i need help

[THEnewguy18]

ok, i want to start out by saying this is my first time on this website and first attemp at trying to build a pc....i want to tank you guys in advance with that said...i want to say first of all

all the people i know and have asked the question....is it cheaper to buy or build a computer? the answer is the same. they say its cheaper to build your own computer..

so around 3 weeks ago i started searching for parts to build my own pc..newegg and tigerdirect
the problem is when i was done searching for the parts i found a computer on circuit city that had the same specs and was cheaper..now i dont know alot about pcs so im going to post is here and let you guys decide and based on the feed back I'll decide on whether to build my own or buy one....so here are the parts and the computer from circuit city
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2643933&CatId=2758
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121090
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817163018
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136178
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106072
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161178
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146025
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835124017
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833106023
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/HP-Pavilion-Elite-Desktop-PC-M9040N/sem/rpsm/oid/192791/catOid/-12962/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

ps. if you guys have any questions feel free to ask them.
pss.i also would need the op for the pc thats would be another 120$

[Masaki 7-11]

POWMAX power supplies are horrible quality, go for a good quality brand like Antec, FSP, or Corsair for the power supply since it's one of the most important components. Don't bother getting a power supply larger than 500W since even if you upgraded your video card, it won't require more than that much power.

The motherboard you picked out is overkill for your parts, so you should look for a P35 motherboard, preferably from the Asus P5K line. From the money you save on the motherboard, you should look into the HD3850 instead of the HD2600XT if you are a gamer since it offers a lot more performance for a good price.

Don't buy from tigerdirect, their prices are about the same as Newegg, but more expensive shipping and poor customer support.

In comparison to the circuit city computer, even the computer you spec'd out originially will be way faster than the HP one because of the motherboard and video card.

You also won't need the intel LAN card since pretty much all motherboards come with LAN built in.

[THEnewguy18]

thanks for the input so far its big help

[Cricket]

all the people i know and have asked the question....is it cheaper to buy or build a computer? the answer is the same. they say its cheaper to build your own computer.Actually it depends on the kind of computer you're trying to build. You can't compete with the name brand computers on the budget end, you can do okay in the middle range and you can build a high end computer for less. But again, it depends on what you want the computer to do.

The real reason to build your own computer is you have total control over what goes into the computer and you control how well it's assembled. You don't know the quality of the parts the name brand companies use (but remember, they're trying to turn a profit so cost of parts is always a factor) and you don't know how it well it's assembled. You also control what gets installed on the hard drive...name brand computers are notorious for having all sorts of unnecessary things installed that can actually have a detrimental effort on the performance of the computer. With a home built computer you control what gets installed.

When I build a computer I don't even think about trying to build it cheaper than a name brand computer I saw in a store. I know what I want or need and choose the components appropriately and spend whatever I need to to get the final product that I want. Of course I do set a budget and try to stay within it, but quality of the parts that go into the computer are more important than saving a few bucks.

And you have to remember that the name brand companies buy in huge amounts and get drastic discounts for doing so...you can't buy parts at the prices they buy them at. So a home built, even if the specs are exactly the same as a DELL or HP, will cost you more only because you're paying retail prices, not drastically discounted prices.

What will you be doing with this computer? Looks like you're building a heavy multi-tasker, not a gaming rig.

:) Cricket

[Masaki 7-11]

Regarding budget computers, it's hard to compete with brand name computers if you are trying for identical specs, or a whole package. If your building just the system, you can usually get a much faster computer than a brand name one for only a small increase in money.

[Katreat]

Another factor is most computers you build yourself are infinately more upgradable. It is often difficult to upgrade a store bought computer. I build my personal computers with the idea that they will have at least one upgrade cycle down the road so I can keep them current with new tech. It does not always work out that way, tech moves fast, but in general they have a longer life cycle.

Most of all, they are fun to build. :)

Kat

[THEnewguy18]

wow thanks for all the input...well actually since this was going to be my first time building a pc i just picked out some parts that i thought were good quality..what im actually looking to build was just an overall good computer...that can be upgradeable in the future....my budget ranged from like 700-1000...if you guys can recommend me parts would be greatly appreciated

[Cricket]

..what im actually looking to build was just an overall good computer...that can be upgradeable in the future.Upgradeable in the future? Depends on how long you want to wait...computer technology moves at a very fast pace and if you wait a little too long to do an upgrade you wind up having to replace almost everything. I stopped planning my builds with upgrades in mind, I just use the computer as long as possible and then build an entirely new one when the time comes. Upgrading was more important when even basic computers cost almost $2,000...nowadays you can build a nice basic computer for under $600 (thanks to motherboards with everything built on and low cost memory) and good overall computers for under $1,000.my budget ranged from like 700-1000...if you guys can recommend me parts would be greatly appreciatedYou can build a really nice computer with that budget...do you want AMD or INTEL? What will be the main use of the computer? Do you plan to do a lot of multi-tasking (I ask because you linked to a quad core processor in your first post)? Do you plan to play games with this computer? Tell use as much as you can about how you will use the computer so we can recommend the right parts for this build.

:) Cricket

[THEnewguy18]

i plan to use the computer for a bit of gaming..such as warcraft tft and the new sc2 when it scomes out also use it for music burning dvd burning etc...
i linked the core quad cause one of my friends bought it and he said he really liked it and it was worth getting.
to the tell you the truth i have no idea whats the diff between amd and intel somehow i just thought intel was better..
and your right about building a computer and just using it then build another when one the time comes..
thanks for the input i appreciate it

[Katreat]

With the games you mentioned, especially SC2 which not being out would be considered a very new game, definately try to get the 3850 Masaki suggest above or something like an 8800 Gt into your budget. Either of those cards will really make your system a much better gamer.

As for upgrades maybe its because I like to play newer games but I have had one video card upgrade in each of my last two builds and expect the same with my current system. I have also added ram but that was more my fault for not putting enough in from the start. I have never changed processors, but that is because they keep chaning the socket on me. :)

Kat

[THEnewguy18]

thanks for the input fellas it has really helped me out

[THEnewguy18]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024&Tpk=Antec%2bSonata%2bIII
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131196
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115029

well fellas that what my shopping list looks like at moment any feed back on those is appreciated

with the motherboard on the reviews people keep talking about BIOS problems...what exactly does that mean?

[Katreat]

Take Newegg or any store site reviews with a grain of salt. Yes, they can sometimes be helpful but remember that most people who take the time to post are those that have problems. The happy ones are too busy enjoying there new computers.

I used a base P5K in my current build and had no bios problem at all so dont think you will have any problems with the bios.

Kat