It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Community
General discussionLaptop recommendations?(85 posts)(85 posts)
(85 posts)
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
This is my favourite topic
Posted October 15, 2016
avatar
HereForTheBeer: Lots of folks are going to suggest building your own, which can (but not always) save you a healthy chunk of money.
I always thought that "you save lotsa money by building your desktop PC from parts yourself!" was some US thing, because frankly I never felt that being the case here.

I mean, if some store is selling DIMMs and CPUs much cheaper than the next shop... then most probably their video cards and mother boards and heck any component are cheaper too. Their profit margins are simply smaller overall. At least here I don't feel you save any money from buying every little component from a different store (if that is what is supposed to save you money, by buying components from different stores).

Or if it is the actual work of assembling it all that is supposed to save you money... pfffft, at least back when I was buying desktop PCs, it didn't increase the price much (or at all) that I let the little PC store to assemble it all for me. Maybe they charged something like 20€ for putting the parts together, or did it for free due to the fact that I am buying all the components from them.

avatar
HereForTheBeer: One nice thing is that the process hasn't changed radically over the last 20-30 years so if you ever get your hands on a dead desktop from 10 years back, you can play around with that to get a feel for what you'd be dealing with. You almost have to go out of your way to screw it up badly these days.
Well, I thought I have pretty good experience tinkering with PCs... yet I was able to kill my old desktop PC by trying to force extra RAM to DIMM slots the wrong way. :) God damn it I felt stupid afterwards, as if it didn't even occur to me the DIMM was not going into the place because it was going the wrong way. Hey, I just thought the DIMM slot is awfully tight in that motherboard...

avatar
mm324: It's much easier than you might think.
Do people still put thermal paste themselves between the CPU and heatsink, or is that ancient history? I remember all those serious discussions what is the "correct" way to put thermal paste, should you just put a drop in the middle and corners and then move the heatsink on it for awhile, or spread it first with some kind of spatula, etc.?
Post edited October 15, 2016 by timppu
Posted October 15, 2016
avatar
PainOfSalvation:
You could start with explaining what the heck "overclocking" is.
avatar
zeogold: And before somebody steps in here and says "It's easy!", no, i'm serious. I have almost 0 knowledge of this stuff. I can't even tell you what all the specs on a computer mean.
avatar
mm324: It's much easier than you might think.
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/452961105522872320/eFX_I4Nt.jpeg
Post edited October 15, 2016 by zeogold
Posted October 15, 2016
avatar
mm324: It's much easier than you might think.
avatar
timppu: Do people still put thermal paste themselves between the CPU and heatsink, or is that ancient history? I remember all those serious discussions what is the "correct" way to put thermal paste, should you just put a drop in the middle and corners and then move the heatsink on it for awhile, or spread it first with some kind of spatula, etc.?
The last pc I built was around 12 years ago, back then I just put a good sized drop in the middle of the heatsink and spread it evenly with my finger. I don't know if they recommend doing it differently now.
avatar
mm324: It's much easier than you might think.
avatar
zeogold: https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/452961105522872320/eFX_I4Nt.jpeg
Lol Just watch a couple of YouTube videos and see what you think.
Post edited October 15, 2016 by mm324
Posted October 15, 2016
avatar
mm324: Lol Just watch a couple of YouTube videos and see what you think.
Did you not just see me say I don't even understand what specs mean when listed?
I don't even know what "overclocking" is.
Heck, I had to get someone on here to help me just to access a Steam file.
Do you REALLY think that somebody like me, who has 0 experience working with computers outside of playing games and using Word, should be let anywhere near the internal components of it?!

I may be crazy, but I'm not $500 worth of crazy.
Posted October 15, 2016
avatar
mm324: Lol Just watch a couple of YouTube videos and see what you think.
avatar
zeogold: Did you not just see me say I don't even understand what specs mean when listed?
I don't even know what "overclocking" is.
Heck, I had to get someone on here to help me just to access a Steam file.
Do you REALLY think that somebody like me, who has 0 experience working with computers outside of playing games and using Word, should be let anywhere near the internal components of it?!

I may be crazy, but I'm not $500 worth of crazy.
And they say psychology is a "soft" science. You're alright, kid.
Posted October 15, 2016
avatar
zeogold:
I'm no script-ninja hell I don't even mess with the WiFi router my brother-in-law takes care of it. All I'm saying is watch a few videos to see if it is something that you'd be comfortable trying. There is a great deal of satisfaction of telling your friends that "I built my own computer, it was no big deal" and seeing the looks on their faces. :) The only problem then is that when they have a problem with their pc you know who they're going to call. :p
Posted October 15, 2016
avatar
mm324: There is a great deal of satisfaction of telling your friends that "I built my own computer, it was no big deal" and seeing the looks on their faces. :)
Just imagine their faces.
Posted October 15, 2016
avatar
mm324: There is a great deal of satisfaction of telling your friends that "I built my own computer, it was no big deal" and seeing the looks on their faces. :)
avatar
zeogold: Just imagine their faces.
LOL Give yourself a little bit of credit.
Posted October 15, 2016
avatar
HereForTheBeer: Lots of folks are going to suggest building your own, which can (but not always) save you a healthy chunk of money.
avatar
timppu: I always thought that "you save lotsa money by building your desktop PC from parts yourself!" was some US thing, because frankly I never felt that being the case here.

I mean, if some store is selling DIMMs and CPUs much cheaper than the next shop... then most probably their video cards and mother boards and heck any component are cheaper too. Their profit margins are simply smaller overall. At least here I don't feel you save any money from buying every little component from a different store (if that is what is supposed to save you money, by buying components from different stores).

Or if it is the actual work of assembling it all that is supposed to save you money... pfffft, at least back when I was buying desktop PCs, it didn't increase the price much (or at all) that I let the little PC store to assemble it all for me. Maybe they charged something like 20€ for putting the parts together, or did it for free due to the fact that I am buying all the components from them.
It used to make a fairly big difference over here, like in the early 2000s and for some time after, but I don't think that's the case so much these days. From helping my nephew build his first machine a few years back, it saved maybe $150 or so on a $1,500 build. He went with a Newegg DIY so there may have been a few more bucks out there if one were to buy from multiple sources. The downside was on the timing of it, since he got the gpu from some other place and it took an extra week to arrive.

I think if you enjoy doing it yourself then you may as well save a bit with DIY. But if that's not your thing then I don't feel that having it built is going to add a huge amount of cost in most cases, unless you're looking at a nosebleed-level machine. I say all that having made only casual glances at it recently. Others may have different experience.
Posted October 15, 2016
avatar
HereForTheBeer: It used to make a fairly big difference over here, like in the early 2000s and for some time after, but I don't think that's the case so much these days. From helping my nephew build his first machine a few years back, it saved maybe $150 or so on a $1,500 build.
Ok, but where did the savings mostly come from? From buying components from lots of different stores (because someone sells a CPU 10% cheaper, while another store sells a motherboard cheaper, while a third one sells a video card cheaper...)? Here the differences wouldn't normally be that big anyway between (small) PC stores as they all would have quite low margins to begin with, and if some place was cheaper, then it was probably that for all components, ie. it made sense to buy everything from them (as long as they had what you wanted).

Or was it mainly the work, ie. the store you buy components from would charge you extra $150 for assembling your PC? I felt here they were ready to do assembling "for free" as long as you bought all the components from them.

Also I felt that is a good guarantee the PC works and there is no some issue between components. If the unthinkable happened and e.g. the RAM didn't work with the motherboard correctly, or the graphics card has issues with that very motherboard... which store will take the blame if the components are from various places?

avatar
HereForTheBeer: He went with a Newegg DIY so there may have been a few more bucks out there if one were to buy from multiple sources.
Ok, so he did buy the components from one place, Newegg? Didn't Newegg offer an option that they assemble the PC for you, and if they did, what would that have cost? $150?
Post edited October 15, 2016 by timppu
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionLaptop recommendations?(85 posts)(85 posts)
(85 posts)