Comparing brand and DIY PCs – Part 4

March 31, 2011 By

What is the best thing to do? To buy a computer or to make one all by yourself.

The first thing you need to have is the necessary knowledge to make. After that you need to know for sure what you are doing.

The main differences is that with the brand computer you get it already mounted and installed and properly configurated, but it’s much more expensive.

On the other hand if you do it all by yourself, you can be sure it will be cheaper but you won’t have as many support as you would with the brand computer.

To start you must know that the DIY computer is harder to get because you must know all the compatible parts of hardware for it before you actually make it right. The next thing you need is to make sure that you know how to make all those components work with each other and as you might understand this is not as nearly as easy as it sounds.

This is because there are so many products in the market that you can get lost in so many.

Take the example of the CPU. You have dozens of brands, plus dozens of models and finally dozens of clock speeds. You need almost to guess it and then to hope your bet was right.

This is what makes dificult to make a computer all by yourself.

For example, if you are going really to build it you are going to need to buy: A box, a power supply, a processor, memory RAM, hard disk, graphic card, plus you are also going to need to buy DVD, Blu Ray, sound card, cooling systems like active coolers or water coolers, you are also going to buy all the cables and you also are going to need to know how to connect them all to each other in record time, you don’t want to lose time doing it.

This is unacceptable to a company. If you need to buy one hundred computers imagine what if you make a mistake! You would have to repair one hundred computers, plus you would have to make the changes in one hundred computers plus you would have to buy one hundred new computers if you damaged one single components like a very important one like the mother board.

If you are still deciding I recommend you to buy a brand one. Specially for a company. You are also going to get much better support than you would if you built it all by yourself.

Now what if you need to make a change to them and if they crash and do not work anymore?

If you built them by yourself you are sure you are going to need to do it al by yourself and lose hours in the work. On the other hand if you already bought all the computers all you have to do is to send them to the store.

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Comparing brand and DIY PCs – Part 1

March 30, 2011 By

Brand Name PC’s are usually made by companies such as HP, Dell, Compaq, and Gateway. For lower end computers in the 200-500 dollar range, brand name PC’s almost always are a better deal, because the manufacturers get a wholesale deal on the parts, which they can pass on to the buyer. It would be more expensive to build your own low-end computer. Next, brand name PC’s usually offer a good 1 year+ warranty, which DIY PC’s do not. Furthermore, brand name PC’s are shipped with an OS(operating system) already installed, and the price also covers the OS. Finally, if you decide to buy a high-end gaming PC from makers such as Alienware, Falcon NW, and Voodoo PC, Overclocked systems are under warranty, while if you overclock your own computer, it will void a warranty.

DIY PC’s are also good in their own way. Their price: performance ratio really shines the more high end a computer gets. The most high-end Falcon NW PC’s cost upwards of 10,000 dollars. However you could build the same PC for up to 4000 dollars less. Also, building your own PC, increases your understanding of your computer and it’s parts. It also creates an sense of ownership and attachment to your computer, something a computer that someone else built for you just cannot do.

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Comparing brand and DIY PCs – Part 3

March 28, 2011 By

Depends on how much you want to spend on a computer, as well as whether or not you value the level of satisfaction of assembling a PC yourself. Building it yourself could turn out cheaper than buying one.

If you decide to buy a computer, ask yourself what the requirements should be. This depends on the main reason you want to use it for.

For example, if you only want to do some text processing, keeping track of household budgets or your video/dvd/cd collection, you can do with a "simple" computer.

If you intend to use the computer for gaming, editing your home videos or exploit your 3D animation creativity, you will need a PC with:

* a lot of RAM memory (1 GB, preferably more)

* a large and fast hard disk (100 GB or more, S-ATA drive)

* a powerfull CPU (more and more dualcore CPU are being used,

which gives you the power of two CPU’s), 2.5 GHz (or higher)

* a FireWire port (for connection your digital video camera to

your PC)

* a good video card (for example from Radeon or NVidia)

* Optional: a big screen (17 inch or bigger, preferrable a

flatscreen display, as this takes lesser room)

By the way, the just mentioned components are of course also a matter of proper consideration when assembling a DIY PC.

With branded PCs you can choose between A-brands (HP, DELL, IBM etc) or the brand of your local computer store. Personally I have good experiences with DELL, also because they have a good after service (at least in here in the Netherlands) and give you good value for your money.

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Comparing brand and DIY PCs – Part 7

March 26, 2011 By

Comparing home-made PC’s to the ones you buy is always going to be a difficult if you know your computer information. I am from the UK and when it comes to PC’s, the majority will almost always build. There are computer fairs where the overheads (Rent of the shop building) are non-existent so the shopper gets a better deal on the parts that they need. With a massive hall and lots of stalls to look at, A computer fair is defiantly the place to go for cheep parts. All factory sealed and with the same guarantee you would find in your local PC world.

Some points to look at when making the comparison are:

Do you know enough to upgrade or maintain it yourself?

If you do know enough, Do you really want to be tied down to a warranty where as you cannot open the machine to do anything yourself, or you lose your rights as the consumer?

Do you have a room you can lock yourself away in to put it together without interruptions?

If there is something on a computer you cannot work out yourself, The repair shops will always help. Thats what they are there for. They don’t care if you built it yourself or purchased form a respectable retailer. They will still help.

Just remember to keep up-to-date with the parts and information and the comparison is easy. Build it yourself.

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Comparing brand and DIY PCs – Part 6

March 22, 2011 By

this is a tricky subject

purely because there is no such thing as a brand pc

it is all a gimic.

well, not really, but in general the only thing that a ‘brand pc’ has is a name badge on the front – when you open it up it will contain the same components you find in a custom build pc (assuming that its built to the same specification)

dont believe me ?

well

here is a thing

your new dell pc has an nvidia graphics card in it, this isnt made by dell

if it was itd be a dell graphics card – dell are a pc assembler

though you can get good pcs from them you can get the same components from a local pc store

another thing about brand pcs is the ammount of software bloat you recieve – you get pre installed programs that you might never use – yet they still take up resources on your machine!

they try and be everything to everyone, and you just cant do this !

though i would be tempted to buy a dell if it were on special offer and it was close to the specification i was trying to build myself !

laptops are a different matter though !

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The best DIY (Do – Part 1

March 8, 2011 By

there are a lot of Do-It-Yourself websites out there which give you information as to how to do things on your own.. but the self help website that i have found most useful is ehow.com .

This is a huge site with more than a million how-to articles that are free for you to flip through. eHow has been there for some time now, and has proved to be a reliable source of information netizens for over a decade now, and has been mentioned in bbc, etc. for their richness in content. the site also has great search engine rankings that show it’s good popularity among netizens. now, i’lkl suggest this site among the three most useful websites to be kept online while surfing, the other two being my favourite dictionary+encyclopedia website and my favourite blogging tool!

in eHow, the articles are neatly spread across categories, which you can browse manually.. and you can also use the in-site search option to quickly find the article you need. you can even join the community and take part in discussions and forums regarding the topics., and the best thing is that, if you are a U.S citizen, you can join the site and earn money for writing articles there.. the payout rates are sure to be good from such a tried and tested site like ehow. i wish they would introduce the program in more countries soon!

so, don’t forget to visit eHow.com if ever you need help from the net.. this site is better than all the other self-help sites put together, trust me!

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The best DIY (Do

March 4, 2011 By

A great way to gain inspiration for your Interior DIY projects is to look back at the past. Many of todays techniques in construction and design are undertaken with minimal labour costs. An attention to detail has been lost and quality craftsmanship seems to be on a steady decline.

There is hope. Many of the original trades, such as Upholstery, French polishing, Cabinet making, Guilding, Needlework, Printmaking and Masonry. Have all been replaced with modern and efficient techniques, power tools have replaced extensive hand labour and precision spray systems have replaced the skilled touch of hand application.

You don’t need to wonder why these great trades that played a major role in the industrial revolution, have slowly disappeared. People these days are not interested in labour intensive work and want things as cheap as possible.

For the “DIY enthusiast’ that doesn’t mind getting a bit dirty and some hard work, you can achieve quality far greater than any store or contractor will offer. With short google history lesson and some practice, you could be on your way to unleashing hidden creative talents from within.

A great site to start your search is http://www.ptoone.com here you can see video’s and projects that have been undertaken using an original ‘French polishing’ method from 17th century Europe.

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Comparing brand and DIY PCs – Part 2

March 3, 2011 By

Brand name computers, in all honesty, are the best choice for most people. It is not difficult to build a PC yourself, but it will take time and research. The most complicated part of building your own PC is the research stage. You need to find out what components work together and are compatible. Putting together the components is fairly easy if you can follow simple instructions.

The best advantage to building your own computer is the knowledge of what components are inside the Case and how to upgrade them when the time comes. You get to pick every single component that goes into your computer. Building your own computer is an investment that will last for many years. It will, most likely, NOT save you any money over buying a brand name, at least initially.

That last sentence will come as a shock to many people. The reason behind it is, that brand name computers have, in order to cut costs, skimped on some of the components. Most companies are advertising computers for $500 or less. These have decent hardware specs, but the quality of the parts is not the greatest. It is very difficult to build a computer with new parts for less than $500. One more cost that many people forget to factor in when building their own, is the cost of the operating system (e.g. MS Windows). This is generally at least an additional $100.

One more major difference is the warranty. When you buy a brand name computer, the whole computer will be under one warranty. I advise getting an extended warranty, especially on the cheaper ones (less quality parts). When you build your own, the manufacturer of the parts offer a warranty. The length of time depends on the part. It is far easier to get a part replaced from, let’s say, Dell or HP than to have to go through AMD or Intel, but they will replace them.

My advice, if you want/need a new computer every 2-3 years go with a Dell and their warranty. Otherwise, spend money on a good computer Case, and build your own using quality components. Your DIY computer will last as long as you want it to. You might need to replace some parts after their warranty expires, but the cost is far less then having to buy a brand new computer. If it needs upgrades, you can do that yourself too. If you decide to go the DIY route, check out www.newegg.com. They have the best service and price on all their components. Their shipping is reasonable and fast too.

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Comparing brand and DIY PCs

March 1, 2011 By

Name brand verses DiY. Diy no longer allows you the chance to save money while building a monster. do not forget, the o/s either costs a whole lot. or does not support video games. Diy does allow you to buy maximum performance parts and full capacity, such as the motherboard’s full potential ram, some and most motherboards have three options or ram type, like min is pc2100 mid is 2700 and max is pc3200.. and full capacity is 2 gigs, well with manufactured pcs you get stuck with 512 mb of pc2700. or pay really big on one stick to “upgrade”. on diy you could have 2 full gigs of pc3200, and the highest rated processor available. your choice of fan speed and manufacture and even the type of case. I myself go for what ever case looks nice and gets the best air flow I currently run 7 fans including cpu and video card fan and hottest item in my case is the motherboard and that is 89 degrees..

Brand computers come with operating system pre-installed, and many manufacture warranties. most brand companies allow you to make choices of packages and to upgrade parts before it even leaves the shop so you do not void warranties. The down side is the bundled software that most people call crapware and somewhere there is place on the net where a guy gives you a program to remove the crapware. just search “decrapifier”. Low airflow is an issue and most of these computers get really hot and stay that way. the parts in these are hard to replace because the choices are limited and sometimes void warranties.

on the plus they look really nice and if taken care of they can be like little tanks and last for a long time. Warranty is great, repairs are free most of the time, but make you ship in pc and leave you without a computer for a while.

Either route is no worse and no better than the other, just go into with a plan and an understanding that this machine is your responsibility and your actions effect the outcome.

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Comparing brand and DIY PCs – Part 5

March 1, 2011 By

The average person will just buy a computer from the store. They never learn about what goes on in the computer, what the parts are, and how it goes together. Buying the parts and assembling it by oneself, though, is a process that teaches one how a computer works and assembly skills. Not to mention the fact that one will feel a sense of accomplishment after finishing this simple task!

The first part one must buy is the case. Cases come in a variety of shapes, colors, and materials. The best cases on the market today are alloy cases that promote airflow throughout, lessening the chances of overheating. Overheating is a common problem in built it yourself computers, so it may be wise to buy a spacious alloy case. Not only that, but most alloy cases are designed to limit the amount of noise escaping a computer. As any computer user knows, the noises a computer makes can get very annoying, so the extra twenty to forty dollars spent on an alloy, and not an aluminum, case can make a huge difference.

The next parts are the core of the computer, the motherboard and the central processing unit (CPU). Motherboards are made by all kinds of manufacturers, but modern CPUs are made primarily by Intel and AMD. CPUs determine how fast one’s computer runs. Intel’s processors are more expensive and run slightly faster, but AMDs are cheaper and better for tight budgets. Both of these have several different kinds of CPU: Intel has the Celeron, Pentium Four, and Dual Core, while AMD has the Sempron, Athalon, and Athalon FX2, respectively. The Celeron/Sempron processors are cheap processors (the Kmart-Pentium Four/Athalon) and run at slower speeds. However, these CPUs are extremely cheap and good for budgets. Pentium Four/Athalon are standard processors and used as benchmarks. They are average in performance and price. At the top of the spectrum, there are the Dual Core/Athalon FX2. These CPUs take advantage of dual-architecture design, allowing a huge boost in running multipl programs. Yet, these CPUs are very, very expensive.

Motherboards are different. There are a wide variety of manufacturers and specifications to choose from. What one must look out for, though, is the type of CPU the motherboard must accept. Certain motherboards will only accept certain CPUs. With this in mind, one must also consider how much RAM he will buy. Most motherboards come with four slots for RAM, but some only come with two or even one. RAM is important and acts as the computer’s short-term memory.

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