My pc was

[johns0]

I built my own pc.This was a poll idea i submitted 7 years ago.

[fritzi93]

Last store-bought PC was in 2003. Built my first one using redwudz guide (thanks!). Have been building/rebuilding computers for myself and friends ever since.

[redwudz]

I build all my own PCs. (Except a couple of laptops.) I've done that for several years. I have about 12 PCs at present. The older ones I recycle into video servers or sell them off. I think the first one I put together was a 400 Mhz Celeron. My newest is a six core AMD OC'd to 3.5 Ghz with 8 Gb RAM and W7 64 Ultimate.

The Celeron took about 12 hours to backup a DVD to a two disc SVCD. My hex core backs up a Blu-ray to a high quality MKV, two pass, 8.5GB, in about 4 hours.

EDIT: Thanks, fritzi93. Surprisingly, Rapid Share is still hosting that guide, though it's a bit old now. (I've never updated it.) It's in PDF format.

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/255934-Guide-How-to-Build-a-Basic-Computer?

[aedipuss]

i still have the only pc's i didn't build myself, an old(still working) pc-xt with a 10Mb hard drive and a pc-jr.

[jagabo]

The last (and first) x86 PC I bought was in 1984. I've built my own since then. I did buy an Amiga or two back in the mid to late 80's. You couldn't build those yourself, of course.

[yoda313]

I've bought the computers I've used.

I'm sure the regulars here know I've recently been tempted to dive into my first build project. I've since shelved the project. I will someday go my own route. Whether it includes Windows 7 or eventually 8 or a linux variation I don't know. Depends on what it will be used for and whether or not it would function as a "main" daily pc for email and word processing and the like - or dedicated video encoding work.

[Noahtuck]

I have built my own PC's since about 97.

My first PC was a 120mhz, at the time 266mhz (or something like that) was top of the line.....
My 2nd PC was a prebuilt from CompUSA and the idiots that worked there told me it would accept a 2nd optical drive and when i took the front cover off it would not as behind the other drive bay cover the metal plate that usually twist's out so you can put in a 2nd or 3rd optical drive was permanently riveted in!!!

I returned it and said i would NEVER again buy a prebuilt POS PC.

But there is a draw back as the more advanced PC's and their parts become, the more problems you seem to have, kind of like newer cars, the more $h!t there is to go wrong......

More crap mass produced and more crap to replace because their are more things to go wrong....

Over the last 2 years i have had more parts end up being defective, mobo's, CPU's, ram, than i have had in the previous 10 years combined!!!

But yet, even with that headache i will still continue to build PC's myself for my friends and myself.....

Example:
i just spent about $800.00 - $1000.00 on parts for a new hex core build, and 1 of 2 sticks of ddr3 ram, 8 gigs total, 2 - 4gig sticks, ended up being bad and kept freezing the system when trying to install W7 Ultimate 64bit.....

A total of about $60.00, $30.00 per stick, brought it all to a grinding halt!!!

Time for a 2nd set and hopefully 1 of the 2 sticks is fine and i can RMA the 2nd set for a total of 16gigs that will work

[lordsmurf]

Other ways I've had computers:

- salvaged from curb of street
- built by manufacturer (BTO), upgraded by me

[Des]

Started by modifying my Commodore 128, then Modified my Amiga 500 & 1200. Bought an eMachine that worked better once upgraded a lot so after I out grew that I decided the best thing was to build my own from scratch. I get to get what I want and save money in the process.
On my 5th, home built, personal machine all my computers at the store are built by me, my wife's last PC was built by me until she turned rogue and went MAC.


--dES

[yoda313]

built by manufacturer (BTO), upgraded by me

I should note that all of the computers I have owned over the years have had at least SOME kind of upgrade. So even though they have been store bought they have by no means remained stock. Even my first tower pentium 1 computer saw video card upgrades. Heck even my dos 5.0 386 saw a soundblaster upgrade to a whopping 8 bit mono sound card! Ah those were the days, isa cards and all.

my wife's last PC was built by me until she turned rogue and went MAC.

I love that. She went rogue So I guess even though macs are supposed to be "perfect" if anything goes wrong with it I bet you're not helping right???

[Moontrash]

last store bought for me was 2001...2 months later i decided to build one to see how easy it was...the built one lasted longer than store bought one...it was about 60% less in cost to...since then I've built my own

my last built one was feb. 2009...still using it with no issues

[Baldrick]

Built by myself since mid 90s. It usually works fine but I burned a very expensive video card once when I tried replace the fan with a silent fan. And when I upgrade I try use the olds part to upgrade my parents computer. I don't keep any of my computers.

[usually_quiet]

I built my present PC and bought the previous 3. I can't say I saved any money by building my own, but I got to choose my own parts. The mother board included a few features that would not have been available on a pre-built retail system, and I think I have a bit more flexibility for upgrading.

[Des]

my wife's last PC was built by me until she turned rogue and went MAC.

I love that. She went rogue So I guess even though macs are supposed to be "perfect" if anything goes wrong with it I bet you're not helping right???

Problem I find with the MACs is they are very difficult to trouble shoot.
I did install a new HDD into her Powerbook G4 some years ago when the drive died. What a complete PIA! Took me three hours to get it apart, installed and back together again, and then another 2 hours to reinstall the OS. 58 screws to take it apart, 5 different screw sizes! I literally created a map on paper and put little storage bins in each slot so I wouldn't mess up the screw sizes and positions.

She did listen to me and replaced the PowerBook with a Lenovo laptop, she like it a lot, but still prefers her desktop iMAC.

--dES

[SingSing]

There are only laptops out there now!

All-in-one PC - Large open face laptop.

Laptop - Laptop.

Netbook - slow and small laptop.

Tablet - Small open face laptop.

The only PCs left are those use as cash registers.

The deal is people replace their laptops faster then they can add/upgrade their PC and stay current.

I am giving up my desktop one at a time, down to 2 now.

[lordsmurf]

when I upgrade I try use the olds part to upgrade my parents computer.

Same here.

[edDV]

All home built except laptops and Apple Macs.

Two more exceptions, Apple II (1980) and original IBM PC (1981).

I also inherited my Dad's KayPro II.

[budz]

First and only PC I bought was a Pentium II Micron one which was back in 1998.....All the pc's I've had after that were all built by me....Still got my Intel Quad Q9550, AMD Athlon II X4 630 Quad, Intel E6300 Pentium Dual core and Intel E8400 Dual core pc's all running strong & overclocked!
Gotta save up cash for a Intel 2500K sandy bridge system....maybe next year....but for now there's no practical reason for me to upgrade to the latest/greatest/fastest.....

[dragonkeeper]

when I upgrade I try use the olds part to upgrade my parents computer.

Same here.

My dad has never had to buy a computer. Never, not one.
Since the Pentium II generation, he's been getting my leftovers.
Prior to that, he just didn't use computers.

Same here my parents get my old PCs when i upgrade. I've been building my own computers since the late 80's. I still have my original 1 x Sony cd burner which cost $1200 at the time, which connected to my PC via parallel port. I also still have zid drive and LS 120 drive and 1st generation Jaz drive. I remember spending $249.99 for my first capture card the ATI's original All-In-Wonder with its whooping 4MB of memory.
I believe my first DVD burner set me back $319 it was a Phillips that only burned DVD-R at a blistering 2.4x, I was so ticked when about a month later Nec relesed a DVD burner that burned both DVD + R and - R and did so at an unheard of speed of 4x I bit the bullet and picked up 1 for $400.

Ah the good old days.

[MJA]

The 1st and last PC I bought was in 98. bestbuy got me good that day.$1800 for an IBM P2 400MHZ

[budz]

The 1st and last PC I bought was in 98. bestbuy got me good that day.$1800 for an IBM P2 400MHZ

Don't feel so bad....I paid $2000.00 for my first pc which was a Micron Pentium II 350 mhz!

[Verify]

IBM 5150 (4.77MHz, 64K, 2 floppy drives) $3,500 (~$8,000 today)

Included a brand-x color monitor (a TV without the tuner), PC DOS, and a few other bits of software but no printer.

[dragonkeeper]

IBM 5150 (4.77MHz, 64K, 2 floppy drives) $3,500 (~$8,000 today)

Included a brand-x color monitor (a TV without the tuner), PC DOS, and a few other bits of software but no printer.

WOW, top of the line unit. That unit was pretty much recognized as the fist PC I learned B.A.S.i.C on those I still think i have the original manual for D.O.S 3.22 around here some where.

[dragonkeeper]

There are only laptops out there now!

The only PCs left are those use as cash registers.

I am giving up my desktop one at a time, down to 2 now.

Sure if your a business man, college student, the average user, etc. Power users not so much, there is a lot of work that must be done on desktop.
- serious gammes will always use desktop (no option for SLI or crossfire on a laptop that i'm aware of)
- For serious video work, IMO Running an NLE on a laptop sucks (Even on external monitors).
- None of the pro audio gear have was made to be used with a laptop
- When using AutoCad or Rhino i use 4 22" monitors. Last time i checked it was pretty much impossible to do on a laptop.

Laptops are great and give the user certain freedoms, but they still can't match a desktop unit in capabilities or flexibility.
If i want USB 3 on my laptop time to buy buy a new laptop ($2000 min for me). On my desk top i can buy an expansion card or replace the motherboard ($20 for card $240 for MB).

[TBoneit]

Toshiba Qosmio line has some model with SLI. The only use I've found for a laptop is as a separate computer for online banking and bill paying to keep them separate from my main computer, a Desktop.

for me the laptops have these problems. Slower CPUs, small screens. Delicate/less durable.

Spill water into a desktop keyboard. cheap. Spill into a laptop could easy be a new motherboard and keyboard needed.

Not good for video encoding due to small heatsinks compared to desktop, they will run hot.

8X max DVD burner

Worse keyboard. ETC.