# Custom Desktops vs Ready Made Desktops.



## Joe (May 18, 2010)

I've heard that custom computers are better value for money than ready made desktops, does anyone know how much cheaper they are in comparison to quality? If anyone can say it will be appreciated.

Edit: Is likely to be windows.

+Will probably get one costing around £700-800.


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## MindsArmor (Jul 14, 2012)

the good thing about fully building your own pc is that it's somewhat cheaper, mainly because you won't be paying for parts that you don't need (like some pre-build pc's will have a blueray reader build in which you will never use, and costs you £40, you get the point)

There should be some pc shops that offer a service were you can configure/build your own machine. I've did a quick search for UK shops and the first two I found both offer such a service. (computerplanet and pcspecialist where the sites I found.) You just select the parts you want, you pay them some extra money and they will build the system for you.

As for what components you should chose, you will have to ask someone who knows what he's doing. If you can specify a bit more what you expect from your computer and for what purposes it will mainly be used (I'm guessing video games) I'm sure someone here can give you some guidelines about which components you should be looking for. I do want to note that the difference between a £600 and a £1000 computer can be very significant.


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## aloneanddizzy (Jul 1, 2012)

You didn't specify an operating system, so I'm assuming you're most likely talking about Windows systems?

I can't provide anything concrete, as I haven't built or bought a Windows PC in over five years now, but it's my impression that you can't even get a prebuilt PC with quality parts and assembly unless you go to one of the premium builders like Alienware (or at least I think they used to be premium &#8230; like I said, I haven't shopped this market in a while) and spend a *lot* of cash (at least as much as a Mac costs). I can't remember the last time I saw a quality Windows PC in a store. And Dell makes rubbish as far as I am concerned &#8230; I've been using Dells at work for many years and have yet to encounter one that was reliable.

Macs are different, or at least I think so. When you buy a ready made Mac, you can feel pretty secure that you are getting quality, IMO.

Linux systems? Can you get one of these that's ready made? If you can, I suspect the same caveats apply as for Windows systems.

Anyway, the last good Windows PC I owned was one I built myself from a barebone and with the exact parts I wanted. So in that realm, I'd suggest going as custom as you can manage.


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

you can always cut corners. i , for one, like building my own. i like being able to learn the tech i put into my PC, and there is a sense of accomplishment when it powers on correctly for the first time. there will always be deals and new stuff around every corner, but custom premade pcs can look a whole lot nicer, with all the watercooling tubes and such. 

building your own also means that besides the warranties on parts you use, you are your own tech support. i liked the idea of not having to send my entire PC back to get it fixed, when i can hook up a spare pc and learn to fix my own problems. some computers come overclocked (boosted performance), but yo can always do this on your own. 

i started off by looking at the magazine ads for custom computers, then taking those ads to a computer store and see if i can price match or get the same stuff for less. when i noticed that the parts were cheaper (back then) or the store had better deals, i was hooked on building instead of buying. it is not the prettiest pc on the block, but there is also a sense of individuality, as well, becuae all the premade ones look exactly the same (i think) so ther's no difference.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

Thanks for your help everyone. I've got a few more questions to ask:

Does 4gb ram sound about right for most high end games? (Will be getting at least 8gb ram)

I've also been looking at graphics cards but I don't really understand the GPU or Memory specs. 

And aside from the parts that can fit inside is the case a hugely important part for keeping the computer cool?


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## Ohhai (Oct 15, 2010)

jJoe said:


> Thanks for your help everyone. I've got a few more questions to ask:
> 
> Does 4gb ram sound about right for most high end games? (Will be getting at least 8gb ram)
> 
> ...


4GB ram is fine, however 6GB+ is recommended, you will need a 64-bit OS to use more than 4GB of RAM however.


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## Nefury (May 9, 2011)

If you can confidently build your own and have knowledge of what are the best parts for you, then that is obviously the best route. Prebuilts are often overpriced but it doesn't necessarily mean they are bad.

http://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Gamin...MKIV+Intel+3.80GHz+Gaming+PC+?productId=50325

This system is pretty good and aria are a trusted site, but I'm not sure how much cheaper it would be if you built something similar yourself, maybe someone else can take a look at it. I plan on buying a prebuilt one from aria soon anyway.


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

i think it looks good. not may taste in case, but it is functional.

i run 24GB of ram, but for gaming, you only really need 4-6GB. gaming would require a good graphics card, and a CPU with a speed of 2.4GHz or more.


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## Ohhai (Oct 15, 2010)

Nefury said:


> http://www.aria.co.uk/Systems/Gamin...MKIV+Intel+3.80GHz+Gaming+PC+?productId=50325
> 
> This system is pretty good and aria are a trusted site, but I'm not sure how much cheaper it would be if you built something similar yourself, maybe someone else can take a look at it. I plan on buying a prebuilt one from aria soon anyway.


http://i.imgur.com/LUmtC.jpg

Slightly over £150 cheaper.

If you want to buy a legit version of 64-bit windows, it's £71.98 extra however.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

How do I tell the difference between 32 and 64bit ?


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## Nefury (May 9, 2011)

jJoe said:


> How do I tell the difference between 32 and 64bit ?


It'll say when you go to buy it, and it also tells you on the computer itself which version it is.


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

right-click on my computer > properties


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

Found it, thanks


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

Does anyone know the costs people generally charge for the actual building of a custom computer?


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

i normally charge 5% of the computers cost (an example of "the more you spend"). that's my going rate, though nobody has taken it up, yet. but it includes setup, updates, a/v and free support for 5 months.

that's my friend discount, though. have yet to test this out.

many of the directions are easy to understand - parts only go in certain places, and manuals can be helpful. can always google things too.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

Pre-built store computers are almost always **** and overpriced. Custom computers are a much better choice as long as you are not clueless with regards to computers. I also get to save by not having to pay for all that over priced software crap like MS-Office, and windows when I can just pirate it and save ~$1000 worth that I can just put towards computer hardware. I also compare and carefully select every single part and leave out anything that I do not need. 

Pre-built store bought computers often cheap out by cutting corners on parts like fans, power supplies, quality of parts etc. that the average person wouldn't ever catch on. I end up paying over $3000 for my last build, that if it were in a computer store(which it never would be because all they sell is garbage in comparison) it would cost like ~$5000-$6000


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## AceRimmer (Nov 12, 2008)

rgrwng said:


> i normally charge 5% of the computers cost (an example of "the more you spend"). that's my going rate, though nobody has taken it up, yet. but it includes setup, updates, a/v and free support for 5 months.
> 
> that's my friend discount, though. have yet to test this out.
> 
> many of the directions are easy to understand - parts only go in certain places, and manuals can be helpful. can always google things too.


What case is that (the white one)? All that space makes me drool since the cables from my PS take up half the open space in my case and I can't add jack squat.


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## Brad (Dec 27, 2011)

They're not that bad if you don't mind having a huge *** box for a computer . I personally only have space for All-In-One computers/iMacs given the desk space I have.


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

that case is Corsair's 600T white edition


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## Arterius (Apr 3, 2012)

I simply go to Newegg and fill up my cart with the most expensive items. I would hate to have to build a budget PC.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

Anyone recommend any other decent cases? I forgot how annoying some can be to open + difficulties reaching fans until I cleaned my computer yesterday.


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

what are your requirements for a case? looks or function? ease of install/roomy or compact? what is your price range?


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

Ease of access (roomy)/function is what I'm looking for although I'd pay a little more for one that looks nice. About £100 is the most I'd spend unless one is significantly better than cheaper options, although if a cheaper option isn't too far behind in quality I'd drop down prices for that. 

Is it worth checking websites like Ebay for spare parts also? I'm guessing a few people will be selling off their old cases. I've read that the power supplies that come with cases aren't so good also. I know I'm asking a lot of questions but how much extra would I need to pay for a better power supply?


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## WolfehJ (Oct 13, 2011)

hey  for your price range i'd probably go the define r3, i used this case for my last build and its amazing, lots of noise reduction foam and a real easy case to build in, not to mention it looks fantastic:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/frac...ase-new-cable-routing-noise-absorbing-w-o-psu

also yeah you really want a good branded power supply, unbranded ones usually offer **** efficiency and break often, possibly damaging your other parts.. i dunno what wattage you'll need without knowing the parts your using but 700W is more than enough for a mid-high end system, plus you'll have the added bonus of being able to keep with it while upgrading. Cheapest one i could find that i'd use:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/700w...us-sli-crossfire-eps-12v-quiet-fan-atx-v23-ps

hope this helped


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

silverstone power units are nice, because silverstone also makes a short cable kit, which is compatible with most of their lineup. can get some serious cable management going, as well with it.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

WolfehJ said:


> hey  for your price range i'd probably go the define r3, i used this case for my last build and its amazing, lots of noise reduction foam and a real easy case to build in, not to mention it looks fantastic:
> 
> http://www.scan.co.uk/products/frac...ase-new-cable-routing-noise-absorbing-w-o-psu
> 
> ...


I was reading a review of it and this confused me a little bit (text below is the quote from the website), if you can do you know what it means?










"See, even I can learn! I opened the front of the chassis before I did any internal wiring, good thing too. As you can see both the front I/O connectivity as well as the fan wiring needs to be loose to get the bezel off and out of your way for drive or additional fan installations."

Also how many fans do you have in it + which PSU do you use?

Thanks for your help 

(Also thanks for mentioning the short cable kits Rgrwng, i'd of probably missed it if I decided to get the silverstone and the wires were cluttering the insides .)


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

ok so you can put extra fans in the front - but you have to loosen the connected front panel wires, as they may be tied to the inside of the case. some case makers leave it hanging loose, but some tie them down in certain spots. so really just dont be too harsh when taking the front panel off - you could break or bend something


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

rgrwng said:


> ok so you can put extra fans in the front - but you have to loosen the connected front panel wires, as they may be tied to the inside of the case. some case makers leave it hanging loose, but some tie them down in certain spots. so really just dont be too harsh when taking the front panel off - you could break or bend something


Thanks. Would parts have to be taken out to put those fans in? (Sorry another question)


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

sometimes fans can get attached to the inside of the case, and sometimes you have to remove panels off the case to install them. not all cases require much work to install parts, its just finding a balance or what you like as far as function (if it holds a few fans, more power to ya, unless you don't like noisy computers). some cases even come with fans already installed.

other parts are pretty straight forward - the instructions can be followed using included pictures, and they normally go in one-way, so it's really tough to mess up, even for a novice.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

Another question, do all ram cards have to be the same size too? I've got an old computer that has spare cards? There's been more building at my house so still not got anything yet.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

How does this build sound?
COOLERMASTER HAF 912 PLUS MID TOWER GAMING CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i5 Quad Core Processor i5-3470 (3.2GHz) 6MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® P8Z77-V LX: USB 3.0, SATA 6GBs, ATI®CrossFireX
Memory (RAM)
8GB SAMSUNG DUAL-DDR3 1333MHz (2 X 4GB)
Graphics Card
2GB AMD RADEON™ HD7850 - DVI,HDMI,2 mDP - DX® 11, Eyefinity 4 Capable
Free Item
FREE SLEEPING DOGS GAME with AMD HD 7850 GPU & ABOVE!
Memory - 1st Hard Disk
500GB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD5002AALX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 650W ENTHUSIAST SERIES™ TX650 V2-80 PLUS® BRONZE (£69)
Processor Cooling
SUPER QUIET 22dBA TRIPLE COPPER HEATPIPE INTEL CPU COOLER (£19)
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Network Facilities
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT - AS STANDARD ON ALL PCs
USB Options
6 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL (MIN 2 FRONT PORTS) AS STANDARD
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Office Software
FREE Microsoft® Office Starter 2010 (Limited functionality Word & Excel)
Anti-Virus
52 in 1 card reader
£798


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## Canucklehead (Aug 28, 2012)

Everything sounds awesome except there's no solid state drive.

It's almost 2013 for goodness sake.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

Canucklehead said:


> Everything sounds awesome except there's no solid state drive.
> 
> It's almost 2013 for goodness sake.


Sweet, thanks I'll order it soon. As for the ssd they are incredibly expensive so I passed up on it (even though faster load speeds would be nice).


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

jJoe said:


> Sweet, thanks I'll order it soon. As for the ssd they are incredibly expensive so I passed up on it (even though faster load speeds would be nice).


It was a mere $80 where I live to buy an OZ vertex 3 120 GB SSD. So I don't know what you are talking about. I don't think you have looked at the prices in the past 6 months of SSD's and how they have come down, that or the price drop hasn't reached whatever country you live in.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

Paying double the price for something with only 120gb storage (compared to a 500gb hdd) isn't something I'd want to do atm even with the added benefits. When a 280gb SSD comes at that price it would be something I'd consider but not yet.


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## Lostsoulswander (Sep 27, 2012)

Then at least try to get a small ssd for caching or a momentus xt drive. 
Don't think I could ever go back to using a regular hdd for a boot drive.


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## Noca (Jun 24, 2005)

jJoe said:


> Paying double the price for something with only 120gb storage (compared to a 500gb hdd) isn't something I'd want to do atm even with the added benefits. When a 280gb SSD comes at that price it would be something I'd consider but not yet.


Get a small SSD to run everything on Windows, and an external 2TB to store all your media on. Your computer will be unbelievably faster. The best upgrade I've ever done on a computer was adding an SSD in each to the HDD, the difference in performance was like night and day.

There is no point in upgrading every other part if your HDD is the same speed as it was 5-7 years ago. Especially since you were willing to blow an extra 100 euros on some nice looking case. If you just stick with 500GB HD, like those are both HORRIBLY slow AND provide barely any space for media like HD movies and TV shows, a lose/lose in both areas.


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## AceRimmer (Nov 12, 2008)

jJoe said:


> Paying double the price for something with only 120gb storage (compared to a 500gb hdd) isn't something I'd want to do atm even with the added benefits. When a 280gb SSD comes at that price it would be something I'd consider but not yet.


 You really, really, really want a SSD as your boot drive. Ditch the WD Black drive and you can get a 128GB SSD for booting and a 500 GB WD Blue drive for storage. Once you go SSD, you'd never want to go back to a spindle drive for the OS.


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## Joe (May 18, 2010)

Already ordered it a couple of days ago, case has two slots for SSD/HDD's so if I add a SSD later on and transfer windows it will it work fine?

Also, I've read no activation is needed for windows 7 unless you change your motherboard (asking this for further confirmation).

P.s. Getting it built by the company who I ordered it from (pcspecialist).


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## Minato (Sep 9, 2012)

Honestly, building your own vs building one online at ibuypower or something is not that much difference in price.

But you should build your own for the experience and it will be much easier to upgrade because you will know that PC inside and out. Not to mention the satisfaction of being able to say "yeah, I build my own PC from scratch!"


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

also it looks cooler, because you built it yourself! *pops collar*


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## burrito (Aug 29, 2012)

Built my first pc a few months back, I love it. And I think I did save quite a bit of money. However consider that buying windows itself is $200-300 easily.


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## StGlen333 (Sep 27, 2012)

I paid a guy $50 to build my $1300 build.

I wouldn't have gotten the Radeon GPU. Too many people reporting problems. Just like Intel, Nvidia is worth the price.

I didn't get an SSD drive either. That's a future upgrade. My 500Gb Toshiba drive just went bad, and I bought a 1Tb Western Digital runing at 6gb/sec instead of 3. (Don't buy from Toshiba/Hitachi. Their customer service has completely "checked out".)

I only want my games running on the SSD. I wanted my computer to boot and access all the other stuff on the 1Tb drive. Now a couple people are saying to run it as my main drive. I don't know. Isn't better for your system to access things from two drives, almost like you've turned it into a dual core? I don't want my system accessing anything at all while I'm playing games anyway.


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## gorbulas (Feb 13, 2004)

StGlen333 said:


> I only want my games running on the SSD. I wanted my computer to boot and access all the other stuff on the 1Tb drive. Now a couple people are saying to run it as my main drive. I don't know. Isn't better for your system to access things from two drives, almost like you've turned it into a dual core? I don't want my system accessing anything at all while I'm playing games anyway.


i would put the OS to be on your fastest drive because that's where all of the information is at. if you only play a favorite game or two, put those on the SSD. leave the bigger, slower drive for storage. its a matter of opinion really.


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

stuff i open frequently or need fast access to (like MS Office) i put on the SSD. stuff i don't readily open or don't mind the slowness (if any) like games, i will put on a mechanical drive. media files and music definitely not on SSD for me, because it does not matter how fast they load as long as they play. 

i put Picassa and my Zune software on the SSD, and Firefix, too. super quick opening helps me get on with my time.


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## StGlen333 (Sep 27, 2012)

Yeah, I can see the OS thing, as in it umbrellas everything so you don't want a bottle neck there. Or if you need to access things like directx 11, flash, java, etc.

Slowness + games ? Not allowed. If I zone into a region, I'm seeking a transition as smooth and instantaneous as possible. If I'm shooting an enemy, and my hd has to access new textures from his custom camo pattern, or i'm entering a area I haven't been to all session, I don't need his slide-show-butt killing my ***. I play Planetside 2 - slowness not allowed.


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## rgrwng (Aug 25, 2011)

Guild Wars 2 on my SSD made no significant changes. actually, after a patch effort 3 weeks ago, loading times got 3x slower. depends on game, i suppose.


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## Lostsoulswander (Sep 27, 2012)

ssd's barely boost game performance. 
They just allow you to boot your machine and access your game faster. 
Like gorbulas said, put Windows & the games you frequently play on the ssd & your other games & media files on the 1TB drive.


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