Should I buy PC or build it

Hardware Build a PC
1

Hi!

 

So I have been trying to find out which is better option for me to build a PC or to buy one. The main problem is which one is better I have picked out a better overall components PC in my opinion. But the shop PC has a way better GPU.

The Shop :

CPU - Intel® Core i5-4440

GPU - MSI GTX 770

PSU - Corsair Builder CX500

RAM - Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (Don´t know if its 2x4GB or 1x8GB)

HDD - 1TB (Brand isint on the site but I can ask them via email)

MB - Gigabyte GA-B85M-D3H

CPU COOLER - Cooler Master HYPER TX3 EVO UNIVERSAL

CASE - Some Cooler Master K series case (I don´t care about how its going to look, only thing that needs to be good is wiring)

TOTAL : 749 Euros

 

My Picked :

CPU - Intel Core i5-4570 (Not going to OC)

GPU - Gigabyte GeForce GTX 760 Windforce OC (with Splinter Cell: Black List)

MB - MSI B85-G41

RAM - Corsair Vengeance LP 1x8GB 1600Mhz

HDD - Western Digital Blue 1TB

PSU - Corsair CX600W Modular

CPU COOLER - Stock (Can´t OC, so no point. Maybe down the road I would pick up an EVO 212)

CASE - Corsair Carbide Series 200R

TOTAL : 720,94 Euros

 

I have read about the CPU´s and the 4570 is ~10% more powerful. But the GTX 770 is just a beast compared to the 760. But I have some what better MB and PSU picked out. Will it be enought to beat the shop PC? And also, can I put a WiFi card in to both PC´s?

Im going to use my PC for mainly for gaming and sometimes for school work. I play alot of F2p games like TF2, Planetside 2, WarFace, BlackLight: Retribution, Hawken. But I have also BF:BC2, Crysis 2 and 1, CS:GO, Minecraft. I won´t be needing a second monitor any time soon because I will use my laptop as a look up and communication device when I´m playing games. Also I like playing games on PhysX if its possible (its just so pretty).

And to all of you who are going to say that upgrade to 770 or 280X with your build, Its not possible because that will add around 100 Euros to the build and that price is going to be too steep for me. Bare in mind I have to buy OS and Monitor too witch is like around 200-250 euros together.

PS: Just a very random question. Why do people with GTX 770+ playing Minceraft only get 90-100 fps when even not recording? I have seen countless test videos that put in to the description that they only get -100 fps with no fraps (MAX settings), while I get 150+FPS. And I have only I5-2410m and GT525M. Hows that possible? They need to get at least 300+ FPS.

2

What country? That can have large implications upon cost.

PhysX is not pretty, it is a proprietary mess that kills performance at little gain.

The build you posted will not beat the store's unless a few things are changed, in which case, it likely will.

Mine craft: it's either poorly optimized or has a frame cap.

3

I live in Estonia. I think we have pretty good prices. The only things that are litter more expensive are GPU´s and CPU´s but they only cost 20 euros more if you compare it with USA. The only things that are like crazy expensive are apple´s stuff (Iphone 5s is like 699+euros minimum, average Estonian gets 800 euros a month).

I have compared some stuff with newegg´s prices and they are pretty much the same if you know were to look on the web. If a case costs 69.99 dollars in USA I can get it here for like 50-55 euros. And we have this website which gathers all the prices of stuff and makes a list of the best prices. The website : www.hinnavaatlus.ee.

4

have you built a pc before?

to me the question is more something other than the specs you mention. Do you want the warrantee & reliability the shop could offer, or would you prefer to spend time on it and learn more in the process?

5

Yes I have built a PC. And for that reason I think  I´m going to buy my PC. Because I like the feeling that all the parts are working when it gets shipped. Yea building a PC is cool but I don´t wan´t to go over that nervous stage of are all the parts working. My last PC had some problems when I put it together. GPU was not working for some reason so I had to ship it back. I got it back like 2 months later. Time not well spent.

6

I would build. All the parts that you have laid out have 3 year warranty's except for the hard drive is only one. Unless you do something really stupid like kick it when your angry you can always RMA your parts. 

How long is the warranty on the shop built.? 

Also I like the emotional connection I get from building my own machine. Giving it life with my own two hands. A store bought PC is just a thing that I have no connection with.

I don't know how it is in  Estonia but a lot of PC shops here in the states are just scary. My step dad works for a office supply place that has a PC shop. I am a PC noobie so there is no reason why when I have a conversion with these guys that I feel like the smartest guy in the room.

The other PC shop in town is terrible. I have at least repaired 15 computers over the years that came out of that shop. 

Last observation. I assume that your monitor your getting is a 1920 by 1080 or by 1200. The 760 can handle most of the games on max or highest settings at that monitor resolution. I would not get a lesser machine just for a 770 that is in most respects over powered for your needs.

These are just my opinions and should be taken as such.  

 

7

The warranty for shop PC is 2 years and my friends have told me that even adding fans will be against the warranty. I would like to add some fans to my PC down the road. But the build quality is good in that company. My step dad`s PC lasted like 10 years without any upgrades or cleaning (the amount of dust when we took it apart, WOW!). In Estonia there are couple more PC shops that are good but the rest are just connecting wires randomly over the MB which looks gross and unprofessional.

8

Ya just do your own. Don't have anyone tell you what to do with what you paid for. That's BS. You have to open it every once in a while to clean it out. And you can get a case with fan dust filters included if that is an issue. I have cats so I use the Fractal Design Define Mini. Also quiet as all hell.

9

Yea I´m definitely going to build my own PC because of that warranty BS. I have a cat too but she does not shed so much. But still I´m going for the Corsair Carbide 200R which has fan filters and has big cabling holes. I have looked at the Fractal Design Core 3000 case. I liked that it had 3 fans but it did not have good cabling features.

Questions: Is it better to put the rear fan to the front of the case so that there would be a even bigger positive static pressure or just wait and add more fans down the road? And what are good fans that have no LED´s and don´t make much noise? And would I be able to add a WiFi card to MSI B85-G43 MB (so that it would not interfere with GPU fan intake place) or should I just stick with MSI B85-G41 MB?

10

meh. airflow balance doesn't matter much... my case technically has a negative pressure, as I have 2x 200mm on intake, and 2x 200 and a 140 (plus gpu) on exhaust. however, the actual difference is probably negligable due to the fact that the entire front bezel of my case is mesh.

for your case, it appears to have 2x 120mm or 140mm stock, and you can put 2x 120 on the side. maybe 140, hard to tell from photos.

as for good fans, I personally have a cougar 120mm in my case, and it's not loud at all. most of the noise form my computer is from the gpu fans, or from just the rushing sound of the air moving through my case. 

you setup should be fairly quiet, none of the rushing noise at least. you'll probably be moving a net airflow of less than 100CFM, whereas my rig's net airflow is 250-300CFM.

wifi cards are not usually very big, so you don't have to worry about blocking the airflow.

11

building gives you alot more power and speed for ALOT less dough. or you could do what i did and buy a pc, and every month just upgrade a component one at a time until you do have a custom built pc. 

12

The method you built your PC is very expensive and time consuming. First you buy a fully built PC which is around 600 euros and then start to buy even more parts. I would use this method only if I want to build 2 PC but could not afford the more expensive one first if that makes any sense.

13

yes it makes sense, i did it that way cause you dont need to dump a ton of money in the first day, and then each part you buy can be the more expensive one, and when your done, keep, give away, or sell the old one. but yes i understand your thought, it can be very impractical, but for me it worked somehow lol.