• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

Would it be worth it? (building)

N

Nightrain

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 7, 2004
Messages
346
I recently built my first computer about 3 weeks ago. It was pretty succesful (except for my crap psu that came with the case frying). Other then that though everything went smoothly.

Anyway. My question is, my brother is currently looking to buy a computer (from dell) with the budget of $800. I was going to help him customize it, but I am thinking about possibly offering to build it for him.

My brother is pretty much a novice (except for taking a basic class on MS word, and the internet) and I am curious for the people who have built computers for other people, is it worth it? If a bug occurs I can most likely take care of it, but he lives 30 minutes from where I live so I won't have that big of an opprotunity to help him except on the weekends.
 
Don't buy dells, from my experience they are way over priced. You'd probably end up making a computer twice as good from scratch than if you bought it from dell. That's just my 2 cents tho.

-Matt
 
i would say building would be the most economical option in your situation. you can teach him a little about computers while you are building it, that way if something goes wrong he might know how to trouble shoot/fix the problem.

 
Nightrain said:
IMy brother is pretty much a novice (except for taking a basic class on MS word, and the internet) and I am curious for the people who have built computers for other people, is it worth it? If a bug occurs I can most likely take care of it, but he lives 30 minutes from where I live so I won't have that big of an opprotunity to help him except on the weekends.
Click to expand...
You answered your own question right here.

No dis on you or your brother, but with a Dell, he gets to call 1-800-I'm-Stuck forever, for free. Unless you want to provide free technical support forever, I'd really recommend the Dell. I had folks that expected me to drop over to do anything; basic maintenance, install software, etc. No more.....

I've gone this route lately with friends who are learning basic computer literacy, and have never regretted the decision.

Hey, there's one opinion....worth what you paid for it.....:D

Regards - B.B.S.
 
Build it yourself. You will do just as much work on his computer if he buys it from Dell, I guarantee it. "Why is my computer running so slow? How do I do this? etc", it doesn't matter where he gets the computer. Being a novice, he's going to do two things:
1. Have a bunch of questions.
2. Load the thing with spyware.
And either way you're gonna be the first one he calls.

So do both yourselves favors and build it yourself, and make sure you burn it in first for a day or two. You will have fun, and learn more about building. And he will get a quality machine.

For the love of all things holy, DON'T BUY A DELL!!!
 
Have to agree with B.B.S. Have him get a Dell (I prefer HP from HP's online store myself). Help him pick out a good configuration.

My mother wanted her first PC, I compared what it would take to build one and found that she could get a better deal from Dell, but with a legal copy of Windows and Office. Best part about it, when shit didn't work cause she can't figure it out, she calls them instead of me long distance or at work. Believe it or not, Dell has taught my mom alot about how to use a PC :D I still like to spend time with her on teaching her things on Exel and stuff like that when I go back home to visit her.

People like to say often around here, build him one, you'll save money. In practice, however, it is hard to match the price of a dell with parts you get from the egg. The same people will say BS, look, and they will have a list that is the same price or maybe $50 cheaper. They never include the OS, Office or whatever you get bundle with a Dell.
 
In the $800 range it would be really hard to compete with a Dell or HP with a home built. Seeing as Dell will probably throw in a free printer or office productivity suite. Not to mention how little they pay for an OS. The support hot line is also a + for the Dell. If your brother was willing to go $1500, I would definately recomend you build it for him. @ that price range, and up, the Dell's and HP's do not fair so well compared to what you can build yourself. My $.02...
 
S1nF1xx said:
it doesn't matter where he gets the computer. Being a novice, he's going to do two things:
1. Have a bunch of questions.
2. Load the thing with spyware.
And either way you're gonna be the first one he calls.
Click to expand...

truer words have never been spoken
 
Met-AL said:
Have to agree with B.B.S. Have him get a Dell (I prefer HP from HP's online store myself). Help him pick out a good configuration.

My mother wanted her first PC, I compared what it would take to build one and found that she could get a better deal from Dell, but with a legal copy of Windows and Office. Best part about it, when shit didn't work cause she can't figure it out, she calls them instead of me long distance or at work. Believe it or not, Dell has taught my mom alot about how to use a PC :D I still like to spend time with her on teaching her things on Exel and stuff like that when I go back home to visit her.

People like to say often around here, build him one, you'll save money. In practice, however, it is hard to match the price of a dell with parts you get from the egg. The same people will say BS, look, and they will have a list that is the same price or maybe $50 cheaper. They never include the OS, Office or whatever you get bundle with a Dell.
Click to expand...
Too true, i had my mom order a dell just cuz it was ganna cost me $50 more to get the same system (monitor, windows, keyboard, mouse included). Bought her system on dell for 900 bux it woulda cost me at least 950 to grab the same thing from the egg and she even got a free lcd upgrade :)
 
Go with the packaged PC.
I built some machines for some people without clues. I ended up as free lifetime tech support.
I will not build any more machines except for family, and even then its doubtful.

Unless you want to be tech support forever, have him buy something off the shelf/internet.
 
Since he is your brother, I would go ahead and build one for him. If you love him, dont get a dell. But now if you hate your brother, get him a Dell or eMachine.....
 
Ask him

Do you want a really fast computer with me fixing problems, or a slow computer that will need no fixing.

BTW, ever wonder why Dell has good cusomer service? Its cuz there comp's break so much.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top