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Something about me. I am 16 years old and I have an Asian background.
Basically right now I have a really shit computer that can barely play SC2 on the lowest settings. Now my parents want to buy me a new computer for Christmas but because they are Asian they like to go for the big brand names like hp and Dell. While I want to build my own computer but i know they most likely won't let me build it because things might screw up. What can i do to convince my parents to let me build my own?
   
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51436 Posts
do you live in sydney? just buy a computer from a reputable local builder like pc express, ti computers or pacstar if you're parents are that paranoid. they actually know what they are doing, don't overprice like those said companies and provide warranties similar to what hp/dell do.
if you live anywhere else, i can't really help since i'm not aware of the local builders in those areas :3
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I live in Melbourne. My parents don't know much about computers so they don't know any of the local builders.
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Just buy it from HP or Dell dude. A standard computer will give you what you need and it'll be cheaper than if you buy the parts separately, unless you know somebody who can get you a wholesale price on the components.
If you want the thrill of "choosing your own parts." HP and Dell both let you customize the hell out of your machine.
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MSY.COM.AU
Too easy, they can assemble it for you (at a fee of course).
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On October 20 2010 16:40 Gummy wrote: Just buy it from HP or Dell dude. A standard computer will give you what you need and it'll be cheaper than if you buy the parts separately, unless you know somebody who can get you a wholesale price on the components.
If you want the thrill of "choosing your own parts." HP and Dell both let you customize the hell out of your machine. Pretty much everything about this message is wrong. Buying part and building the computer by yourself is way cheaper then buying the same computer from a big brand name. You can't get much for 800$ if you walk into most computer stores or Dell/HP. But thats more then enough to buy a monster of a computer online and have the store assemble it for you with a 1 year warranty. Most reputable computer stores will build the computer for you for a fee of ~50$. Go in and talk to them and it will sort itself out.
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Before you make a decision, consider the FX series by Gateway: http://www.gateway.com/programs/fxseries/index.php
I was going to build a new PC a few months ago when I cam across the FX in a PC magazine. Turns out it had virtually all the components I was going to buy for my custom rig, and ran a few hundred bucks cheaper.
After buying it, the only complaint I have is that it can sometimes get a little loud. Not Panzer Tank loud, but the fans make a pretty distinct, high pitched hum that can be distracting if I'm doing something quiet, like browsing the internet.
For gaming, though, this thing is a beast. I would recommend it to anyone that asked.
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51436 Posts
On October 20 2010 16:48 randleplex wrote: MSY.COM.AU
Too easy, they can assemble it for you (at a fee of course).
yep, this is the way to go then, although i've never bought from msy (strangely enough), but i've heard their prices are good.
but aren't they like.... really dodgy/strange with they way they operate?
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Yeah, buying from MSY has its difficulties, but the price and range are still very good. The way to by from MSY - is to get the price list, and point to the things you want.
Always have a back up item in mind, as they are often low on stock.
They maintain cheep prices through having pore customer service hehe.
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51436 Posts
well i guess if you want to go the safer route there is always scorptec... but their stuff seems a bit more expensive than normal. they also will build your computer for a fee.
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On October 20 2010 16:58 randleplex wrote:There is also this place: http://www.cpl.net.au/I have never got anything from there however. I second that. I live just around the corner from their Nottinghill Store and they are very proffessional and the store looks great. If you took your parents into the store I'm sure they would be impressed. I got some stuff there the other week actually.
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United States42551 Posts
On October 20 2010 16:49 Emon_ wrote:Show nested quote +On October 20 2010 16:40 Gummy wrote: Just buy it from HP or Dell dude. A standard computer will give you what you need and it'll be cheaper than if you buy the parts separately, unless you know somebody who can get you a wholesale price on the components.
If you want the thrill of "choosing your own parts." HP and Dell both let you customize the hell out of your machine. Pretty much everything about this message is wrong. Buying part and building the computer by yourself is way cheaper then buying the same computer from a big brand name. You can't get much for 800$ if you walk into most computer stores or Dell/HP. But thats more then enough to buy a monster of a computer online and have the store assemble it for you with a 1 year warranty. Most reputable computer stores will build the computer for you for a fee of ~50$. Go in and talk to them and it will sort itself out. I agree. Dell give you decent prices on the base model but if you customise it at all then that shoots up far beyond what you'd pay to do it yourself.
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United States5775 Posts
go to one of the DIY stores, pick your parts yourself and have them assemble it for you. it costs so much more to get a pre-built machine its not even funny. and that's not even counting the ridiculous premiums that you have to pay if you buy from companies like Apple, alienware, etc.
also most pre-built computers are horrendously optimized. for example you can see HP machines that have a crappy cpu, integrated graphics and 6 GB ram.
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Has anyone bought any thing from centercom ? My friend just bought a pc from them and he says that they are not too bad.
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51436 Posts
just tell us your budget and someone like me will 'construct' the parts for the computer, and you can get scorptec to build it for you.
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You can try to hype up the builders as reputable etc, and mention it will still use using brand name parts like intel or AMD, etc if theyre really that big on brand names. Tell them its alot cheaper, no one can resist deals! Bonus for things like warranties, as that eases some paranoia of lesser known computer stores.
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If they insist sticking will Dell get a Dell XPS. You might pay out of the ass for it, but it'll be baller.
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There are excellent resources in TL (Tech Support section) that you can almost build a computer on your own without having previous experience. Building your own is definitely, 99.99% of the time, cheaper and better, plus you get to learn a lot about how stuff works.
When I built my first computer, I had a friend help me - he built a couple before, not an expert, but at least experienced - and it worked on the first time. So it's definitely possible for beginners, with some help, to be successful even on the first try.
If you must buy a pre-built brand name computer, I recommend HP. Dell tends to be cheap for the base models, but as mentioned above, gets ridiculously expensive as you add more customizations (improvements) to the system. Dell also tries to add on a bunch of garbage (McAfee antivirus, Dell datasafe, etc.) to your package which you will NEVER need.
One thing you can try is to go middle-ground with this: buy a brand-name, base-line computer with a decent processor (perhaps intel i5 or amd phenom II x4 series), switch out its GPU with a better one, and perhaps buy a ~$30 HSF.
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