Page 1 of Build your own PC quite cheap compared to rest

http://secure.addonsonline.co.uk/addon/code/products.asp?catid=9

prices not that bad

I made quite an excellent system inc the below f

XP2400
512MB PC2700
Audigy Soundcard
Geforce 128MB 4200 Ti Graphics
Pioneer 105 4XDVD-writer
Pioneer DVD
48X CD writer
17" Samsung TFT
80Gb Maxtor 7200 RPM UDMA 133
and other top spec stuff
cost around £1200+VAT, expensive I know, but take into account that it is a top spec machine

basically pick your bits and for £35 they build it

I also knocked up a budget one for less than 600+VAT which aint that bad either, it`s all upto personal preferences and needs

I know you can get them a little cheaper at fairs etc, I get my parts from fairs too, but at least with this you know what you are getting when you buy it and it`s all from one place prebuilt

some prebuilt systems you get use onboard sound, graphics etc or other inferior parts and that is why you see them for the likes of £800 etc, some even missing monitors (Aldi springs to mind!)

but take into account a 17" 171S Samsung monitor is over £400 alone, but it`s one beautiful monitor, cos I`ve had one, so £1200+VAT doesn`t look that bad now does it because of all the other hardware you get

You must be a little on the conservative side I got my PC up to £4,437, now I just wish I had the money to say "buy"!!! That would be nice.

And the bargain is where, exactly ? ;-)

Moved to General Forum

LOL

it`s a bargain (albeit an expensive one) compared to people going into Currys,Dixons, PC World etc and paying £2000 for the same computer cos they know of no other places that build high spec machines

cos people are still buying them regardless!!!

I managed to get it up to £1300 withou even getting a case to put it all in. And the choice of manufacturers - Albatron graphics card anyone?
They are missing most of the better hardware on this option - guess they`ve never heard of PLextor for CD Writers or Creative Labs newer sound cards.

Better choice would be to go to:
Aria - www.aria.co.uk
Novatech - www.novatech.co.uk

Both of them have a far better custom PC builder option.

Also saying that people are still spending £2000 on a PC is a little off - here`s an example of PC Worlds items (and they`re not exactly the cheapest people):

Intel Pentium 4 2.53GHz Processor
256Mb DDR RAM
80Gb Hard Drive
16x DVD-ROM
48x CD-ReWriter
64Mb ATi Radeon 9000 Graphics
15 inch TFT Monitor
Windows XP Home Edition
MS Worksuite 2002, Word 2002 & more
1 Year FREE On-site Warranty
£949.00 inc VAT

This item was edited on Sunday, 29th December 2002, 12:17

As someone who has built many PC`s over the last 5 or 6 years, it`s now pointless hand building machines other than as one offs to your own unique specification.
The sheds have finally got their act together and offer very keenly priced machines with decent specs, they even do white box components which compare favourably with the prices offered by my trade suppliers.
Yes, building your own is a great ( and relatively easy ) way to learn about the working of a PC, but you will not save much and certainly will not have security of someone to blame if it all goes pear shaped.

have a look at the 1st post and tell me how much you reckon PC World etc would charge for a computer that included spec and those brands?

17" TFT Samsung (good alround brightness and visiblity)
DVD writer 4 speed Pioneer (one of the fastest burners available)
CD writer (48 speed)
DVD Pioneer (say no more)
Geforce 4200 (4th best graphics card)
80Gb 7200 Maxtor ( ne of the better drives available)
512MB (not the usual 256MB)
Audigy Soundcard (not onboard as most are)
etc etc

I know that all the above put together will get higher benchmark scores and perform quicker and better etc than a simliar priced one in PCWorld etc, becaue they will not use high spec components for the whole machine whereas the one I listed uses high spec bits that I know perform well as I read reviews etc cos there are plenty out there to read

Wilde Karde I know u get deals like the one above this post but they use crappy bits to cut corners and price or use onboard stuff and leave no room for upgrades most of the time. I mean what brands are they using for every single bit, cos they never tell you

I would hate to think how much PC World etc would charge if they where to sell an exact spec PC to mine or the one listed here cos I laugh when I see some of the deals they and other dealers have

You could probably hunt the bits out cheaper again using seperate sources but that site offers some excellent prices for hardware

I still think it`s cheaper building your own or getting someone to build it using bargains of the net or your local computer fair

I`ll admit the site I posted aint the cheapest, but it`s still cheaper than most High Street offers and I laugh even more at people when they say I just bought a £1000 thinking cos it`s £1000 its the best. Price has nothing to do with it, its the way the components you use perform and also work together

if you bought a Fiesta with only 2.5L engine as its selling point (2.5Ghz Intel), would it be better than a finely tuned 2L one with upgraded carburetor, exhaust, suspension,brakes etc for the same price?

dont think so, dont be blinded by just the high speed CPU`s & massive capacity HD`s that they always make a big deal about thats all I`m telling people

sorry bowt long post but I just hate people getting ripped off when it comes to computers

njoy

p.s.you get warranties and guarantees even if you buy the bits seperate, so what`s the difference unless you wanna pay £100`s for extended warranty?

>bits that I know perform well as I read reviews etc <

I appreciate that you don`t want people being ripped off but with respect, there is a big difference between knowing all the specs and being a small systems builder.
Although your post has, I think, just reinforced the point I made.
When I build a machine I use good quality components ( I don`t want to spend my time and money repairing them ) but it has to match what people perceive to be good value, in other words be as cheap or cheaper than the sheds.
This for me means zero profit, not even the pocket money I used the get, so I don`t build anymore.

Talk to the small dealer he will tell you the only profit is in networks, repairs or component upgrades.

The higher priced well specified machine has actually to be sold ( justified ) to the computer illiterate.
For a bread and butter office workstation or a 1st time machine that will get screwed up in a week anyway ( Ask any builder about the aggravation from new users, for example when they load a pirate game choked with virus`s and blame you when the machine falls over ) the big boys can have the market.
Leave the volume business to companies who are happy to make £ 5.00 profit on the sale.

This item was edited on Tuesday, 31st December 2002, 20:08

I dont think its just £5 they make on a PC for some reason

you just have to look inside one of these prebuilt PC`s and add up how much it will cost to buy the bits and I bet it`s at least 10% cheaper to source the bits yourself, so how do they build them for?

When I build a PC for people, I ask what they require and how much they wish to spend or what offers they have seen and give them a PC to suit their requirements,also giving them best performance for what they need

I don`t do it for any profit, more as a favour to friends and family cos I ain`t got the time anymore

I talk about reading reviews etc as I am very interested in computers and regularly upgrade and test my machine mostly using the Madonion benchmark programs (3dMark2001 & PCMark), Sisoft Sandra and the other main testing software generally used by benchmarkers and then decide what is the best choice for my upgrade

I also do this with systems I build to make sure they are running well enough and nothing is bottlenecking them

Try running the benchmark programs on prebuilt PC`s and you will then see what I mean about inferior performing components, cos most of the results you get are crap, i.e. data transfer rate(both memory and HD), frames per second, CPU benchmarks etc etc

That`s what basically gets my back up with prebuilt PC`s cos most of the people that I know with these systems when I have ran some tests are disappointed when they see the results as it shows the weaknesses of their systems in certain areas

I know the normal user will not notice this difference in performance as you are talking seconds, but I can guarantee if you asked which they would prefer, you know what their answer will be

I have a system here that has cost me well over £2000 to build and I would not be able to get for the same price anywhere without paying a lot more

I can bet it will beat computer`s costing more if you compare what`s inside the computer as a few £100 has went on other peripherals

I`ll agree the lower budget PC`s are harder to build cheaper, but anywhere over £1000 then it`s a different story as you can see the computer I posted in my 1st post was over £1000

Happy New Year All, I am off out to celebrate :)

This item was edited on Tuesday, 31st December 2002, 20:14

>I know the normal user will not notice this difference <

That says it all.
As a last word from me on this exchange it reminds me of a discussion on another thread about hifi and holds equally as good.
There`s lots of fun in talking technology and comparing benchmarks etc
but as long as it `s fit for purpose and the buyer is happy, why spoil his pleasure and pride in his new hifi/camera/computer/car etc
By all means keep up your crusade, I`m just a cynical old curmudgeon whos been there, seen it, done it, and have a wardrobe of the bloody t-shirts.
Have a Happy New Year Phil K ;-))