Building your own is the cheapest route, and it's pretty easy to do. I've built my own four times now. Buy parts from NewEgg, find video tutorials if you need help, and save yourself a ton of cash.

I think the biggest thing is actually figuring out what parts are going to be the best fit with that part anymore. During College I custom built PCs and the specs were easy to compare because there was ot a lot out there and matching up your MoBo, Video, Hard Drive, Floppy, and CD ROm wasnt that hard. The biggest decision was how much ram you could afford *when it cost 89 dollars for a 16 Meg SIMM* Thats 16 MB, not GB...

There are so many variations of all these parts anymore how do you know your matching them up right.

Theres also the fact there can be 100 MoBos with the same specs, but they range in price from say, 100 to 500 dollars (just making an example, i havent part priced in a decade). So you go cheap, but the cheap ass Chinese MoBo blows its wad in a year... you go for the 500 dollar one, it lasts forever, but in two years its dated... So now its what is the right price point for use here for durability, compatability, and real performance Vs. Price.

Here lies the rub because in a lot of cases, the folks out there making the pre packaged goods are probably charging you a fair price, not the cheapest for whats in it, but they have the time and resources to put it together with the right combo...

Perhaps im off base with the years that have gone by with me killing a vid card or two with static, and a 14.4 baud modem once, but yeah, thats my thoughts.

The old saying "the devil is in the details" is still true 8-)

This isn't 1998. There are compatibility charts, user reviews, and various ways to compare things now. Google is a powerful tool. Also, prebuilts aren't worth the cost, since you're just paying for the name most times. Alienware, HP, and Sony are notorious for overcharging.

1998 was a good year... I lost my cherry...

AHEM... yeah, its why I was curious since its been years since I delved into the PC build thing.

Building a PC? This subreddit might be a great place to start! https://www.reddit.com/r/buildapc

Thanks guys! this really helped me out!

OH, and considering disinterest, I will not be opening for commissions. Saves me work! Thanks guys!

Wait, PC gaming?
What exactly are you looking to play, them intense 3D games?
Steam can even run on Linux now, so I bet it's great for Windows. Maybe that is your best bet. You can even socialize on there.

Building your own PC is fast and cheap, its the OS that cost the most i find... in terms of installation and setup. And happy birthday! And if you open commissions. Let us know ^^ I know I would be interested