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"I'm puzzled"

whenever someone thinks about buying a comp from somewhere........... a pc buff comes on to you and tells you to build it.... well even if u say u dont have the time they dont stop.... okay u save money.. but i cant spend hours trying to work out how to put a pc together :S
Would of been great to have a mate who could build pc's but i dont so the only option for me would be to buy it built and ready to use..... okay companies like time or pc's from pc world are pants but u cant say that for the others its just more convenient for ppl who dont want to get their hands dirty if they have the money for it why not?

Its so damn easy.

Open your old case, you can generally work out whats what straight away.

A quick google search should tell you all you need to know too.

NA, its easy, im 15 and i build my own pcs, i even built my mates for him, try it and if you screw up, just dont try it again.

I took a look an that new Alienware web-site, and they build PCs with the main purpose of playing games. Their computers look and sound great, and they each come with full tecnical support for fixing problems and upgrading. They are a bit pricey though, and that's one of the reasons I'm given them a miss and building my own computer.

I've actually decided to take this plunged and actually build my next pc myself, but i did take quite a fancy to the new area 51 computers but the price put me of especially for what was inside, you could get the components for a fraction of the price at independant retailers and computer fairs. You could also check out http://www.pczone.co.uk as they offer a build your own pc guide and a list of possible components as an example.

"why buy the cow when you can get the sex for free"

I've decided to build my own computer. I've looked around and found it to be the best option for a new PC. I'm actually looking quite forward to it now, it's not often you can credit yourself for making you're own computer, and it'll avoid all the hassle of being patronised by so called PC specialists *cough* PC world *cough*

Not that I'd ever buy a PC from them!

I'd have to advise you to spend the time building a new computer because there are so many advantages to doing so:

You'll get a computer which meets your exact specifications (this allows you to build the ultimate gaming system, for example - and you can avoid using cheap components that some manufacturers do).
You'll get a cheaper system, especially if you build the system using OEM components (all you miss out on by choosing OEM is sometimes the manual which contains some technical specifications - usually available on the manufacturer's website anyway). You should be able to put-together a good gaming computer for around £600, including a good monitor.
You'll learn a lot about how a computer is put together and operates. This is valuable information - it gives you a better understanding of computers and enables you to troubleshoot hardware problems better.
You might be able to sell your newly acquired computer-building skills to your friends in the future, or make use of these skills as part of a job, for example - in a local computer store.

Don't be put off building a computer because it sounds too complicated or time-consuming because it's not. I built my first computer in January this year and it was a fairly straight-forward affair - as long as you handle the components carefully and plan the order in which you're going to install each component you'll be fine. Once you've got all your parts and you have a plan about how you're going to build the system it's simply a case of inserting a few components, screwing in a few things, plugging in a few wires, closing the case and installing an operating system. The whole thing will take you a matter of a few hours.

If you have friends who know a bit about computer hardware then you can ask them for advice on what sort of detailed specifications you should look for in certain components. You're probably aware of what sort of graphics card and CPU you want, but you should also carefully consider your choice of motherboard (do you want on-board sound? how many PCI slots will you need? do you want additional USB ports?) and hard drive (how big does it need to be? can you afford to pay a bit more for a faster drive?), amongst other things.

Websites like http://www.buildyourown.org.uk/ are a free source of information on building a computer and if you try an Internet search engine you'll find loads more information on how to build a computer and what sort of things you should take into consideration when choosing hardware.

Happy building!

-Hodgo.

its up to you..... if u have the time dont mind getting your hands dirty... and dont mind working out how to get it working otherwise buying one built already is easy enuff for the ppl who dont want that.

Building a computer is great for those who know what they're doing, and it'll save them a few quid as well, but it is a massive job to undertake. I'm still undecided on whether or not I should build my own PC or not next year, or just cop out and buy a brand new one. Something to think about anyway.

your pretty lucky then :p

I have a local(ish) independent PC store, they are a lot cheaper and more flexible and he will build a PC to my spec at store prices plus twenty five quid for the build and give me a warranty. Nice to be able to go back to the stoe in person if ou do have any problems!