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> I think on some level, I just like to occasionally take stock of the current state of the art and put together a parts list, do the assembly, and feel the sat

> I think on some level, I just like to occasionally take stock of the current state of the art and put together a parts list, do the assembly, and feel the satisfaction of a nice, clean setup that is running faster than the last thing. So instead I just offer to build for friends when they are in need of an upgrade. I still get to enjoy the hobbyist aspect and even though I don't typically charge for the effort, they always leave me with a case of good beer or a bottle of some nice Scotch. I understand what you mean. I had waay more fun building my PC than using it. Once it was all done and I had Windows 10 installed I had nothing else to do and it was just sitting there. Let's just say that I was underwhelmed with the final outcome, especially since I don't game much these days due to time constraints. I am thinking of getting a new case later this year and installing an aftermarket cooler because this is the one thing I never got to do for my current build, but oh boy the boredom afterwards :( I would definitely be down to build a PC for anybody who was interested - no charge. The work would be its own reward for me. But yea, it is impossible to chase that high you get when putting together a parts list perpetually as building rigs is an expensive hobby.

soylentcola 10y ago
It's not something I want to do all the time. The last one I did reminded me that it can still be a hassle when dealing with someone else's build. Thankfully he was receptive to my advice regarding reasonable budget for what he expected (no more requests for high-end gaming PCs under $600) and where to put his money. Still, a few months later it's like "hey, so there's sometimes this "ticking" sound in the back of the PC. I think it's the power supply but I'm not sure." "OK, well see if you can blow some canned air in there in case some bit of plastic or paper got sucked in." "No, it's not that." "OK, well if it's defective, I still have the receipts so you can RMA it." "Nah, that's too much of a hassle. I'll just order one. When can you swap it out?" Then I proceed to realize that he has no interest in doing this and I have no free weekends to spend taking apart this PC and rebuilding it with another PSU. It's one reason why small-time PC building businesses have always been tough to run and why I never bothered to do it professionally. Any time something is not working, I'll fix my own setup but when you build something as a favor, it becomes your responsibility for life :/

soylentcola 10y ago

It's not something I want to do all the time. The last one I did reminded me that it can still be a hassle when dealing with someone else's build. Thankfully he was receptive to my advice regarding reasonable budget for what he expected (no more requests for high-end gaming PCs under $600) and where to put his money. Still, a few months later it's like "hey, so there's sometimes this "ticking" sound in the back of the PC. I think it's the power supply but I'm not sure." "OK, well see if you can blow some canned air in there in case some bit of plastic or paper got sucked in." "No, it's not that." "OK, well if it's defective, I still have the receipts so you can RMA it." "Nah, that's too much of a hassle. I'll just order one. When can you swap it out?" Then I proceed to realize that he has no interest in doing this and I have no free weekends to spend taking apart this PC and rebuilding it with another PSU. It's one reason why small-time PC building businesses have always been tough to run and why I never bothered to do it professionally. Any time something is not working, I'll fix my own setup but when you build something as a favor, it becomes your responsibility for life :/