Building PCs for a business/enterprise

axer

Hi,

I am in a situation where I need 4 pcs for graphics people but the options from Dell are absolutely crap (and expensive crap at that). We usually get normal desktops from Dell though. It seems impossible to get a PSU that has any power etc to power decent graphics cards.

Is it realistic to build rather than buy pre-built?

From initially looking at it it does look like it would be a hell of a lot cheaper to build a way more powerful pc but is it a bad idea to go down this road?

ToxicPaddy

It really depends on what sort of support is required and the time you have to support it. Buying in a custom system is definitely the best option for building a system to spec, but if anything goes wrong, parts fail etc, its down to you as the person who built them to support and replace them.

We tried it in the past with servers, but it turned out to be a complete pain the a*s.. just wasnt worth the hassle.

Have a look at the gaming spec systems that Alienware (now Dell) offer and maybe a few other manufacturers also. They are not your standard off the shelf models and are aimed at high gamers so graphics and processing power are key.

Plus the support that comes with them would save you a lot of time and energy.

Tox

seamus

In my experience, while you probably can't get the spot-on exact spec you want in a pre-built machine, they are much less likely to experience failures, crashes, bugs and the like.

There's nothing like a well set up custom build, but I find that they can end up costing you a whole lot more in support in the long run.

kippy

I'd agree with what the last two posters said.
The support side of it is where the self build machines fall down and in business you want to have a decent level of support.

axer

Thanks for the responses. The only reason I am even considering the self-build route is that only 4 employees need powerful computers (and that is unlikely to ever change).

I agree it is a risk that some issues could show up which is my only concern going down the self-build path. We generally just go for the most basic support packages with Dell so I generally just resolve the issues myself anyway but the option is there for some support which is good know is there at a last resort.

Its 900 euro for a very powerful self-build machine all round or 2.5k for a fair bit less powerful machine from dell. Thats nearly 6.5k difference when talking about just 4 pcs which makes me question if they are worth it.

Will have to put it to higher up the chain whether the risk is worth it for the saving and extra power.

Thanks for your thoughts anyway.

Tomtata

Had a similar issue recently - needed a high end machine for a graphic designer. I went with a Dell - Then added a 3ware Raid card 2x 1TB drives | 120GB OCZ SSD drive for all the main apps - Photoshop etc...

Go with a good Dell machine and add the performance parts.

Worked out great.

LoGiE

You should have a look at HP's workstations. They can be configured to come without a GFX card so you can supply one yourself.