Tsona

Reason for this question is because about 2 years ago i didnt want to deal with all the hassle of piecing together a custom build so i just went to best buy, spend 1000$ on an out of the box decent setup with no extra's or anything just a nice processor speed, i think its a dual core 2.4ghz or something. but immediately had them install a top of the line graphics card. the computer games very well, i've played fallout3 countless hours with graphics turned up to a decent level, play counter strike source with no lag or freezing problems or anything, i've played half life 2, fear and world of warcraft with settings turned all the way up. and have never really had any problems with anything?

well now its coming to that time where i have to make a decision to upgrade this computer again, build a new one from scratch, or just go get another out of the box and put a new vid card in it.

just wondering the pro's and con's of these options.

Tyree

Building your own is all pros and no cons.
There are some builds in this thread. There a little outdated but still a good guide.
Want to Build A New Intel or AMD Computer? Here are 6 suggested models with Spec

gcavan

Not entirely true. . .

You have to be prepared to invest a substantial amount time in researching what you want/need and confirming compatibilities. And then comes the loss of sleep when that unforeseen configuration problem hits. How much is your time worth to you? Its more of a pride thing in that you can say that you "built this with your own hands".

There is much to be said for a preconfigured computer from a reputable company which backs its product with good after sale support.

A note per upgrading: This also requires a bit of research before deciding where you want/need to be, but you can often save a few $$ by recycling some components such as the case, hard drive(s) and opticals and then recoup some of your costs by selling off the unused bits. By reusing your current hdd, you can save the time/cost involved in switching over your OS and files.

Tyree

Good theory but I have yet to find one of those.
Pre-Builts= low quality parts (particularly PSU's), support that is poor at best (mostly located out of the country), offered by someone who has little command of the English language reading from a company compiled list of "fixes".

Dacads

Listing your PC specs would be a start

Tumbleweed36

In addition, because of the limited/poor quality of components like power supplies, it is very difficult if not impossible to upgrade without major expenditures. The components of pre-built computers are sized for what you have (example: strong enough for that video card only) when you purchase it with no room to expand without expensive upgrades.

Building your own eliminates this if you opt for quality parts the first time around.