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Question from Margaret: Hi, Rick. I have a question for you about my options for getting a new computer.
What are your thoughts on having someone build a custom computer for me vs. buying a name brand computer at a computer store?
My teenage cousin Kevin is a computer geek and he says he can build me a Windows PC that’s better than one I can buy at a computer store for the same amount of money. He is really sharp and knows a lot about this computer stuff. Do you think I should let him build me one or should I just buy one of the name brands?
Rick’s answer: Margaret, there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a custom built computer from a trusted friend or relative. Back in my younger days I built well over a hundred of custom built PCs and sold them to earn some extra cash.
But the above being said, there are a few things to consider before making your decision:
1 – Since Kevin will be purchasing individual parts and assembling them into a working computer, he will be the one who will have to handle any warranty repairs.
If the motherboard, hard drive or SSD goes out for instance, he’ll have to deal with the company he bought the drive from and hope they’ll replace it under warranty.
The motherboard however could well come from a different company, requiring a different point of contact for any warranty work that might be needed. Ditto for the RAM, power supply and other components.
That means either you or Kevin will need to keep up with all the receipts and warranty information for the various parts in case something fails while it’s still under warranty.
Buying a name brand PC simplifies things a great deal because regardless of which component breaks, you’ll only have to deal with one company and one receipt.
2 – Since Kevin is capable of building a PC from scratch, he is probably also capable of helping you resolve any issues that might arise in the future.
But what if he moves away and is no longer around when you need help? There is always a chance that he might take a job in another state or go away to college. If so, who will help you solve your computer problems when they arise?
It can be quite difficult getting tech support and efficient customer service for a custom-built PC because the companies that manufactured each individual component will claim the fault (obviously) lies with one of the other components.
3 – It used to be easy to save money by assembling a home-built computer, but those days are now over.
We used to be able to buy computer parts pretty cheap from mail order companies that specialized in selling computer parts, then assemble them into a working PC.
Those parts were typically sold at deep discounts, allowing you to save money by building a machine instead of buying one off the shelf.
But nowadays the big computer manufacturers buy their parts by the proverbial (and in some cases, literal) boatload and get huge discounts as a result, so competing with them on price for a comparable machine is simply no longer possible.
4 – Now, all of the above being said, there are two huge advantages to buying a custom built PC instead of a mass-produced machine: upgradability and repairability
Custom built computers can usually be easily upgraded in order to keep up with emerging technologies.
For example, upgrading to a faster, more modern motherboard and CPU can often give you the rough equivalent of a new computer at a lower cost, and it’s always a lot easier to make important upgrades to a custom-built PC than to an off-the-shelf machine.
Also, custom-built computers are relatively easy to repair. If one of the components kicks the bucket it can almost always be removed and replaced with a new one.
The bottom line is you’ll need to base your decision on the four factors listed above.
If you feel certain that Kevin is capable of supporting your computer hardware (including warranty claims) as well as your Windows installation, then you should be fine letting him build a PC for you. If not, I strongly recommend that you consider simply buying a prebuilt machine. (#affiliate link)