Build my own or buy a Dell ??

[Duke{CLR}]

I would say BUILD. I also am in the position of having to purchase my Laptops for gaming and Dell has not done my wrong. Just stay from Alienware although bought out by Dell I still hear bad stories about their service and support.

[-Bar]

My current Pc is a Dell... next time I am building. All the crap I had to clean up... I had to sit on the phone for an hour and bitch at the Indians to send me my boot discs... while they told me it is on your hard drive. Yeah right and I have seen hard drives die left and right... they are cheap. The OS is not cheap.


I still have a free copy of win xp media center sitting on the shelf that dell gave me to shut me up. Saving it for when I do build a new pc. Damn was I pissed when I opened the box and didn't have my Boot discs. You are fine as long as you are in warranty but once out then you are screwed.

[CHOPS123]

Cain Build! If you need help Im not very far away from you. Dell = Hell in my book! Build and save lots of cash! If you need help PM me....Im in Gville

[Duke{CLR}]

Dells XPS support is supposed to be different and whenever I have had to talk to them I spoke to people in Toronto eh.

[imlittlev]

buiiiild! it will be epic!

[BenKenobi]

[Pain_Killer{CLR}]

Re: Build my own or buy a Dell ??

I have built my own PCs and servers for 11 years now.

should I build my own again, or buy Dell ???

You'll be sad buying a Dell.... BUILD is your best bet

[Dead_And_Gone]

BUILD

No question.

[darth_nevus]

Ok, i am going to err on this side.....

Disclaimer: No Offense is intented by this post. When i say YOU, its not directed at you personally, and doesn't reflect your character, but my experiences with dealing with folks of the age bracket, but at the age bracket in general, alot of folks follow what follows here. i don't know you well enough to pass judgement on YOUR character, and i won't.

Clarification: the 'YOU' statement is not specifically Cain or anyone else here, but people of this age in general. take it as it applies.

Your what? 50+ now? Logic dictates that the older you get, a few things happen. I asked my father in law these same questions when he asked me about building a pc.

1. You get more stubborn.

Translation to this topic: You want to build it, but you also expect, and DEMAND it works right, all the time, from day 1 until you "upgrade". PC's are plagued with issues.

Ask yourself this: Is it easier to just buy something that just works from day one? or worry about it?

2. You start getting lazy.

Translation to this topic: Closer to retirement, you start expecting things to get done for you, you deserve it now. you don't have the time to REALLY put into keeping it up and running, but also don't always feel the need to put the effort into it. you relate back to #1, and start wishing someone else would fix it.

Ask yourself this: Do you REALLY want to spend the time to fix it yourself or have someone else do it? Do you really want to spend the time to diagnose every little malfunction?

3. You start Losing time.

Translation to this topic: You in approaching your golden years are busy prepping for them. your getting a new job, and no longer have the time really to dedicate it, related to items #1 & #2 we do as the younger generation does. You will need the pc to be working, when you need it. For business purposes especially.

Ask yourself this: Do you really have time to fix a problem when it arises? can you afford to wait until you can fix it? or would it be better for someone else to?

4. You start getting ornery.

Translation to this topic: You want it fixed, and working, but because of the first 3 items, it has to be done asap. no time to do it, it already should be fine, and why the heck hasn't someone else already fixed it!

Ask yourself this: How upset is it going to make you if it takes a few weeks to get the PC back up to par?

5. Your interests start moving elsewhere.

Translation to this topic: Pc's are getting more and more complicated. You also have a new job coming, one requiring more of your time. The time to do the research to fix a problem, keep the upkeep on a PC, troubleshoot the darn thing, etc, is really different than it has been, and will continue to get more so over time.

Ask yourself this: Are you really willing to keep up on all the technical stuff about the new pc? Or would it be easier since the previous questions to let someone else do it?

6. You start to have less money.

Translation to topic: with your new business coming, retirement coming(even if it is a good bit a away yet), etc, you are starting to spend your money more wisely, and don't usually have lots floating around. Pc's break. new parts cost money, and are not always available.

Ask yourself this: Would you rather be the one coughing up the extra dough now while you have it for a prebuilt rig and having a them replace broken stuff, or would you save $$ now, but chance having to cough it up later, IF the parts are available?


Let me get this out of the way. I HATE Dell. I hate them with a passion. However, my opinion is biased. Alot of folks(BA is a good example) have had great dealings with them. One good thing they have going for them is the support. if you need something, its a phone call away. if all else fails, THEY REPLACE THE PC. usually at little or no cost. Dell has their place in the market its not mine.

Me personally, i stay buried deep into the tech market. i read everything i can get my hands on. i have the time, the will, the effort etc, needed to put into maintaining my PC. i have money i set aside for "uhoh, it broke" cases. i am still young and naive enough for this to not bother me. i don't have your extra years experience in dealing with life. when i hit your age, if i live that long, chances are i will look back at everything, and see where things might not have been so smart.

So it all comes down to this. Pre-Built or Build up.

Considering the life changes your going through, the extra buck for a dell might not be a bad idea. but if you love building a rig, love the intricacies and the problems associated with it, then Build one.

Nothing is more enjoyable to me than bring a bunch of parts to life in a nice complete package suited for me, based off what i want it to be. Anyone ever seen the move "Robots"? Johnny Copperbottom.

Everyone here can Lynch me, but i'd say go for a Dell or a nice prebuilt pc to suit your needs.

[imlittlev]

^ yes but its normally built well, and few parts need replacing....the only parts i've truly "needed" to replace was the MAXTOR OF DOOM. and an underpowered PSU (350 watts, kthx bye).

and with all the technologically advanced comrades at CainsLair, there is no fail!

you do like to build, dont you?
*edit*
ARGH TINY TEXT DOESNT WORK!?

[-Bar]

Everyone here can Lynch me, but i'd say go for a Dell or a nice prebuilt pc to suit your needs.

My dell was/is a nice machine, it is out-dated but it did what I wanted at the time and still does some of the things I want.... You just gotta take into the account of the things that you gotta do with a pre-built. I am picky about having my boot discs... but if you don't care then it isn't a problem. Cleaning them up can be a pain but an hour of cleaning compared to a day of installing and assembly. Plus you gotta make sure you take off anti-virus software they come with. All the anti-virus stuff I have used would take off the existing for you. When I put mcafee on it couldn't remove the norton crap that came with it and I was 1 step from a reformat cause they were eating up my machine for some reason. Then some magic with ctrl - F11, I forget what it did again but I have always remembered it.

[BigTwinky]

I hear what people are saying about Dell. I have had nothing but good experiences with Dell, 3 PCs and 1 laptop in the family. Yes, they are more expensive. Yes, you can save money building it. To the point someone made about upgradability... when I buy a PC, I usually don't keep up to date with everything in the tech market, so I rarely upgrade things other than the vid card and ram. I might be missing out, but hey, I spend my time doing other things.

If you want to save money building it yourself but don't want to do the manual labour, look into a local company that builds PCs.

A tech guy here at work, who has been working with PCs for over 25 years and has built way too many to remember, recommended a place that uses name brand parts and charges you $50 to build the thing + 1 year warranty. Their website allows you to put together various types of PCs, so you have flexibility, and the techs review your setup to ensure everything fits.

Might be a viable alternative, depending on what you are looking for

[darth_nevus]

A tech guy here at work, who has been working with PCs for over 25 years and has built way too many to remember, recommended a place that uses name brand parts and charges you $50 to build the thing + 1 year warranty. Their website allows you to put together various types of PCs, so you have flexibility, and the techs review your setup to ensure everything fits.

Truth be told, i am working on this EXACT thing now. lol.

[WalkinTarget]

Buy an HP ..... ohhh, here's one that might work out OK for you:

http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=503



Made by the gang formerly known as Voodoo PC .. its a very nice rig.

[BigTwinky]

A tech guy here at work, who has been working with PCs for over 25 years and has built way too many to remember, recommended a place that uses name brand parts and charges you $50 to build the thing + 1 year warranty. Their website allows you to put together various types of PCs, so you have flexibility, and the techs review your setup to ensure everything fits.

Truth be told, i am working on this EXACT thing now. lol.

On starting up your own place to build PCs or shopping for a PC place to have your stuff built at?