Time is changing. Unless you build pc for fun or most powerful, I think for most it is more economical to buy. Last year I read another article about individual pc builders, a dying breed. Currently it costs more to build, especially if you have to buy OS, and the your middle range built might not be as good compared to OEMs.
I've been building pcs for some time, till last year. By the way I am teaching computer science but no longer like it as much. Technological advances make people living in a virtual society. Latest research saying that when people texting they lying much more. We have more distraction, blue tooth earpieces stucking into ears to block any bug from escape and radiate our brain with electromagnetic waves. Shooting in games is so much fun also desensitizing body values...
Upgrading custom built pc is promising idea but not realistic. Many of my custom built pcs became obsolete within 2 or 3 years. Like memory upgrade, ddr to ddr2 and now ddr3, ddr3 is getting much cheaper then ddr 2. All my custom built pcs using ddr2, 2-4 years old. Ethernet is now gigabits, I had to do the upgrade late last year by buying gigabit Ethernet cards for all. I7, I5, I3 replace core 2, P4..... Socket boards...
One thing I hate the most, I am an audiophile, is power supply noise. Most of custom built pcs are much noisier than OEM pcs. There reasons for that. They need to use lower wattage power supplies, cheaper and meet energy guidelines of Fed and corporate energy policy. OEM pcs not built for upgrade so power supply just enough. Except for higher end models, lower to middle range OEM pcs have very little noise.
Again my one and 1/2 cents is looking at reputable brands and compare prices when they are on sale. 300 bucks can buy you a good enough for office use including AC client with latest Win 7 HP. I just bought two Win 7 Pro licenses that cost 150 buck each. How you can built a pc now aday for 150?
AC team might want to work on an android version or Apple version and be ready for Kindle Large or Ipad 4
