Your PC: Building vs Buying

[GuyNwah]

Well, the thing about positive pressure is it is a lot harder to achieve than just putting fans with a slightly greater total CFM facing in than facing out. Fans don't generate their rated CFM when they have to blow into any static pressure at all, or when they have to work through a filter. I doubt a design with nominal 200 CFM in, 170 CFM out is positive pressure at all.

It's easy to think you're getting benefit from positive pressure when really all you're achieving is neutral pressure with filtered intake air. But that's good enough in non-critical applications like home computers.

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

Neutral pressure with filtered intake is still better for dust prevention than negative one or no filters on the intake. So far it works well for me. All I did with my case was just reversing one 200 mm fan to blow inside, rather than outside. I.e. there are two of those blowing in, and one 140 mm fan blowing out. Plus the GPU fan is blowing out as well. The pressure seems positive, since the filter put on an opening without a fan actually bends out when the computer is working. And I don't see dust accumulation so far.

 

[Gr3aves]

I purchased my current PC at a local PC building shop, and they did a poor job on the cooling. I have a high-end pc (or it was, 1,5 years back) and they put one of those little seals on the back of the case. If you break it, your warranty is gone. So i can't clean my case. But i've had problems several times now, overheating, and a big pile of dust in the case.

The upside is that they always repair it for free cause of the warranty, but it shouldn't be needed. I fear the upcoming summer, when it's gonna be ~25° here.
I'll probably go back there and have them install better cooling before that.

 

[dragonbird]

I purchased my current PC at a local PC building shop, and they did a poor job on the cooling. I have a high-end pc (or it was, 1,5 years back) and they put one of those little seals on the back of the case. If you break it, your warranty is gone. So i can't clean my case. But i've had problems several times now, overheating, and a big pile of dust in the case.

The upside is that they always repair it for free cause of the warranty, but it shouldn't be needed. I fear the upcoming summer, when it's gonna be ~25° here.
I'll probably go back there and have them install better cooling before that.

That's really crap. Is that a common way of doing business there? So I guess if you do want to upgrade any component, you really have to go back to them? I'd hate that kind of lock-in.

 

[Gr3aves]

That's really crap. Is that a common way of doing business there? So I guess if you do want to upgrade any component, you really have to go back to them? I'd hate that kind of lock-in.

Only if you buy pre-built. You can also simply order the parts there and build it yourself. And no, if you want to upgrade, simply break the seal, and upgrade You'll still have warranty over the specific parts, just not on the whole desktop. They won't repair it for free anymore.

 

[dragonbird]

OK, that's not so bad.

 

[mxYELLOW]

Nice topic.
You may wanna watch this video.

 

[Tutux]

I avoid laptops for the same reasons Luxorek mentioned: they're more expensive than PC's with the same specs, heat up much faster, and you can't upgrade them. If you want a serious gaming laptop, it'll cost you a lot.

It depends on what you want, but i advice saving up money for a gaming PC. It'll last quite long, and you can bring it back for upgrades if need be.

Yes, I get these heating up problems or simply slowing down. I think I might actually reconsider buying a pc. :3 do I've to ask for a new one or simply just something in the middle?

 

[Tutux]

Gaming laptops are great if you actually use them outside your house. I take mine to the office everyday for 2 years now.. still runs everything on high settings. depending on which motherboard you have it allows you to upgrade GPU and CPU to some extend. Recent desktop CPU started to work inside the laptops. Things like 4770k or even 4960X (not mobile) If not for the fact I dont play games much these days I would never buy laptop. Those things cost 2-3x the price of normal bulk gaming pc.

Desktop PC are easy to build. Amazon and other website sell verified used graphic cards.. no reason on spensing 500$ for just one new card.

Yes exactly that's why I bought a laptop, I bought it before I know anything to do with the witcher which is to be honest the only big games I own on a pc platform. I was an ex-gamer just recently I knew the witcher and got to buy it! Before I leave my old games I had a PS. that's why I don't even know anything about gaming pcs or laptops! I take mine to college sometimes or even to my friends' place and I can play there or let them try, this is one of the things I loved. BUT I might can't run w3 :[ just knew recently that even tho my laptop is "new" it is actually not! as video cards and these stuff.

 

[mxYELLOW]

Just have all front as intake and make the top fan as an exhaust as hot air rises. Side fan intake is also nice for the graphics card.

 

[Demut]

I think you guys misunderstood the OP. He doesn’t buy prebuilt PCs, he only has them assembled for him. He still picks the components himself. It’s pretty much the same for me. Every three years or so I sell my old PC, give myself a budget of maybe $600 and using that I buy the best hardware at that price. I then have that assembled by the shop (sometimes that’s even free) and then get it sent to me. No hassle, all comfort :>

 

[Gr3aves]

Exactly. Although i think i'll just have them upgrade some components next time, in stead of letting them assemble a complete new one.

Priorities are better cooling and a sick new case.

 

[Demut]

Urgh, yes, tell me about it. My current PC’s cooling isn’t that great and the fan of the GPU sounds like a jet taking off when it really gets going :/

 

[mxYELLOW]

Urgh, yes, tell me about it. My current PC’s cooling isn’t that great and the fan of the GPU sounds like a jet taking off when it really gets going :/

Try to avoid reference designed graphics cards, after market coolers are a bit pricier but much more cooler and quite.