Build a new system, or buy...

[BDB]

It's time for a new gaming rig, and in the past I've always bought
parts and assembled them myself. I am considering taking the
easier route this time and buying a system via one of Fry's sales,
and then just adding a good video card to it. I am wondering if
this is a bad idea or not. Often times those off-the-shelf systems
have on-board video; is it usually simple to disable it? Any
other gotcha's?

 

[Peter Huebner]

It's time for a new gaming rig, and in the past I've always bought
parts and assembled them myself. I am considering taking the
easier route this time and buying a system via one of Fry's sales,
and then just adding a good video card to it. I am wondering if
this is a bad idea or not. Often times those off-the-shelf systems
have on-board video; is it usually simple to disable it? Any
other gotcha's?

Yepp. Boards with onboard video are, as a rule, pitched at the
bottom end of the market. Don't expect good performance.

Furthermore, fellow on nz.comp just had a problem with an Asus
board of this nature, turned out the onboard video didn't
support monitors past a certain size. So he put a video card
into it, which in turn stuffed the onboard sound ... and
apparently he's not the only one to have that problem.

You're better off specifying a mid-range board that does not
have onboard video.

I've had trouble with them [bluescreening] myself, in the mid-
distance past. Not used one since.

-P.