Opinions on custom computer builders

Phantomoftruth

Space Marshal
Feb 14, 2016
1,154
3,863
2,650
RSI Handle
PhantomofTruth
i've not built a machine in over 10 years and i've been exclusive to laptops for about that long too.
I'm looking at a few builders and seeing upwards of $1000USD difference in price

I'm looking for a machine built around a Threadripper.

anyone use Xidax, ibuypower, origin, cyberpowerpc, Digital Storm?

Some of these are crazy level premium and i'm not sure reliability of ibuypower.
 
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KRDucky

Commander
May 4, 2020
18
38
100
RSI Handle
KRDucky
Falcon Northwest is a well known, respected and quality builder but the price is NOT trivial. Falcon-NW for Example, the Talon Mid-Tower has X570 and TRX40 along with the Intel counterparts. But the price STARTS at $5k but it does come with 3 years parts and labor warranty. I saw they have a RTX 2080 Ti for ~$850 so they must have some kind of deal on that since they usually cost north of $1200. I have attached a summary of a Balls to the Walls build. To give you an example of what they can do. It includes custom paint jobs, 28TB of HDD space (not including the multiple 4TB SSDs), 256GB DDR4 2666 and a Threadripper 3990X. Oh and the 3x 4K 144hz monitors. (SLI-2080 ti GPUs)



 

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DontTouchMyHoHos

Space Marshal
Apr 4, 2015
842
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DontTouchMyHoHos
I don't know about that. RTX 2080 Ti cards are NOT cheap and usually go for ~$1200. Falcon is so far the only one I have seen to offer it for ~$800
If you are talking about the configure option that isnt the price of the GTX that is the price increase over using the gtx 2060. Which will roughly come out to 1.2k. Also the price of those desktops is absurd. Just increase to a gtx 2080ti puts the computer for their mid tower with the cheapest option its 3.6k. 1000% can build something better and cheaper. 1.2k for a gtx 2080ti leaves me with 2.4k to build the rest of the computer.
 

Sirus7264

Space Marshal
Donor
Apr 5, 2017
3,364
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2,800
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Sirus7264
Falcon Northwest is a well known, respected and quality builder but the price is NOT trivial. Falcon-NW for Example, the Talon Mid-Tower has X570 and TRX40 along with the Intel counterparts. But the price STARTS at $5k but it does come with 3 years parts and labor warranty. I saw they have a RTX 2080 Ti for ~$850 so they must have some kind of deal on that since they usually cost north of $1200. I have attached a summary of a Balls to the Walls build. To give you an example of what they can do. It includes custom paint jobs, 28TB of HDD space (not including the multiple 4TB SSDs), 256GB DDR4 2666 and a Threadripper 3990X. Oh and the 3x 4K 144hz monitors. (SLI-2080 ti GPUs)



meh just build yourself i dont think he needs all the fansy lights and stuff just a case that works from 1986 and all your lovelies inside. Upgrades can come later.
 

Sirus7264

Space Marshal
Donor
Apr 5, 2017
3,364
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Sirus7264
Their cheapest computer has a gtx 2060 for 2.6k. That is not worth the price.
I agree i could build a better one for cheaper myself. Also consider using things like EBAY etc. avoid getting a graphics card from Ebay(possibly Crypto graphics card which means the life could be cut in half or worse). Things like power supplies, mother boards, Cases, etc are good from there. could also try liquidation sites to get random components for dirt cheap. lots of options out there. dont feel you have to goto amazon only its not always the best option get out there on the net and research hard.
 

Sirus7264

Space Marshal
Donor
Apr 5, 2017
3,364
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Sirus7264
you are of course ignoring the rest of the parts in that machine. As well as the 3 years parts and labor warranty.
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Threadripper 3990X 2.9 GHz 64-Core Processor ($3699.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: EVGA CLC 280 113.5 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($116.20 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte TRX40 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX sTRX4 Motherboard ($379.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 256 GB (8 x 32 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($999.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 970 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($343.34 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 4 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 4 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 14 TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($461.34 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 14 TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($461.34 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($1214.00 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H510i ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($189.99 @ B&H)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($142.88 @ Other World Computing)
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster AE-9 32-bit 384 kHz Sound Card ($322.00 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer XB273K Sbmiprzx 27.0" 3840x2160 144 Hz Monitor ($1172.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer XB273K Sbmiprzx 27.0" 3840x2160 144 Hz Monitor ($1172.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer XB273K Sbmiprzx 27.0" 3840x2160 144 Hz Monitor ($1172.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech G Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard ($168.93 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Logitech G903 HERO Wireless Optical Mouse ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Logitech G935 7.1 Channel Headset ($129.99 @ Best Buy)
Speakers: Logitech G560 120 W 2.1 Channel Speakers ($199.99 @ B&H)
External Storage: Samsung T5 2 TB External SSD ($319.85 @ Amazon)
UPS: CyberPower CP850PFCLCD UPS ($134.94 @ Amazon)
Total: $14502.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-04 23:32 EDT-0400



There you go the only thing not on here is 3 years parts and labor warranty i save you 10 grand and i gave you a UPS backup plus other small upgrades. Anyhow this computer is definitely stupid who the hell needs this much extra crap. We call this Bloating and devaluation. in 5 years this computer will not be worth half its price anymore. Also i did this the quick 10 minutes away with zero research i could dumb this price down much much further if i wanted.

My point is these companies are for people who dont have any clue what the hell any parts of a computer do.(a 10 year old with rich mums and pops.) any person with half a brain can build a computer with a bit of research @Xist @Jolly_Green_Giant where you at man! show me up i bet you could destroy my price.
 
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DontTouchMyHoHos

Space Marshal
Apr 4, 2015
842
1,546
2,500
RSI Handle
DontTouchMyHoHos
PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Threadripper 3990X 2.9 GHz 64-Core Processor ($3699.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: EVGA CLC 280 113.5 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($116.20 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte TRX40 AORUS PRO WIFI ATX sTRX4 Motherboard ($379.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V 256 GB (8 x 32 GB) DDR4-2666 Memory ($999.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 970 Pro 512 GB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 970 Pro 1 TB M.2-2280 NVME Solid State Drive ($343.34 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 4 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 860 Evo 4 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($649.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 14 TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($461.34 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Red 14 TB 3.5" 5400RPM Internal Hard Drive ($461.34 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB GAMING X TRIO Video Card ($1214.00 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT H510i ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Thermaltake 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-modular ATX Power Supply ($189.99 @ B&H)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit ($142.88 @ Other World Computing)
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster AE-9 32-bit 384 kHz Sound Card ($322.00 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer XB273K Sbmiprzx 27.0" 3840x2160 144 Hz Monitor ($1172.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer XB273K Sbmiprzx 27.0" 3840x2160 144 Hz Monitor ($1172.99 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Acer XB273K Sbmiprzx 27.0" 3840x2160 144 Hz Monitor ($1172.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech G Pro Wired Gaming Keyboard ($168.93 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Logitech G903 HERO Wireless Optical Mouse ($129.99 @ Amazon)
Headphones: Logitech G935 7.1 Channel Headset ($129.99 @ Best Buy)
Speakers: Logitech G560 120 W 2.1 Channel Speakers ($199.99 @ B&H)
External Storage: Samsung T5 2 TB External SSD ($319.85 @ Amazon)
UPS: CyberPower CP850PFCLCD UPS ($134.94 @ Amazon)
Total: $14502.68
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-05-04 23:32 EDT-0400



There you go the only thing not on here is 3 years parts and labor warranty i save you 10 grand and i gave you a UPS backup plus other small upgrades. Anyhow this computer is definitely stupid who the hell needs this much extra crap. We call this Bloating and devaluation. in 5 years this computer will not be worth half its price anymore. Also i did this the quick 10 minutes away with zero research i could dumb this price down much much further if i wanted.

My point is these companies are for people who dont have any clue what the hell any parts of a computer do.(a 10 year old with rich mums and pops.) any person with half a brain can build a computer with a bit of research @Xist @Jolly_Green_Giant where you at man! show me up i bet you could destroy my price.
I can already destory that price with a RTX Titan, you havent even reached peak form yet xD Then you get into custom cooling, pcpart picker doesnt show cooling blocks either. Quadros alone are going for 10k. You can double the price of that monster without even finishing the case build first.
 
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DontTouchMyHoHos

Space Marshal
Apr 4, 2015
842
1,546
2,500
RSI Handle
DontTouchMyHoHos
I agree i could build a better one for cheaper myself. Also consider using things like EBAY etc. avoid getting a graphics card from Ebay(possibly Crypto graphics card which means the life could be cut in half or worse). Things like power supplies, mother boards, Cases, etc are good from there. could also try liquidation sites to get random components for dirt cheap. lots of options out there. dont feel you have to goto amazon only its not always the best option get out there on the net and research hard.
Not even shopping around, you can build better and cheaper simply using ONLY Amazon and Newegg without getting deals.
 
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Sirus7264

Space Marshal
Donor
Apr 5, 2017
3,364
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2,800
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Sirus7264
I can already destory that price with a RTX Titan, you havent even reached peak form yet xD Then you get into custom cooling, pcpart picker doesnt show cooling blocks either. Quadros alone are going for 10k. You can double the price of that monster without even finishing the case build first.
LOL i wasnt trying to get more expensive i was trying to get cheaper. the computer i based the one you quoted is almost exactly what the one from the 2nd post is (the 23000 usd one is). Still there is no freaken reason any gamer would ever need that much bloat waste of parts and space. That type of computer is more for data processing? maybe 4k video editing and recording in? movie making? lol
 

LoicFarris

Vice Admiral
Donor
Mar 1, 2019
884
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LoicFarris
Anyhow this computer is definitely stupid who the hell needs this much extra crap. We call this Bloating and devaluation. in 5 years this computer will not be worth half its price anymore. Also i did this the quick 10 minutes away with zero research i could dumb this price down much much further if i wanted.
I've been building gaming machines since the mid 90s, you can do it for $1600.00 easy, if you want to pay premium and get the better tech early, then you'll be looking at 2 - 2500.00. Beyond that you're doing it wrong, or just trying to show off.
 

Sirus7264

Space Marshal
Donor
Apr 5, 2017
3,364
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Sirus7264
I've been building gaming machines since the mid 90s, you can do it for $1600.00 easy, if you want to pay premium and get the better tech early, then you'll be looking at 2 - 2500.00. Beyond that you're doing it wrong, or just trying to show off.
lol yeah i completely agree 2500 is sufficient and i would not pay past that for a top notch desktop. laptop maybe 3k. you could go cheaper than 1600 depending on your methods though. there is a really good subredit you can buy sell parts on that alot of people goto very reputable problem with buy there is you dont get a waranty just like ebay. those people though are normal everyday people just looking to upgrade to the next best thing and get rid of the old stuff you gotta be fast though because that stuff gets bought up real freaken quick.
 
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Aramsolari

Space Marshal
Donor
May 9, 2019
2,248
7,651
1,750
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AramSolari
Yeah. Definitely build your own if possible (or buy a buddy who can $50 worth of booze and call it a day).

If you have PC Manufacturers build it for you, expect to pay a premium.

I have a top of the line rig that'll probably cost me a 1/3 more if it was a 3rd party built one. Also people always look at the main components like the CPU and the GPU when shopping for a manufactured PC. They often overlook the less glamorous components (like power supply and memory) that manufacturers often cheap out on.

Building PCs is hella fun and satisfying. There's few things more satisfying than shopping for components, building the rig, and having it purr like a kitten the first time you power it on!
 

BUTUZ

Space Marshal
Donor
Apr 8, 2016
3,411
11,411
2,850
RSI Handle
BUTUZ
Build it youself, or get a local Testie to build it!

It's only screwing a handful of screws together!
 
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LoicFarris

Vice Admiral
Donor
Mar 1, 2019
884
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500
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LoicFarris

lol yeah i completely agree 2500 is sufficient and i would not pay past that for a top notch desktop. laptop maybe 3k. you could go cheaper than 1600 depending on your methods though. there is a really good subredit you can buy sell parts on that alot of people goto very reputable problem with buy there is you dont get a waranty just like ebay. those people though are normal everyday people just looking to upgrade to the next best thing and get rid of the old stuff you gotta be fast though because that stuff gets bought up real freaken quick.
Yeah you're right you can do a solid machine for less than $1600.00. If I'm doing a brand new build, including case and power supply, I spend a little extra dough on the case. The one I have is around 350 - 400, but it's really solid and will last multiple builds for decades until the form factor changes. Now if I took case and power out of a new build and was just replacing the guts of my box including storage, I could easily do it for 1-1200 bucks.

That 5 digit build that was posted earlier is for rich kids or people with more credit than sense, their warranty isn't worth it either. I've RMAed maybe 2 parts in over 20 years of building PCs. 2I mean I'm glad there are people who pay premium for parts, they drive the cost down for me, but don't fool your self into thinking that fancy build is a smart buy. As mentioned earlier, give it a few years and it'll be worth 1/10 the price. I made the mistake of buying parts on the higher end of the price curve once, way back when and to this day I won't make that mistake again. :)

If you're new to building a PC, I would say this, set a budget, if you already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse, then $1500.00 bucks is a reasonable start for a system that will easily last you 4 years before you NEED to upgrade. If the person helping you can't do it for that price then ask somebody else for help. If you need the extra stuff, then budget $2000.00 minimum.
 
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