When did buying a prebuilt PC become a taboo in the PC community?

[Morae]

I thought you will only get expensive shit, if you buy some brand prebuilt pc.

If you buy one that is put together by some trustworhy hardware store, you will get good. Its basically that they just picked the parts for you and built it for you. If you feel like it, you can always ask them to switch some pieces, etc. and its still ok.

I personally do this. I outsource the part picking, building, dealing with problems, etc. to the hardware store. I only look what are good and neccessary parts right then and in near future and find one at good price point. You do need to find a good store, though. I find my hardware stores trough websites of these pc building, modding, etc. communities.

I haven't felt ripped off at any point and as far as i can tell I have got good parts too.

[Mirishka]

It's like discussing the benefits of coal power in a renewable energy forum.

That's a fairly terrible analogy.

[Nihilist74]

Seems like it would be taboo because its not a good value for the price you pay.
I built my first computer because I could not afford to buy a prebuilt computer.
I bought part after part every paycheck. One week my motherboard and cpu.
One week I bought my ram and hard drive.
I think the last thing I bought was a voodoo 2500 video card.
I sold my n64 and PlayStation one to help pay for parts.
I could not have afforded a prebuilt computer and I could not have bought one that plays the games I like.
Asks the salesman, "Can it play games?"
Salesman, "Uh yah sure it can."

[Mirishka]

There is the build it tribe, and the buy it tribe. The build it tribe hates the buy it tribe. For what reason, we can never be completely sure.

I do know it is not because the build it tribe has any goodwill towards the buy it tribe. Their invective towards the buy it tribe is always so intense as to almost be shocking.

The reason would be: people are idiots.

To be clear, I mean the people you're talking about. Wasn't calling you an idiot.

- - - Updated - - -

Seems like it would be taboo because its not a good value for the price you pay.

You're acting like that is a hard rule with no exceptions. It isn't.

[Rilas13]

I hang around in the PC building communities on reddit, facebook, etc and recommending a prebuilt PC is a recipe for downvotes or getting made fun of. -

Maybe because you are in a community of PC builders telling them to buy a prebuilt. It's like going to a chili cook off and telling everyone there that your favorite chili is canned from the shop. If someone is going through a PC building forum, they probably want to build a PC. If they want to purchase a prebuilt, there are plenty of places, and recommendations to do so.

[khazmodan]

The last time I put together a pc I researched a ton of individual parts to find the best choices to put together within my budget and found that the computer builders like dell and others would not even offer some of the highest rated parts I wanted in my computer. On top of that I found that my price would be 700 dollars higher, even with there inferior parts and they never give you all the little parts you get when you buy the individual components yourself. Once I received Batman: Arkham Knight with a gtx 980ti and because the game had problems upon release I later received all the other Batman games on Steam, This would not have happened if I had bought a prebuilt PC. Oh yea there is also all the crapware, bloatware and shovelware software that prebuilt pc makers put on there pc's because some other inferior company gave them cash to install it and push it on you like some schmuck with a table in front of your grocery store.

The only 2 worries you have is static damage which is not that hard to avoid and a defective or damaged in shipping part that you will need to send back. putting together a computer now compared to the 90s is laughable simply because the software is so much more plug and play that you have to be semi retarded with no patience at all to screw it up now. People are passionate about building it yourself now for the same reason that people hate to see money wasted on companies that know that this is easy money with no skills required.

[Exac]

If I remember correctly, around 2002-2004. I don't think building your own PC was the most common sentiment until 2006 though.

[PenguinChan]

It never was a taboo, just that you're overpaying for a pre-built package. That's it - you can buy individual parts for cheaper and go to a computer shop that'll help build it for you. It's really easy to put together yourself, but it's understandable if you want it all done before you even touch it.

[Alcsaar]

Since its became much easier over the years to build your own PC.

[Agent Smith]

Pre built PCs are generally RIP offs, often being twice the actual cost or more so.

This is no longer the case. Thats where the taboo of buying a pre-built came from.

[MatthewOU2015]

This is no longer the case. Thats where the taboo of buying a pre-built came from.

You can score good deals but the warranty is the reason I love prebuilts

[Dimmak]

I hang around in the PC building communities on reddit, facebook, etc and recommending a prebuilt PC is a recipe for downvotes or getting made fun of. Not everyone has the time or the skill to build a PC. The amount of posts on tech support forms from people screwing something up is really high. Nobody can recommend a prebuilt without being shit on.

For me about 1989. Once dad and I tore apart his first machine for Autocad I never went back. Its also why is shied away from Macs. There was something about getting into the guts of your machine and tuning it up. I imagine its what my dad did with his hotrod in the 50s.

[Biomega]

It never was a taboo, just that you're overpaying for a pre-built package. That's it - you can buy individual parts for cheaper and go to a computer shop that'll help build it for you. It's really easy to put together yourself, but it's understandable if you want it all done before you even touch it.

This is actually much less of an argument now than it used to be in the past. The manufacturers have wizened up, and so usually the only ones still in rip-off mode are those with very strong brands - it's definitely true there, a lot of the prebuilts from big names can very much be rip-offs (but won't necessarily always be).

The real problem at this point is that for many prebuilts, you have to accept whatever components they put in; and even if they tell you (which many won't) you have little choice in the matter if they decide to use sub-par components. As such, it's often not good value for money if you really judge by quality and not just numbers. You may simply compare "16 GB RAM" between a self-built and a prebuilt, but RAM isn't RAM, and the memory size is about the most rudimentary characteristic involved in that. Good, quality RAM may end up being a big impact on your actual gaming experience; and the same is true for many other components. Now, of course, as always, this isn't a simple, unequivocal truth - a manufacturer may inform you very well, or may offer options and choices, or may use good components, or the component quality doesn't impact the way you play. But it's much harder to gauge that with prebuilts than it is with self-built systems, and the probability of bad components resulting in a bad experience is significantly higher with prebuilts.

At the end of the day, you have to evaluate for yourself how much money you can save with either option, and whether those savings stack up to your quality demands and expectations.

To add to that, hybrid models of "pick your own prebuilt" are gaining traction as well, allowing you to get the best of both worlds - an assembled, ready-to-use product with service and warranty, but one where you picked the components and know what went in and where. Of course, this usually commands a premium price.

A world of trade-offs, really.

The only REAL mistake you can make is let identity conflicts govern your decision. You should choose whichever option fits your desires best for GOOD reasons - and "lul u pleb real gam0rz build their PCs!!!!111" is not a good reason.

[Temp name]

Part of the issue is that any discussion about pre-built pc's takes place in a builder community. There isn't any "Pre Built PC Community". Generally speaking, with lower quality, less options, and high prices sometimes, it only draws ire. There are very, very rarely, any good reasons for pre-built. Even if there are reasons sometimes. Either way, the groups they are discussed in already wouldn't want them.

It's like discussing the benefits of coal power in a renewable energy forum.

Pretty much this..

- - - Updated - - -

This is no longer the case. Thats where the taboo of buying a pre-built came from.

They generally still are. There are better deals now than a couple years ago, but you can still beat pre-built with a DIY approach.

Maybe except right now with the corona virus fucking over the shipping industry so nothing is in stock, but as soon as stock goes back up, it won't make sense anymore.

[Kagthul]

It's like discussing the benefits of coal power in a renewable energy forum.

Pretty much coulda stopped the thread right here.

[Sevarin]

Usually its because building one is far better and cheaper than a prebuilt when used for gaming.

sadly no longer the case.

i was torn between buying a prebuilt and building one for a friend. ive always built my own, for the last 15+ years.

the prebuilt we ended up buying cost 805 usd after tax. the parts alone for the same, cheapest possible parts, cost over 800 before windows and tax.

i asked on a few forums because i always had the notion that prebuilts were overpriced garbage. people kept linking me builds that were cheaper, but didnt include windows, or were missing ram, or were amd - ive always had horrible luck with amd, always. nothing could compare to the prebuilt for 750usd spec wise.

the wait was pretty long to get it, not gonna lie. it took a full month, but thats likely due to current world events. it got here, we unboxed it. i was personally expecting the worst. hooked it up, no power. whoops, the surge protector was off, easy fix, first thing i checked. it started up, no problems. installed some games, no issues. logged into games, set graphics to max - or as close to max as i run with a 1080, smooth as silk. no issues whatsoever.

been a couple weeks now, no issues, no frame drops, still running max/close to max graphics. had some screen tearing in wow, but thats what vsync is for.

[callipygoustp]

I think it has a lot to do with who is and who isn't buying a personal PC now compared to 10-15 years ago. I know what I'm about to say is completely anecdotal, but, here goes: the only people I can think of, off the top of my head, that have a desktop PC at home are gamers or people in the software industry(and most people in the industry I have a laptop instead of desktop). Most people that I know do the bulk of what they used to on a PC on their phone. So, instead of a huge population of technically illiterate buying PCs, pre-built PCs, you now have a smaller population of people, the technically literate, who are still buying desktop PCs who choose to build their own.

I'm sure someone will counter me, but, I can't remember a time, ever, when a pre-built was better than what I could build for myself.

[chazus]

i asked on a few forums because i always had the notion that prebuilts were overpriced garbage. people kept linking me builds that were cheaper, but didnt include windows, or were missing ram, or were amd - ive always had horrible luck with amd, always. nothing could compare to the prebuilt for 750usd spec wise.

been a couple weeks now, no issues, no frame drops, still running max/close to max graphics. had some screen tearing in wow, but thats what vsync is for.

Unfortunately, anecdotal cases of a handful of systems is not really data usage.

There are a few people here (myself included) who have built hundreds, if not thousands of systems, and had to repair thousands more. I can tell you that pre-builts are virtually always lower quality. Even the expensive 'luxury' ones skimp somewhere with something stupid.

The only real prebuilts that I've been 'liking' lately are some of the Acer and Asus cheaper builds for regular people or for office needs. They clock in at like $400 with a nice high clock i3. It's great for office or older people who just need a computer that works. Sadly, there are still on the market computers of the same price that are just atrocious (I'm looking at you, AMD E2-1800)

[Drusin]

People like to divide themselves into "us vs them".
More at 11.

Why can't I like posts on mmo-champ?

[WowIsDead64]

I hang around in the PC building communities on reddit, facebook, etc and recommending a prebuilt PC is a recipe for downvotes or getting made fun of. Not everyone has the time or the skill to build a PC. The amount of posts on tech support forms from people screwing something up is really high. Nobody can recommend a prebuilt without being shit on.

Dunno about west, but on east there are problems with vendors, trying to sell crap nobody needs in prebuilt setups. Defective ones in the worst case. This builds are unbalanced really often. Like having extremely cheap processor and too few memory, but extremely expensive video. It's like buying tomatoes in local vegetable shop. Do you pick them yourself or rely on seller's choice?