Originally posted by: smopoim86
Originally posted by: bob4432
save more $$$$????
Prolly what I'll end up doing, what's listed come out at about $700 before tax and shipping.(stupid $250 mobo)
I try to tell myself that i dont need the best stuff, but it just doesn't work
i don't know your age or anything else, but i am assuming i am a bit older @ 33, have been into computers since i was ~13 and always build my own rigs. $$$ is really not a problem for me (not trying to be rude but just hear me out), but i always do a price/performance/roi in my head before i buy anything that is electronics because they lose value so quickly.
could i afford a $10K pc? sure, could i afford a $25K home theatre system? sure. do i need them? NO
when younger i liked to be an early adopter but found i paid an extreme penalty for having stuff 6mos of when it became reasoably priced. and these were the years when pcs were running in the hundreds of MHz, not GHz.
after a few years of having the best and at a very high cost, on a whim i picked up some items a bit cheaper, but with good quality and what i found was that i easily got 95% of the same performance as components costing 3-4x as much.
would it be nice for you to have the $250 m/b? sure, but would a $100 that did everything you needed it do due suffice, probably so.
i buy my computer components with the foresight that i know my primary machine is an evolutionary piece of equipment and that most items in it will be upgraded in a year or less. imo gone are the days of building a machine that will last 3yrs, especially if you are into gaming.
also don't try to buy items that you think will work in the far off future, like the crossfire dx10 psu. i have read articles that some of those cards may require their own psu, or they are using over 300W alone.
i buy now for what i know or may be 6mos out at most, i usually buy about 1generation old stuff for stability/maturity (of the particular item - i never buy a brand new board with a brand new chipset - too many things can and sometimes do go wrong costing me time and even if time does not equal money it does in the very least equal aggravation) reasons and also buy used and or refurbished items at significant savings. i do however have more than 1pc so if i say pick up a nice m/b off of newegg for $40 refurbished (that would go for ~$100 full retail) and it is doa, i can still rma it. after the rma process, the new board will more than likely work and i paid ~$50 including the rma shipping, thus coming out $50 ahead. do this for a couple key components and you could easily save a couple hundred $$$.
i know my rig in sig is nothing to write home about but it does what i need it to very well. is it the latest and greatest - no, was it 6mos ago - pretty close, and due to trading and frugal shopping and parts carry i don't have much $$$ into it. would a e6400 be a nice upgrade? yes, but would i notice it, probably not therefore i will wait until i need the extra speed.
hope this helps you out
🙂
