My own biggest problem was having a budget (darn it!) and also knowing that in just a short while, there would be new components that would either be faster, bigger, better, cheaper or – all the above.

So, I wimped out in the eyes of some. I went out and bought a computer. Time is money to a certain extent and, as Jason pointed out it was cheaper.

I do have one argument in defining cheap, however. If instead I chose to build my computer, it really was going to be very close cost to purchase comparable components. Yes it would be more money, but not a lot and then I would have had the satisfaction of having built it myself and also all the advantages that Jason alludes to.

What it really came down to was knowing that, if I built it, I would never be happy watching the components I put together become cheaper, faster, outmoded, etc. A computer becomes outdated so quickly, and my needs are fairly basic, that when I saw a good deal, I went and bought it.

All that being said, I tip my hat to the guys at PC Mech for helping me actually realize what a good system would look like. So, make sure, at the very least, that you support them by buying one of their products and show that you appreciate all you do.

In closing, I would like to point out that although my computer is less than a year old, it is already outmoded. Ah well, c’est la vie!