Build Your Own PC

[wossa]

I am an idiot.

Tell me how.

It will basically be for home use. Games, burn cds, play dvd, surfing the net, personal finance, word processing, spreadsheet, etc.

I almost bought a refurbished Dell ( brand new, just returned) for $959. pentium 4, 1.7ghz, 128 ram, 80mb hard drive @7200rpm, 64MB geforce video card, CDRW. BAsic windows software - xp, norton, workssuite, etc.

no dvd, monitor, speakers, scanner or printer ( all which I want to add).

How much cheaper could I build the above? Where do you acquire the parts? Are we talking a screwdriver and plugging stuff in or is it more complicated than that?

I am on a deadline with the wife too.
\
Thanks for help and suggeastions

 

[BearBryant]

80 gig -$165
128 ram- pc/133 - $30
ge force- $56
sony cdrw 16x10x40- $80-$100
ATHLON 1.4 ghz cpu- $100
a good motherboard- $80
heatsink fan - $20
case w/ 300 watt power $40

total- $570


I assume you have a copy of Windows and other software from your old machine.

A little know how a you are in business.

 

[Lainey]

Price Watch

If you have the time to dig through it all, this is a good place for ordering components.

 

[LarryD]

there are two places in charlotte i'd check out, one off westinghouse (ive only bought memory down there) and one up at harris and 77.

http://www.atd-inc.com/index.html

great service and support.

thats where i built mine.

 

[wossa]

Well I appreciate the advice fellas ( and ladies) but I am too lazy and too much of a procrastinaotor to tackle this one now.

My wife has started back to school and needs a PC at home NOW! DAMMIT!

I think I will try and build my next one tho.

 

[Kakia69]

I think I'm on Wossa's side too. Patience is supposed to be a virtue, but it's definitely not a virtue of mine. If I start applying cost to the (1) time it takes for me to acquire all the needed components; and the (2) time it takes for me to actually understand how to put it together since i'm not a techie; and the (3) time it takes for me to put it together; and 4) add gas money; i just don't see how it will help me save money. This is one of those times where knowledge helps save $$, and since i'm not trained in this arena it wouldn't help me. I'd probably have to hire someone to put it all together. And lets not forget, i'd need a toll free number to customer service for each component to solve any problems i may have...disagreements welcome.

 

[LarryD]

Originally posted by Wossamotta U
Well I appreciate the advice fellas ( and ladies) but I am too lazy and too much of a procrastinaotor to tackle this one now.

My wife has started back to school and needs a PC at home NOW! DAMMIT!

I think I will try and build my next one tho.

wossa, go up to ameritech -- at the link i posted -- they'll build it for you and install the software. heck, take in your old computer and they'll put all your software on the new one.

it'll cost some money, sure, but the whole point of building a computer is that you're saving big $$ over what HP, gateway, etc. charge you for one of their systems.

same with you, k.

maybe wossa can test it out and by the time he can report back, it'll be time for us to have another tbr.com party (as they will now be known) and you can drive up and pick up a new computer, then go drinking withthe boys and girls.

 

[PantherPaul]

test

 

[Superfluous_Nut]

I bought a custom PC a while back. It was just around $2k, but was much better than anything sold by larger companies. I'm pleased with it. If you know what you want, you can specify exactly what parts to use. You're also using "standard" parts instead of OEM specials that may or may not be 100% compatible with what you want to do.

Maybe I'll build my own, but from what little I did to expand my previous PC, I think I'll stick with the custom built solution. I'd tell you who I used but they're in Los Angeles so it wouldn't do you a lot of good.

 

[Intimidator Coach]

I'm going to bite the bullet and build my own. It may take a month or 2 , but i want to try it.. I'm not totally literate at this but i have good tech friends i can get advise , as i am sure i will get some here also.

I think half the battle is getting the nerve to start.