jry1209

What are some of the best sites to have a custom PC configured that has no software installed other then the operating system and is geared for more of a power user?

I've gotten Dells all my life, but their customer service is really starting to lag, and the performance just isn't there anymore...at least for me.

DarkFury

Why not build it yourself...

Personally, I buy most of my components from ZipZoomFly.com as they have excellent prices and really fast "free" shipping on most items.

Pretty much, building a PC is not that hard to do... and out here, you can find PLENTY of help in doing so.

Here is an example of the PC I built this weekend for a friend for right around $1,800...

Asus P4P800-E Deluxe i865 motherboard
Intel P4 3.2 GHz
1 GB Corsair "Value Select" Memory
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro 128 video card
Viewsonic P95F+B 19" monitor (professional series)
Creative Labs Audigy 2 sound card
Maxtor 200 GB Drive w/ 8MB cache
Plextor 708A DVD burner
Sony 16X DVD player
Mitsumi Floppy
Microsoft mouse and keyboard
Logitech Z-640 5.1 speakers
Antec SX1040BII Server case w/ 400W power supply

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ski

If you're not ready to build your own computer yet, here are some sites that sell customs:

www.alienware.com
www.falcon-nw.com

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And closer...

DarkFury

Yeah... but you sure are gonna PAY for what you get there.


BTW.. with "Dell"... if you are looking at higher end computers, then look at the Dimension XPS series of computers, but be warned... they start out around the $1800 mark and go up from there. (hence building it yourself looks mighty good at that point).

Bires

I LOVE my Dell 400SC. First computer that I have NOT built, and I'm proud to own it.

I used to work for Falcon-NW (hardware/burnin manager) and they are really not all that people think they are. They are pretty, sure, but you can build a faster, more stable computer yourself for a lot less $$ by just buying Asus, ATI, and Intel.

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bachviet

You could always start out with a basic Dell 4600 or 8300 and upgrade the components like RAMs, video card, and hard drive on your own.

I got the Dell 8300 with the video card upgrade to R9800Pro for only $140 extra, which was a pretty good deal couples of months ago.

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Dell Dimension 9200 | Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4GHz) | 4x1GB DDR2 | 256MB nVidia GeForce 8800GT

Dell Studio 17 | Intel Core i7-720QM (1.6GHz) | 2x2GB DDR3 1066MHz | 1GHz ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650

Intel P4-C 3.0GHz | ECS 865PE-A | 3x512MB PC3200 | 128MB PNY GeForce 6600GT

zippyjuan

Let me say that it is really not too hard to do it yourself if you can carefully follow instructions. Thanks to several people on this site, I built my own computer about a year and a half ago. It wasn't completely without problems (mostly with installing WinXP but these guys got me through it), but went much better than I thought. Gear came either from NewEgg or Zip Zoom Fly (formerly Googlegear). I had not even owned a computer before I embarked on this project so if I can, I believe anyone else can too.

Asus A7N8X, Athlon XP2400+, 2x256mb Corsair XMS memory, Western Digital 80gb HD (8mb buffer), Radeon 9700 (non pro), TDK 4x DVD+-RW

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Grumpy

i think building one by yourself would be easier...because that way you get really familiar with the components of the computer.

cheapchinese

don't forget FRYS
if your going cheap that is

Jeffbx

Start with a basic 400SC & upgrade the components you want. It's the cheapest machine you can buy from Dell, and it's got one of Intel's best motherboards - same one they use in the 8300 & the XPS gaming machine.

baggio248

I personally like Dark Fury's custom PC site...ya, ok so i'm biased cause he hooked me up with what to get for mine.

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RoniMan

what if you're not sure what components to get?

i know there's always compatability problems with different hardware...

i wanted to build one myself, but don't want to spend hours researching which components go with which....

is there a place to get a "barebones" system, so i can just install some extra components?

DarkFury

Honestly, there is so much "help" around here... we can get you where you wanna be for the best price.

BTW... what kind of system did you want? Intel or AMD?

Personally, I always recommend Intel if you worried about "compatibility"... however I'm sure someone will come along to recommend AMD and their "price benefits".

Either way... I'm sure folks around here will help you to find what you need. Also... what kind of budget are we talkin' here? Most "DITY" (Do It Yourself) computers will probably set you back around $800 - $1200 to buy all the necessary components, which is why we sometimes recommend getting a cheap Dell and then adding additional memory and a video card.