Should I build my own gaming PC or just buy it from company?

[lxskllr]

As long as you have some funds in reserve, try building one youself.
If you screw something up, you can always buy more parts and give it another go.

and still be even money when finished, but with the knowledge of how computers go together :^)

 

[fatpat268]

it's always the dumb mistakes.

i've sat stressing over a build for over an hour before realizing i forgot to plug the PCI-E cable into the video card.

I did something similar when I forgot to plug in the 4-pin P4 cable.

 

[taltamir]

You should build if you know how.

Build:
the good: it is a LOT cheaper, its higher quality parts, there is individual support for parts instead of shipping the whole box back, upgradability, better warranty! (individual parts have typical warranties of 3 years, 5 years, or lifetime. But if you buy from dell you get dell warranty for the whole thing, voided if opened yourself, and parts are all OEM and do NOT carry their own warranty!)
the bad: it takes longer to buy individual parts, it takes 1-2 hours to assemble.

Buying:
the good: you save an hour or two.
the bad: everything

 

[TXAngel08]

You should build if you know how.

Build:
the good: it is a LOT cheaper

It is, if you're building a high end rig with a lot of very high end parts, and comparing to Dell (Alienware).

It isn't if you're looking at a sub $1,000 system. Buying OEM is often cheaper than rolling your own below that price point.

its higher quality parts

Perhaps, but you can buy junk on your own as well.

there is individual support for parts instead of shipping the whole box back

I always got on-site support from Dell, dealing with 15 different companies is a pain, not a feature.

upgradability, better warranty!

Generally true.

But if you buy from dell you get dell warranty for the whole thing, voided if opened yourself

You don't void the Dell warranty by opening the computer.

the bad: it takes longer to buy individual parts, it takes 1-2 hours to assemble.

It doesn't take any longer to order everything from NewEgg than it does to order it from Dell.

If you are not experienced in building a computer, it will take much longer than 1-2 hours to go from a collection of parts to a Windows desktop.

 

[CraigRT]

Build!

If you want people to suggest a homebrew, post here.

If you want people to suggest buying from an OEM, post on say, Dell forums.

I haven't re-done my home desktop PC/gaming rig in over 4 years and I still had no worries tearing it down, cleaning up the case and installing all my new parts. All went together without a hitch.

With a little help from places like this before you dig in, you'll be golden.