Can You Still Build a PC for Less?

[hurtstotalktoyou]

That Dell outlet store has some great deals, sure, but it's a different market. A lot of people don't want to buy a used PC (or one that *might* be used). Some folks want a warranty, and so they have to buy something name-brand. Other folks want to make sure they have removable and transferrable components, and they have to build it themselves. Others are just looking for the cheapest fix, and these are the folks who have to decide between building or buying name-brand. If they don't mind getting something used, and don't mind adding a few generic components onto the original box, then that Dell outlet store is a perfect solution. If they need something new, but still want something cheap, then building it from scratch is the way to go. For my father, who falls into that last category, the $464 custom build is the best deal out there. What I said before is quite true: you can't beat that price with Dell.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
Well then, that means you can get a Dell system that may or may not be used, to which you must add whitebox components, for less than a faster home-built system. That's not what most people would want. I know it's not what my father would want.

Say what you will, I don't care. Most people don't or can't OC their Semprons, either. But yet, that's needed for it to be faster than a Pentium 630, right?

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: fire400

Originally posted by: Chacranajxy

Originally posted by: IGBT
Text

Don't believe me? Just try building yourself a Pentium-4 based system for less than you'd pay for any basic Dell Dimension PC. See, every day Dell buys a gazillion hard drives, optical drives, motherboards, and so on, so it gets a better unit price for these components than you do for your single purchase. The fact is, without cannibalizing half of your current PC's parts, you can't touch Dell when it comes to building a cheap PC.

And Dell can't touch me when it comes to building a decent PC. If I wanted the absolute ghettoest PC I could get, yeah, I'd go to Dell. But if I want something relatively inexpensive that's actually good and doesn't have all of Dell's preloaded crap, then the only real option is to build it.

owned
with the money you spend on a Dell, a few more bucks will get you a custom built system that has "features you want"

Owned? :laugh: I got a system that runs FEAR well at 16x12 for less than a grand.

I have built plenty of systems, it's just that I found what I need with a Dell at a much lower cost.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: bamacre
Say what you will, I don't care. Most people don't or can't OC their Semprons, either. But yet, that's needed for it to be faster than a Pentium 630, right?

Building and overclocking are for enthusiasts--or, in this case, their families. Like I said, there are different markets for PCs. I never claimed name-brand systems don't have their place.

 

[bamacre]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
That Dell outlet store has some great deals, sure, but it's a different market. A lot of people don't want to buy a used PC (or one that *might* be used). Some folks want a warranty, and so they have to buy something name-brand. Other folks want to make sure they have removable and transferrable components, and they have to build it themselves. Others are just looking for the cheapest fix, and these are the folks who have to decide between building or buying name-brand. If they don't mind getting something used, and don't mind adding a few generic components onto the original box, then that Dell outlet store is a perfect solution. If they need something new, but still want something cheap, then building it from scratch is the way to go. For my father, who falls into that last category, the $464 custom build is the best deal out there. What I said before is quite true: you can't beat that price with Dell.

Look, I have not been knocking BYO, not at all. I've stated the disadvantages of buying a Dell already, and I never said everyone shoud buy a Dell. I was just refuting your one statement that it's always cheaper to BYO. It's simply not true. Like I said, I have a bedroom full of dell computers, I shipped out 15 of them today, and every single one of them cost me less than if I were to build them. The computers are so cheap on Dell Outlet, people use self-made programs to add certain systems to their cart before anyone ever even sees them.

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: bamacre
I was just refuting your one statement that it's always cheaper to BYO. It's simply not true.

Almost always. Anyway, what I said wasn't meant for name-brand PCs with generic components added onto them. Such a system isn't fully pre-built, nor is it a BYO in the purest sense. If you go onto the Dell website and customize a new system, it will cost more than building it yourself. If you go with a refurb, you chance getting something used, and you'll almost certainly have to build on top of it.

These are semantics, I know, but I don't want anyone thinking I don't know what I'm talking about. I admit that it's news to me you can get very cheap referb builds, but it still doesn't change the fact that you need to do at least some internal tinkering to stay cheap. And it doesn't change the fact that the cheapest way to get something guaranteed new is to build it yourself.

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou

Originally posted by: bamacre
I was just refuting your one statement that it's always cheaper to BYO. It's simply not true.

Almost always. Anyway, what I said wasn't meant for name-brand PCs with generic components added onto them. Such a system isn't fully pre-built, nor is it a BYO in the purest sense. If you go onto the Dell website and customize a new system, it will cost more than building it yourself. If you go with a refurb, you chance getting something used, and you'll almost certainly have to build on top of it.

These are semantics, I know, but I don't want anyone thinking I don't know what I'm talking about. I admit that it's news to me you can get very cheap referb builds, but it still doesn't change the fact that you need to do at least some internal tinkering to stay cheap. And it doesn't change the fact that the cheapest way to get something guaranteed new is to build it yourself.

Really?

 

[dexvx]

Originally posted by: shortylickens
\BUT...... If you joined anandtech to discuss the merits of low-end computing, you are wasting your time. We're here specifically because we dont want to settle for some POS that Dell forces down our throats.

Sorry to inform you, but the AT crowd isnt the most knowing/hardcore crowd in terms of DIY/BYO computers. HardOCP and xtremesystems both have more hardcore communities in terms of modd'ing and overclocking. The members there acknowledge you cannot beat Dell prices with DIY for one simple reason: Dell is mass volume and gets mass volume discounts on everything.


When a Dell Hot-Deal rolls around, you simply cannot beat it in terms of price. It is true for low-end, mid-high end, and on the server front. Quality wise, their Dimension 4xxx and above lines are comparable, if not better than most DIY solutions. I've lived in a College Dorm before and continually mock people who "build their own" and end up with a system thats more expensive and crappier than comparable Dell system. Bamacre has to realize since AT is the middle-knowledge DIY crowd, and are generally fiercely defensive of their own work.


The reason I don't get Dell's for myself is because I like to mess with non-cookie cutter computer builds. I have a Pentium-M Dothan on a desktop. I gave my parents a shuttle SFF. I'm planning an Intel Shelton mini-ITX computer. And I have a micro-ATX Tualatin Linux server. And that is the advantage of DIY/BYO: you can customize it to whatever you want, but you do pay the premium: sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.

 

[0roo0roo]

yea of course. pushing dells and stuff on non techie relatives/friends is the best way to go. saves u from system building responsibility/upkeep/techsupport, dell gets to deal with it all. self building is for saving money through buying stuff little by little through sales+rebates and such. too much trouble to do for someone else.

 

[ShadowBlade]

i can build a computer for under $150 with all new parts

 

[Gannon]

Originally posted by: hurtstotalktoyou
Another thing...

This whole argument is impractical. It's based on the premise that you can't re-use old components, when the real world proves otherwise. For example, I haven't bought a new computer in many years. I started out with a custom Athlon 950 system, and through upgrade after upgrade it has turned into a Sempron 64 @ 2.4 GHz. Heck, I still have my old Maxtor hard disk from five years ago (it's the 60 GB PATA in my sig). I could not have done that with a brand-name pre-built system.

I also think he misses the points that good parts hold their value fairly well if you sell them at the right time on ebay. Many of us sell our old parts before they sink too much in value and upgrade so that offsets a lot of the cost of upgrading and we can do it more frequently. Not to mention it's all what kind of person you are, are you so money obsessed with squeezing every penny? Or do you make a decent income and a few dollars spent on what you like isn't going to hurt anything, after all *it's your money, it's your choice*.

This is not to say all PC enthusiasts are "rational" but you can't take your money with you when you die, sure you can buy a nice cheap dell or build it, but the smartest strategy is to buy what will run your apps comfortably for the longest time and pay the lowest price and ride out your investment for as long as possible, since we all admit technology is a black hole for investment because it's constantly being update, improved and prices of old hardware sink like a rock. Many of us upgrade for entertainment purposes rather then work, or because we are enthusiastic about technology. To each his own.

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

Dell can't even come close to the performance you can get by overclocking. Getting the performance of an $800 FX-55 (at least, probably FX-57+) out of an overclocked $200 Opteron 146 totally owns any crap Dell can come up with. Also, most of the cases from companies like Dell, Gateway, HP, etc totally blow. They use uATX cases most of the time, so it's impossible to upgrade to a full ATX mobo. And most of the time, they only have like 2 hard drive bays. That's definitely not enough if you plan to keep and upgrade a system for a long time. And of course, I highly doubt you can get that $400 XPS 400 at that price all the time. In the end, I'd much rather have my own custom built PC that I can customize pretty much every aspect of. With Dell, your options are very limited.

 

[Budmantom]

Originally posted by: dexvx

Originally posted by: shortylickens
\BUT...... If you joined anandtech to discuss the merits of low-end computing, you are wasting your time. We're here specifically because we dont want to settle for some POS that Dell forces down our throats.

Sorry to inform you, but the AT crowd isnt the most knowing/hardcore crowd in terms of DIY/BYO computers. HardOCP and xtremesystems both have more hardcore communities in terms of modd'ing and overclocking. The members there acknowledge you cannot beat Dell prices with DIY for one simple reason: Dell is mass volume and gets mass volume discounts on everything.


When a Dell Hot-Deal rolls around, you simply cannot beat it in terms of price. It is true for low-end, mid-high end, and on the server front. Quality wise, their Dimension 4xxx and above lines are comparable, if not better than most DIY solutions. I've lived in a College Dorm before and continually mock people who "build their own" and end up with a system thats more expensive and crappier than comparable Dell system. Bamacre has to realize since AT is the middle-knowledge DIY crowd, and are generally fiercely defensive of their own work.


The reason I don't get Dell's for myself is because I like to mess with non-cookie cutter computer builds. I have a Pentium-M Dothan on a desktop. I gave my parents a shuttle SFF. I'm planning an Intel Shelton mini-ITX computer. And I have a micro-ATX Tualatin Linux server. And that is the advantage of DIY/BYO: you can customize it to whatever you want, but you do pay the premium: sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.

Agreed!