# What is the best computer company or custom computer builder?



## aexin

I'm 15 and I know very little about building my own PC so I want to just customize one. Anyone have any suggestions on what custom computer builders I should go to or what company I should buy from?


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## lynx6200

What kind of computer are looking for, anything specific?  You want it for games, a highe end one, etc.?  If you have the money, alienware is nice for gaming, and there are plenty of barebone kits and various computers on tigerdirect.com and newegg.com


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## aexin

it would be used for relatively high-end gaming and I've been saving up for awhile and I've got $2800


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## Geoff

dont go alienware, they overcharge alot.  If you could, custom built is the best buy and you only get what you want, the companies like cyberpowerinc.com or ibuypower.com seem good, but me and someone else on this forum got damaged computers from them (i needed a new motherboard).  So what you could do is buy an HP or something, and then just upgrade it.  You can get HP's now that have AMD Athlon 64 3700+.  If you can build it though, i would recommend newegg, you could get a seriously nice comp for under $2800.


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## aexin

My main problem with that is that I am new to upgrading and building.


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## Apathetic

cyberpowersystem.com is pretty good. Good prices and deals then you just upgrade them for what parts you wanted better or just customize them to you want.
EDIT:: WHoops didnt see the 2800.  you can still check out cyberpowersystem though.  Alienware isnt that bad of a choice either.  Maybe a highend dell then put in the graphics card yourself, if the card is compatible, (just ask dell what is) then just slap it in and install it.


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## Lax

*BUILDING COMPUTERS 101*
Short blurp about building vs. buying. Will be adding more later on.


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## Geoff

Apathetic said:
			
		

> cyberpowersystem.com is pretty good. Good prices and deals then you just upgrade them for what parts you wanted better or just customize them to you want.
> EDIT:: WHoops didnt see the 2800.  you can still check out cyberpowersystem though.  Alienware isnt that bad of a choice either.  Maybe a highend dell then put in the graphics card yourself, if the card is compatible, (just ask dell what is) then just slap it in and install it.



i ordered from them before and they shipped the comp with a defective motherboard, i would prefer going with a company like HP or Dell over them.. I prefer custom built overy anything though.


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## bigsaucybob

watever u do do not buy from alienware or dell, they overcharge. But yea i guess hp would be ok. The best idea would to do some reaserch on building a computer and just customize it from newegg.com. And the good thing about that is that u know u can always get help from everyone hear.


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## redrider773

Just, please, for God's sake, DO NOT BUY A DELL.  They should pay you $200 to suffer through their "customer support". Dell would charge your $2800 for something you could get on newegg for $1300, or iBuyPower for $1500. Just dont...


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## gamerman4

Building a PC isn't very hard, actually. $2800 will get a damn good custom built system. I suggest you read up on building PCs (just google it). My own system (in my sig) is running great and it is my 2nd build. My first build, I gave to my brother and he is loving it. If you decide to build one, get the parts that you want to buy and post them in this forum and we can help you on compatibility. If you have any friends that can build PCs they can help too.


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## speedyink

I just bought a HP computer with a 17" LCD screen for $1400 CAD.  I slapped another 512mb stick of ram in there and its awesome.  Plays games like Farcry and Battlefield 2 perfectly fine with the settings at very decent levels.  Mine is also a media center, if you dont want that you can buy the same thing for cheaper.  Plus mine uses PCI-Express, which is great for high end cards.


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## redrider773

You realize, that you have $2800 to blow on newegg. That has been my dream for some time now; you must use it there, You can get so much for your money there, dont HP, dont Alienware, and for Christ's sake, DONT DELL!!!


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## 34erd

Heck you can probably afford dual 7800's.


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## GhostEye

damn 2800 are u kidding me. I dont think i can reach 2800 on a PC at newegg. u can get 
like a fx 57, or i would get the best amd duel core actually. 7800 gtx... 2 gb ram... god i wouldnt be able to find what to buy with 2800  (o and i would wait acouple weeks to a month for ATI's new card thats gonna own the 7800  );


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## flame1117

ME, if you pay up front(becuase i dont have an every 2000$ laying around to use untill i get paid back) I'll charge you the price of the parts and PARTS only, I personly enjoy building computers, fun to do, and i have the time. Since i dont do it as a living or anything I an't garentee anything, but unless i do something idoitic it should be fine.


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## redrider773

lol, ya, give $2800 to some guy you met on a forum. with no "garentee'"


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## TheNomad

if you really don't want to build, i would go emachines or hp and upgrade the computer a lot

i would really recommend building, you can find tons of guides online, and you can get a wicked sick computer for $2800


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## lokodezine

i bought ibuypower... got pc yesterday and no power... re hooked up cables and faulty mobo and/or psu... sending back...

So it was damaged in shipping. their customer service is below average. The tehinical support was blah.

Hopefully the pc will be sent back working


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## flame1117

redrider773 said:
			
		

> lol, ya, give $2800 to some guy you met on a forum. with no "garentee'"




I went more like if A single thing of RAM breaks opr something. If i ruined the whole computer I think i'd have to give his money back hahaha.


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## aexin

Ok, I'm going to look into building one myself....


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## Geoff

excellent choice, and if you have any problems, you can ask here.


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## skidude

lokodezine said:
			
		

> i bought ibuypower... got pc yesterday and no power... re hooked up cables and faulty mobo and/or psu... sending back...
> 
> So it was damaged in shipping. their customer service is below average. The tehinical support was blah.
> 
> Hopefully the pc will be sent back working



I've had a totally opposite expirience with them. Got the PC in my sig last week. Worked great out of the box with everything I asked.


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## aexin

should i get the case from newegg?


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## aexin

what should I do about the case and cooling


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## skidude

Get a nice case from newegg, they have a wide selection, about cooling, it depends on the kind of hardware you are gonna have, like the more serious the hardware the more cooling you would want.


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## aexin

out of curiousity, how reliable are custom computer builders such as Ibuypower, Buyxg, cybertronic, puget systems, and such? And which one seems to be the best?


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## skidude

Take a look at my post earlier. It's either a hit or miss. I bought a PC from ibuypower and got it just last week. Mine was exactly as I ordered it and I am very happy. But, another guy said his wouldn't start. But, since it is under warranty, if you get a defective one they will fix it for nothing. It's really up to you, but if you do get a system and it worked like mine, you won't regret it.


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## aexin

Ok I'm considering get one from Ibuypower or possibly building it.


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## skidude

Just make sure if you do get one from ibuypower to get "professional wiring" in it. I think that will boost your chances of it working. It only costs like 18 bucks more, but it is worth it. My case looks soooo empty!


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## Lax

newegg isn't the only site for computer parts, there are tons. I use ZipZoomFly exclusively just because there's no tax and free shipping. If you really want to deal hunt use www.pricewatch.com and look for stuff. They list all companies, so you have to use your judgement for which are reputible and which aren't.


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## lokodezine

to be honest I BUY POWER to me is a disaster. The Tech suppoer was so poor. They told me they would send me a mobo and a psu to fix my problem... I was like if I could build a pc why the hell whould I ask you... and I told them the problems and they had no clue.

They are paying for shipping to send back but I think I may just ask for a refudn and go through bestbuy becuase after this Im skeptical of buying from them especially after reading so many negative reviews...

I  wish I could build it myself and save so much money and get something I really want.


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## skidude

Well, like I said, its either a hit or miss. My machine was one of those that they got right.By any chance, did you get professional wiring?? I think that might help with making sure it works right since their special technicians put it together. But hey, not everybody has good expiriences. BTW, the Dell you are gonna get is going to be FAST!!!


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## aexin

I'm looking at iBuypower and question whether or not to get one from them. I'm seeing a lot of poor reviews on cnet.com...


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## Geoff

dont get it from them, i got one from cyberpowerinc (same kind of deal), and the motherboard was defective, but luckily for me i knew how to install a new one (had to buy it myself).


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## aexin

why didnt they replace the motherboard?


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## aexin

Dang I can't figure out what company to go with


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## skidude

Please.... give ibuypower a try. They have 30 day money back thing so if you get a defective machine and don't want them to fix it, you just give it back and get your money back. If you do, just be SURE to get professional wiring. I just want to give out a good word for them since so many people give bad reviews. But, more people give bad reviews because they are so mad with the company that they spread the word everywhere, while the people who got good machines are too busy having fun to write a review. Anyway, check out www.resellerratings.com/seller2001.html for more reviews. I think the last bad review for them was about 20 reviews ago.


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## aexin

I'm thinking about it. The only thing that troubles me is the fact that you are the only one I know who has had a good experience with them...


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## skidude

Well, geoff5093 bought from cyberpower, and the other guy was the only bad review here..... well, its really up to you, its your choice wheather you go for them or not, I'm just saying that I personally have had good expiriences. Maybe you will too.


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## aexin

How am I supposed to know if the parts I select are compatible or not?


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## Adam Warren

Buy all the parts and then go to a local computer store and pay them to build it for you?


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## skidude

If you are talking about ibuypower, then all the parts they show as a selection with the certain model of system will work. So, really everything (except maybe speakers, you can't get 7.1 speakers with a 5.1 card, that wouldn't work) that you select will work with it. 

If you mean about buying every part of newegg or something and you don't know how to build it then do what Adam said.


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## aexin

i was talking about iBuypower, just making sure that whatever i choose will be compatible. I'm not that big on sound anyway, I just use 2.1 speakers most of the time with an onboard sound card. By the way, where can I get something that will carry a desktop?


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## skidude

What do you mean by "carry". If you mean transport, check out www.newegg.com or www.tigerdirect.com and search for something.


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## flame1117

lokodezine said:
			
		

> to be honest I BUY POWER to me is a disaster. The Tech suppoer was so poor. They told me they would send me a mobo and a psu to fix my problem... I was like if I could build a pc why the hell whould I ask you... and I told them the problems and they had no clue.
> 
> They are paying for shipping to send back but I think I may just ask for a refudn and go through bestbuy becuase after this Im skeptical of buying from them especially after reading so many negative reviews...
> 
> I  wish I could build it myself and save so much money and get something I really want.




Be prepared to spend 150$ on a PSU at bestbuy. the only good deal i got from bestbuy on PC stuff was a harddrive that they overstocked and had a closout mail in rebate sale.


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## skidude

Hah.... I'll never buy anything PC related from Bestbuy, soooooo overpriced.


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## Pride

I like the computer I have, and so far the support has been easy, for me. I've had no problems, and don't plan on upgrading for a while, considering specs haven't changed much. (With the exception of SLi)


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## lokodezine

I would recommend Dell. Right now they have a deal of 34 % the XPS GEN 5 systems or any Dimension for that matter (just recommend the XPS) and free shipping. Plus you get a free upgrade to a flat screen Monitor. I got a 17 in ultra sharp screen. Plus I got a free mouse and keyboard (will not use but you get it for free!)


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## skidude

I think the only Dell worth buying is an XPS. If not, don't buy from Dell. But, the XPS is pretty expensive (like starting at $2200 USD)


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## The Deceived

Personally, to answer the original question, I would deffinitely have to say building one is by far:

The most fun - I mean you get to actually see it coming togfether, and you can take your time, or you can get it done in a few hours!
Cheapest - This is by far the most attractive part of building it yourself, due to most companies giving you a good deal, but then charging you a fortune to either make it, deliver it, or just by adding loads of tax on top of the price.
Most rewarding - You actually see it coming together, and you feel at the end of it that it is YOUR computer, and no-one else has exactly the same as you.
Gives you a better understanding - This is another add on really to the cheap part, primarily down to the fact that if something goes wrong inside, you will have an idea of what it is. This way you won't get ripped off by a company when you ask them what's wrong 
You can brag - Easily one thing you want to do when you show your mates your new computer, especially when you've got like 7800GTX or a new dual core processor, or even just the simple LED fans.

I just recently built my computer (like last week) with the spec below, and I can assure you, for my first build, it was easy, fun, cheap and very, very rewarding!

But if you're intent on buying an already built computer, please go somewhere where they either know what they're doing, or go somewhere where you can get what parts you want, and not get ripped off with parts you don't need.

ONE THING YOU MUST NOT DO IS USE DELL!! AT ALL, NEVER, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! Seriously, they are rubbish at building and they overprice on all models except the XPS GEN 5 (but then for the price of one of them, you could have twice the computer if you built it yourself )

Hope that helps


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## thereckerdbraikr

athlon x2 4800+

thats wiked for gaming


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## skidude

The Deceived said:
			
		

> ONE THING YOU MUST NOT DO IS USE DELL!! AT ALL, NEVER, DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! Seriously, they are rubbish at building and they overprice on all models except the XPS GEN 5 (but then for the price of one of them, you could have twice the computer if you built it yourself)



Agreed. I hate Dell and will never buy from them again.


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## thereckerdbraikr

ya hp is much better deal.....but building it yuorself is even cheaper....and you have alot of flexibilty when you do this

If i could go bak in time, instead of custom buildin on hp, i would have bilt my own, and gotten a better processor for the same price

plus were always here to help.....(well im not a build expert, but alot of these guys are)


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## Vampiric Rouge

I would have to say build it your self. Spend an hour or so looking around on the web about how to build. Pick out your parts from newegg or zipzoomfly and post them here. Every one here will tell you if they work together or not and if they have a beter part they think you should get.


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## skidude

That would by my opinion, but aexin said he doesn't know how to...


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## The Deceived

skidude said:
			
		

> Agreed. I hate Dell and will never buy from them again.



Haha, I think we ALL have had enough rubbish from Dell to last us a lifetime  As long as there are people (such as us) to stop the less knowledgeable people on fueling the fire of Dell.

Haha, just did a tiny bit of research on Dell, and they are the leading manufacturers in faulty PCs  Some people are even suggesting chaning their slogan from 'Easy as Dell' to 'You bought a Dell, Now go to Hell!'.

I wish other people could see the light, and avoid the darkness of Dell


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## skidude

If you go to www.resellerratings.com and look up dell they have a lifetime rating of like 3!!! LOL!!!


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## aexin

anyone have any opinions on Velocity Micro or Vicious PC?


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## Vampiric Rouge

frozencpu is a good company too.


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## aexin

What is the advantage of AMD FX 55 over the X2 series or a AMD Athlon 64 4000?


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## skidude

Velocity Micro is ok.... Vicious is better but it can get expensive.


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## skidude

Go for an FX series.... just do it.


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## Praetor

> it would be used for relatively high-end gaming and i've been saving up for awhile and i've got $2800


are you williing to consider building your own? it's not to hard really



> watever u do do not buy from Alienware or Dell, they overcharge. but yea i guess HP would be ok.


all OEMs overcharge.



> plus mine uses PCI-express, which is great for high end cards.


how so?



> should i get the case from newegg?


get it from where you like... thats the benifit of building yourself



> out of curiousity, how reliable are custom computer builders such as ibuypower, buyxg, cybertronic, puget systems, and such? and which one seems to be the best?


unless the product comes doa, they are reliable enough



> dang i can't figure out what company to go with


build it yourself.



> how am i supposed to know if the parts i select are compatible or not?


ask here 



> haha, just did a tiny bit of research on Dell, and they are the leading manufacturers in faulty pcs


well that tiny bit of reasearch would also note that Dell is the largest supplier of pcs to end-users... kinda like saying the car-company that sells the most cars also has the most accidents



> frozenCPU is a good company too.


yes but they tend to be a bit expensive



> what is the advantage of AMD fx 55 over the x2 series or a AMD Athlon 64 4000?


*CPU 101*



> go for an fx series... just do it.


care to explain why?


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## skidude

Care to explain why?? Ummmm..... take a look at that Tom's hardware guide thing where it compares different CPU's. The FX sereis is like the top 5. I can't really get into the details and everything, cuz that is over my head, but from what I've seen online and what I've seen in many magazines (CGW, PC Gamer, etc.) the AMD FX series is the way to go (for now).


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