Build a PC

[Garm Bel Iblis]

I want to build and order a PC online, any reputable sights out there for this?

 

[Corran Horn]

Are you going to piece it together yourself? If so, there are CPU/motherboard bundles on sites like tigerdirect.com and newegg.com.

 

[Amaris]

I want to build and order a PC online, any reputable sights out there for this?

I use Newegg.com, TigerDirect.com, Pricewatch.com, and on rare occasion, ZipZoomFly.com


John

 

[DonIago]

I'm not clear on whether you want to just order the parts and build it yourself, or order a custom-built machine.

I used http://pugetsystems.com to order my desktop and have been quite happy with it. Among other things they let me order without a hard drive, monitor, and other parts I already had. It was a few years ago, but I was quite happy with them and would definitely consider ordering from them again.

 

[Garm Bel Iblis]

i want to aseemble it online and have it built and shipped to me

 

[DonIago]

In that case I definitely stand by my recommendation.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I got all my components from tigerdirect, and built it myself.

I had looked at Gateway beforehand. I started with one of the base systems, and "replaced" components with bigger & better ones from more recognizable manufacturers. Of course the price went way up, so I went with the DIY option.

I ended up paying more this way, but got a far better machine in the end and the fun of building it myself.

 

[Ziz]

Building a machine yourself isn't as hard as you think. All the connectors are different shapes and sizes, and most are keyed to only fit in one way - it's pretty much idiot proof.

For me, the scariest part is getting past that first Windows installation - formatting the hard drive, hoping Windows recognizes all my hardware; at least enough to get the machine running; and re-booting the machine without any hiccups. After that, I calm down and get into the little stuff.

 

[farmkid]

Building a machine yourself isn't as hard as you think. All the connectors are different shapes and sizes, and most are keyed to only fit in one way - it's pretty much idiot proof.

For me, the scariest part is getting past that first Windows installation - formatting the hard drive, hoping Windows recognizes all my hardware; at least enough to get the machine running; and re-booting the machine without any hiccups. After that, I calm down and get into the little stuff.

I agree. Over the years I've built several computers for myself, family, and friends. Once you have all the partrs, basic ability with a screwdriver and sufficient eye-hand coordination to plug cables and cards in is all the skill you need. If you shop around, you can save a lot of money doing it that way, as well. In addition, you will learn a lot about how computers go together and you'll be more able to troubleshoot and fix computer problems in the future. If you have the time, I suggest building it yourself.

Do a little reading on hardware sites first, then decide what you want based on your budget. Once you have a preliminary list, post it here. There are plenty of people here who've done it many times and can help you decide.

 

[AnyStar]

...hoping Windows recognizes all my hardware...

and that you have at least passable drivers included in the packaging, without endless hours of trying to find the right ones...

THAT has always been my biggest gripe about building my pc's

 

[farmkid]

I've never really had any trouble finding drivers. It's usually as simple as going to the manufacturer's site, finding the device, and downloading the drivers (assuming there aren't drivers included with the device).

 

[Scout101]

I just finished building myself a brand new computer, mostly used Newegg for the parts. Worked out well, and a lot cheaper than a pre-made setup...

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

The trickiest part might be making sure your CPU heat sync w/fan is properly stuck to the CPU with the proper amount of thermal goop. This can make a big difference as to whether you'll overheat or not.

In my case, the first motherboard I got had 4 SATA connections, plus 4 additional ones that I could never get to work. I ended up with 5 SATA drives, so I ended up getting a whole new mobo with 6 SATA connections. The moral of this story is, if you're building it yourself, it can never hurt to plan ahead and/or go a little too far overboard.

 

[DonIago]

^Not being a fan of tinkering with MOBO/CPU/FAN/etc....though I'm fine with things like swapping HD's and such...this is one of the reasons I like to order a pre-build. I appreciate having someone else do the testing and really delicate work before it gets to me.