Computers Build

[eek]

Anyone had a computer built to spec? If so, can you recommend where to go please and how did you find the price comparison to a pre-built machine? Obviously want a place that really knows what they are doing, rather than shove a lot of parts together that aren't compatible.

Cheers!

[sassienie]

I haven’t personally had any computers built to my own specifications, but I know people who have.

Nearly all the computer dealers in the Computer Plaza will supply a computer for you, made to order. But 3 years ago a friend purchased a made to order computer from the Plaza. After he took it home, problems soon began.

Within days, parts burnt out, hardware failed. When he had this checked out it was discovered that the company had put in second hand parts and bits from used computers. The shop refused to take responsibility and would not give him a new computer or a refund.

The HP computer shop on the 3rd floor of the Airport Plaza I heard have an excellent service for own specification computers. They may be more expensive than the computer Plaza but you will have peace of mind that you are purchasing something decent.

[elektrified]

Good Speed in Icon Plaza. Great prices.

[cmjantje]

Thanni.com

You can ask them anything you want and the prices are Good!

Building a computer is less difficult than you think. At least you know what is inside and how it works.

[eek]

Thank you all.

[miltonbentley]

A big second vote for Goodspeed. They have built 2 computers for me. Both machines still running very well after over 3 and 2 years respectively. Good back up and maintenance too. I got a virus on one machine and they reformatted it for free even though it was no fault of theirs.

[threedot]

I self built a high-end (almost 60k) machine 3 months ago using parts from Com plaza/IT plaza/Icon Sq. Just some thoughts:

> The prices on Thanni are on the whole, slightly higher than the small computer shops but the odd item can be very much over/under priced.

> The small computer shops might advertise a really good price on components but they almost certainly don't stock it (especially high end components) leading to a great deal of frustration.

> The best shop (largest stock, prices & willingness to discount) in CM is J.I.B

> Prices for components in Thailand is very expensive compared to the US/Europe and availability of latest components is very restricted (in CM at least).

> When you eventually do find all the parts (I guess it took me about 8 different shops and it took 2 days but a lower spec PC could probably be done in a single shop) the savings may or may not be worth your time.

>I saved almost 10,000B compared to what I could build online - but then you can't ask a website lot noi dai mai?)

> Building a PC yourself is easy and would take not more than an afternoon, it's a great way to learn about how PC's work under the bonnet.

> If you are really worried about computability, do a lot of research on what parts you want and check forums on places like tomshardware.com

> I bet you could find someone who is really into computers to do all this research and built it for you at no cost other than the parts (computer club?) then they could spend an afternoon to help you to put it together.

Edited July 22, 2009 by threedot

[orang37]

Anyone had a computer built to spec? If so, can you recommend where to go please and how did you find the price comparison to a pre-built machine? Obviously want a place that really knows what they are doing, rather than shove a lot of parts together that aren't compatible.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Eek,

I've usually built my own computers, but I'm a programmer, and generally know what I am doing with hardware.

I strongly disagree with the person who responded that you should buy parts and build it yourself : yes, the mechanical aspect of assembling one just requires a slow and steady hand and co-ordination, the basic tool kit you need during install is simple (except don't forget a screwdriver with a long shaft that is magnetized at the end for retrieving the screws you will inveitbly drop into the innards as you build it.

But it will require you to know about things like : what is this SATA cable, what is this IDE cable, how am I supposed to make sure this custom power supply required by this latest motherboard and cpu is coupled correctly so that things like on-board hardware temperature monitoring is enabled later.

But there are certain crucial parts of assembly, like the proper insertion and heat-shield device coupling of the cpu, that if you get them wrong you will be out a lot of money. And if, heaven forbid, you should accidentally stress the motherboard and crack it : no way to fix that.

The hard is when you turn the box on : you've got to configure the bios, in most cases, and that is a "dark art." You have to make sure all your devices are properly enabled, parameters set so you get the most value from whatever.

And then you've go to make sure you have the latest software drivers for that whopee-do video card you bought : the cd or disk that came in the box may have a driver that's long out of date.

By this time you should be asking : "is it worth days of my time to learn about a bunch of stuff that may have nothing to do with what I'm interested in, or plan to use the computer for ?"

But, let's assume you get it all put together, the BIOS configured, the drivers for your video card and whatever other devices installed, and you get an operating system installed :

Now, what if you start having terrible problems, and the computer is crashing all the time; or one of your hard drives doesn't show up; or when you set your video display to the resolution you want the screen goes crazy ?

Now you are going to have to pay someone for support, or to repair, or to replace possibly hardware, possibly software. But you bought the parts yourself : who, that you trust, will do this for you ?

About two years ago I bought over 50k baht worth of parts for a new computer (I already had an imported and expensive aluminum case) from OCZone on 3rd. floor of the P. Plaza here. Built the computer, installed Windows Vista Ultimate (legitimate version imported from the US), was really enjoying everything : suddenly crash after crash.

Turned out to be a defective video card. By the time I learned this ... by swapping in another video card that I knew worked and seeing my system now did not crash ... the people I had dealt with at OCZone had changed. And while, yes, they did take back the video card still under warranty, they then did nothing for five weeks in spite of repeated phone calls and three personal visits, and my contacting the distributor of the video card manufacturer in Bangkok and raising hel_l (after the second visit).

Finally they said it was impossible to replace the video card because it was now not stocked in Thailand, but they offered me 1000 baht off another video card which, of course, cost 2000 baht less (and was inferior in performance) to the other video card.

So even if you buy the parts locally in order to get Thai distributor support, you may get screwed.

My advice : try one of the shops that has a better reputation, like GoodSpeed, have them not only assemble the machine for you, but also install the operating system (hopefully a legitimate one you have purchased), get them to make sure every device in the machine that has a driver has the latest one, and get them to "burn in" the machine by running it continuously for at least 48 hours.

Make sure that while the machine is being burned-in it is not connected to the Internet, and the Operating System is not activated (registered).

The moment you take it home, after you first install anti-virus and firewall software, after you install your favorite applications, after you do whatever to connect your machne to the internet, use the machine intensely, looking for any sign of hardware failure.

And, if you are connecting to the Internet through a router, want a home network with wireless or ethernet connections between multiple machines : get ready to pay money for someone to help you. I know a farang who's very good at that (500 baht per hour), and you can PM me for contact information if you wish.

Or, perhaps, if GoodSpeed or whatever shop you trust is willing, you could have all that set up by them as part of your "package price."

best, ~o:37;

Edited July 22, 2009 by orang37

[realthaideal]

Hey Miss Eek. I agree with K. Orang that it's better to just go and buy one. And also, just go to Goodspeed I (@ Icon Square) or Goodspeed II (The Brother's Shop @ Panthip). They've been around a long time. They speak pretty decent English. They are as prompt as possible with repairs and service and understand that you need your things fixed and up n running properly asap. I got my first computer there and I'll definitely get my next one there too.

If you were a tech geek, yeah, maybe CM n Thld is behind in the latest, latest of something, but realistically you should be able to get a fast, computer with nice graphics and lots of memory for around 20-25K baht. A machine like that should satisfy your needs for several years without yearning for the latest newest fastest something. Mine has. Also, there is some movement allowable on price depending on how much you want to trick things out. But Goodspeed will help you match it to what you want to do with your computer. They don't oversell in my opinion, and understand if you wish to be frugal. Don't let the technology make you hesitate, those guys will take care of you.

Good luck.

[hansnl]

Anyone had a computer built to spec? If so, can you recommend where to go please and how did you find the price comparison to a pre-built machine? Obviously want a place that really knows what they are doing, rather than shove a lot of parts together that aren't compatible.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Eek,

I've usually built my own computers, but I'm a programmer, and generally know what I am doing with hardware.

I strongly disagree with the person who responded that you should buy parts and build it yourself : yes, the mechanical aspect of assembling one just requires a slow and steady hand and co-ordination, the basic tool kit you need during install is simple (except don't forget a screwdriver with a long shaft that is magnetized at the end for retrieving the screws you will inveitbly drop into the innards as you build it.

But it will require you to know about things like : what is this SATA cable, what is this IDE cable, how am I supposed to make sure this custom power supply required by this latest motherboard and cpu is coupled correctly so that things like on-board hardware temperature monitoring is enabled later.

But there are certain crucial parts of assembly, like the proper insertion and heat-shield device coupling of the cpu, that if you get them wrong you will be out a lot of money. And if, heaven forbid, you should accidentally stress the motherboard and crack it : no way to fix that.

The hard is when you turn the box on : you've got to configure the bios, in most cases, and that is a "dark art." You have to make sure all your devices are properly enabled, parameters set so you get the most value from whatever.

And then you've go to make sure you have the latest software drivers for that whopee-do video card you bought : the cd or disk that came in the box may have a driver that's long out of date.

By this time you should be asking : "is it worth days of my time to learn about a bunch of stuff that may have nothing to do with what I'm interested in, or plan to use the computer for ?"

But, let's assume you get it all put together, the BIOS configured, the drivers for your video card and whatever other devices installed, and you get an operating system installed :

Now, what if you start having terrible problems, and the computer is crashing all the time; or one of your hard drives doesn't show up; or when you set your video display to the resolution you want the screen goes crazy ?

Now you are going to have to pay someone for support, or to repair, or to replace possibly hardware, possibly software. But you bought the parts yourself : who, that you trust, will do this for you ?

About two years ago I bought over 50k baht worth of parts for a new computer (I already had an imported and expensive aluminum case) from OCZone on 3rd. floor of the P. Plaza here. Built the computer, installed Windows Vista Ultimate (legitimate version imported from the US), was really enjoying everything : suddenly crash after crash.

Turned out to be a defective video card. By the time I learned this ... by swapping in another video card that I knew worked and seeing my system now did not crash ... the people I had dealt with at OCZone had changed. And while, yes, they did take back the video card still under warranty, they then did nothing for five weeks in spite of repeated phone calls and three personal visits, and my contacting the distributor of the video card manufacturer in Bangkok and raising hel_l (after the second visit).

Finally they said it was impossible to replace the video card because it was now not stocked in Thailand, but they offered me 1000 baht off another video card which, of course, cost 2000 baht less (and was inferior in performance) to the other video card.

So even if you buy the parts locally in order to get Thai distributor support, you may get screwed.

My advice : try one of the shops that has a better reputation, like GoodSpeed, have them not only assemble the machine for you, but also install the operating system (hopefully a legitimate one you have purchased), get them to make sure every device in the machine that has a driver has the latest one, and get them to "burn in" the machine by running it continuously for at least 48 hours.

Make sure that while the machine is being burned-in it is not connected to the Internet, and the Operating System is not activated (registered).

The moment you take it home, after you first install anti-virus and firewall software, after you install your favorite applications, after you do whatever to connect your machne to the internet, use the machine intensely, looking for any sign of hardware failure.

And, if you are connecting to the Internet through a router, want a home network with wireless or ethernet connections between multiple machines : get ready to pay money for someone to help you. I know a farang who's very good at that (500 baht per hour), and you can PM me for contact information if you wish.

Or, perhaps, if GoodSpeed or whatever shop you trust is willing, you could have all that set up by them as part of your "package price."

best, ~o:37;

A whole story full of obvious things.

However, since the plug-and-play hardware, most of the problems while building a computer do not materialise or are getting less.

It helps when the people where you buy your stuff know their stuff.

But, and that is the most important, it also helps very much to read!!!!!!!

Before and after buying.

And switch on your brains before starting the job.

Buy a mainboard with CPU installed, saves time and money. (in the long run)

[cmjantje]

Anyone had a computer built to spec? If so, can you recommend where to go please and how did you find the price comparison to a pre-built machine? Obviously want a place that really knows what they are doing, rather than shove a lot of parts together that aren't compatible.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Eek,

I've usually built my own computers, but I'm a programmer, and generally know what I am doing with hardware.

I strongly disagree with the person who responded that you should buy parts and build it yourself : yes, the mechanical aspect of assembling one just requires a slow and steady hand and co-ordination, the basic tool kit you need during install is simple (except don't forget a screwdriver with a long shaft that is magnetized at the end for retrieving the screws you will inveitbly drop into the innards as you build it.

But it will require you to know about things like : what is this SATA cable, what is this IDE cable, how am I supposed to make sure this custom power supply required by this latest motherboard and cpu is coupled correctly so that things like on-board hardware temperature monitoring is enabled later.

But there are certain crucial parts of assembly, like the proper insertion and heat-shield device coupling of the cpu, that if you get them wrong you will be out a lot of money. And if, heaven forbid, you should accidentally stress the motherboard and crack it : no way to fix that.

The hard is when you turn the box on : you've got to configure the bios, in most cases, and that is a "dark art." You have to make sure all your devices are properly enabled, parameters set so you get the most value from whatever.

And then you've go to make sure you have the latest software drivers for that whopee-do video card you bought : the cd or disk that came in the box may have a driver that's long out of date.

By this time you should be asking : "is it worth days of my time to learn about a bunch of stuff that may have nothing to do with what I'm interested in, or plan to use the computer for ?"

But, let's assume you get it all put together, the BIOS configured, the drivers for your video card and whatever other devices installed, and you get an operating system installed :

Now, what if you start having terrible problems, and the computer is crashing all the time; or one of your hard drives doesn't show up; or when you set your video display to the resolution you want the screen goes crazy ?

Now you are going to have to pay someone for support, or to repair, or to replace possibly hardware, possibly software. But you bought the parts yourself : who, that you trust, will do this for you ?

About two years ago I bought over 50k baht worth of parts for a new computer (I already had an imported and expensive aluminum case) from OCZone on 3rd. floor of the P. Plaza here. Built the computer, installed Windows Vista Ultimate (legitimate version imported from the US), was really enjoying everything : suddenly crash after crash.

Turned out to be a defective video card. By the time I learned this ... by swapping in another video card that I knew worked and seeing my system now did not crash ... the people I had dealt with at OCZone had changed. And while, yes, they did take back the video card still under warranty, they then did nothing for five weeks in spite of repeated phone calls and three personal visits, and my contacting the distributor of the video card manufacturer in Bangkok and raising hel_l (after the second visit).

Finally they said it was impossible to replace the video card because it was now not stocked in Thailand, but they offered me 1000 baht off another video card which, of course, cost 2000 baht less (and was inferior in performance) to the other video card.

So even if you buy the parts locally in order to get Thai distributor support, you may get screwed.

My advice : try one of the shops that has a better reputation, like GoodSpeed, have them not only assemble the machine for you, but also install the operating system (hopefully a legitimate one you have purchased), get them to make sure every device in the machine that has a driver has the latest one, and get them to "burn in" the machine by running it continuously for at least 48 hours.

Make sure that while the machine is being burned-in it is not connected to the Internet, and the Operating System is not activated (registered).

The moment you take it home, after you first install anti-virus and firewall software, after you install your favorite applications, after you do whatever to connect your machne to the internet, use the machine intensely, looking for any sign of hardware failure.

And, if you are connecting to the Internet through a router, want a home network with wireless or ethernet connections between multiple machines : get ready to pay money for someone to help you. I know a farang who's very good at that (500 baht per hour), and you can PM me for contact information if you wish.

Or, perhaps, if GoodSpeed or whatever shop you trust is willing, you could have all that set up by them as part of your "package price."

best, ~o:37;

A whole story full of obvious things.

However, since the plug-and-play hardware, most of the problems while building a computer do not materialise or are getting less.

It helps when the people where you buy your stuff know their stuff.

But, and that is the most important, it also helps very much to read!!!!!!!

Before and after buying.

And switch on your brains before starting the job.

Buy a mainboard with CPU installed, saves time and money. (in the long run)

I can agree with that.

The story orange wrote down is Exactly the story you will hear from some shops, if they even can tell you because most of the things he wrote are DOS related.

Just to give an example...burning in computers (i.e. hard disk) is a very old habit, there is even not a software program Except for DOS which can do this. So you have to know a lot about DOS?

Indeed... Windows made things more easy and the hardware is more trustable than, let me say, 5 years ago. The plug and play and the software So easy to install, and if you really don't know anything about it...there are a bunch of people who would Love to assist you to do everything the first time, including me.

Don't let you get fooled by a programmer, because they Love to make mistakes. Look at the latest versions of Windows!

I am "in" computers for more than 40 years now

Be confident... ask questions and I am Sure you can do it!

[eek]

Again, thanks so much for advices. Although an interesting idea, im not really up for attempting to build my own, so will check out the places recommended for quotes. Its not just the cost effective aspect, but also because i need a Quadro graphics card and the selection of pre-built machines seems to be quite small. Most machines seem geared towards gaming rather than graphics (although Alias should be well aware that a lot of their Maya users do game art work who then may also need to work on or with programming/programmed levels, so need to use a GeForce card. But if they try to use some of mayas features using GeForce such as paint fx they get glitches or crash. Thus the artists ends up needing 2 machines if they want to do both! )

Would have liked to have asked some opinions on the Computer Club forum but had problems registering. After putting in my details, i kept getting redirected to the register/agree to rules page.

Edited July 22, 2009 by eek

[cmjantje]

Again, thanks so much for advices. Although an interesting idea, im not really up for attempting to build my own, so will check out the places recommended for quotes. Its not just the cost effective aspect, but also because i need a Quadro graphics card and the selection of pre-built machines seems to be quite small. Most machines seem geared towards gaming rather than graphics (although Alias should be well aware that a lot of their Maya users do game art work who then may also need to work on or with programming/programmed levels, so need to use a GeForce card. But if they try to use some of mayas features using GeForce such as paint fx they get glitches or crash. Thus the artists ends up needing 2 machines if they want to do both! )

Would have liked to have asked some opinions on the Computer Club forum but had problems registering. After putting in my details, i kept getting redirected to the register/agree to rules page.

There is a TV computer forum as well as a computer club here in CM

And what I have been told is that the Mac is far more better in graphics than Windows.... But I don't know from experience

Edited July 22, 2009 by cmjantje

[eek]

Thanks cmjantje. Actually i did post in the computer section here first: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Desktop-Comp...et-t275210.html I also answered the mac question there too. LOVE the look of a mac, just that I have always worked with PC. I also have other PC computers, incl a laptop. So figure best to stick with what i know well.

[orang37]

A whole story full of obvious things.

Oh, how insightful ! But I do hate it, though, when I stray into the obvious like that.

However, since the plug-and-play hardware, most of the problems while building a computer do not materialise or are getting less.

What are you smoking ? That statement tells me you do not build your own computers, configure the BIOS so drives are mounted properly and motherboard features you desire are activated (or don't desire are inactivated) and install an OS, and get the device drivers right.

It helps when the people where you buy your stuff know their stuff.

But, and that is the most important, it also helps very much to read!!!!!!!

Before and after buying.

And switch on your brains before starting the job.

Did you forget "a stitch in time saves nine," and "be sure and floss" ?

Buy a mainboard with CPU installed, saves time and money. (in the long run)

Well, you got one part right.

~o:37;

[cmjantje]

Thanks cmjantje. Actually i did post in the computer section here first: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Desktop-Comp...et-t275210.html I also answered the mac question there too. LOVE the look of a mac, just that I have always worked with PC. I also have other PC computers, incl a laptop. So figure best to stick with what i know well.

To be honest.. I am a pc user also but I think next time I would Love to try a Mac also because almost every windows prog can be used on a Mac. Or is written special for Mac

[orang37]

And what I have been told is that the Mac is far more better in graphics than Windows.... But I don't know from experience

Yes, you certainly don't know from experience.

~o:37;

[orang37]

LOVE the look of a mac, just that I have always worked with PC. I also have other PC computers, incl a laptop. So figure best to stick with what i know well.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun Eek,

I really like Macs, used to be a paid-up member of the cult of Mac for many years, my first paying big-time job as a programmer was with a Mac software company. Their user interface is more sophisticated. If you are ready for an adventure, can live with a one-button mouse, and have lots of time to acclimatize to the Mac user interface (all the little tricks you do every day on Windows, and now take for granted, are done, in the main, differently on the Mac) ... if you'd enjoy that and have the money : hey, go for it.

The reality with Macs now is that they are still much more expensive, for the same functionality and "horsepower," than PC's. And, contrary to the myths promoted by Apple, Macs are much more of a "closed" system both from a hardware and software point of view, although that is less true now than it was five years ago : market forces have forced Apple to open the gates somewhat.

And you are right, at this point in time any major software product is going to run on both Macs and PCs and have equal access to all features on both platforms. And you can, indeed, run a Windows OS on a Mac since they switched to Intel chips. And there are several ways you can do that.

Mac Graphics are now dependent on the video card chipset just like PC graphics are except for low-end Macs with some of kind of motherboard video (just like you can buy a PC and use motherboard video).

You'll have the same quality of display on a PC screen as a Mac screen depending on the monitor you buy just as that quality will vary (if you buy a Mac with a built-in screen) on the Mac you buy.

My guess would be that support for end-users with Macs in Chiang Mai is very good, and I used to know the local Mac store owners many years ago; they are fine people.

Only you can balance out the cost/benefit of "sticking with what you know" vs. taking the plunge into Mac.

Good luck, but I have to say, from what I have read here today, that if you accept Cmjantje's offer to help you, I have the same sense of dread as if you had told me you were going to let a tuk-tuk driver perform neurosurgery on you in the middle of Thapae Road because he had told you that he had a brain, himself, for forty years.

best, ~o:37;

[orang37]

I can agree with that. The story orange wrote down is Exactly the story you will hear from some shops, if they even can tell you because most of the things he wrote are DOS related.

What are you smoking ?

Wow ! I can truly say of this post that it "buggers description." A new record depth in the deep trench of ignorance has just been recorded.

This has nothing to do with DOS. I do not use DOS explicitly, ever. Which is not a put down of DOS; it has its place, and for some people it can and is actually a useful, powerful tool. It is like a living fossil in a way. Most people these days don't use it for the same reason most people these days don't ride a horse to the country store.

Just to give an example...burning in computers (i.e. hard disk) is a very old habit, there is even not a software program Except for DOS which can do this. So you have to know a lot about DOS?

Burning in a computer is stress-testing in it when its in its final configuration to try and flush out hardware problems while your warranty is still fresh, while the machine is still, perhaps, with the people who have knowledge you don't have who can analyze any hardware failures blatant or subtle. It is not like baking. This statement tells me you know nothing about computer hardware, and that I would be afraid to know what your habits are.

Indeed... Windows made things more easy and the hardware is more trustable than, let me say, 5 years ago. The plug and play and the software So easy to install, and if you really don't know anything about it...there are a bunch of people who would Love to assist you to do everything the first time, including me.

What are you smoking ? Configuring a modern PC (with Windows Vista maybe), with a high-end video card, integrating it with a router or ADSL modem, setting it up to use wireless, etc., is more complex than it has ever been. I wouldn't let you in the same room with my computers : it might be infectious.

Don't let you get fooled by a programmer, because they Love to make mistakes. Look at the latest versions of Windows!

Wow : you want a guitar ? Hey, don't take advice from a musician because they actually play the instrument, and, besides, just the other day you heard someone play one, and you thought, or somebody told you, they were playing out of tune.

You do believe everything you hear, don't you ?

~o:37;

Edited July 22, 2009 by orang37

[Tywais]

Ok guys, let's stop the posturing. Eek is asking for advise, remember?