-----Original Message-----
From: SAMMIE RUTLEDGE <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 1:56 PM
Subject: [PCBUILD] Build-your-own versa brand name


>There was a message about a school building their own computers but
>having compability problems.
>
>I was thinking of building mine but am now having second thoughts!

Any wise man would have second thoughts.  It is scary to build a new
computer, even when you have done it before.  "What if I screw up
and trash my $500 chip!"

>
>Is there much price difference between building a really good one and a
>brand name? Not the ones in the $1000 price field?
>

I know that others will argue with me, but I think that you cannot build
a computer with similar quality parts as inexpensively as buying one,
because you can not buy the parts in the volumes that the seller can.

However, this said,

1) You can get exactly the parts that you want to use.

2) You will know just how your computer fits together in case
     you want to make repairs or upgrades.

3) You will learn something.

4) It is just, plain fun.  You can tell people, "I built it from parts,
myself."
     (It is sort of a scary kind of fun, like the upside-down ride at the
fair.)

>If you have built your own, have you had many or any compability
>problems?

I have not bought a computer since the mid-eighties, but have built
my own, my wife's, and friends'.  Some have gone together like a
charm, and some have had me tearing my hair out near to tears.
Eventually all worked.  PCBUILD can help.

>
>I play a lot of games, adventure, not flying your own plane or stuff
>like that. I would want to use speech recognition in the future. I
>use WordPerfect and do some graphics work.
>

Go for it!  Read stuff at the manufacturer's web sites and at NoSpin
on how to install motherboards, as that is the scariest part.

If you want to practice and already have a computer, try installing
a new video card and then a new hard drive and then a new cdrom
reader in your current computer (use the new stuff that you want to
use in the new box).

HTH

Dean Kukral

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