Convince dad that building is better than premade?

Ac3

New Member
My dad doesn't trust building a computer because he thinks it will be very hard. I keep telling him it is a very easy process, and price for parts is a lot better when you make a custom build. He keeps wanting to go buy a premade computer. Do you guys think you could help me convince him? I am going to be showing him this thread.
 

Calibretto

VIP Member
Building a computer yourself is one of those things that make you feel good inside. Knowing that you built it and not Dell or HP is a great feeling.

Plus, it costs way less to build your own and you get better reliability because you have better quality parts than a premade.

The useless software that's included on a premade is non-existent on a PC that you build yourself. It's quite nice.

But I would understand your Dad saying what he's saying if you've never built a computer before, BUT it's never too late to learn and it's really not that difficult to learn either.
 

gamerman4

Active Member
This is a pretty thorough guide.
http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-2008-pc-builders-bible/a-20080918153014865039

Building your own computer:
Pros:
-You decide what goes into the computer (don't pay for what you don't need)
-Often cheaper (the price difference gets bigger as the price goes up)
i.e. a $400 Dell and a $400 custom won't be much different in performance but a $1000 Dell and a $1000 custom will show a clear difference in performance with the custom being much faster
-Parts are of higher quality (assuming you buy from reputable brands)
-Easy to upgrade (Pre-made computer cases are often not ATX standard and their PSUs are usually not powerful enough to handle many upgrades)
Cons:
-Each part has its own warranty
-If the computer breaks its up to you to figure out which part broke (this is quite easy though)
-Due to the ATX standard, custom PC cases are often larger then pre-made PC cases

Buying a prebuilt computer:
Pros:
-Warranty covers the entire computer
-Don't have to worry about individual parts
Cons:
-Possibly pay for things you don't need
-Often comes with pre-installed software that is useless and slows the computer down
-Hit-and-miss customer service
 

bomberboysk

Active Member
Ok he said we could build it as long as we got parts from this store http://www.computersonics.com/
how does this compare to newegg

I can tell you right now your gonna be overpaying alot there, show him this:
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Computer_Sonics <----7.5lifetime, No reviews within 6 months

Then this:
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/Newegg<----9.87 six month, 9.78 lifetime

Plus that store doesnt even stock phenom II's, an original phenom(Horrible overclocking/run hot/slow) there is more than a phenom II(amazing cpu) on newegg. A 750gb seagate hdd is $130 there while a 1TB western digital is $100 on newegg. Etc Etc. Newegg is pretty much the #1 retailer for computer components, and the prices prove it. Plus the shipping cant be beat, ive received stuff in less than 48 hours of placing the order, and all that on the standard shipping.

Another good guide here:
http://www.computerforum.com/104641-how-build-computer-step-step-photos.html
 
Last edited:

gamerman4

Active Member
well for one, it's not newegg, and newegg is the best.

Any particular reason you need to use that site?
 

Rawlaw

New Member
Newegg isn't always the best. I just bought the logitech g9 for 35 bucks less then Newegg. Most of the time it's the best but make sure before putting your money foward
 

bomberboysk

Active Member
Newegg isn't always the best. I just bought the logitech g9 for 35 bucks less then Newegg. Most of the time it's the best but make sure before putting your money foward

Thats because it was on sale at tiger/compusa/circuitcity:p But as far as components go before being on sale, newegg is pretty much the best. Plus newegg has had the amazing power search and sorting features for ages, comp/tiger/circuitcity just now started having a sorting feature, that still isnt anywhere near as good as newegg.
 
Last edited:

gamerman4

Active Member
Newegg isn't always the best. I just bought the logitech g9 for 35 bucks less then Newegg. Most of the time it's the best but make sure before putting your money foward

Newegg isn't the best because of price (I can often find other sites with cheaper prices but it isn't worth the hassle or the price difference is slight), it is the best because of the huge selection of products and the search options available for finding the right part.
 

bomberboysk

Active Member
No... i meant i bought it at a local store for cheaper.. no hastle

Compusa/Tigerdirect/Circuitcity are all the same, and you got it at compusa who are the same store as their website;) Peripherals are pretty much the only thing cheaper at a local store though, except when routers/wifi cards are on sale they can be a little cheaper once in awhile... Online is the way to buy components though(exceptions apply though, such as when microcenter had the $199 i7 920)
 

ScOuT

VIP Member
It's the local store. And I'll show him what you guys posted and he should be convinced.

There are many smart members here that will help you chose the best parts and get every dollars worth. There is also guides that will help you through it.


***CF Members***

If he convinces his Dad to build one...will a few senior members step up and really help him and his dad?

It will probably require a little extra time and effort but the end state will be well worth it.;)
 

Ac3

New Member
Well there was this build at the store he wanted to get, and I found all the same parts on Newegg and the total was $250 cheaper
Also, if any parts weren't working, would the local computer stores be able to fix it.
 

ScOuT

VIP Member
Well there was this build at the store he wanted to get, and I found all the same parts on Newegg and the total was $250 cheaper
Also, if any parts weren't working, would the local computer stores be able to fix it.

If you buy parts from Newegg...the local computer store can't do anything really. You'll have to RMA the product and send it back to Newegg. It sounds difficult buts it's really painless. The hardest part will be waiting for the new part to arrive:(

For your Dad...Newegg really is the best choice.

1. They offer combo deals that will save money.

2. Many items offer free shipping that will save money

3. They return policy and RMA program Newegg offers is arguably the best in the industry.

You will get double the computer if you build it together. I'll round up a few members and we can help you step by step. Many people on here have built more computers than can be counted...this is the exact reason Computerforum.com exists:D


I'm in:good:

bomberboysk...I know your in;) Start a parts list...you know Newegg better than anybody in the forum:p
 
Last edited:

Ac3

New Member
Well he just read this and then he got up silently and left. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing :p
 

gamerman4

Active Member
Just give me a price and I'll have a go at it.

What is the computer going to be used for?
 
Last edited:

tlarkin

VIP Member
This is a pretty thorough guide.
http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-2008-pc-builders-bible/a-20080918153014865039

Building your own computer:
Pros:
-You decide what goes into the computer (don't pay for what you don't need)
-Often cheaper (the price difference gets bigger as the price goes up)
i.e. a $400 Dell and a $400 custom won't be much different in performance but a $1000 Dell and a $1000 custom will show a clear difference in performance with the custom being much faster
-Parts are of higher quality (assuming you buy from reputable brands)
-Easy to upgrade (Pre-made computer cases are often not ATX standard and their PSUs are usually not powerful enough to handle many upgrades)
Cons:
-Each part has its own warranty
-If the computer breaks its up to you to figure out which part broke (this is quite easy though)
-Due to the ATX standard, custom PC cases are often larger then pre-made PC cases

Buying a prebuilt computer:
Pros:
-Warranty covers the entire computer
-Don't have to worry about individual parts
Cons:
-Possibly pay for things you don't need
-Often comes with pre-installed software that is useless and slows the computer down
-Hit-and-miss customer service


FWIW you also get a lot better support when you buy a whole computer from someone, and better service too. If you build it, they may do advanced RMAs but require credit cards to do so, and if you buy it a lot of times the parts will be over-nighted to the warranty service shop that is local to you.
 
Top