MEPIS Community Forum

Yeah, I've built one in the past and I'm not scared of it. But I've also seen places that will build them to your specs with prices that are compettive with newegg. So I figure if someone can build it for $10-$20 over what the parts cost me at newegg, I'd let them assemble it for me so I don;t have to deal with sending back any DOA motherboards or anything. As far as choosing my own components I just want a low cost system. The biggest thing is the motherboard. I like MSI and Gigabyte, and I've thought about trying Asus motherboard. Apart from there, I don't care what the other components are. So I'd buy a prebuilt system built with one of those motherboards. My preference is MSI.

Depending on where you are you can probably find a local shop that will build to suit. I don't think you're talking about a Dell or an HP computer here.
That way you can spec what you want in the system totally. Plus you have them dealing with any parts that are DOA. Spec a decent power supply not some $19.99 special offer.

Yep, not a Dell or mass produced. Just someone to assemble my components of choice. There used to be a lot of online places like this but they are pretty few now. I have used 3BTech in the past and was happy with them. But their Mboard selection is quite limited. I've also seen some decent entry level stuff at Directron, but I know nothing about them. So I am thinking more and more about just doing it myself. I could have it all together in a Saturday afternoon.

Good call on the power supply! I think most of my computer problems have been caused by power supplies going out.

Depending on how anal I am about making everything look pretty inside and double checking and triple checking all the front panel wiring, I can normally be hitting the switch for the first time in one hour, two hours tops from starting assembly. Then another fifteen minutes or so to run through all the BIOS screens.

I still get a bit of a charge every time I hit the power switch on a new build for the first time and get a good post beep.



By far the single most common hardware failure I see in my little computer repair sideline. And the bad thing about PSU failures is that they can take other stuff with them. I learned that the hard way myself.

A good, stable PSU is an investment that will pay for itself in the long run. In components that don't need replacing for instance. Can even save a little on the electric bill.
I expect my current power supply to live longer than I do. If (or when I hope) I upgrade to current technology with a new motherboard etc. I'll not have to get a PSU. Or a case for that matter.