Building Your Own Computer vs Buying Off The Shelf

This is a discussion that is near and dear to my heart.  Simply because I love putting together computers for people to specifically meet their needs.  Having been putting computers together for almost 10 years now, I enjoy working with many different products at many different price levels  Not everyone you meet is going to need to drop $1,500 on a new computer with state of the art graphics and processing power.  In fact, most of the people I've built computers for only need a $300-$400 dollar computer for basic web browsing and emailing.

Whether or not your are looking to spend the big bucks on a high end gaming rig or are just looking for something that will allow you to chat and keep in touch with friends, you still have a decision to make.  Should I go to my local retailer and buy a prefab computer from companies such as Dell, HP, Gateway, eMachine, or Alienware or should I go to a local computer store and have a computer built specifically for me?  

Let's take a look and see the pros and cons of both options.

Off the Shelf 

For many people, this is the only way they know of buying a computer.  Get in the car, drive to nearest computer retailers, fork over some cash, and get a computer.  (Don't forget the pressure to sign up for a credit card and/or buy a service policy...I used to work for Circuit City and sell computers so I know this all too well) 

Pros:

       -It's Fast.  However long it takes you to get to the store, whip out your fatty wad of cash, and pay the man is however long it takes you to get your computer in hand.  And in this day and age of instant gratification, this is a huge pro for some.

       -Simplicity.  Don't have to think...much.  Pretty much go to the store, find a computer with the specs you like and buy it.  Don't have to plan out which parts you want or have someone else do it for you.

       -"Safe".  Buying something from a big name store gives you a sense of security versus buying something from a small mom and pop store.  Notice the quotes around safe and notice the word sense in the previous sentence.  But hey, if it makes you feel better that's a pro in my book.

       -Fool Proof. Now before you get offended this isn't meant as an insult.  Simply stating that when you buy a prefab computer from the store, all the default Windows settings are usually set.  This included auto updates from Windows and some sort of antivirus software which will prompt you to puchase once the trial is over.

Cons:

       -Fool Proof. What what what?!? But Justin, you just listed this as a pro.  Indeed I did.  Hear me out.  Those same settings and software that are preinstalled...a lot of those aren't needed and some can even effect computer performance.  Many of the preinstalled antivirus programs that come on a computer take up so many resources while running.  Also if you decide to install your own antivirus software, you had better make sure you uninstall the previous one or else you'll run into a number of conflicts.  In addition to the preinstalled antivirus software there is a large number of "optional software" installed on these computers.  While it is simple to uninstall and clean up these programs, a lot of people simply don't because they don't know they don't need it.  These programs again are taking up your precious space that you paid your hard earned money for.

       -No Customization.  With store bought computers you kind of get a one size fits all.  While there are many different computers to choose from, your specs and design will be very limited overall. 

       -Cheap Parts.  You may look at an in-store computer and say to yourself, "Wow!  That's a good deal!"  Chances are, in order to get those great deals there are some inferior parts inside of that computer.  There was an article in the Wall Street Journal (thanks Grandpa) a week or so ago about Dell computers, at a university in Texas that shall remain unnamed, that were made with bad and faulty parts and all of the computers started crapping out (yes that is the technical phrase) at the same time.  While these were Dells in this instance, most mass produced are made with inferior parts or even preused in some instances.

       -Pain to Upgrade.  While there are instances were you can add RAM (memory) to a computer or additional hard drive space (storage), you will not get far.  Most prefab computers are either packed so tight physically that nothing else will actually fit in the case, or there are no more slots to install new components due to limited motherboard or case space.  When you buy a computer from a store, plan on not being able to upgrade it at all.

Building Your Own

 Right off the bat, the intelligent reader will notice some small difference between these computer pictures and the picture of the one above.  Welcome my friends to the world of Build It Yourself Computers.  While these two pictures are extreme in some ways, not all build it yourself (BIY because DIY is too over used) computers have to look like this.  You can get a BIY computer that looks very similar to the Dell at the top but is very different on the inside.  As with everything in life, there are pros and cons to BIY computers as well.  Let's take a look.

Pros:

       -Customization. You'll probably notice a pattern here so I figured I'd toss it out to start with.  Almost all of the cons from the prefab computers will be turned into pro here, and this is probably one of the biggest.  When BIY, you get to choose everything!  You get to pick your case, you get to pick your motherboard, you get to pick your processor, memory, and hard drive.  Anything that your little heart desires you can put in your computer.  You want 10 TB of storage to hold every song and movie your heart wants? You've got it!  You want a 3+ghz processor that you can water cool and easily overclock to 4+ghz? You've got it!  The possibilities are limitless.

       -Quality Parts. Unless you are wanting to buy lesser quality parts to save money, while choosing your parts you can choose quality parts.  There are many different manufactures of all the parts that go into a computer, with the exception being processors.  (AMD vs INTEL will be covered in a later post)  From these, you can choose high quality manufacturers whose products last many years.  Every computer I have ever built has lasted many years and the only reason they've stopped being used it simply because they have become too outdated and technology has changed so much.  Even then they have continued working.

       -Easy to Upgrade.  When you build a BIY computer, you put it together piece by piece.  When one piece becomes outdated or breaks down, changing it out for a new one is much easier than doing it on prefab computers.  In BIY computer cases there is usually more than enough space to move freely and exchange parts.  Plus you have usually more than enough slots to expand your computer as well.

       -Clean Slate.  On a BIY, your hard drive comes blank.  There is nothing useless taking up space on your hard drive.  No annoy programs that you have to install.  No misguided registry keys.  Nothing.  Clean and perfect.  You get to choose what programs you want to install.  You get to choose your settings for your operating system.  Heck, you get to choose your operating system.  Don't want Windows on your computer, fine!  Great even!  Whether you choose to put some form of Linux, Windows, or Mac (watch out for installing the Mac on PC on the legality front) on your PC, it's entirely up to you!  YAY!!

Cons:

       -Price.  While it's true, putting together your own computer may run you a few bucks extra, we all know the old adage, you get what you pay for.  Remember the pro of quality parts.  Well you do have to pay a bit extra for quality.  Still, you are able to build a computer well within reason of most budgets.  I usually find a customers budget while building a computer for them and try to build the best computer I can within that budget.  Truth be told, you can usually get a much better computer for the same price or $10 to $50 dollars more.

       -Time.  When you BIY, you usually have to order parts online.  This, while it does save some money usually, takes a little bit of time.  Usually 3-5 business days for parts to arrive.   While some people don't mind waiting that long for a superior system, some people (my wife...I love you honey) can't wait to order a superior product online and later reap what they sow while they're husbands mock them from a distance.

       -Envy/Jealousy.  While you will enjoy your brand new computer, you may evoke such feelings as those listed in your friends and family.  They'll live.

Conclusion:

So with all that said and done, I think you probably see where my allegiance lies.  I am a firm believer of building your own computer or having someone knowledgeable and that you trust, build it for you.  While off the shelf computers do serve a purpose and I must be honest, have improved a lot in recent years, there is no substitute for a computer built specifically for you in mind and for your specific needs.

Tips:

1.  Future proof your computer.  If you can, spend a little more money now for a better/faster computer.  You won't have to upgrade it as soon and will be able to enjoy the faster speed throughout it's life. 

2.  More RAM is god.  My rule of thumb is to try to get the max amount of RAM that your system will handle, within reason.  Today, most computer uses can utilize at least 2GB of RAM.   If you're a gamer look at getting at least 4GB of RAM.  Look for this to grow quickly as programs are becoming more and more detailed.