Where & When to buy
Buying pre-assembled computer systems in most respectable computer shops isn't bad at all. In fact, for a first time buyer it might prove to be very convenient. They have delivery services, good warranty and very kind but mostly uninformed sales representatives.
Generally this won't be much of a problem for computer enthusiasts, however, most first time buyers are uninformed and worse misinformed by these ill-informed computer salesmen/women. Sometimes even the shop owners don't know anything ( or pretend that they know everything ) about what they are selling. This is certainly the case among many computer shops I've gone to, so far.
A very bad effect of these pitiful lack of knowledge among sales representatives leads them to place the cheapest parts possible into their so called, low-end systems. Of course, nobody wants a low end system, so they call them, Value Systems, Best Buy Packages and even Student Systems! Furthermore, some very unscrupulous people place 2nd hand and/or refurbished parts to the poor buyers of their so-called Budget Systems to further lower the overall cost and maximize their profit.
With all these in mind, it would not be hard to explain why you need to find a very good, reliable and at the same time not-so expensive computer shop. The first thing you should do is to ask around. It is highly unlikely that you do not know someone who bought a computer. Ask them if the shop they bought it from was good, ask them if their computer is still "alive".
Another thing you should do is to canvass and ask questions. Ask the sales person technical questions like,"What kind of performance increase should i expect to gain if i added another 64 MB of RAM?" or "Why do you recommend a Celeron-based System when a K6-2 System is much cheaper". It is very unlikely that they will be able to answer this type of questions clearly and confidently ( hey they sell PCs, right? they don't make them ), its perfectly ok. Remember the parts for the 20,000 peso computer that we are building are all going to get listed here. :)
A while back, I could have recommended an optimal time of the year to buy a personal computer. But with all the price slashes the manufacturer's are doing right now, it really doesn't matter anymore. The only thing you should avoid is rushing things. Take your time. Be patient.
When you have finally found the computer shop you are going to buy the parts at, you should then take a look if they have the parts listed here available. Also, it is wise to give them the specifications ( d part's, duh! ) and if possible have them build it in front of you. Or better yet do it yourself! Or even better, have a friend or an acquaintance ( i don't need to point out that he/she/it should be familiar with computer hardware! ) do it for you. Just remember be very careful if you do it yourself.
