First I need to say this, if you do want to buy a
pre-built computer, get a HP.
Second, When you buy a
computer from one of the big companies they save money buy using the cheapest
components they can get, all they want to do is make sure it will last as long
as the warranty. Then to make it even cheaper the take money from companies like
Symantec (Norton Anti-virus), AOL (America Online) and others to put their trial
software on it. These computers are loaded with software you don't want that
will stop working in 30, 60 or 90 days. You end up with a computer that's
already bogged down with tons of software that soon won't work unless you spend
a bunch more money.
Third. I'm not sure about all, but Dell's computers
are a bare minimum at the price on their sites. I was just on Dell's site and
they claimed RAM is at an all time low, $50 per gig. I don't know where they get
their RAM from, but I get it for $24 a gig and it's Kingston, the top rated
memory out there.
The computers I build will have sufficient memory and if you want more, it will
be at a reasonable price.
The main difference between a custom built computer and a
pre-built one from a company like Dell or Gateway is the quality. The first
computer I built was in 1998 and it's still running today. This computer ran 24
hours a day for 5 years, till 2004 (except when I'd be on vacation). At that
time I built a new one and gave the old one to my wife. She used it daily for
the next 4 years Until I built myself another one and gave her the one I built
in 2004. Both of these computers run as good as the day they were built and the
only thing I've replaced in both are the power supplies. This is because I
used the power supplies that came with the case, now I buy higher quality PSUs
(power supply units).
On the other side, I bought 4 Dells for a school computer lab I built and in
the first month the power button broke on three of them.
Within a month of the one year warranty ending the power supplies burned out in
2 of them and two months later the other two went out.
Another situation I had was a friends Gateway. Four months old and the power
supply burned out. He called and they told him it was still under warranty and
they would replace if free but he had to take it to a certified Gateway service
center. The service center wanted $90 for labor. This is crazy, $90 labor on a
warranted part worth $25. The warranty didn't do him much good. I offer free labor because I have confidence in the
parts I buy, I research each component before deciding to use it.
Add
a 19" widescreen for only $119