Professional system builders exist?

[madoka]

I already own computers from ibuypower and cyberpowerpc. But I feel limited in my choices at such places.

I'd like to be able to buy the specific parts that I want, and then deliver them to someone who will assemble it for me for a fee. (I'm not comfortable with water cooling, nor am I patient enough to make the cables all neat.)

Does such a service or business exist? (I live in Southern CA)

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Sure they do. But they tend to be "guy in a garage" type businesses, with the limitations that implies.

Would you trust VirtualLarry (or, for that matter, me) to build your PC, and what kind of warranty/support would you expect?

a couple of the mom'n'pop places I've frequented over the years would do builds for you, for a fee, but they're all out of business now. MicroCenter will build your system if you buy the parts from them.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I don't do much about "making the cables neat". I guess it's an art that I never quite learned, or my aesthetic sensibilities are lacking.

TBH, most of that started with concerns about airflow, due to those really wide IDE and floppy cables. Rounded cables solved that delimma, and nowadays, cable-management is rarely for airflow / cooling reasons, and more to just simply show off. Which isn't a bad thing, but I'm not the metrosexual type. I don't care (much) about looks. As long as it works, and it's not actually ugly, I really don't care.

Edit: And heck, I don't even have a garage to work in. I use my living-room chairs to build in.

 

[whm1974]

You could just build it yourself. Putting together a PC isn't at all hard and not all that time consuming either. Installing Windows and setting your applications will take the longest.

 

[aigomorla]

Frys electronics will build it for you.
You bring them the parts, and they will build it, and install windows on top for fee.
Its lke 80 dollars for a OEM quality build... unless the builder is Lazy as #@$ and just throws things inside and closes it.

Bestbuys Geek Squad i think also will do it for you as well.

However half the fun is building it yourself.
Its not too difficult to build a PC. I think more time is spent selecting the right parts, and then finding a vendor to purchase it at, then the actual build, unless ur building a SFF or you doing exotic cooling.

I know when i do a watercooling build, it can take up to a week to get it up and running after leak tests ... but if its a straight OEM style air build, its not too difficult.

 

[DaveSimmons]

If it's air cooled, it just takes an hour or two and a screwdriver. And if you're running at stock speed the only thing to worry about is a defective part.

Building it yourself means you can spend the extra $100+ on better parts, and you don't need to pay again if a part fails or you want to upgrade something.

 

[tribeca600]

What is the performance penalty between building it yourself and having a professional build it? If the components are the same then performance should also be the same right? Sure, mismatched components can be an issue but if you do your research correctly I am guessing you can get the same exact performance as OEM?

 

[DaveSimmons]

What is the performance penalty between building it yourself and having a professional build it? If the components are the same then performance should also be the same right? Sure, mismatched components can be an issue but if you do your research correctly I am guessing you can get the same exact performance as OEM?

Yes, the exact same performance. It just saves a bit of time, or for some people it means they don't need to worry about messing up, or figure out how to hook up all the connectors for the power and reset, front panel ports, etc.