On 8/18/1998 Changhsu Liu wrote:
>
>I'm thinking upgrading to Pentium II in mid-September. The prices of these
>name-branded PC are getting more and more attractive, and I don't think I
>can save too much by building it using parts from different manufacturers.
>Another benefit is that I don't have to worry about fake speed processors
>which you find from www.pricewatch.com. I would still want to have the best
>expandability and no propritary parts. Of all name brands like HP, IBM,
>SONY, Compaq, Dell, which offers the best value and expandability? Do they
>usually use pretty good motherboards?


Changhsu Liu:

There is always an element of proprietariness to the well-known
name brands like IBM, HP, etc. These companies use economies
of scale to produce price competitive products. Determination of
expandability proceeds on a model by model basis. The ATX form
factor for motherboards appear standard on the name brands I
have seem but there are various rear panel templates for connectors
that I wouldn't assume interchangeability. Also, component integration
is high, the systems are design for mass production, and the cases
are plastic shells with metal inner skins for FCC compliance.

If you are able to build a system and acquire high quality parts at
wholesale or discount prices, you can put together a better PII
system using higher quality, specifically selected components.
You won't beat the brand's price by much but you will be happier
over the entire life span of the product.

I find the motherboard and the memory are the most critical
components to match so don't skimp there. With branded PCs,
these pairs are usually well matched. You can learn much about
motherboards from:

    Tom's Hardware:  http://www.tomshardware.com

and

    Anand Tech:   http://www.anandtech.com/

Regardless of the reviews, the cost of the motherboard does
have a bearing on quality. As usual, you get what you play for.

Good Luck.

John Chin