Should I build a pc myself or pay someone to do it?

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laughing-pistachio@reddit

I'm going to do you a favor and let you in on a secret. Performance PC components are a scam. Just cheap out on everything except the GPU. Even the CPU unless you are a total pro with refrigerant pumping into ur PC case will be working at my the same level as a cheaper option.

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Kathryn_Cadbury@reddit

It's cheaper and more rewarding to do it yourself. But, especially if it's a more complex build (water blocks etc), you need to be confident about all aspects of it. Not just putting the hardware together, but setting the BIOS and other software related things that a prebuild will usually do for you.

I worked at a PC/laptop builder for 10 years so have put together 1000s of PC's, and always get asked to build other peoples (friends/family etc you know the drill) so when I was getting a new gaming rig during Covid I had CyberPowerUK build me one to my specs. Just once I wanted to have one built for me :P

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cliquealex@reddit

I am very glad I didn't do it myself the first time as I'm sure I would've gone wrong somewhere. Tutorials I watched even after building a second PC completely alone were a bit vague on some parts so I required help from a couple friends over the internet. If I build a third by myself I think I could finally do it all. My suggestion is that if you don't have any idea how PC's work or at least a general idea on how they're built, better leave it to someone else or at least have a friend help you out. If you find a good tutorial with an explanation you'll probably be able to do it, just be patient.

Building a first PC isn't always risking breaking it, it's mostly just risking your own mental stability trying to troubleshoot something you don't even understand and it can become frustrating. At worst, your PC won't start. But it's almost always fixable.

So long story short: You can try, might be slow and somewhat frustrating, so take a few breaks in between. Or ask someone else to but I'm not sure it's so worth it if you gotta pay money lol

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Critical_C0conut@reddit

Build it yourself if you feel confident enough to do so, it really isn't difficult. Just make sure you read the manuals. There's quick videos you can watch on YouTube which are super helpful too.

If you're not so confident then get the prebuilt. The pros with this are you're getting the finished product quickly and they should have tested it prior to shipping, so you know it's all working correctly. But expect to pay a little more than you would building it yourself.

If you're interested in a prebuilt, I'd throw the specs together in PC part picker just to check you're not massively overpaying.

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Ok-Grape-8389@reddit

If you have to ask, then pay someone.

Those who know do not need to ask this question

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Ceezmuhgeez@reddit

It’s easy to build yourself but setting up the bios is pretty tricky. At least for me, I messed it up pretty bad a couple times. There’s also a sense of accomplishment. It if it’s not too expensive, getting someone to do it for you is just fine.

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ConceptNo1055@reddit

the funny thing about "doing it yourself then you'll know the parts to upgrade"

is you rarely upgrade one part at a time.

after 5 years, you'll get a new CPU with a new MOBO then you'll get a new GPU too at the same time its like a new PC again.

Then for "peace of mind" you'll get a new PSU and case as well.

No upgrade path.. Its just a new PC

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coldfurify@reddit

But I’ll keep the SSD… and maybe get another one for some extra storage

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coldfurify@reddit

Do it yourself. It’s essentially plug and play, and be careful with the parts. Watch videos

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Sylvi-Fisthaug@reddit

The only thing I regret about building my own PC, is that I will never have the feeling I got after my first build powered on first-try.

Other than the build itself, you might encounter a few "child-sicknesses" of your PC, mainly within Windows, usually due to some mistake you made down the line. If you are ok with that and don't mind troubleshooting to figure out stuff on your own, go for it.

If you want a plug-and-play experience and can't stand having some weird issue like something overheating or whatnot, then I'd have someone else build it.

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Pushfastr@reddit

If you're in the Toronto area, I'll build it for you for free. I'm helping another buddy build his. I put my pc in a new case, offered him the case, and it snowballed.

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CounterSYNK@reddit

If you can follow instructions build it yourself. A nice aspect of building it yourself is if something later goes wrong with your pc you’ll know how to fix it because you put it together.

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thebeansoldier@reddit

Build it yourself, but have a friend help guide you. Pushing in the ram sticks for a first timer is probably the most anxiety inducing part of a first time build- for the builder and guide.

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Philluminati@reddit

Building a pc is a skill that pays for itself. It gives upgrade options and can save you £400 off every machine you’d otherwise buy off the shelf.

If you don’t build your machine you’ll never get the skill.

Soon as I get my cpu I’m building my machine. My current computer is 8yo and it was a prebuilt from pcspecialist that I just added disks and a GPU to.

There are hardware bundles you can buy which are cpu, fan, mobo combos that mean all you do is screw it into a case and add power. That might be a gentle compromise if you’re not confident yet.

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kyronami@reddit

the actual building the pc isnt very hard especially if you just go air cooler, the hardest part honestly is cable managing it to look good and not be a rats nest in the back lol

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Islaytomuch1@reddit

You don't need perfect cable management, the hard part is the power and front usb cables etc.

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jerryeight@reddit

Front panel connectors are ridiculously annoying to plug in.

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Islaytomuch1@reddit

Some cases have a single cable for everything, others have like 3+ single pin connectors you need to put on specific pins lol.

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jerryeight@reddit

The part that frustrates me every time are the positive and negative pins on the board. The markings are hard to see and most diagrams of those pins are terrible. 😅

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jerryeight@reddit

Do you have the time to watch tutorials and at least half a day and possibly more to devote to the building process?

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snktiger@reddit

do it yourself or find a friend who has done it before to help you.

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ainudinese@reddit

Benefits when you learn build pc by yourself, you also will learn how to troubleshooting, to repair your pc, know the compatible part, and also how upgrade your pc in the future.

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Harman70625@reddit

Build it yourself but with the help of someone who knows how to build so you don't mess anything or break anything

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burto18@reddit

id build it yourself, look at a general build guide its actually crazy easy, just use common sense and go in with an educated guess

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Bwuaaa@reddit

if you have all the right components, building a pc is prty much like Lego for adults.

some things to pay attention to (look up vids/guides):

- cpu install. (also what most dont tell, installing the cpu fan takes a scary amount of force sometimes)

- Install everything but the gpu on the mobo first -> then insert into case

- airflow, generally you want more air going in than out of the case. (if you have cats, add an extra out-fan on the backside)

- hot take: stock ryzen cpu coolers are enough

- get noctua fans if you care for the noise your pc makes.

(your mobo will also have detailed instructions on the manual, it's not a shame to read it)

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Bwuaaa@reddit

also, get a modular PSU

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DXNiflheim@reddit

Watch enough YouTube videos nad you can do it yourself. That's how I got my confidence in building it myself also realizing how much more you have to pay and that ammount could go towards you buying a better PC part instead of being used to buy a prebuilt or paying someone to build it. However if you do have a friend who knows how just ask them to help you on your first build. I don't know of any PC builder that won't help building a new one specially if it's their friend's

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Arnequien@reddit

TL;DR: Build yourself. It's like playing with legos. You will be confused at the beginning, but after reading the instructions is just connecting blocks.

Not the TL;DR:

It's really pretty easy. It's just a little bit scary when you start looking things up on the Internet, but in less than a day, you get the fundamentals, and you understand what the path to follow is.

I built mine by just doing the proper research. My recommendations would be:

Watch YouTube videos of people building computers.
Think about your needs before starting to look for components. Build a computer for you, not for what is "the best in the market." Most of the time, you won't need 64 GB of RAM with an RTX 4080.
Research the different pieces/artifacts, such as RAM, motherboard, CPU, GPU, power supply, case, and fans.
Verify the compatibility between the components you want. For example, if you're going to build a computer powered by a Ryzen 5700X and an RTX 4070, you want to pick a compatible motherboard with good RAM velocity.
My recommendation is to use this tool: pcpartpicker
Do it; it's not fun to buy a CPU that is incompatible with the motherboard you picked or buy 9 fans when it only supports up to 6.
Watch videos of people building computers with similar aspects to the ones you choose, mainly the motherboard. You can search for stuff on YouTube like "Asus ROG Strix B550-F build", and you will find videos related to people installing the CPU, the GPU, etc.
Select the case and the power supply at the end of everything. Based on the components you select (there are tools like the one I recommended before), that will show you the power you need. Pick a power supply slightly more potent than what you see there. For example, if you're consuming 613 watts, pick a power supply of 750 watts. Don't overspend here by watts, but buy a good one; don't cut the budget here because this is the component that provides energy and protects the rest of the computer's parts.
READ THE INSTRUCTIONS, mainly the one for the motherboard. They come with each component, are "free," and always explain what you need to do.

And, related to components in general, I recommend:

For the future, install at least 32 gb of RAM if you will use it for gaming or professional things. 16 GB is just enough for internet navigation, casual gaming, and office tasks.
If you pick AMD, go with an AMD 5 socket.
Research the ventilation; don't pick a case that can't provide enough air if you install a GPU like a 3070+ or 4070+ (the heat can make them turn off to protect themselves).
Buying a good motherboard, case, and power supply is better. Why? Because usually, those are the components you won't change for almost the whole computer's life. You can always upgrade the CPU, GPU, RAM, storage, etc. in the future without any issues, and they're pretty easy to do compared to changing the motherboard or the case, where you need to unplug everything.

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YesterdayPractical24@reddit

with the wealth of build guides from JayzTwoCents, LTT, Paul's Hardware, the Verge (j/k pls don't), etc... there's never been a better time to learn to build, and it's wild how much cheaper it is to build it yourself.

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wakeupyouridea@reddit

If money is no concern to you, I don't see the reason to not pay for convenience as long as they don't change ridiculous prices. Just my 2c

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YesterdayPractical24@reddit

i found Jay

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_lefthook@reddit

Zero experience i'd pay a company to do it. Why? Because you can break things. The highest risk is motherboard or cpu pins. I worked IT retail and so many people bent pins. Bricks your mobo lol. Expensive lesson to learn.

Also you'll be suprised the amount of shit i've seen people do... like screwing mobos into cases with no stand offs and being suprised when it shorts the entire board.

If you're willing to learn and perhaps have somebody whos built before watching over you, then it might be a good experience. And you'll know how to upgrade later

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Relative-Pin-9762@reddit

Depends. It's not difficult if u have prepared urself (watch a lot of videos, have some theoretical knowledge) vs really newbie and have no idea how to even hold the cpu while trying to place onto a AM5 board...(if u drop an AM4 cpu onto the socket, its still OK vs dropping ur CPU on a AM5 cpu socket..... also ur bios settings, windows setup needs some basic knowledge.

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OftenXilonen@reddit

if youre gonna pay someone, go to people that work in stores like Canada Computers (idk where youre from). My parents brought me to CC in 2019 to buy parts as a birthday gift but I only had knowledge and no experience in building. The store offered to build the pc for us for a price (I remember $150 but it could be less). It came with a warranty for 1 year, if i remember correctly.

A few months later, I had a fan that was making noise during boot up. I used my warranty and got a set of new fans for free.

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IamAfuzzyDickle@reddit

I just built one last week. I've never built one before. Wasnt to bad. Only thing I'm having a problem with is RGB.

I'm may have went overboard with my 1st build. The rbg is on the MB, ram, AIO, and GPU.

9800x3d 4080 super

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Islaytomuch1@reddit

I would buy the parts and build it myself, but if you are not confident then you can pay someone, would still buy the parts so you know its quality thought.

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AdMission8804@reddit

First of all, you can do it, it's not hard but do your research.

You will save money, and you will be able to say built not bought. Getting started on building your own PCs will save you a lot of money and it's really not that difficult.

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CatVideoBoye@reddit

The only scary part is installing the cpu and the cpu cooler. For me, the cooler has always been tough since the screws haven't gone in easily. A company I usually buy parts from has multiple levels of service and for my girl friends pc I now chose the one where they update bios and install the cpu and the cooler. The rest is easy really.

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jhaluska@reddit

There's a dozen different youtube videos on it. Watch one and decide if you can do the same.

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TryToBeModern@reddit

Build it yourself. Trust the process it will be worth it.

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toehutner@reddit

Well this is your chance to get experience, go build it yourself, watch a POV build video + consult the manuals of your components.

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legotrix@reddit

It's hard the first time but after your second build you will get comfy while changing PSU, adding RAM, changing SSD or moving HDD, saving you a lot of money.

What the the new standards life is simple.

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pcbfs@reddit

Depends on your comfort level and what you're willing to spend. It's not hard to build a PC if you spend some time learning how to do it. However if you just want it done right and it doesn't add a ton of money to the overall cost of the build to have someone else do it then go for it.

The only thing is that when you learn to build it yourself and something needs to be replaced/fixed you'll have a solid understanding of what to do. Same for if you want to upgrade parts in the future.

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VersaceUpholstery@reddit

Build yourself. You learn things that will be helpful later for troubleshooting.

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DardS8Br@reddit

Build it yourself. Ain't that hard