I've been considering getting a new PC lately, but I'm torn on whether I should put effort into researching specific parts and putting it together myself or just getting an out-of-the-box deal and being content with that. I know a custom-made computer will almost always wind up more powerful, but expense plays a role as well, and I don't necessarily need the strongest computer in the world. (Though some computing power to play semi-modern games would be nice.) What say you, computer experts? Which is, on average, cheaper? Straight out of the box, or custom built?
If you are certain the computer will work fine after an upgrade and you won't need to do any upgrades in a year or so then that would be fine. I'd say upgrading might be cheaper on the short term but if you are sure you have to replace the computer in the near future then it's better to buy a new computer. For me I'd only upgrade a computer if I'm certain that after the upgrade I'll be using the computer for two or more years.
Our computer is already 5 years old and we have this plan of buying a new one. Our choice is a brand new that comes with a warranty. Upgrading a computer is feasible but not advisable since upgraded computers, as per my experience in our office, always develops complications like compatibility problems. It is like a car where brand new is better than a used one.
It's always a certainty that cheaper computers are the ones that you assembled yourself, since the brand name custom made ones are expensive. If you are quite knowledgeable about building your own PC then I think that is the better option rather than buying a brand new one.
I think it's best to learn about computer parts and to just assemble them yourself if you can because buying rebuilt will almost always carry with it a lot of compromises that were made just to make the PC cheaper and more attractive. However, stores are able to buy in bulk so they are also the ones that are able to sell at the lowest when compared to just buying parts individually, so if you know a store you can trust and you could find out which parts work best for you then it wouldn't be such a bad option as well considering that most of the time the bulk of the expense is on the operating system rather than their service fee and profits.
We had a used Dell that we bought from a friend that lasted us a long time. They left all their application on there and so it was well set up and worth the price. The next computer we bought brand new was an HP Pavillon g7 Laptop with Windows 7 (but now has Windows 10 update) and while the computer itself has been good, we have been disappointed in its lifespan. We bought it for $600.00 back in 2012 and the last year it has been experiencing many problems. It heats up and the fan no longer works causing it to shut down in the middle of my work. The touch bad is completely worn out in the middle and it didn't come with a mouse for me to use in its place. And the keys are now starting to stick. Despite trying to clean it, I almost can never use my #4 key normally (whew, it worked that time) or other letter keys. So I think the nice thing about buying from a trusted friend is that they have already noticed what is efficient about the device. But buying brand new you are not sure what the lifespan will be unless it is an older model that is still on the market which seldom happens now a days. It is maddening how every year everything has to change. I am all for updates but often times when it changes you must change all the applications you use and this can be very frustrating.
You'll end up paying more for an already-assembled PC rather than a DIY one. I'm talking from experience, and it's a quite noticeable difference. The biggest difference I've ever noticed is around 20% between the already assembled PC and the one which I made myself. Take this into consideration.
Honestly in my opinion the discrepancy between pre-built and DIY PC is more apparent when you need all the latest and greatest. If you requirement is simply to play semi-modern games (I'm talking about 2004-2009) then I'd say it's not much of a difference. You can have a look a round and see which one you like best, but the average budget for that I'd wager at around 300-350 USD. Most expensive components of a PC will be the CPU and graphic cards, and judging by your need, a budget option for both will be nice. One thing to note though, is that if you build your own PC, you can hunt for discount for every single items which could add up to a bigger saving. However, more often than not you will find yourself trying to push the budget a bit more each time and end up with a much more expensive PC. So think about how much you're willing to spend, and if you want to do it all at once or gradually over time.
