OT: Buying vs. building your own computer

[Baron Munchausen]

The word is that 'build your own' is usually cheaper for a given system spec. The 'prebuilt' system might seem cheaper but that is only a good deal if you actually want a system that meets the cookie-cutter specs. If you want a better than average video card or more RAM than the standard spec they start charging you 'upgrade fees' at a much steeper rate than buying your own parts would cost. If you assess what you really want as opposed to what the current cheapie has, you'll see some major differences. Once the upgrades to the "standard" are figured in, the self-built is cheaper.

The only issues is, how confident are you putting it together? Some people are intimidated by the thought of assembling all those expensive parts. If you've done any tinkering with electronics before, it's pretty likely you'll be able to put your computer togther correctly.