Getting a gaming rig. Buy or Build?

[Squilliam]

Epoch said:

Squilliam said:

Actually Saphire makes almost all Radeon cards. The difference is that one has a factory overclock and whatever differences there are in support, warranty and box contents (aside from the card).

I didn't see any availability for the HD 4890 at that site. The card has been discontinued so its not surprising.

 

Ah, so the chipsets are basically the same, just some overclock them before you buy them? Then why is XFX 5850 $70 more than some of its competitors? Better warranty and packaging? Seems a bit funny, but Branding is powerful.

 

Jkimball, I have come to the conclusion that it probably wont be a whole lot cheaper than what I could buy in store, but the components will be better than the ones they use in a lot of the models I have looked at. Hopefully this leads to a longer lifespan. Sadly, the Newegg.ca has very limited pre-built PC options (There are only about 25... total) =/

What I mean is that an ASUS board which looks exactly the same as the HIS board and XFX board were all made by Saphire. Asus etc just stuck their brand on it and there litterally is no difference unless its a non standard board. XFX gives you a 'double lifetime warranty' which means that you and the person who buys it from you is covered forever. So yeah, its just an extended warranty by another name.

Just remember that as a Canadian you're stiffed on pricing, so even if they were available you'd still be stiffed by the same proportion.