I am looking to buy a computer for gaming purposes. I would still use it for everyday functions, but primarily for gaming. Can anyone suggest if it is better to "build my own" or buy through a company (dell, gateway, compaq, etc..)? Any info on web sites would be greatly appreciated. I am hoping for honesty, not someone who works for above said companies to try and sell me on their product.

Thanks!

Before I could answer your question I would have to know how much you know about building a computer. I have succesfully built my own and I can tell you that there can be problems integrating the hardware and software components.

I would build from scratch if you have the expertise to do so. It may cost more initially, but if you buy a commercially available machine and try to upgrade it later, you may have problems.

A good general purpose site for review on lots of different components is: http://www.tomshardware.com/

Another option is to find a local PC store and tell them what you want in your PC. They may not have all the latest and greatest toys but you can get at least mid level gaming video and sound cards. I went this route and have an excellent machine that has no problems running any of the latest games. Even Morrowind ran snappy and that is a memory and video hog.

Thanks for everyone's input. I have never built a computer before, and I guess I fear that there may be a steep learning curve. I found a website called alienware.com that builds computers to what would be my specifications - much better than me trying to mix and match parts. I will keep looking around though - thanks again.

there are alot of great gaming specific computer builders out there Hypersonic, alienware, voodoo, falcon northwest, totally awesome computers, some more i can't think of right now.
Be carefull when building your own computer, my roomate built his own burned out 3 processers, his motherboard and he thinks his videocard

Building your own can be fun and is way to ensure you have exactly the components you want in your system. It takes a bit of research to decide on what you really need in your system and what to avoid as well. If you're looking for a hobby to get into, then I recommend it. If you're just looking to shave a few bucks off the cost of a new machine, I would say you're better off with a purchased system. Alienware makes great gaming machines, but you pay a slight premium becuase of their expertise (same is true of Voodoo and Falcon Northwest). You could build comparable systems for less, but then you wouldn't have tech support, warranty, included software, etc.

Having built my own system, which is quickly becoming out-of-date for gaming, I am contemplating the same questions you - though I'm leaning more towards building a water-cooled machine this time around (I tend to be more into the hobby side of computer building, etc.). If your not into the fun of building or modding, then you'll probably be better off just buying a new rig. Check out http://arstechnica.com/guide/system/index.html as a starting place for ideas on the cost and configurations you'll want to think about.

The earlier suggestion of finding a local shop to build for you has merit, as well. While you will pay a mark up for components, compared with shopping for the lowest price on www.pricewatch.com, many time local shops can construct a system eaqual to the big gaming vendors for a bit less. Besides the other vendors mentioned, you could pick-up a copy of MaximumPC or PCGamer and look through the adds for custom built gaming systems - it will give you an idea of the variability in cost and components out there.

Best of luck,

bb

The nov. issue of pcgamer has a small article comparing the custum gaming pcbuilders. they compare
hypersonic pc
voodoo computers
alienware
ibuypower
Totally awesome computers
falcon nortwest
dell

they all vary in customation, wiring(internal), price, and quality

But (Calgary-based) Voodoo is the best I tell ya! [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

Thanks to all for the responses. It looks like I have a bit more research to do, but feel much better with your input. I will let you know how everything turns out....hopefully successful.