What's resonable profit for building a custom desktop system?

Rike

Platinum Member
Oct 14, 2004
2,614
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What are your experiences or policies when you do this kind of work?

I'm offering a 90 day warranty on the hardware and phone tech support.
 

mrchan

Diamond Member
May 18, 2000
3,123
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Depends. In most cases, it's probably cheaper and you get a better warranty to go with Dell.

But if it must be custom, I would say 10-20%.
 

Red Dawn

Elite Member
Jun 4, 2001
57,529
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Take them for as much as you can because you can be sure that every time they screw it up they'll be calling you to fix it or blaming you for their computer not working.
 

dainthomas

Lifer
Dec 7, 2004
14,738
3,652
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I would never build a rig for less than $100. If all they want is an el cheapo internet rig, I'll tell them to get whatever low end Dell happens to be on sale.

The best job I had was building a $2000 system for my boss a couple years ago.
 

aircooled

Lifer
Oct 10, 2000
15,965
1
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I stopped building for others. Not worth the hassle supporting it in the future.

Nowadays I just tell them to buy a Dell.
 

Rike

Platinum Member
Oct 14, 2004
2,614
2
81
Originally posted by: robothouse77
probably 7%. there is wayyyy to much competition
True, but I'm doing this on the side. I'm mostly getting people coming to me for custom work, I'm not seeking them out.
 

xanis

Lifer
Sep 11, 2005
17,571
8
0
Take them for as much as you can. Also, you might want to knock some time off of that 90-day warranty to something like 60-days, just to save your sanity.
 

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
When I used to build PC's, I settled on taking 8%. It was a decent number on expensive units :p
 

Unheard

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2003
3,773
9
81
Originally posted by: aircooled
I stopped building for others. Not worth the hassle supporting it in the future.

Nowadays I just tell them to buy a Dell.



QTF
 

slayer202

Lifer
Nov 27, 2005
13,679
119
106
better hope you sell to people who know what they are doing, or else you are gonna go crazy helping them out for the next 3 months.
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
63,084
14
81
fobot.com
like any other capitalistic exercise, as much as the traffic will bare

figure out the most you think they will pay, and then double it
 

Rike

Platinum Member
Oct 14, 2004
2,614
2
81
Originally posted by: slayer202
better hope you sell to people who know what they are doing, or else you are gonna go crazy helping them out for the next 3 months.

Yeah, I'm reasonably sure they won't jack it up. But every business venture has it's risks. ;)
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,085
766
126
Originally posted by: aircooled
I stopped building for others. Not worth the hassle supporting it in the future.

Nowadays I just tell them to buy a Dell.

QFT