[SOLVED] Pre built custom PC or build it myself?

[Alex__Jones123]

So I aim to spend no more than £2500 on a custom gaming PC. I am torn between making one on websites such as PC specialist or Novatech, or just building it myself. I have never built a gaming PC and I don't really want to start learning on one that costs £2500 :/ My family members think it would be a bad idea as I lack the ability to do so (I have never been good at DIY jobs) But the only way to get the PC exactly how I want it is to build it myself. Online configurators get very close, but I have bought one before from PC specialist and the cables were all different colours(making it look very messy). I would like white sleeved cables but no website gives options for those. As far as I know, these are the pros and cons of each:
Build it myself:
+Get PC exactly how I want it to be
+Cheaper
-Never built a PC before as i lack the ability
-Time consuming
-Risk things going wrong

Pre built custom PC:
+Easier
+If things go wrong its not my fault and i can get a refund
+ Less time consuming
-More expensive
-PC is not exactly how i want it

I hope you see what i am getting at and I am looking forward to reading your opinions

 

[littleleo]

Are there an local computer stores in your area you can work with to get a professionally built rig with the parts you want? I agree for a 1st build something cheaper and easier to assemble would be best.

However PC are easier to build than ever. You don't have to worry about separate hdd & fdd controllers. No I/O cards or LAN cards to install and no interrupts to worry about. You can go on Youtube and see step by step instructions to build a PC. However some are really bad so be careful and watch more than one. I saw one where a guy used a whole tube of thermal grease on a CPU that came with TG already applied.

If you don't feel ready perhaps wait until you feel you are. Are there any computer classes you can take where the class builds their own computers in your area?

 

[Alex__Jones123]

My uncle has built gaming PC's in the past but he lives in Switzerland so i don't expect him to fly over and help me. Although he is currently visiting I doubt the parts will arrive in time as he leaves in just over a week.Looking about online, there is one shop about 40 minutes away that offers to build custom PC's although i am not sure if they will assemble one from parts purchased elsewhere. I shall have to inquire. I just want my PC to be perfect you see and the only way to get all the parts I want is to buy them separately - But I won't be able to assemble them.

 

[coozie7]

Either option is good, a prebuilt comes with the comfort of a manufacturer warranty while building yourself is usually cheaper and has the advantage of being EXACTLY what you want, rather than being forced to use the parts available at any one particular supplier/builder.
Plenty out there are more than happy to pay a little extra for the security of a warranty, so if you want that peace of mind, that's fine with us, we're not going to push you into something you don't want to do.

There is a plethora of ' how to ' videos out there showing how to build a system, take a look over on YouTube or Newegg ( USA site but its videos are excellent ) use them to build your knowledge before making a decision one way or the other.
When more you know, the better informed your decision will be, Padawan.

What will the system be used FOR? This is critical, some uses will demand a particular build for maximum performance, others will allow for a less focused build.

In the meantime, and assuming fast, high resolution gaming as the primary use:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 7 2700X 3.7 GHz 8-Core Processor (£289.99 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: Asus - PRIME B450-PLUS ATX AM4 Motherboard (£91.98 @ Box Limited)
Memory: Team - Dark 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 Memory (£128.69 @ Overclockers.co.uk)
Storage: Samsung - 860 Evo 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive (£147.98 @ Aria PC)
Video Card: Gigabyte - GeForce RTX 2070 8 GB GAMING 8G Video Card (£509.33 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Cooler Master - MasterBox Lite 5 ATX Mid Tower Case (£49.98 @ Novatech)
Power Supply: SeaSonic - FOCUS Plus Gold 650 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£85.47 @ Amazon UK)
Operating System: Microsoft - Windows 10 Home Full 32/64-bit (£104.29 @ PC World Business)
Monitor: Asus - MG279Q 27.0" 2560x1440 144 Hz Monitor (£428.99 @ Box Limited)
Total: £1836.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-12-27 19:39 GMT+0000

 

[Alex__Jones123]

Thanks for the reply, the system will primarily be used for 1440p gaming at 144Hz (Maybe 4K in the future), video editing and other tasks such as programming and running virtual machines. The prebuilt is very close to being exactly how I want it to be, just two things are different. I am going to send them an email asking whether they can install white sleeved cables. I know they have them in stock because some of their other prebuilts come with them, just there is no option for them on the custom configurator. I feel like i could build a PC with a detailed guide, it's just I do have a habit of ordering stuff and then not being able to install them. I suppose you have to start somewhere, I just wouldn't feel confident knowing I spent £2500 on parts and that I could mess it up.

 

[coozie7]

Sounds fair enough to me, mate, building yourself isn't for everyone.

At the risk of sounding rude, the white sleeved cables doesn't sound like a deal breaker, though, but it's entirely likely they'll supply them and if the system is already as you want...

 

[littleleo]

coozie is right building is not everyone, some never feel comfortable slapping a PC together. It is better to buy the part thru the PC shop rather than bring them in. I know as a builder my self I prefer to get the part rather than have someone bring them in. I have no idea where they came from, if they are used, or damaged, or what warranty if any is on them. Then if something is wrong there is always finger pointing that the parts may have been defective. Better if all the parts come from one source.

As to the white sleeves... more power to you just keep in mind your PC is a dust magnet with the fans and all. And dirt really shows well on white surfaces.

 

[LordVile]

A PC is like Lego. Do research and you’ll be fine. Ask here if you’d like and plenty of people will give you a balanced config that’ll do what you want and you can tweak that to your hearts content. If you tell people what you want.

A prebuilt is useful if you’re still bricking it over building after you’ve done research but it is very easy.

If you go prebuilt look at Maingear, from what I’ve heard they’re pretty good.

EDIT: building for 2500 quid you could get around this:

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/2YCDyX

 

[Alex__Jones123]

Thanks for the replies. I understand that white sleeved cables are not a dealbreaker, it's just that there are some other small differences eg RAM. I could easily install the RAM i want, its just a different colour. Those parts are really interesting, i'll show you the parts i can get when using the PC configurator. It is interesting to see how by building yourself, you can get a 2080Ti build for 2.4k, but prebuilt you can only get a 2080 for pretty much the same price. Here are the specs i'm looking at.:
https://www.novatech.co.uk/savedbuild/A109D2E8-2F4B-4D5B-A716-2182A442A252

 

[littleleo]

My uncle has built gaming PC's in the past but he lives in Switzerland so i don't expect him to fly over and help me. Although he is currently visiting I doubt the parts will arrive in time as he leaves in just over a week.Looking about online, there is one shop about 40 minutes away that offers to build custom PC's although i am not sure if they will assemble one from parts purchased elsewhere. I shall have to inquire. I just want my PC to be perfect you see and the only way to get all the parts I want is to buy them separately - But I won't be able to assemble them.

While your uncle is in town have him review some of the YouTube videos with you so he can tell you which can be followed and which to ignore. For me it takes 2-3 days to get the parts but I'm in the US.

 

[King Dranzer]

Here is the list:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel - Core i9-9900K 3.6 GHz 8-Core Processor (£494.99 @ Aria PC)
CPU Cooler: Corsair - H115i PRO 55.4 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler (£114.89 @ AWD-IT)
Motherboard: Asus - TUF Z390-PLUS GAMING (WI-FI) ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (£160.03 @ Box Limited)
Memory: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory (£97.97 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Samsung - 970 Evo 500 GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (£109.98 @ Aria PC)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£54.97 @ CCL Computers)
Video Card: Zotac - GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB GAMING Triple Fan Video Card (£1099.98 @ Amazon UK)
Case: be quiet! - SILENT BASE 801 | BLACK ATX Mid Tower Case (£114.22 @ More Computers)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 (EU) 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (£119.99 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £2367.02
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2019-01-24 05:47 GMT+0000

This is top of the line build. All high quality components.
If you need help through the process of assembling the PC feel free to PM me.