Is it hard to build your own PC?

Pappy o' daniel

I've added memory, and swapped graphics cards but building a pc from scratch seems a bit daunting.
And how much would i save roughly over buying a pre built one?
Thanks

OK-Cancel-Apply

I think hardwarevesand.de charge about €20 to build it for you. But if you really want to put it together yourself, I'd say take your time and make sure you know exactly how everything is supposed to go together. Don't force anything and don't rush.

eoferrall

I did it about a year ago now, same as yourself only swapped small bits before that. I found it no problem what so ever - had one issue with the keyboard but that was quickly solved here! (Bios setting)

I would say go for it and as above poster said go slowly and patiently. I had it built in one evening after work and install vista etc the 2nd evening and was up in running. so took 6-7 hrs all-together.

kaimera

i found a second pair of eyes invaluable tbh; from missing power connecters to the cpu fan to sata cables only plugged in one end

pretty easy to build; troubleshooting is a different story tho!

Mick L

Like most things, it's easy if you know how.
There are advantages over a prebuilt system above and beyond the financial savings.

You will be able to tailor the build to your exact needs so you won't end up with a compromise of parts that you don't need, or worse, having to settle for a spec lower than you need/want.

Secondly, it's a great learning experience. It's one thing to get it all up and running. You'll eventually move on to tweaking the performance and learn more about the workings of your PC than you can imagine.

Finally, there is a lot of information out there, and how to guides. Or just post here and there'll be loads of advise on offer I'm sure.
It's really handy to have access to another computer while you're building so you can look up stuff and download drivers etc as needed. Otherwise you need to do a lot of preparation beforehand.

Padraig Mor

I did my own build a couple of years ago. TBH it was really easy. Only (minor) hassle is it can be a bit 'fiddly' working in the case (esp. with wiring) but that's it. And you get a big smile on your face at the ned of it all!

Parser

Install fans if case does not have them already installed.
Install the rear faceplate which comes with the motherboard into the case.
Screw PSU into case.
Screw motherboard into case making sure risers are used.
Attach PSU power connectors to motherboard.
Attach ON/OFF button and case lights connectors to motherboard.
Slot CPU into socket, lock it in. Lock CPU fan in place.
Install RAM into slots.
Install graphics card, screw into case and connect power from PSU.
Install any extra PCI cards.
Screw Hard-drives and DVD drives into case.
Connect PSU power to HDD and DVD drives.
Connect Sata / IDE leads from HDDs + DVD to motherboard.
Close Case.

Attach all the leads to back of tower. Turn on.

Don't be overly aggressive when pushing things like RAM and GPU into place, although they do require a fair bit of force.

RAM, CPU, GPU, power connects etc can only be plugged in in a certain orientation, make sure you have it lined up correctly before attempting to slot in.

Make sure you only touch the edges of RAM modules and GPU, ground yourself by touching an unpainted piece of metal on a radiator or just the inside of the case every so often.

CPU slots in with zero force, just line it up and drop it into the socket, there's a little lever you pull to lock it in.

You will learn a lot by doing it yourself.

Effluo

I had my first build about 4 months ago and it was a very enjoyable experience.

I got a gigabyte mobo and the instruction manual that came with it was brilliant. I had my laptop at the ready looking for websites to help me build it and ended up not needing it at all!
I kinda look at it as one of those kids jigsaw puzzles with numbers and the places already cut out for you. The pieces might just also have small plastic handles on it too for easier attainability... :P

A self built pc is however not for everyone. Maybe post in this forum again to what you'll actually be using the pc for. (if you're playing games say which ones and the screens resolution)

Some peeps just need something to browse the internet, watch a few movies and to play the sims on :roll: And for those people i'd happily recommend a Dell for €350 delivered.
In reality that's what most people should spend on their pc's now, cause they use em for much else!

Pappy o' daniel

Thanks for all that lads, I'm going to definitely consider it.

elexes

building your own wont save you money . im almost sure that you will never save when compaired to buying from dell or the likes. but the difference is that you will buy better parts then dell use and will find it easier to fix your own computer then getting through to somone in dell to talk you over the phone how to do it.

ive built all my gaming machines since 95 and will continue to keep doing it .

Effluo

elexes wrote: »

building your own wont save you money . im almost sure that you will never save when compaired to buying from dell or the likes.

That is completely untrue!

ronkmonster

Effluo wrote: »

That is completely untrue!

Yeah it's not totally true but if you wanted the exact specs of dell (or other manufacturer) then why not buy it.
We build to get it exactly to our own spec which would probably cost more than a mass made model. How many retail shops would stock PCs with a 400/500 graphics card.

When you compared high end pcs to high end custom build then saving are more likely.

elexes

lets see if this copy and paist will work

PROCESSOR Intel® Pentium™ Dual-Core E5200 processor (2.5GHz, 800MHz, 2MB cache) edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Home Basic with Service Pack 1, 32-bit - English edit
MICROSOFT SOFTWARE Microsoft® Works 9.0 - English edit
MONITOR Display Not Included edit
MEMORY 1024MB 800MHz Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM [2x512] edit
HARD DRIVE 160GB (7200rpm) Serial ATA Hard Drive with 8MB DataBurst™ cache edit
GRAPHICS CARD Integrated Intel® Graphic Media Accelerator X4500 edit
OPTICAL DRIVE 16x DVD-ROM Drive edit
KEYBOARD Dell™ Entry Quietkey USB Keyboard - UK/Irish (QWERTY) edit
Dell Recommends
Logitech Cordless Desktop MX3200
Upgrade to Logitech MX3200 Cordless Keyboard and Laser Mouse - Leading edge design, one-touch media controls [add € 46.66 € 37.33]


MOUSE Dell 2 Button USB Optical Mouse edit
Services & Software
SUPPORT SERVICES 1Yr Collect & Return Warranty - No Upgrade Selected edit
Dell Recommends
3 Years Next Business Day
Protect your new purchase and add increased peace of mind by extending the warranty coverage to 3 years and get Next Business Day Onsite service !
Upgrade to 3Yr Basic Warranty - Next Business Day [add € 80.00]


SECURITY SOFTWARE Norton Internet Security™ 2009 - 15 Month Protection - English edit
Accessories
SOUND SOFTWARE Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio HD edit
SPEAKERS No Speakers edit
FLOPPY/MEDIA DRIVES No Floppy Drive edit
MODEMS No Modem edit
Also included with your system
Base Vostro 220 MT Standard Base Mini Tower Chassis
Power Cords 2 Meter Power Cord - UK
Documentation/Disks English - Documentation Vostro Desktop
Bundle D072204
Standard Warranty 1 Year Collect and Return
Order Information Vostro Desktop 220MT Order - Ireland
Dell System Media Kit Resource DVD - (Diagnostics & Drivers)

find a way to build the same system for under €269. cause i cant

http://www.komplett.ie/k/search.aspx?q=vista&bn=10339&mfr=MICROSOFT and thats just the os

Dublin_Gunner

elexes wrote: »

building your own wont save you money . im almost sure that you will never save when compaired to buying from dell or the likes. but the difference is that you will buy better parts then dell use and will find it easier to fix your own computer then getting through to somone in dell to talk you over the phone how to do it.

ive built all my gaming machines since 95 and will continue to keep doing it .

Well that really depends. If you want to build a low spec, office type machine - then yeah, your Dell, complete with screen and peripherals can't be beaten.

Howver, you'll build a higher end quad core, with high end gfx etc for a LOT less, as the likes of Dell, and those fancy pants 'gaming' PC manufacturers cost you an arm and a leg.

But the best part, is turning it on and installing the OS - then the first BOOT knowing you've done it all yourself, with exactly the parts YOU wanted.

I've been building PC's since I was 14, and the fun and feeling of accomplishment never go away.

Plus, when you've built your own, you can upgrade parts a lot easier, and you have RMA/warranty on the individual parts too.

I say go for it, and if you need any help, just post here, or on any other tech forum, and the resident geeks will be more than happy to answer any questions you might have

Effluo

that's not including vat or shipping
also when it says there's a limit of 5 per customer does that mean you have to buy a minimum of 5 of that you can buy only 5???

Why wouldn't they want you to buy more than 5???


Also can i state that i said earlier here that i would recommend the cheapest dells to some people. I said that this statement was completely untrue!

building your own wont save you money . im almost sure that you will never save when compaired to buying from dell or the likes.

I was stating that it's not true that "building your own won't save you money"
More often than not it does

Effluo

Woe betide me but they didn't have the 2.5ghz pentium at hardwareversand.de it's the 2.4ghz one instead

it came to E297 with tax and delivery

so minus tax it's actually 240...

Don't forget that vat in ireland is higher than it is in germany so dells price is more like 325 without delivery...


Intel Pentium Dualcore E2220 E54



MSI P6NGM-L, Nvidia MCP73, mATX E40


1024MB DDR2 Elixir, PC6400/800 E10


(Case with psu) Jet Delta mit 420W

E35
Samsung 160gb hd E35
Lg dvd rw E21.5
Vista home basic 32bit E74

total E297

total cost of that dell is around E325 and we don't know about delivery and multiple buys necessary??

Soooo
It's not that amazing i suppose, the price i think tricked us a bit when it didn't have delivery or vat on it :?

mukki

i think most system builders infringe on copyright laws to reduce the build costs

Dublin_Gunner

mukki wrote: »

i think most system builders infringe on copyright laws to reduce the build costs

I'd love to see evidence of that - if true they'd all be sued to bankruptcy by now.

mukki

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

I'd love to see evidence of that - if true they'd all be sued to bankruptcy by now.

lol i meant diy system builders.

Dublin_Gunner

mukki wrote: »

lol i meant diy system builders.

Oh lol

Speak for yourself................

TerrorFirmer

Effluo wrote: »

Woe betide me but they didn't have the 2.5ghz pentium at hardwareversand.de it's the 2.4ghz one instead

it came to E297 with tax and delivery

so minus tax it's actually 240...

Don't forget that vat in ireland is higher than it is in germany so dells price is more like 325 without delivery...


Intel Pentium Dualcore E2220 E54



MSI P6NGM-L, Nvidia MCP73, mATX E40


1024MB DDR2 Elixir, PC6400/800 E10


(Case with psu) Jet Delta mit 420W

E35
Samsung 160gb hd E35
Lg dvd rw E21.5
Vista home basic 32bit E74

total E297

total cost of that dell is around E325 and we don't know about delivery and multiple buys necessary??

Soooo
It's not that amazing i suppose, the price i think tricked us a bit when it didn't have delivery or vat on it :?

But the Dell comes with:

• A better case and most definitely a way better power supply
• A much better processor (E5200 45nm 2mb vs E2200 65nm 1mb)
• A better video option (Intel 4500 vs 7050...similar but less consumption for Intel)
• Don't forget to include the likes of keyboard/mouse.

To be fair, there's absolutely no point trying to best a dell bargain offer - it can't be done in terms of day to day machines for the most part. Where you save hundreds vs the likes of Dell is a PC that's used for a specific task, be it professional use or gaming.

the_syco

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

To be fair, there's absolutely no point trying to best a dell bargain offer - it can't be done in terms of day to day machines for the most part. Where you save hundreds vs the likes of Dell is a PC that's used for a specific task, be it professional use or gaming.

Agreed: Dell does an excellent job for a low spec machines. They also had (when you could pop over to their office in Bray) an option where you get a test build, configure it with your software, send it back to them, and they'll then ship your 200 machines with the same software. Saves alot of man hours. Dunno if they still do this.

On the high end side, Dell does okay prices, but if you want something specific on the high end side, you'll pay for it through your nose with Dell. Also, unsure how upgrade-friendly Dell XPS machines are. The last Dimension I got is dire for upgrading.

Effluo

TerrorFirmer wrote: »

To be fair, there's absolutely no point trying to best a dell bargain offer - it can't be done in terms of day to day machines for the most part.

I'm not convinced that "there's no point" to try and best dells budget pc options.
The build i put came pretty close, and even though the 30 euro less doesn't seem like that much, when down in that part of the market a fiver here and there takes away those minuses that you found with my build.

A mouse and keyboard(at least equal to dell equivalent) is attainable for 10 euro, the onboard graphics change converts into around a fiver in the difference as does the cpu.

I made another system on mix-computer.de
it comes to just under 300 this time with the e5200
an Antec case, MSI G41M4-F mobo (with intel 4500), Corsair 400w psu, 1g corsair ram, samsung 160gig hard-drive, lg dvd/rw

Unfortunately it's a bit pointless for us as they don't deliver to Ireland but i'm sure there'll be another website which could do it for a similar price.

I think i'd deffo go for self build, bigger warranties and easier to upgrade and replace.
Surely all those good brand name parts would be more reliable too?

So what do ye think?

FirtY

Its a fairly simple affair building your own PC, that has many advantages over purchasing a DELL or base consumer PC. Jot down what you want your ideal specs to resemble e.g. Storage, RAM, I/O ports, Graphics & processor.
From there, do a bit of research online and select the motherboard that best suits your needs. Then Processor, Then check the QVL (qualified vendors list) of your MB for the supported ram modules & select accordingly. You now have the nervous system of your rig. Once you have the this the next part is the graphics card. (When selecting your motherboard you have decided on either a single GPU or a SLI/XFire setup if your a gamer. There are MB's that support both! You may choose a mid/high end card like a gtx 275 leaving yourself the option of sli'ng later. whatever you choose make sure and do your sums and allow for the power draw of an extra card when choosing your power supply.

http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/34032.aspx

Thats the bulk of a new PC build, bar the case, monitor and peripherals. A bit of patience and a good read of the MB manual you have your own custom built PC that is fully upgradeable and each part having it's own warranty!

mehmeh12

But how much cheaper is it to build your own? I got a new dell back in 2008 and in hindsight i'd say i got ripped off loads. Vrt at 21% especially. Ironically the same model is now cheaper to buy from the UK dell website, due to the move to Poland.

Effluo

it depends on how much you paid for it.
On Dell's over the 500euro mark you could prob save 50-100,
over 800 and i'd say it's 100+

As we've seen under 500 and it's touch and go...

marco_polo

I think where the cheapo self build really can't compete with the cheap vendors is if you require a monitor and Monitor and OS prices. Even without that the best you are probably looking at is an honorable draw.

Solitaire

mehmeh12 wrote:

Vrt at 21% especially

They're charging Vehicle Registration Tax on PCs now?!?! Those cads!!

We're having some adventures with Craptasmobuilds in the other thread now... will this madness ever end?!

PogMoThoin

Its easy build Your own pc, hardest thing is picking the parts

Biggest advantage of building Your own pc is that each component will have a seperate warranty, processor 3 yrs, motherboards and graphics cards for 1-3 yrs, most hard drives have 5+, some memory has lifetime etc. A dell has only 1 yr for all the parts in the case (unless You pay and extend this) as they buy the manufacturers out of the warranties to get the parts cheaper

mehmeh12

They're charging Vehicle Registration Tax on PCs now?!?! Those cads!!

What does the above comment mean? How can you have Vehicle Registration Tax on PCs?

the_syco

Effluo wrote: »

I'm not convinced that "there's no point" to try and best dells budget pc options.
The build i put came pretty close, and even though the 30 euro less doesn't seem like that much, when down in that part of the market a fiver here and there takes away those minuses that you found with my build.

For one person, self build is good. But Dell sells those cheapo sh|tty PC's to offices that get them by bulk order.

mehmeh12 wrote: »

What does the above comment mean? How can you have Vehicle Registration Tax on PCs?

You said vrt was 21%. VRT = Vehicle Registration Tax. Maybe you meant 21% VAT? Oh, and if you buy it from within Ireland, you usually have to pay the 31% VAT.

Effluo

31% Vat wha?