Benefits of Building a System

Does it really save money?

Why would you want to build your own computer? Many people build their own systems just to save money. Others build their own systems just to learn how to put together a computer, and some people just want to put together a custom system from hand-picked parts. Often, it's a combination of these three reasons that make building your own system a good idea.

How much money you save really depends on how valuable your time is. It'll take a few hours of online comparison shopping to find good prices for all the computer components. The price search engines help, but some don't mention outrageous shipping and handling charges, and some vendors post different prices (almost always higher) when you check their site.

You'll probably end up buying from several different vendors, and shipping costs may negate any savings made on cheap prices and sales tax evasion. You'll have to wait for all the parts to arrive, and then spend the time to put together the system.

You'll pay for Windows

If you only want to save money you might want to buy a pre-made system. OEM manufacturers get bulk discounts, and their system prices can be very close to what you'll pay buying each component piece by piece. Plus you'll probably get a warranty. We're not talking about Dell or Compaq here. We mean white-box 2nd tier vendors like Hitech-USA and U-tron. These are two local Bay Area companies that put together custom made systems at reasonable prices. Look around for local shops that offer to build customized systems.

Generally, putting together your own system saves you about 5-15% off the price of a pre-made system, but you don't get an entire system warranty and you also have to pay full price for the operating system. OEM vendors get deeps discounts on OS software for their systems; they usually pass on the savings or even throw it in for free when they build a system for you.