**POLL** buy a dell or make your own computer, that is the question! :)

[nick1985]

this doesnt apply to me, bu i was just thinking about this today. if a dell machine cost 800 dollars and exact parts off newegg cost you 850, would you just buy the dell or make your own even though it would be more expensive. i would choose to build my own personally. i like knowing that i made it and taking pride in my computer, not having some company make it for me.

 

[Twista]

self made

 

[Corporate Thug]

Originally posted by: Twista
self made

 

[Bovinicus]

I said a self-made computer. However, this only applies to me. I can be my own tech support, and I know how to deal with computers, so that is not important to me. For the average consumer a Dell would be a better idea. It includes tech support, which is very important if you don't know how to troubleshoot problems yourself. Also, I can customize a self-made system further than a Dell system.

 

[HalfCrazy]

Self made without thinking. I do own a couple of non self made systems. One is a old 486 HP which was given to me. The other is a old Compaq laptop which I bought for only 50 bucks.

 

[mechBgon]

And the computer would be for my own use, not someone else's? Dude, I'm gettin' a Dell!

(...assuming I had lost the use of my hands, and could no longer wield my Wiha® #2 Phillips. Otherwise, if the difference were just $50 (or bundled software worth $50), I'd build my own.)


The software bundle, and the potential for a support fiasco ("help, I can only get two of the three CDs into the CD-ROM drive at once!"), could be reasons I'd get a pre-built system for someone else to use, but I'd probably get an nForce2-based Compaq or HP.

 

[Ionizer86]

Self-built. The Dell would have like a sucky Dell mobo with no tweaking options or anything fancy.

 

[mrweirdo]

of corse built myself

 

[Schadenfroh]

Originally posted by: shady06

Originally posted by: Twista
self made

 

[adams828]

personally, self made

for many ppl i know, dell

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: Ionizer86
Self-built. The Dell would have like a sucky Dell mobo with no tweaking options or anything fancy.

 

[PaveHawk]

I would build my own, yet insist that relatives go buy the Dell.

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Originally posted by: Ionizer86
Self-built. The Dell would have like a sucky Dell mobo with no tweaking options or anything fancy.

So true.

 

[MDE]

I need to overclock! Dell is a swear word in my house .

 

[Dewey]

Everyone talks about Dell tech support. My experiences have been horrible with their tech support. You are on hold for hours and finally get to talk to a non technical person in India who is reading a standard script. Those people can't trouble shoot anything remotely complicated.

 

[sunase]

Put me with the self made for myself and Dell made otherwise group (although personally I had my relatives buy Gateway since I had to call Gateway once for a friend's comp and was impressed they solved something I couldn't). Most of the problems my relatives were constantly bugging me with were the stupidest things, even poor tech support has a good shot at it and often they handle some of the most time consuming and boring stuff like swapping expansion cards around to clear resource conflicts.

The components are going to substandard in the Dell, but let's face it, the majority of computer users do nothing more than office and web browsing so having a motherboard with a few percent more performance and tweaking options is just useless for them. I wince when I see the crappy, fuzzy LCD my sister got saddled with compared to my vibrant CRT, but she doesn't even notice. Reliability might be a stronger argument, I would never accept not choosing my own hard drive company for example...

 

[Budman]

if a dell machine cost 800 dollars and exact parts off newegg cost you 850, would you just buy the dell

If a dell came with the same overclockable parts I can get at newegg but for cheaper? I would get the dell then.

 

[nick1985]

Originally posted by: Budman

if a dell machine cost 800 dollars and exact parts off newegg cost you 850, would you just buy the dell

If a dell came with the same overclockable parts I can get at newegg but for cheaper? I would get the dell then.

you missinterpreted the thread.

 

[Megatomic]

I have to build my own systems. I just enjoy the process I guess.

 

[lobadobadingdong]

Originally posted by: Dewey
Everyone talks about Dell tech support. My experiences have been horrible with their tech support. You are on hold for hours and finally get to talk to a non technical person in India who is reading a standard script. Those people can't trouble shoot anything remotely complicated.

that's only because you didn't spend the extra $300 for the gold 24 hour 4hr response service.

I do service work for dell, and I don't own a single one. buy the 800 machine and 1 year down the road you decide to upgrade your processor, you can't, you have to buy another 800 machine. buy the 850 machine and 1 year down the road you decide to upgrade your processor, yipee, you can do whatever the hell you want because it doesn't use a proprietary mobo that forbids you to upgrade your system.

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

Build my own because I know how to fix a busted computer. If I didn't...I'd definitely buy the Dell.

 

[GonzoDaGr8]

Originally posted by: Megatomic
I have to build my own systems. I just enjoy the process I guess.

Ditto here..

 

[waitingforprescott]

You could allways buy from a company like abs or monarch where in which they could build you a system pretty close to if you built it yourself. And it would only cost around $100 more.

 

[Jiggz]

A self builder will always build cheaper systems regardless if the pre built ones are sold by Compaq, HP or Dell. The only time you will spend more is when it comes to installed software. But hardware wise, own built will always end up being cheaper. The trick is to buy parts from different vendors. If you try buying all your parts in one store you will end up paying more. Think about it, by building your own you obviously saved money because you do not pay yourself while the pre built ones paid people to build them at leas $150.00 for each system. And to top it all off, upgrading is easy since you built it yourself. Last time I bought a computer case was back in 1996! I've changed cpu and mobo about 6 times. From the Pentium 133 mobo and CPU to Athlon XP 2800+. Now that's a lot of money saved not to mention the experiences learned along the way.

 

[Budman]

Originally posted by: nick1985

Originally posted by: Budman

if a dell machine cost 800 dollars and exact parts off newegg cost you 850, would you just buy the dell

If a dell came with the same overclockable parts I can get at newegg but for cheaper? I would get the dell then.

you missinterpreted the thread.

no I didnt you said exact parts.

you didnt say similar parts or comparable parts,you said exact same parts.