Which One Would You Choose Branded PC Or Assembled PC?

[sportsfan81]

What to look for in an assembled PC?

Motherboard:

The large circuit board into which the Central Processing Unit, memory boards and peripheral cards are plugged is referred to as the motherboard.
It is the most vital part of any computer as it holds and connects all your peripherals and add-ons to give you upgrade options and support for future technologies.

Check whether it comes with all the necessary options, support for upgradeability and extra slots for memory and other add-on cards.

Processor:

Processor chips are primarily available in two brands -- INTEL and AMD.
The Intel chips range from the very basic Celeron chip to the Pentium series to the advanced Centrino processor.
AMD has a chip called Athlon, which is slightly cheaper than the higher end Intel chips.
Most users prefer Intel Pentium chips to Athlon as the latter heats up soon and isn't as efficient as a Pentium 4 chip. Also, the Athlon chip based systems need extra fans to cool the system.
The most preferred chip is the Pentium 4 2.4 GHz.
You might want to consider the Athlon chip with the motherboard would cost you less than its INTEL counterpart.
Though the processor speed plays a crucial role, you need not have the latest and fastest one available. If a processor with a slightly lesser core speed can do just as well for your demands, go for it.
Make sure the chips are box packed with a serial number to ensure they are original.

RAM:

RAM is the amount of memory available for use by programmes on a computer.
The RAM chip comes in capacities of 128, 256, 512 MB, even 1 GB. Most computers function efficiently with 256 MB RAM, though a 512 MB RAM does offer you an edge.
As a thumb rule, always go in for a minimum of 256 MB RAM.
There's not much cost difference between 256 MB and 512 MB.
The latest memory technologies in use are DDR RAM, RD RAM and the latest release of the DDR2 RAM.
Since it ensures the smooth running of your system, the more the better.
Make sure the memory capacity is upgradeable.
Make sure the RAM is original and opt for the DDR range of RAMs. Duplicate RAMs will not function on Windows XP operating systems.
The RAM comes with a year's warranty.

Hard Disk Drive:
HDD capacity counts for a great deal.
A 80 GB hard disk is sufficient disk space but you may choose an 120 GB variant.
The brand SEAGATE is a very reliable brand for hard disks and is preferred by most computer manufacturers and assemblers.
The hard disk comes with a three-year warranty.

Monitor:

Monitors are computer screens available in varied sizes, the most popular being the 15" and 17".
You can choose between a flat panel plasma screen and a regular desktop monitor.
A 15" monitor costs around Rs 4,800 and the 17", between Rs 5,800 and Rs 6,800, depending on the type.
The Dynaflat type monitor is preferred to the conventional CRT type, which is technically referred to as the Cathode Ray Tube.
The plasma screen monitor is highly priced at about Rs 15,000 plus.
The various brands for monitors are Samsung, Mercury and LG, to name a few. Samsung is the preferred alternative for monitors and is also the leading peripheral components dealer.
Monitors usually come with a three-year warranty.

Peripherals:

These include the keyboard, mouse, web cam, printer, scanner, joystick, etc.
Samsung and Microsoft are the preferred brands.
Choose an optical mouse over the usual one. The price difference is marginal. The same applies for the Internet keyboard.
Don't opt for a wireless mouse or a keyboard as the sensors get spoilt with time. Besides, you have to charge the batteries every week.
Web cams can cost from anywhere between Rs 1,400 and Rs 3,500.
For printers and scanners, Hewlett Packard is the market leader. A domestic colour printer might cost around Rs 5,000, though the cartridges are a tad expensive at Rs 2,500 each.
Don't choose the cheapest printer in sight. You will spend the money you save in less than a year on cartridges.
Don't go for the ones cheaper than Rs 1,400 as they have poor resolution.

Voltage stabilisers and Spike guards:

If your locality has frequent power failures or severe voltage fluctuations, opt for a voltage stabiliser. This will prevent any damage that could reduce the life of your machine.
A voltage stabiliser can cost from Rs 350 to Rs 500.
Regardless of the locality and the power supply, opt for a spike guard. It will provide four power plug points for your computer and peripherals.
A spike guard is also called a transient suppressor. Buy one in the range of 5-15 amp. It will cost Rs 150.

[sportsfan81]

Why Branded PC?

You want to gift your colleague or friend a personal computer. Naturally, you want the best. Sure, there are budgetary constraints. Also, you are not quite sure what exactly you want in a PC. But yes, you do know what you don't want the plethora of unbranded PCs available in the grey market.

So, the question is, which brand offers the best deal? It's a good question; there simply are no straight answers.
For one, on offer are a slew of brands, both, foreign and Indian. The foreign brands include Hewlett-Packard and Compaq (the two companies merged last year but separate brands have been retained), and IBM, which has a small presence in the home segment as it largely focuses on the corporate segment.

The Indian brands include those like HCL and Zenith.
Zenith Computers offers three models for the home segment. You have the Zenith Multimedia priced at Rs 25,500; the Zenith PC picture-in-picture priced at Rs 29,000 and the Zenith PC with UPS and printer priced at Rs 29,000.
The picture-in-picture model enables you to watch television even while using the PC.

Or, if you want to buy an international branch such as IBM, HP or a Compaq machine, you have to go through these companies' channel partners.
Or, if you prefer to deal directly with a company, then you should be talking to Dell, for they are world-famous for their direct sales approach.
"IBM, Compaq and Hewlett Packard are at a par in terms of price, quality and performance. All the three offer a slew of products priced between Rs 30,000 to Rs 75,000. Apart from the office domain, both HP and Compaq also have good products for the home segment," says a dealer.

IBM is also focusing on introducing products at lower price bands and delivering technology differentiators like 'Think.' You could get a big name at a lower price.

If you prefer to deal directly with a company and not through a distribution network, go to Dell. You can log on to www.dell.co.in and you will get a toll free number that you have to call. That is the first step towards striking a deal with Dell.

Among the domestic players, Zenith offers a slew of products for the office segment. Among these the 3D, 4D an 6D range are priced at Rs 28,000, Rs 31,000 an Rs 35,000, respectively.

The desktop has been co-developed with an original Intel motherboard for total compatibility and validated by Intel for hardware compatibility. Further, the PC has been loaded with SAAZ, the complete IT management and system recovery suite. It also comes with a multimedia keyboard that increases productivity.
If paying cash immediately is the problem, then you can get round that if you are buying from the PC outlets.

Most of the outlets have a consumer finance scheme and have tied up with banks. ICICI is the leading player in this segment In many cases, you can get financing to the tune of 80 per cent of your cost. The loans have to be repaid between 1 to 3 years.
Clearly, buying a personal computer is not that difficult. It is more a personal decision than anything else.

If Price Isn't An Issue.

If price is not a factor and performance is do not forget to look into these factors:

• If you want a fast machine then do not compromise on the processor. Processors can range from an ordinary Celeron one to high-end Pentium 4 or even the latest Centrino processors (they help you surf the net wirelessly).
• Please remember that faster the processor the more you pay, be it either an Indian or an MNC brand.
• Additionally, remember RAM is critical. Buy a machine with a Pentium 4 processor and low end RAM capabilities you will end up realising very little in terms of value.
• Ideally, buy a machine with complementary RAM speeds upwards of 128 MB.
• At the end of it remember that if you are a user who loves to download music and content from the internet you would need space to store them. So hard disk space is crucial.
• Knowing what kind of content you would be downloading from the net is important and communicate this to the salesman who would be in a better position to advise you on what your GB requirements could be.
• Also, if you are heavily into graphics remember to load an accelerated graphic card which helps in the faster reading of pictures and helps the picture clarity also.

[T.J.]

i would go for assembled one as I can choose various brands as well as price is a much more concerned for me

[Chingum]

I will also recommend for Assembled PC as we get the option according to our requirement, we can assembled many different computer peripherals to a single system.

[theking213]

LOL theres nothing high end about pentium 4's they were out here in UK like 10 years ago (i'm not exagurating) We now play with QUAD CORES and I7'S my system has 6gb ram and i7 dude... wtf

[nickomono]

I have both in my home and I like both. The advantages of a branded system is the warranty. If something goes wrong its covered by the manufacturer and they will fix it free. My main computer I built myself and it has EVERYTHING I wanted inside and outside. That is the obvious advantage of building one yourself. My wife has an Acer branded computer which has been a good system for her. I think the best computer is one that will do EVERYTHING you want now and in the next year or two. So it's up to you. Good Luck!