Cheaper to build your own Desktop is a lie?

[Grimezy]

I've read on lots of forums and heard commentaries on youtube of people saying that if you want to get into PC gaming, it's best to build your own because it can cost like half the amount and you need very little technical knowledge. I'd already ordered my rig but decided to have a look at how true the statements were by adding the totals up on Amazon (I know this probably isn't always the cheapest source but I figured it's fairly average priced and a lot of people do buy their parts through it).

Once I'd added up the Case, CPU, GPU, RAM, Power Supply and Motherboard (can't remember if I included an OS) it came to around £1000.30. This wasn't including the CPU cooler or any additional extras I might have needed like tools or cables.

Now I spent £1015.00 on my desktop from PCS and that's including delivery and Silver Warranty. That's not exactly a huge difference is it?!

So how do PCS do it? Do they purely get their parts cheap because they buy in bulk and have discounted prices with suppliers? How can they afford to provide all of the parts, and take the time to build them and provide technical support for what they do?

Maybe I just added it up wrong or maybe the selection of parts that PCS offer are way more expensive than what you would choose if you were building your own. Has anyone else tried to see how much they could 'save' by building it themselves? Are people who believe building it is still the cheapest way to go now living in the old times? Are they just people who have done it themselves who think that everybody should?

 

[keynes]

It depends on the spec, I did calculate the difference and for me it was more than what you got. However you get lifetime technical support as well as prompt response in case there is a fault with your system.

 

[steaky360]

I'm with you there mate, I too looked at a comparison and once delivery was taken into account (and often without) PCS were cheaper on the whole even including peripherals. I'm sure there are specs on here which would be cheaper to build yourself but I don't think they are necessarily the norm.

 

[vanthus]

I originally intended building my own computer but came to the same conclusion as you and opted for PCS.
I searched the web for the components of the system on PCS I had in mind,but couldn't find much of a saving at all,if any.So,no brainer really,unless building a computer is something you really want to do for learning purposes or even just the satisfaction of building it yourself.

 

[DaveyPitch]

I always build my own computer as I like to know exactly what is going into my computer and how it's going in. PCS do seem to make sure good computers, and possibly a little cheaper than I could do it, but I prefer not being tied down to specific components. I don't need the technical support from a company either as I've been working in IT for 15 years, and (no offence to anyone in PCS) I've yet to meet anyone who can troubleshoot problems better than I can. As long as I've got a decent warranty on my individual components, I'm happy.

 

[Wake]

It can be cheaper if you build your own from components say 2 years old. PCS will use their purchasing power and contacts to source the more popular components on new PCs so I would say you have no chance of building cheaper than PCS - it would work out similar at best.

The PC gamer rig with the I5 and 7850 you can build on PCS for about the same cost and you get a warranty so if you take your own time into account (I am expensive-ish) it costs more for me to build a rig) And if PCS builds it I get to fart about on forums whilst it's in build

 

[DaveyPitch]

And if PCS builds it I get to fart about on forums whilst it's in build

And if I build it, I'll get it a hell of a lot faster

 

[Noble]

You guys should go on Overclockers, their products are much cheaper than everywhere else

 

[DaveyPitch]

You guys should go on Overclockers, their products are much cheaper than everywhere else

That's my usual haunt, and where I buy my components from, but their version of the Vortex laptop I wanted was around £300 more expensive than here.

 

[donegal]

I wanted a project for the darkening nights. I shopped around for everything I put into PCS' configurator and couldn't get much more than £30 doing it myself. Then I thought - bugger the darkening nights. Let's make some videos and edit some pics and look into some games with a ready built computer by people who know what they are doing

And I am delighted. Absolutely delighted.

 

[DeadEyeDuk]

I think part of all this stems from a time when custom PCs were not really available on the web. Remember, its not that long ago that internet shopping on the whole wasn't a massive thing.

When your options were a Dell, a Tiny or a Generic PCWorld-type, those that wanted a custom PC, for gaming or editing etc, really only had one choice...build it yourself.

Nowadays though, with exceptional companies like PCS, and even dare I say it the Death Star tenants at AlienDell, that are able to build you a custom PC for, in a lot of cases less than you could do so on your own, it really becomes a no brainer for most people (even those that are both skilled enough and could actually afford to build one).

Yes people will continue to build their own PC, but at this point it really does almost become like asking why a skilled mechanic doesn't just build his own car

 

[Wake]

You don't have to be skilled to build a PC. It's almost impossible to put the wires and connectors in the wrong place and the only puzzling bit is the difference between AMD and Intel. I have a Dell Dimension 9100 which is still going. I've upgraded the GPU and RAM on it which took about 5 minutes. The hard drive - you take one out, put another in cradle and connect it - not very difficult. Next step is an upgraded motherboard and CPU. Once I've done that there's a 7850 going in it which will allow my lad to play GW2 rather than interfering with me and the wife's gaming fun (AKA - "Get back in your bedroom where you belong!!"). The 7850 uses so little power I don't even have to replace the original PSU and the case looks fine to me in a cream (magnolia) bedroom anyway.

The fact is it is does not make sense to build a new PC if someone else can do it for you cheaper and guarantee it for two years. You would have to be nuts - or like fiddling with components which, frankly, is nuts anyway. Why fiddle with components when you can fiddle with someone more interesting....?

 

[Wozza63]

I think when people say its cheaper than buying one pre-built they are mainly referring to off the shelf PCs from Alienware and the like, whereas PCS is still custom built but by someone else for you