to know everything about it. Thus, when something goes wrong it is usually easy to diagnose/fix/replace it (forget those rip off extended service plans that cost hundreds of dollars and keep your PC in repair for weeks).
My most recent PC is a Soyo MB (4 IDE UltraDMA w/ RAID) w/ AMD processor (more bang for your buck). I ran into some hard drive problems with freezing/instability because of the VIA chipset my board used. After some firmware updates and bios changes I got everything running rock solid in a day or two.
On the 1st PC I built, the scariest part was attaching the heatsink on top of the processor. It was a tension bar lock to secure the heatsink, and you had to use a screwdriver to get enough force to pull the metal bar down over the plastic ledge to lock it. Too little pressure and it won't go over the plastic ledge, too much pressure and the screwdriver tip could slide off the metal bar and smash into the motherboard. It gets easier everytime though!
I'm going to agree with everyone else. I always order my parts from Newegg and Directron. Good prices & shipping. Good luck if you decide to build your own PC. It is well worth it imho. |
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03/14/2004 05:02:12 AM · #33 |
Originally posted by tfaust:
Originally posted by Azrifel:
My experience with 'performance parts' and Dell systems is very bad. They had some nice offerings a while back, looked great on paper, good price so we bought two. They ran slower than a handbuild Cyrix PR MX system with on paper a 200% slower processor and even more slower than a handbuild Pentium I with on paper 100% less processing power.
I will never ever buy Dell stuff again. |
Not sure what you got, but if you went for the cheaper sale items, it was probably slow processer, not much RAM, etc. Dell offers bargain pricing, just like any computer manufacturer, but if you want current, fast stuff - you need to customize it.
I recommend Dell to all of my customers and they are very happy with their machines. The first time I set one up for a client, I was very impressed with the build of it and quality of the machine/parts. |
It looked good on paper, but the motherboard inside turned out to be a POS and the HD was a terribly slow performer. It seems like they couldn't find anything cheaper to throw in. They are very stable and fast enough for 'normal' office work, but when you are working with a database, installing software, restarting the system/ starting up or working on a photo they are soooooo slow. I felt ripped off and when a company makes me feel that way they have lost me as a customer. For the prices we paid I could have build or could have had build much better systems, including the needed software.
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03/14/2004 06:03:40 AM · #34 |
Originally posted by soup:
just stuck with the win98 copy that shipped with the 5yr old gateway, and bought the win98se upgrade - not happy with the new versions of windows ( wish win98se supported more memory... )
you dont necessarily need the most current versions of all the software to be happy
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Is it true windows 98 second Edition has issues with memory i.e beyon 512mb ram it is use less to add, let me know as i have windows 98 se shipped with my PC and i need to upgrade my memory |
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03/14/2004 10:14:55 AM · #35 |
there may be a patch somewhere - though i havent found it - win98se will ( as far as i can tell ) only support 512M ram no matter what the main board is rated to take - my board for instance will take 3gigs - when i 1st built i put in 1gig, and had all sorts of trouble, and errors telling me i was out of memory and to close some applications - even when nothing was running...
then you could throw winXP on and a gig of ram, and let XP hog 512 megs of it ;}
win2000 is terible with games...
so i run linux, and win98se - nice thing about win98se is none of the newer worms or trojans really go after it these days ;}
Originally posted by General:
Originally posted by soup:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
just stuck with the win98 copy that shipped with the 5yr old gateway, and bought the win98se upgrade - not happy with the new versions of windows ( wish win98se supported more memory... )
you dont necessarily need the most current versions of all the software to be happy
Is it true windows 98 second Edition has issues with memory i.e beyon 512mb ram it is use less to add, let me know as i have windows 98 se shipped with my PC and i need to upgrade my memory |
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03/14/2004 10:19:10 AM · #36 |
i have 384 megs of ram, and windows only takes about 70
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03/14/2004 10:22:33 AM · #37 |
Building part by part ,assuming you are using good brands will not be cheap(er)!
I got mine built here for less than 700 $ !
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03/14/2004 11:21:54 AM · #38 |
Originally posted by hsteg:
i have 384 megs of ram, and windows only takes about 70 |
not true - check your swap file size, and if there is anything in it. Perhaps the windows kernel or somehting only uses 70mb, but you need all that other ram for the programs you run. The percentage of resources IS NOT a percentage of RAM used. |
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03/14/2004 11:31:54 AM · #39 |
Originally posted by pitsaman:
Building part by part ,assuming you are using good brands will not be cheap(er)!
I got mine built here for less than 700 $ ! |
What did you get for $700? I would say you could get a computer, with OS, for less premade than homebuilt. The advantage of homebuilt is you get exactly the parts you want, can re-use old parts if need be, etc.
My current system is 3 years old - started as an SiS Mobo (DDR which was new then), AMD 1Ghz Thuunderbird(new chip die then), 30g HD (budgetary reasons), 64mb 3d video w/o tv out (brain fade on brand..but was $79). Generic box. Moved my CD, zip and floppy drives over.Installed the win 98 i had -256mb of 2100 ddr ram, total cost was $400. (resused monitor, mouse and kbd too) Added a CR-RW at some point.
This past december i upgraded the Mobo to USB 2.0 (same chipset/manufacturer) for $41 and a 120gb WD drive for $79 after rebates, XP Pro for $129 via ebay. The new mobo can take most any AMD processor (old mobo could take up to 1.8) so that and more ram is on the list next.
If you buy a complete system from Joe's Compu Co. (or whomever) then you have NO choice on what you get - perhaps a slower HD, no name video, $2 mouse, slower processor or ram design, etc. The details is the difference. My system when new out benchmarked my friend's new at the same time Intel P4 1.5! I picked well and have not regretted it.
However, a new mobo design is coming this year, no power connectors, new case mounts, so most of the next gen of upgrades will require a complete replacement. |
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03/14/2004 11:52:05 AM · #40 |
Originally posted by pitsaman:
Building part by part ,assuming you are using good brands will not be cheap(er)!
I got mine built here for less than 700 $ ! |
i upgraded my mom's computer for just over $300. she didn't need the fastest or the newest but instead of the "Bic" computer that she had, she now has a computer that can be easily upgraded if she ever wants to do so. |
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03/14/2004 11:52:18 AM · #41 |
One thing that has not been mentioned, if you build it yourself, get a GOOD grounding wrist strap. In the years I spent in the computer service industry, the most common cause of failure when a "do it yourselfer" had a hardware problem was the STATIC ELECTRICITY generated when you walk across the carpet in your sock feet.
Theron
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03/14/2004 11:53:20 AM · #42 |
| Parts you buying in the store are at the retail price,dealers buy them at wholesale (much cheaper),plus you have to calculate the labor you put in (several hours of screwing,headaches and crashes),don't think is worth it and the quality will not be there unless you are PRO! |
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03/14/2004 12:03:02 PM · #43 |
Here is a nice system for 777 $
2ND_USB: STANDARD 2 USB PORT CONNECTORS [+0]
CABLE: NONE [+0]
CAS: TURBO X-ALIEN CASE 420W W/ WINDOW [+51] (SILVER COLOR)
CASUPGRADE: NONE [+0]
CD: SONY 16X DVD-ROM [+34] (SILVER COLOR [+9])
CDRW: ARTEC CD-RW 52X24X52 [+0] (SILVER COLOR [+9])
CPU: AMD Athlon XP 3000+ Processor (512K L2 CACHE) [+74]
FAN: AMD CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK [+0]
FLASHMEDIA: None [+0]
FLOPPY: 1.44 MB FLOPPY DRIVE [+0] (SILVER COLOR [+7])
GAMING1: NONE [+0]
GAMING2: NONE [+0]
GAMING3: NONE [+0]
GAMING4: NONE [+0]
GAMING5: NONE [+0]
HDD: 120GB 7200 RPM ATA 100 HARD DRIVE [+20]
HDD2: NONE [+0]
IEEE_CARD: NONE [+0]
KEYBOARD: PS2 MULTIMEDIA INTERNET CONTROL KEYBOARD [+0] (BEIGE COLOR)
MEMORY: 512 MB (256MBx2) PC3200 400MHz Dual Channel DDR MEMORY [+44] (Standard Major Brand)
MODEM: PCI 56K V.92 FAX MODEM W/ VOICE [+12]
MONITOR: NONE
MOTHERBOARD: MSI K7N2-L DELTA nForce2 ULTRA 400FSB DDR400 AGP 8X [+17]
MOUSE: Microsoft® Optical Wheel Mouse [+7] (BEIGE COLOR)
MP3PLAYER: NONE [+0]
NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD [+0]
OS: Microsoft® Windows® XP HOME EDITION [+89]
POWERSUPPLY: STANDARD CASE POWER SUPPLY [+0]
PRINTER: None [+0]
PRINTER CABLE: None [+0]
RAID: NONE [+0]
RUSH: NO; SHIP OUT IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS [+0]
SCANNER: NONE [+0]
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT [+0]
SOFT1: NONE [+0]
SOFT2: NONE [+0]
SOUND: 3D WAVE ON-BOARD 5.1 SOUND CARD [+0]
SPEAKERS: 120 WATT STEREO SPEAKERS [+0] (BEIGE COLOR)
TEMP: NONE (AS SHOWN) [+0]
USB_PENDRIVE: NONE [+0]
VIDEO: nVIDIA GeForce-2 MX-400 64MB AGP [+0]
VIDEOCAMERA: NONE [+0]
WIRELESSCARD: NONE [+0]
WIRELESSPOINT: NONE [+0]
ZIP: NONE [+0]
_PRICE: (+777)
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03/14/2004 01:21:57 PM · #44 |
Originally posted by pitsaman:
Building part by part ,assuming you are using good brands will not be cheap(er)!
I got mine built here for less than 700 $ ! |
Looks like a good place, and an "improving" rating at reseller ratings.
I forgot to mention a place that has a nice configurator, allowing you to choose from almost any brand part (and prices are pretty good):
//www.markonecomputers.com/ |
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03/17/2004 02:20:16 AM · #45 |
| Current article from PC Magazine on this topic. |
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03/17/2004 03:31:25 AM · #46 |
Been building my own computer from parts since 93 and proud of it. My current beast is a dual-processer AMD Athlon 1800+, with 1.5gb of RAM, GeForce 5200, and two 17" LCD screens. 2x120gb HDs, 1x200gb HD, 1x60gb HD. HP DVD200i DVD+ Writer and an additional DVD reader/CD-RW.
All of this is wrapped up in a nice Mid-tower Lian-Li Aluminium case.
I won't begin to estimate how much time/money I've spent on this thing over the past two years - but obviously it's far too much.
However, I get the pleasure of knowing I've got a killer system. It's stable to boot, typical uptime under full use conditions is around 60days. (Strangely enough, my average time between hardware purchases is 60 days -- coincidence?) |
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03/19/2004 11:16:35 AM · #47 |
Originally posted by hbilly:
One thing that has not been mentioned, if you build it yourself, get a GOOD grounding wrist strap. In the years I spent in the computer service industry, the most common cause of failure when a "do it yourselfer" had a hardware problem was the STATIC ELECTRICITY generated when you walk across the carpet in your sock feet.
Theron |
This is why i build them naked in the yard. Selling tickets to the neighbors helps raise the cash for upgrades too.
Really, I have no carpets, and grond myself to the chassis before and after every operation. A wrist strap would probably be a good idea, but if i tie myslef up in the yard naked it becomes a bondage thing and it might offend someone.
chris |
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03/19/2004 11:25:29 AM · #48 |
I bought my PC from Mother Board Express . They are very helpful and their customer sevice folks know what they are talking about. They will sell you everything you need, and will assemble it for you and burn in & test your CPU for a small fee or let you do it yourself. They really made the whole process painless and I was able to get exactly what I wanted.
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03/19/2004 11:47:46 AM · #49 |
Originally posted by bestagents:
This is why i build them naked in the yard. Selling tickets to the neighbors helps raise the cash for upgrades too.
Really, I have no carpets, and grond myself to the chassis before and after every operation. A wrist strap would probably be a good idea, but if i tie myslef up in the yard naked it becomes a bondage thing and it might offend someone.
chris |
Funniest thing heard after whole day of work , very funny |
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03/19/2004 11:49:08 AM · #50 |
If you need a real system you have to build by yours self.
The system what you need !!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Or you can by from dell,,,,,,,,,,,,, but remember you have to over pay for system from dell, gateway, hp, Compaq, IBM..............
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