I build my own computers. I'm never going back to getting someone else to do it for me. Or buying something prepackaged like Dell. I can decide exactly what goes in there. A manufacturer like Dell or Lenova aren't going to boast about what kind of power supply they have for example, or put in decent fans. They're going to skimp on these because a lower price will make the unit more likely to sell. But a better power supply means you can add more components in the future, will run more efficiently which saves you money on electricity and reduces heat, means that you only have to put in the cables in that you are going to use, which means better airflow, and is more likely to continue with any spikes. A cheap power supply is more likely to blow up destroying multiple components (better ones are less likely to damage other components in such a circumstance). Fans are another item that get skimped on. Get a better fan and you can reduce noise and cool it down more. This prolongs the life of your computer and saves electricity.

It means that if anything goes wrong, I can go in there and fix it or change components as I want. So many computers probably get thrown away when all they need is a change of thermal paste or whatever.

But if you don't feel confident building it yourself, you can go to a computer shop and they'll do it for 50 quid if you buy the components from them.

If you're going to get a desktop, build it yourself. It is insanely easy, and for $900 I built myself a desktop that would cost $2200 prepackaged.

If you're buying a laptop, I have had great experiences with ASUS.

(September 26, 2016 at 6:45 am)johan Wrote: The only reason I use them is because they cost anywhere from about the same price to maybe twice or three times as much as a pc of comparable spec, but its been my experience that they last about 5 times longer. If my experience changes, I will seek other options. Shrug.

If you build your own PC desktops (or get a shop to do it for you) then you can buy quality components for it that last. Or learn how to fix them whenever anything goes wrong. It's why I would never touch Apple with a 10 foot barge pole. They don't want you to open up their gadgets and do what you like with it.

Not that I've ever noticed a PC not last a very long time. I like my equipment to last at least a decade.

I originally started building my own PCs so that I could control what parts go into it. Back then I was a power user. Now I do it mainly because I enjoy doing it. But these days my needs are pretty modest. The thing about pre-built PCs is that if you don't need to add onto them, they're mostly quite adequate for modest needs. The good thing about pre-builts is that the hardware they come with is already tested for compatibility. I can't count the number of hours lost trying to force different hardware to work together. I think that situation has improved over the years so that the current crop of hardware has less compatibility issues. Maybe. I tend to buy top grade hardware all around, so perhaps simply my buying habits have changed. I still enjoy the process of putting together a PC, but with my handicap (I'm missing 9 fingers) it's a lot harder now. Perhaps my next PC will be a pre-built. One of those slender all-in-one boxes that fits on the desk top.

(September 26, 2016 at 5:34 am)SteelCurtain Wrote: If you're buying a laptop, I have had great experiences with ASUS.

I think I had an ASUS once. I have a Compaq, what do you think of Compaq?

Asus used to be tops, but I've heard their support system has gone to the dogs. I've had good and bad Asus products. I currently own an Asus EEE netbook and it's slow as crap. It needs some upgrades right out of the gate. (And it's not easy to upgrade, so I'd end up paying $90 to get it done.) I would think that with a notebook computer, after purchase support would be important so I'm not sure Asus is a hands down win in such a case.

(September 26, 2016 at 7:08 am)Alasdair Ham Wrote:

(September 26, 2016 at 5:34 am)SteelCurtain Wrote: If you're buying a laptop, I have had great experiences with ASUS.

I think I had an ASUS once. I have a Compaq, what do you think of Compaq?

I've never owned one. I'm not sure they make them any more.

(September 26, 2016 at 7:20 am)SteelCurtain Wrote:

(September 26, 2016 at 7:08 am)Alasdair Ham Wrote: I think I had an ASUS once. I have a Compaq, what do you think of Compaq?

I've never owned one. I'm not sure they make them any more.

"...Compaq was acquired for US$25 billion by HP in 2002. The Compaq brand remained in use by HP for lower-end systems until 2013 when, without warning, the Compaq name was quietly discontinued." ~ Wikipedia