Greenplantseed said:
What is it with you guys and building your own computer? I think that you'd have less issues with a prebuilt computer and no compatability issues.
With a little knowledge you don't have to worry about compatibility. I'll tell my personal preference to custom built computers:
#1 Price - It's a lot cheaper to buy parts from the manufacture
#2 You Know What Your Getting - You know what brands and parts you'll use, henceforth better quality. Don't let a company like Dell who makes thousand and thousands of computers, they don't care about quality, they care about making more profit (using low quality parts)
#3 Upgrading is easy as can be - Some companies,like dell, might require you upgrade through them, and sometimes they won't even allow you get certain upgrades (personal experience), and it costs more than DIY
#4 Your HDD isn't overflowing with crappy software already installed - vendors do this, like free music! or 6-month roadrunner! I personally hate this crap on my desktop and computer
Now there are some cons
#1 Windows - You need to find a way to get a copy of Windows, either buying it or not paying for it (wink, wink)
#2 Chance of dead parts - This is fairly easy to fix, but very annoying, just RMA it or return to the store. I only had one case of this but I RMAed it and got a new one in 2 weeks. I know this sounds bad but the chances are you'll be fine.
#3 Requires some basic knowledge - A lot of people think assembling your own computer is brain science, really it's not, fairly simple. Just know how to install things can be done pretty easy. Use an anti-static wrist band, or make sure your grounded on your computer case so static electricity won't damage your parts when handling them. You may have to play around with the BIOS for a little bit, but as long as your not overclocking, it's pretty straight forward.