Poll: So I'm getting a new computer...

[RadiusXd]

why not just ditch the SSD and have three or four 500 GB drives in a RAID configuration instead?

 

[Chuck-Lee-Campbell]

Whatever you do, DON'T BUY PREBUILT PCs!!!! They usually fit you with a cheap PSU and a cheap motherboard, which limits you're upgrading in the future. Build it by parts, if you live in America order the parts from Newegg and learn to build it yourself. Don't worry, everything you need to know is written in the instructions. Or if you don't wannna build it yourself, take it to a hardware store and they will build it for you.

 

[Turing '88]

Ok, just checked your links. The fact they're not mentioning motherboard, psu, Ram brand or ram stick sizes would make me steer clear, unless you're happy to spend another few hundred to replace them. Prebuilds like this* are the reason people think PC's are buggy and unstable, they know people only look at cpu, gpu and amount of ram so make sure it's big numbers for ram and a decent CPU, GPU combo.

Also be prepared to find all your ram slots filled, and little/no room for future upgrades. Best bet is assemble yourself or buy parts and ask a local PC repair shop to assemble for you. Still be cheaper and you will guaranteed quality.

If you do decide to buy your own parts then post your items on Toms Hardware or somewhere and people will let you know if it's a good build and if it's all compatible.

*prebuilds that tell you all the specs are the way to go if you know the best brands and what you need, but you pay extra because they can't cut corners.

 

[Joos]

why not just ditch the SSD and have three or four 500 GB drives in a RAID configuration instead?

Because it's slow.

 

[Vrach]

$1,762? Yikes. I think you're about to get a lot of DIY suggestions.

Those people should check what's offered before doing so. As long as he needs everything that PC offers, it's a good deal.

I put all of his components in my cart on newegg besides the optical drives (as those aren't much) and it comes to $1,184.91.

Anyhow, you probably don't need that much ram.

SSD counted among them? And the OS?

Whoops, missed the motherboard. Total is still only $1,450.90, with the blu-ray drive. Not as bad as of a rip of, but still $300 for putting it together.

I built the first on newegg one for $999.92. Only difference is on newegg I get 2TB instead of 1TB, but that's not a big deal.

I envy you on US prices and especially newegg then... cause that built PC would've cost you about right if you bought it here in Serbia/Europe :\

 

[chuketek]

A quick look at the CyberpowerPC site reveals that the likely mobo for those two PCs are the:
BioStar H61MH
MSI X58A-GD45
respectively

The MSI looks like a perfectly decent mobo, I used an MSI P55-GD65 building my PC and I've got no complaints.
The BioStar however looks like a fairly low end model, the first thing that caught my attention on the amazon page is that it has two PS-2 connectors. The only reason I can think of a mobo maker still expecting people to actually use PS-2 connectors is if you're really aiming for the budget market.
So yeah, steer clear of that first one.

My advice for gaming PCs however always remains: build it yourself!

 

[Joos]

why not just ditch the SSD and have three or four 500 GB drives in a RAID configuration instead?

Because it's slow.

Since when has RAID been slow?

OP: I'd say the first option but buy the parts yourself and build it.

I presume you must mean a 4 drive RAID 0 setup, which in some cases can saturate the SATA port, ie when you copy huge files, like ISO's and HD movies from one folder to another.

However, startup time and random read operations are mostly unaffected by the addition of extra drives. Where mechanical drives measure their access time in ms, SSD measure their access time in ns. Thus SSD's smoke everything else, every time.

So, apart from RAID 0 being quite unreliable, it is slow as well.