When is my computer going to be outdated?

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Um, my question is how building my own computer is cheaper, because I've heard that since when I start touching the computer 7 years ago in grade 2. But my estimates for my current computer, if bought at that time, would be more expensive than buying a Dell. Did I do something wrong in my estimate?

OK, let's do a more current estimation. A few days ago Dell had a sick one day deal on the Studio XPS desktop. The configuration is shown below. The price is $1499

Intel X58
Windows Vista Home Edition 64 bit
i7-920
8GB 1066Mhz RAM
1TB HDD
ATI Radeon 4670 video card
24'' monitor
16x DVD burner
PC Case, PSU, mouse, keyboard, etc

If you were to build a PC like that, with the exact same parts, how much will it cost?

I'm gonna use Tigerdirect.ca as my price source (which ever is the cheapest).

Intel X58 - $283
Windows Vista - $152
i7-920 -$380
8GB 1066Mhz RAM - $172
1TB HDD - $120
ATI Radeon 4670 - $108
24'' monitor - $350
DVD burner - $25
PC Case, etc - $100

$283+152+380+172+120+108+350+25+100=$1690

???
 
I found the prices at Tigerdirect to be meh, plus they never have what i'm looking for at the time. Best place for canadian computer parts is NCIX.com. DirectCanada.com has cheaper prices yet, but nothing is ever in stock, so wait times are much longer.

Also that Dell, i don't like the fact they have have slow 1066 memory with the i7 920, for 150 bucks.. major rip. Also the brands Dell uses for their internals is usually cheap ***.

They do tend to have awesome deals, and if you never plan to upgrade there prices are great. For those that want the functionality of Overclocking and upgrading they build there own. If you're picky about when you buy parts you can usually get a identical machine for the same price or cheaper then a Dell computer.

Now in your case you priced it out. And the DIY would've cost more. BUT the DIY would have had Quality Brand Parts, and the ability to Overclock and replace specific parts. Also wouldn't come with Dells pre-installed bloatware.

Also just built a much better pc then that Dell for $1475.81 at NCIX.com for comparison.

Asus P6t x58 mobo + i7 920
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=35867&promoid=1029 619.99

6gb OCZ gold 1600mhz ram
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=35710&promoid=1029 114.99

WD Caviar Black 640gb (Much much faster then the 1tb drives)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=34286&promoid=1029 88.88

Radeon 4850 (Kicks the *** outta the 4670)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=33502 189.99

24" LG (Not quite as nice as the Dell monitors imo, but you can always buy a Dell monitor separate. I just bought a 24" Dell for 249.99 on sale.)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=35314&promoid=1029 299.99

Samsung dvd reader/writer blah blah
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=33902&promoid=1029 22.99

Antec 300 Case
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=29812&promoid=1029 68.99

PC Power & Cooling PSU (Probably the best PSU makers ever, i'd probably never recommend such a small PSU otherwise)
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=36143 69.99

Grand total of 1475.81 before taxes and shipping. One flaw in your logic i have discovered in doing this. You can't just go and find a carbon copy in components and expect the prices to be cheaper. you have to be able to find the equivalent or better for the same or better price.
 
imo there's an additional calculation to take in to account when looking at the cost of a PC; and that's warranty.

A lot of PC components have warranties ranging from 2 to 5 years as part of the component cost. It depends on the component and manufacturer but to give an idea:

RAM: Typically lifetime warranty for non-generic brands
Hard Drives: 2 to 3 years
CPU: 3 year standard intel warranty
PSU: 3 years (lifetime for some models)
Graphics Card: 2 to 3 years (lifetime for some)
Monitor: 3 years on site

Mobo's seem to be where it gets let down with the majority of manufactureres only offering 12 months. Most other components that could fail (fans especially) are cheap to replace.


Most (but not all) computer retail companies charge several hundred pounds to 'extend' a warranty from 1 year to 3 years. If you are going to spend, say £1000, on a new PC you'd want as much warranty on that as possible and in the most cost effective way. That's where home builds become better value.
 
Thank you Fruity and Lucuis, that is my points right on the head.... chengbin, I am sure that prices are alittle higher up there, how ever Vista home prem. Is only $99 here, as Lucuis stated all the parts in the build he priced out are Quality, the PSU he quoted from PC &cooling are considered one of the best and should be atleast the 600watt model, I can get the 750 watt model for the same price he quoted off newegg. I have looked at Tiger from time to time but I find that Newegg almost always beats them by quite a bit.

You keep talking about warranty also as a reason to go with Dell, and a Fruity pointed out you will have much better warranty on you parts then you would with dell even if you pay there bloated warranty cost for a longer warranty. Also he points out about the dell coming stock with 1066mhz stuck speed ram, what would be the point of going with a I7 build using ram rated at that speed, it is junk in my IMO, and That is how Dells and alot of other big name companies do their builds. It is cheaper in the long run to build your own, and on top of it you get better quality parts with much better warrantys and a custom case that can handle better hard ware because of its size and air flow.

If your looking for only DDR2 1066 speeds then price out a phenom II 940 or 920 build, with the deals that newegg has or some other online stores, you could upgrade your Grafix card to a 4890, A high quality Asus, or MSI mother board, and still have all the best, PSU, Case, Hard drive, 300 gb Raptors are down to $200 on the egg.
 
built is always going to be cheaper and way better quality. dell uses and other big name companys uses always look to save a buck so theyre always going to use cheap parts.
 


I'd still rather build my own, but if you can get a Dell with overclocking capability that'd definitely add to the value. But only if it can be had at a reasonable price.

You said you live in Canada correct? I'd totally be willing to build a PC for if your not willing to try it out yourself. And if your willing to let me do it, just PM me.

Hopefully you won't have to purchase a PC anytime soon though. Your computer, imo, is plenty powerful. I have a very similar build myself.
 
I meant if the Studio XPS allowed overclocking. Would you recommend that $1499 PC?

I won't be buying a computer anytime soon. I'm looking to buy a new one in about 2 years.

I think when I buy my next PC, I will be in grade 11, and I probably won't have the time to search for deals for parts and build it myself (I go to a very good high school, and they boggle you with homework). I think I might probably just buy another Dell and add a SSD and video card if the video card is crap.

lucuis, where are you in Canada? I'm in Toronto.
 
Again personally, even if it allowed overclocking, i'd build my own.

Lot's can change in two years, so none or all of my advice could be irrelevant, who knows. But lately the trend, like stated by so many, is that big builders like Dell save a lot of there money by cutting deals and using cheap parts.

I live in Prince George, BC. So not terribly far i guess.
 



These prices are absolutely absurd bro.
 
181244ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
181244Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
Original price: $578.98
Discount: -$25.00

Combo Price: $553.98


178103OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P1600LV6GK - Retail
178103SAPPHIRE 100256L Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Original price: $194.98
Discount: -$12.00
Combo Price: $182.98 - $30 dollars in rebates
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
Home Premium Version
OEM
[91932-116-488] $99.99
Free Shipping

$10 off w/ promo code EMCLRLV35, ends 4/ 13
PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W Power Supply - Retail
ATX12V / EPS12V
100 - 240 V
80 PLUS Certified
[60117-703-009] $119.99
You Save: $50.00
($99.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate )
Free Shipping

$20 off w/ promo code EMCLRLV48, ends 4/ 13
Hanns·G HG-281DPB Black 27.5" 3ms Widescreen LCD HDMI Monitor Built in ... - Retail
1920 x 1200
800:1
D-Sub HDMI
[89324-254-026] $349.99-$20= $329.99
You Save: $50.00
Free Shipping

WD1500HLFS Internal Hard Drives
[323N82E16822136296]
Western Digital VelociRaptor WD1500HLFS 150GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (bare drive) - OEM
2x Winner of Customer Choice Award - Internal Hard Drives
Cache: 16MB
Form Factor: 3.5"
Average Seek Time: 4.2ms
Average Write Time: 4.7ms
Average Latency: 3ms (nominal)
Features: IcePack mounting frame: the 2.5-inch WD VelociRaptor is enclosed in a backplane-ready 3.5-inch enterprise-class mounting frame with a built-in heat sink.
Parts: 5 years limited
Labor: 5 years limited
Model #: WD1500HLFS
Item #: N82E16822136296
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
Free Shipping
Your Price:$179.99
Mail-In Rebate :N82E16822136296 $20.00
Price after rebateN82E16822136296(s):$159.99

WD1001FALS Internal Hard Drives
[719N82E16822136284]
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Cache: 32MB
Form Factor: 3.5"
Features: High Performance Electronics Architecture Dual processor - Twice the processing power to maximize performance. 32 MB cache - Bigger, faster cache means faster performance. Rock Solid Mechanical Architecture StableTrac - The motor shaft is secured at both ends to reduce system-induced vibration and stabilize platters for accurate tracking, during read and write operations. NoTouch
Parts: 5 years limited
Labor: 5 years limited
Model #: WD1001FALS
Item #: N82E16822136284
Return Policy: 30 Day Return Policy
Original Price: $119.99
You Save: $10.00
Free Shipping
Your Price:$109.99

Free card reader with purchase, ends 4/30

NZXT TEMPEST Crafted Series CS-NT-TEM-B Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
With Power Supply: No
Motherboard Compatibility: Extended ATX, ATX, Micro ATX
With Side Panel Window: Yes
External 5.25" Drive Bays: 3 ( up to six 5.25" )
External 3.5" Drive Bays: 1
Internal 3.5" Drive Bays: 8
Expansion Slots: 6
Front Ports: USB, Audio, e-SATA
Model #: CS-NT-TEM-B
Item #: N82E16811146047
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Original Price: $119.99
You Save: $20.00

Your Price:$99.99
Mail-In Rebate :N82E16811146047 $20.00
Price after rebateN82E16811146047(s):$79.99

Combo savings with Verbatim LightScribe media, ends 4/ 30
SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM
22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X ...
16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM
2MB Cache
[62827-151-173] $25.99
Free Shipping
LG Black LG Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20LK - OEM
6X BD-ROM
16X DVD-ROM
4MB Cache
[17327-136-154] $99.99
You Save: $15.00
Free Shipping
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
[303335-100-007] $8.99
Free Shipping


Total cost on this system after rebates is, $1708.90

many of the parts have free shipping so you might be lookin at another $$30 bucks shipping in the states.

Not sure why your wanting to go with 8gb of 1066 when the ocz 1600mhz is cheaper and much better being tripple channel. This build also has a raptor hard drive for your games, OS, and a 1 TB storage drive. It also has a 28" monitor, and a blu ray player. Drop that off and this build comes in cheaper then what you listed, and the very nice 24" monitors I saw on the egg, were around $250. so you could even scale more off of the price. The differnce in the build you parted out is that it is slower... and will cost more down the road for upgrades because you picked the wrong ram to begin with. If you want me to build you a build, let me know, I also build systems LOL. You could also drop the raptor hard drive along with the blu ray player, and scale down the monitor, saving around $350 dollars off this build.

That leaves a system that is still better then what you priced out and way better then the dell you are looking at all for the price of around $1400 dollars


This took me 10 min tops to copy and price out for you, I didn't even try to find the best deals and went with a very high end mother board.
 
@ medjohnson77

Don't forget we need to be talking Canadian prices here. For example; Each 150 Velociraptor is 229.99 on Newegg.ca. Instead of 179.99. I'm sure the OP appreciates the effort though. Also, you can't count rebates into the cost, as one must front the total before rebates anyway. And there's really no guarantee you get the rebate anyway.
 
Sure lucuis It is true, rebates can't be counted on the price right off the batt... but neither can a Dell be counted on, lol. I haven't looked on prices in canada on newegg, point I am trying to make to op, is that even if building his own build cost alittle more off the batt, he will have a much faster computer....that can be upgraded for several years to come. Even if he just bought a new case, mother board, and ram, hard drive his currant Q6600 overclocked would still be a very nice computer.
 
Just checked Newegg Ca. and damn those prices are crazy, maybe a road trip would be good Idea, lol. Even if paying the higher prices, in the long wrong he would be better off then buying the dell. IMO
 



And that'd be the reason why i recommend NCIX.com or DirectCanda.com. DirectCanada being the absolute cheapest i could find, NCIX.com having the best service. I have dealt with both.
 
A very easy way to justify building your own (besides the higher quality parts) is the fact you can control the speed of your new rig. Find a Dell with an optional i7 965 processor and configure it to what you want and get a price. Then take the price of an i7 920 ($360) OCed to 3.2 Ghz (same performance as the 965) and see the difference. Newegg Canada i7 920 ($360) vs i7 965 ($1250). You can't match the performance of a custom built computer with a Dell, sorry.
 
Just to make it interesting I went on Dell's web site and priced an XPS730X with an i7 965 that was factory OCed to 3.7 Ghz @ $3,599.00 (US).

Went on Newegg (US also) and went with a little better parts like 22x DVD vs 18x (Dell), DDR3-1600 vs DDR3-1066 (Dell), GTX 285 vs GTX 280 (Dell), 2 X Velociraptor 300 GB 10,000 RPM HDD's vs a single 500GB 7200 RPM HDD (Dell) and the price was $1,937.11 total including shipping.

Get the picture.

 
Dell's high end computers are VERY overpriced. If I was to build a high end computer, I would DEFINITELY build it myself, because it would save me thousands.
 
That is very true, but also is true once you look at what they put into there mid end builds and high end you start to see that It is not worth giving them any of your hard earned money. Start looking around on the internet, study alittle, and you can start doing all your own upgrades, and build your next rig when your ready, it is not that hard to do.
 
Like cars ... ten seconds after it leaves the factory. :pt1cable:

When I had a TRS-80, the chatter was "every working program must be improved". One of my TRS80s still works. I still like Visicalc better than Lotus or Excel. 😱
Ever since I relented and got a PC, it has changed to "every PC must be upgraded weekly" ... or at least monthly.

Seriously, it is an individual choice. I do agree, it's how you download your system with new software and the data storage that generates sludge. Heaven help my sister's PCs. Next to the clock on the lower right are at least 2 dozen icons of stuff I would never start up with. Some of it, I would never use. When she turns it on, we go to lunch.

Got a game system? Then you are in real dutch unless the game industry got a clue. When I bought games for the kids, each game reconfigured the system for their game without a thought what else you might want the PC to do. (true story) It got to be funny when games from the same company set the PC in different configurations. Oh well so much for standards and ethics. (getting off soapbox here)

I built a few PCs back in 2002-2004. They still run just dandy. I am considering faster P4 CPUs but almost everything I want is going to be somebody else's pull. I have no clue if it was OCed before I get it. That's my risk for waiting so long. Everything else is readily available at reasonable to dirt cheap prices compared to when I built them. I am replacing a few fans while I can. But I don't need 13 fans per PC case anymore. I'm not that hard on them now. These PCs may become outdated from a upgrade perspective, but I'm done with OCing these systems since grid.org went out of business a few years ago.

I can even upgrade to Vista when MS shuts down XP, but until then, why do so? IMO, XP is still in beta. A fresh install was about 3 gig of HD. Add SP1, SP2, and SP3 ... then you can double the HD space consumed by the OS. That's gotta slow things down a tad. Vista is up to SP1 already.

I am in the process of getting bigger HDs and reinstalling everything. I have been blessed not to need very many reformat and reinstalls. Some of my software cannot be reinstalled. I think I may just keep one system in tact without doing much to it except a larger HD for TIVO purposes. That unit can substitute for a TV, play DVDs and run movies from the net. It still runs Office 97 just fine despite the fib MS told folks that should not do that. Visioneer scanner still works. Nobody can beat Paperport IMO for that function.

What more can a guy ask?

I figure that I'm good for another 5 years. ... Maybe longer. I ran my TRS-80 about 5 years after IBM came out with the PC and clones followed. By the time I relented, the bugs were well worked out of the basic systems.
 
Wow, ok, well the Op has the problem that his Q6600 Quad core can't be overclocked, It still has a lot of life in it could be a very nice gaming computer with the right upgrades and overclocking, but has no chance of that with out a new mother board, hard drive, ram, and maybe a PSU, and Grafix card... because he went with a Dell and they don't want you to just overclock your computer to get performance. They would rather people drop another $1500 dollars on a new system from them...
 
Say if I overclock my Q6600 to 3GHz, which should be pretty easy, and I'll constantly max the CPU running 3Ghz with video encoding for about 16 hours a day. Would that damage the CPU?
 
Short answer, no. Long answer only if your temps are below 71C MAX.

I've had my Q6600 running at 3.2ghz 1600fsb pretty much since bought it over a year ago.
 
chance's are with programs that you want to run, you will not max out the cores at 100% or even close to that. Unless you like running prime 95 16 hours out of the day. And as long as you keep temps down all should be well.
 
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