Should You Build Or Buy Your
Next Computer? by
Lee Jones
When you use an auto garage, you can look at paying in
upwards of $70 to $80 dollars for an oil change, depending on where you live of
course. You could also go down to your local retail store, buy the same oil for
about $2.00 a quart, buy an oil filter for $3.00 to $5.00, drive your car up on
the curb and change your own oil. Of course you'll need other supplies like an
oil pan, wrench or socket set, some old clothes, but you can save yourself
around $65 an oil change. Multiply that by every 3000 miles and you can see the
savings that can accumulate.You can apply this same
logic when considering purchasing your next home computer. You can have someone
else build a computer for you and sell it at an inflated price or you can build
your own computer and save tons of money. You could also, of course, have
someone buy a computer and give it to you (wouldn't that be great), but how
often does this happen (after you've moved out of mommy and daddy's house)?
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The first thing you must do is make a decision. Do you want to
purchase a pre-assembled computer at an inflated price or do you build your own
computer and save? Below, I've listed some pros and cons to help you make an
informative decision.
Pros to buying preassembled:
1. The obvious reason is it's pre-assembled. Someone else or something will
build a computer for you. You are able to use the computer right out of the box.
2. There is usually some of customer support for the computer.
3. If something goes wrong with the computer, you can turn the computer in for a
replacement or refund.
Cons to buying preassembled:
1. The customer support you receive may be for a limited time, especially if you
contact them by telephone.
2. If something goes wrong with any part of the computer, you turn in the
computer for a replacement or refund. The problem with that is, you are out of a
computer for about a month. If the CD ROM is malfunctioning, you can still
access the internet or use other functions of your computer that does not
require a CD ROM.
3. Pre-assembled computers are pricey
4. Pre-assembled computers typically offer a lot of extras that you will never
use. Dell has tried to address that problem.
Pros of building your computer:
1. You get what you want in your computer
2. You will have customer support for each component of your computer
3. If something goes wrong with a certain component of your computer, you return
that component for repair or replacement or refund.
4. your computer can be substantially cheaper than a pre-assembled computer
5. You gain a wealth of knowledge about the inner workings of your computer
Cons of building your computer
1. You have to build your computer. It's not packaged and gift wrapped for you.
2. You will have to do some research. The research is essential to ensure
components are compatible. Before I built my first computer, I did not realize a
motherboard came in multiple forms factors. ATX and ATX micro are the norm for
PC's, but not exclusively.
3. You have to be a keen shopper. Many online stores offer great prices for
computer parts.
So, there you have it. There, of course, there are other
factors to consider, like how soon your computer needs to be operational and if
you have the patience to build your own computer. All in all, if you want to
save money, get what you want and get the best bang for your buck, building your
computer is the way to go
