Why should I build a computer??

Question

my dad says that custom built PCs are more expensive as factory.
Are they?
My dad says i do not know i to build a PC but i am determined to do it myself.
Is he right?
I want to build a decent gaming computer for under 550 quid.
How can I?
I have found a list of stuff for under 550 quid.
Is it good enough?
Here it is...
-SAMSUNG
SP2014N
200GB 3.5" PATA INTERNAL HARD DISK DRIVE- 50 quid
-Intel - Pentium IV 480 processor - 69 quid
-JeanTech - 120 mm fan - 5 quid
-JEANTECH
JN804
G-MAX ATX CASE- 20 quid
-jeantech 350w ATX power supply unit - 27 quid
-GEFORCE 7600GT 256MB PCI-E GRAPHICS CARD - 115 quid
-CREATIVE - X-FI XTREME 7.1 AUDIO - 50 quid
-ECS - 945G-M3 3.0 LGA775 MATX MOTHERBOARD - 80 quid
-COMPONENT SHOP 1GB PC2-4300 DDR2 DIMM MEMORY
70 quid
-PHILIPS SPA3200 - 2.0 MULTIMEDIA SPEAKER SYSTEM
30 quid
-STARTECH - 3.5" BAY 7 IN 1 FLASH CARD READER / WRITER
13 quid
all together adds up to - 492 quid!!! :)
is that good enough??

Answer 1

Computers have gotten so cheap that I don't think it's worth your trouble to build your own... I got a pretty sweet computer from dell for just $500... $150 for a better graphics card and it would be a great gaming computer. When I built my own comp the thing was that it was really loud from all the fans I had to put in to keep the temp down... the dell is totally silent.

Answer 2

I just built my own last weekend, couldn't finish because the Hard Drive came DOA (dead on arrival). 550 pounds is a lot in American, like 800 dollars? Yeah, you can build a decent system with that money. I would only buy essentials though: CPU, CPU Fan (if it doesn't come with your CPU), motherboard, RAM, Graphics Card, get at least a 500Watt PSU, Get a computer case with very good cooling (I would recommend anything made by Cooler Master), Big Hard Drive (try and get SATA). Onboard sound on a motherboard is decent, so I don't think you need a soundcard. Instead of speakers, use headphones until you have money to buy speakers because it'd be better to spend your money on the essential components now. Your graphics card is pretty good, it'll play most games that are out today on high settings. However, for a little more, you could get a geForce 7900 series which is very nice. Make sure you get a lot of RAM and RAM made by a known manufacturer like Corsair or Kingston. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

you can buy this spec £499.99 Intel Pentium Processor D 641
2.2GHz, 800MHz FSB, 2MB Cache
Microsoft Windows Vista Premium
1GB DDR RAM
160GB Hard Drive
Multi-Format Dual Layer DVD RW Drive
64MB nVidia GeForce 7500LE Graphics
8-in-1 Media Card Reader
6 USB Connections
19" Widescreen TFT Monitor
from major retailer which comes with manufacturer 1 year next day service guarantee.
Packard Bell 2479 Desktop PC + Free Upgrade to 19" Widescreen TFT Monitor

Answer 4

well done derek,you have done well to find these componenets for less than £550,and if you know what you need to buy to build a p.c,then you probally know how to build it
i like your choice of graphics card,the 7600gt is a very good card for the price,and as its a gt model you know it will have decent clock speeds
memory aswell you have gone for the least amount ,1gb will run applications and games smoothly and the motherboard has plenty of space for future memory
all the other components are spot on,except i am a bit concerned about the psu,350w is a bit low ,i would try and get a 500w psu,this way it allows for any future expansion and your p.c has plenty of power
good luck with your build

Answer 5

No, that stuff wont make you a computer! You have NO Monitor, No Keyboard, No Mouse, and No operating System, and No Application software. That will cost you about another $300 or so UNLESS you use kubuntu for free..www.kubuntu.org, because the Operating system will cost you a couple hundred bucks alone.
Also, remember your computer is not heat engineered, so it may have overheating problems, and there are no guarntees that the set of hardware you mentioned is compatable, or that the drivers are compatable with the operating system. Take your Dad's advice, and then take one of the old computers apart if you want to play with one.

Answer 6

Yes it is pretty decent. Custom built PC's are the way to go. That is all I do is build my own. My current setup is:
ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe Motherboard
2 XFX GeForce 7950GT PCI-e running in SLI
3GB PC3200 DDR Memory
6 Western Digital WD3200 320GB Hard Drives
This is just some of it. It gets pretty expensive, but at least you get what you want, and how you want it.

Answer 7

More fun to build a computer. Besides,since the parts are generic and you can replace/upgrade them easily. So in the long term you will spend less money!

For example, I have the Core2Duo machine, with a 8 year old case. My monitor is 2 years old. Power supply 5 year old. So you can replace parts as and when you want.

Answer 8

i built my computer at the same time my girlfriend bought a dell. I spent 1300 dollars, she spent 2200. Mine is still working great. Her dell is now on it's third hard drive. Build your computer. This was my first one and I didn't know anything about building one. I have built more since for other people. Even if it did cost more, it's worth it to learn how and enjoy it when it is complete.

Answer 9

pc's are not hard to build... everything only fits together one way so its not the building that is hard its the getting everything to work together properly... especially if you run into problems.
I would say that ifs your first PC, go and buy a premade one from dell,HP, etc... once you are knowledable about hardware/operating systems and software then you can start to dabble in your own construction... go to rummage sales or your local swap shed and pick up a few junker-pc's so that you can put together some stuff on your own thats not gonna cost you a fortune if you fry it... if you can mix and match a few junkers together and get them working youve just passed PC Building 101

Answer 10

Putting together a computer is easy... just plug the items in the right spots... One thing you have to worry about is over heating and software... You can go to Dell and get one for about the same price...