Specifications

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PC MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 16, 2003 www.pcmag.com

knotty problems. Our sister Web site, ExtremeTech.com, has a

very active discussion forum that welcomes questions; you’ll

find knowledgeable answers there.

While using discussion boards for tech support often means

waiting a day or more for the answer you need, it’s inherently

less frustrating than being on endless hold or getting caught in

menu hell on vendor support lines. Walk-in service for com-

mercial machines has always been pretty good, yet the inherent

reliability of today’s devices reduces most service calls to a sim-

ple component swap. So why not do it yourself?

WARRANTY

Of course, you should expect at least a 12-month warranty on

any commercial machine, and for the most part, that’s exactly

what you’ll find. Even high-end, quasi-custom systems, such as

those from Alienware, have 12-month warranties and free ship-

ping for service. Alienware will also upgrade your machine at

vendor’s cost for the new components—an enlightened policy

guaranteed to keep customers smiling.

You might be surprised to learn, however, that most of the

components in a

DIY system also have 12-month warranties, and

some, such as the case and power supply, may

have 3-year warranties. But if you zap your

CPU

with an errant static charge while handling it,

that’s your problem.

What’s more, there’s no such thing as an ex-

tended warranty on a

DIY system. And extended

warranties make sense, especially for machines

that will be going into the hands of less knowledgeable users who

can’t supply their own support and service.

SOFTWARE

Don’t overlook the not-so-hidden cost of software for DIY ma-

chines. Commercial vendors pay far less for bulk copies of Micro-

soft Windows

XP than you pay, and commercial PCs often come

with bundles of office, entertainment, and productivity software.

Unless you have a shelf full of exactly the software you need,

you’re going to have to pay. And bargains on software are hard to

find unless you go for older versions.

On the other hand, your

DIY machine won’t come with giga-

bytes of garbage on it. You get what you install—no more, no less.

Too many commercial machines have their startup folders loaded

with useless junk, adware, and utilities of dubious worth. You may

find yourself spending several sessions with a utility such as

Magazine’s Startup Cop to delete or deactivate the garbage.

INTANGIBLES

DIYers who build high-performance systems are not shy when

it comes to self-expression. Vivid paint jobs on the case, clear

windows, and a variety of internal lighting

schemes have become the norm. You can even get

a motherboard with components that glow dif-

ferent colors under ultraviolet light. You can

choose some truly wild pointing devices and key-

boards. These not-so-subtle signals say, “I built

this

PC and I’m proud of it!”