Question Computer building became unenjoyable

[anandtechreader]

I built my first PC 20 years ago and 2nd one 10 years ago. I could just walk in stores and got all the components I needed and built. It took only a few hours and it was enjoyable experience. I received admiration from all sorts of people.

Now, the experience is completely the opposite. I tried to build a PC last year and this year. All I experienced are lack of availability, increased prices caused by people buying stocks in bulk and selling them at higher prices to gain profits and DOA issues. I bought only high end components. I always experience: Out of stock-> Wait, buy somewhere else or choose another item of no stock to be found. Ship from the USA to Canada-> Wait for days due to delay in shipment for no reaon and wait for days due to delay in delivery. Recently I even experienced lost packages twice in a row. Some components also arrived DOA. One PSU was even shipping to me with the plug incorrect. Corsair just apologized and told me to swap with the seller.

What caused such 180 degrees change in purchase and building experiences? It seems that all of a sudden, the number of DIY PC builders increased by 100000+ times.

 

[rchunter]

Well at least you won't have to do it for another 5-10 years. In another 10 years from now things might be back to normal, or everybody might all be using only cell phones lol.

 

[WhiteNoise]

Other than video cards I have not experienced this issue you talk about. I buy all my PC parts from Fry's Electronics (B&M) and Newegg (willcall) and everything I need is always just a drive away.

I will say this though....I'm not as enthused about building as I was say 10 years ago. Ive been building computers for over 19 years now. I build them for me, my family and some friends. I used to upgrade or build a new PC once a year. Then it transitioned to once every couple of years and now if I can't get 3-4 years out of a PC then I'm bummed.

Put it this way...I'm so tired of building computers that when it is time for a new one I just buy everything new including the case. I can't be bothered to pull stuff out of my existing case and build in it. I just take my old PC, move that to my daughters desk, put her old one on my sons desk and his old one in the kitchen for everyone. So much easier this way.

 

[anandtechreader]

Yes, video cards especially those Nvidia high end ones are hard to get. I heard that it was due to those miners but now it is not profitable, why still difficult to get 2080Ti?

G.Skill DDR4-3200C14 RAM modules especially the RGB ones are also hard to get. Newegg sells it at around 1K but a company sells it at 1.6K. Are they crazy? Never want to support those people.

We also had problems in getting Corsair AX1600i PSU. Everywhere was out of stock with no clear ETA.

Highest end Z390 motherboards are also hard to get.

Perhaps compared with 20 years ago, these days most people have access to the internet and refund is so easy that they just buy the best ones, try within the return period and get refund.

How come there are so many people reviewing computers and components on YouTube? Do they get those things for free from companies or they just buy, review and return or there are just so many rich people these days. About 20-30 years ago, not many people could buy computers and even staff at university spending 3K on a computer was a big news for people in computer store to talk about. These days, I see lots of people spending 6K+ on computers. Some, miners have lots of GPU and others have 4+ Titan GPUs, etc.

 

[paperfist]

Yes, video cards especially those Nvidia high end ones are hard to get. I heard that it was due to those miners but now it is not profitable, why still difficult to get 2080Ti?

G.Skill DDR4-3200C14 RAM modules especially the RGB ones are also hard to get. Newegg sells it at around 1K but a company sells it at 1.6K. Are they crazy? Never want to support those people.

We also had problems in getting Corsair AX1600i PSU. Everywhere was out of stock with no clear ETA.

Highest end Z390 motherboards are also hard to get.

Perhaps compared with 20 years ago, these days most people have access to the internet and refund is so easy that they just buy the best ones, try within the return period and get refund.

How come there are so many people reviewing computers and components on YouTube? Do they get those things for free from companies or they just buy, review and return or there are just so many rich people these days. About 20-30 years ago, not many people could buy computers and even staff at university spending 3K on a computer was a big news for people in computer store to talk about. These days, I see lots of people spending 6K+ on computers. Some, miners have lots of GPU and others have 4+ Titan GPUs, etc.

Most of those review people get their gear for free and go in to post positive reviews about it for the company.

I never watched streamers until recently and it’s the same for them. Play games, endorse a product and get free loot and dough too.

I don’t have any problems getting parts either. The price of everything is higher, but what isn’t? I’m sure a lot of that has to do with what some of you have said in that you don’t need to upgrade every year now so supply and demand dictates a higher price.

PC gaming for a while was on a down turn (don’t know know) but again less buyers = higher prices.

 

[VirtualLarry]

It seems that all of a sudden, the number of DIY PC builders PC parts scalpers and online arbitrage vendors increased by 100000+ times.

Fixed that for you.

Yeah, there are online "stores", that live within Newegg's warehouses, that buy the "max qty" (I assume) during good sales, Newegg doesn't even have to physically move their inventory (don't think, anyway), and then when Newegg sells out, they becomes the default seller on Newegg's web site after a big sale sell-off, after online buzz has been generated about a certain product listing "on-sale", for like 3x to 4x the price.

Or ebay scalpers, don't even get me started on them...

 

[anandtechreader]

Fixed that for you.

Yeah, there are online "stores", that live within Newegg's warehouses, that buy the "max qty" (I assume) during good sales, Newegg doesn't even have to physically move their inventory (don't think, anyway), and then when Newegg sells out, they becomes the default seller on Newegg's web site after a big sale sell-off, after online buzz has been generated about a certain product listing "on-sale", for like 3x to 4x the price.

Or ebay scalpers, don't even get me started on them...

Same thing in regard to Amazon.

I complained but they told me that there is nothing that they can do. I suppose that if they want, they can cross check serial numbers and impose restrictions on scalpers.

Selling 1080ti at 3-5k is crazy!

 

[VirtualLarry]

I saw a brand-new IDE DVD-RW on Newegg yesterday. The listing, wanted five-thousand dollars(!) for it. I mean, I know that they are rare, but still...

 

[anandtechreader]

I think I read a news few days ago that Amazon prefers to sell through 3rd party sellers to earn more profits. So we are going to see more and more these crazy resellers selling things at super high prices?

 

[BoomerD]

I'm kind of in the same boat. After building several PC's over the years...since the mid-90's...I'm kind of tired of the hassles. (picking the right parts, getting them for the best price, mounting the CPU to the motherboard and HOPING not to bend a pin...<gawd I hate that "CRUNCH">...hoping the thing will POST and boot up properly, chasing drivers, etc...
So, I'm actually considering buying a pre-built...but don't really know much about the different "brands" that seem to be prevalent in the market today. (I remember when Alienware was decent...before Dell bought them) Cyberpower, ABS, and Ibuypower seem to be the 3 that get the most "shelf space" on the various websites...and while they usually list the basics of the components, (processor speed, amount of RAM, type of video card) not much info seems to be available about the individual components. (MOBO model, video card maker, etc.)
Makes me wonder if they're using cheap crap, or just don't bother listing it.

what to do, what to do...

 

[Markfw]

I'm kind of in the same boat. After building several PC's over the years...since the mid-90's...I'm kind of tired of the hassles. (picking the right parts, getting them for the best price, mounting the CPU to the motherboard and HOPING not to bend a pin...<gawd I hate that "CRUNCH">...hoping the thing will POST and boot up properly, chasing drivers, etc...
So, I'm actually considering buying a pre-built...but don't really know much about the different "brands" that seem to be prevalent in the market today. (I remember when Alienware was decent...before Dell bought them) Cyberpower, ABS, and Ibuypower seem to be the 3 that get the most "shelf space" on the various websites...and while they usually list the basics of the components, (processor speed, amount of RAM, type of video card) not much info seems to be available about the individual components. (MOBO model, video card maker, etc.)
Makes me wonder if they're using cheap crap, or just don't bother listing it.

what to do, what to do...

I guarantee you most of it is cheap crap. Build your own.

 

[VirtualLarry]

what to do, what to do...

Build your own.

Yeah, seriously. Or pay some at least semi-competent to build one for you. (I'm a system builder, too, btw. There might be someone on here local to you, that could build something, if you don't feel like it. Or Microcenter could, too. I think that they're somewhat competent. Their PowerSpec rigs aren't too bad either.)

 

[BoomerD]

I guarantee you most of it is cheap crap. Build your own.

Sigh...

Yeah, seriously. Or pay some at least semi-competent to build one for you. (I'm a system builder, too, btw. There might be someone on here local to you, that could build something, if you don't feel like it. Or Microcenter could, too. I think that they're somewhat competent. Their PowerSpec rigs aren't too bad either.)

Sadly, where we live, there are no people (in the biz) who are even close to semi-competent...that's one of the drawbacks to living on the beach...

I went thru pcpartspicker and started a build...using premium components...I blasted thru $2000 long before I was finished.

 

[Sgt. York]

Over half that is probably the graphics card. 2080(ti) are expensive.

 

[BoomerD]

Over half that is probably the graphics card. 2080(ti) are expensive.

Yeah...plus the i7-9700, 32 gigs of RAM, Asus Maximus XI Hero boa4d, Corsair water cooler, Seasonic PSU, etc. It adds up quickly.

 

[whm1974]

Yeah...plus the i7-9700, 32megs of RAM, Asus Maximus XI Hero boa4d, Corsair water cooler, Seasonic PSU, etc. It adds up quickly.

On the plus side, something like that you wouldn't need to do another build for years.

 

[Sgt. York]

On the plus side, something like that you wouldn't need to do another build for years.

At Boomer's advanced age it would likely outlast him.

 

[Markfw]

Sigh...



Sadly, where we live, there are no people (in the biz) who are even close to semi-competent...that's one of the drawbacks to living on the beach...

I went thru pcpartspicker and started a build...using premium components...I blasted thru $2000 long before I was finished.

Well, right now you can get a threadripper (16 cores/32 threads) 32 gig of the good ram, and what I think is the best motherboard for $1100. Add a 500 gig nvme and a decent video card and power supply (he does not need a 2080ti, 2070 or 2060 at the most), and you at still around 1900 for probbably way more power than what you were picking.

Oh, HSF , the good one is $89 for TR4. So at 2000, but way more power.

 

[BoomerD]

Well, right now you can get a threadripper (16 cores/32 threads) 32 gig of the good ram, and what I think is the best motherboard for $1100. Add a 500 gig nvme and a decent video card and power supply (he does not need a 2080ti, 2070 or 2060 at the most), and you at still around 1900 for probbably way more power than what you were picking.

Oh, HSF , the good one is $89 for TR4. So at 2000, but way more power.

Thanks, but eeeewww....AMD?

In ~25 years of building computers, I've NEVER built anything AMD, and only twice have I had Ati video cards. (and was disappointed in performance both times)

On the plus side, something like that you wouldn't need to do another build for years.

Probably...or not.

At Boomer's advanced age it would likely outlast him.

Oh...and since none of youse apparently caught it...32 GB of RAM, NOT MB.

 

[Markfw]

Thanks, but eeeewww....AMD?

In ~25 years of building computers, I've NEVER built anything AMD, and only twice have I had Ati video cards. (and was disappointed in performance both times)


Probably...or not.







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Oh...and since none of youse apparently caught it...32 GB of RAM, NOT MB.

OK, so you have never built AMD. Care to match my $2000 build to your Intel setup ? (in anything except gaming.) Right now that 32 thread setup will demolish anything Intel has for the same price. Oh, and it is an Nvidia 2060 in my build. AMD right now has cheap cards, but they suck power. But CPU's ? Intel sucks the power and costs more. And AMD wins in anything but gaming by quite a bit in that build for $2000.

 

[BoomerD]

OK, so you have never built AMD. Care to match my $2000 build to your Intel setup ? (in anything except gaming.) Right now that 32 thread setup will demolish anything Intel has for the same price. Oh, and it is an Nvidia 2060 in my build. AMD right now has cheap cards, but they suck power. But CPU's ? Intel sucks the power and costs more. And AMD wins in anything but gaming by quite a bit in that build for $2000.

Well...I...um...err.....but I'd just feel so dirty...
Gaming is my focus...other than that, I just surf. No coding, no serious graphics work...in fact, I haven't had access to a "real" PC since November. Had to do everything on an iPad or my fone. I finally got my PC set back up a few nights ago...

 

[anandtechreader]

I think it will get worse because more and more resellers are buying up all stocks from Amazon and Newegg and then sell at higher prices. Checked for a mouse few days ago. A reseller is selling it at over $500! About five times the original price! Are they crazy? Not going to suppoer them.

 

[IBMJunkman]

I don’t have a problem building a PC. It has been a few years, tho. What is stopping me is the half day of installing software. Plus I am worried that my almost 5 year old MSDN copies of SQL, Visual Studio and Office may not be Okayed by big brother in Redmond. That would prevent me from maintaining my vanity website.