I have a few people who want me to build there machines for them. For some reason they think I'm am competent enough to handle this. Of course they do want simple machines. Any way, the problem I see here is that after purchase of all components and a minimal compensation for my trouble they will barely beat out the big guys. And they don't get the perks that come with them. If I'm going to build them I want them to get the best deal possible. Based on hardware wholesalers I've looked into it looks like build it for your self in the interest of saving money and customization or buy from the big dogs. The kind of system thew want is the most basic. 700mhz, 10 gig HDD, cd rom, modem, sound, win 98. No hi-tech video or anything like that. Internet access is the only concern. Problem is they don't want to spend more then $500. I could do it but then theres no return. I have to make something, don't you think? $50 or so. I'm not greedy. Any suggestions for wholesalers I should check out?

[RandyG]

Hi bcon76,

Here's a good site for finding great prices on hardware.

Price Watch


If these people only have a budget of $500 dollars, then you would not be doing yourself any favors trying to get them the most for their buck, and have nothing left for yourself. Last year, in Florida, the XMas present I gave my brother was buying him a tower case, AMD compatible motherboard with integrated sound, video, modem, and network card, power supply, keyboard, mouse, speakers, microphone, 64 MB RAM, 550 MHZ AMD Processor for $300. He is still using his old 12" monitor, I gave him an old 1.6 GB HDD and CDRom, and he is still using his original FDD.

Once you add in the purchase of Win98, monitor, and a 10 GB Hardrive, not even taking into effect a larger processor, then you are already over your $500 budget, with nothing to go to yourself. I would recommend a minimum of $75 for your time and expertise in building the machine for them, but would generally say that $100-$150 is not unreasonable.

My thoughts exactly. If they don't want to deal with big business and they want a custom built machine with reliable local support then they will just have to save their pennys. All in all, I can still build them the same machine that our local clone shops offer using the same components for $100 to $200 cheeper. That includes a slice for me. It accualy seems like the higher you go in proformance the more you save doing it yourself.