When you decide to buy a new computer, you can go to two types of shops: the shopping center or you can go to a slightly smaller shop that sells the PC assembled with the chosen pieces. The shopping center sells the computers of the so-called OEM (original equipment manufacturer) or pre-assembled and pre-assembled personal computer manufacturers (such as Asus, HP, Dell, Acer etc.) while the computer stores sell pieces individually and offer the service of assembling and assembling them depending on the customer's needs.
Basically I could say that most people tend to buy the OEM PC at the mall, those who have more IT experience prefer to choose an assembled computer trying to combine the best hardware pieces.
Let's see what are the main differences between a preassembled desktop computer and a PC customized with the choice of individual pieces (video card, hard disk, CPU etc.).
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A computer is always a PC assembled with different pieces and the OEM is nothing but the retailer, the one who chose the hardware parts on the basis of performance, stability and price.
3) Operating system ready for use
The OEM assembler supplies a ready-made PC, with the Windows operating system already configured for the average user and with several other pre-installed programs, often commercial, in a trial version or in promotion, which must then be purchased later.
Probably no one would ever buy a program like the anti-virus in trial already present since there are many even better free alternatives but since they are often pre-installed on computers, less informed buyers could be pushed to purchase or use these programs already present on almost every OEM PC.
Personally I have always considered these installations of additional programs superfluous and harmful and my advice is to uninstall the pre-installed programs and trial versions.
4) PC with pirated Windows license
In some cases we can run into a custom PC with a pirated Windows license: this obviously depends on the honesty of the manager of the computer shop; if the seller is honest, he should always ask if you also want regular Windows installation (paying for it) or if you want a computer without an operating system, to be installed separately (as many experts like).
On OEM PCs, the Windows license is also of the OEM type, i.e. it is indissolubly linked to the machine used, therefore in the price it is always included in the sale price.
5) Choice of components
The search for components for a better PC, perhaps with the assistance of the seller, is definitely a great way to know how a computer works and therefore learn .
When you enter a computer shop and talk to the manager you certainly receive more assistance and the information is credible compared to any shop assistant or mall seller (without taking anything away, you can find smart people in every sector, but they tend to be more good at specialty stores).
If we really don't want assistance but want to save money and rely on other users' reviews, we can buy the best pieces on Amazon.
READ ALSO: Build your PC by buying the best pieces on Amazon
6) Customer support and assistance
OEM pre-assembled PCs are built with general use in mind and are more expensive because they include a general warranty on the entire machine and a customer service or support contract .
For a customized PC, however, there are different conditions even if, in general, those who sell computers adjust them also so its guarantee should make you feel safe.
An important and, for me, decisive difference in this comparison is that, if you change a piece in a preassembled PC (for example to update the graphics card), the warranty could lapse, which instead never happens if you make hardware changes in a personalized PC.
When creating a customized machine, each component is (or should be) covered by an individual guarantee, which benefits the user in the event of breakage of only one component (can apply the guarantee on only the damaged component, without bringing in service the whole PC).
The downside is that the search for warranty coverage for a single component often means having to send it to the manufacturer and wait for the return for this, as mentioned above, it becomes important to establish a relationship of trust with the seller and make sure that he is the one to make repairs.
7) gaming PC
In case you want to buy a computer to play at maximum performance, then I certainly recommend a PC configured in a personalized way with careful choice of pieces and video card.
In fact, when you buy a PC at the mall it almost certainly has dated hardware parts to contain the price and therefore it will not have the performance to play the latest video game at maximum level of detail.
The price of a computer for playing video games is always very high in any case, so it is worth choosing the components yourself.
8) Price differences
Regarding the price, one could say that the preassembled PC of the shopping center costs less than the sum of the pieces that make up the customized computer.
However, I would like to point out that the OEM brand computer is built using an economic criterion therefore, almost certainly, it mounts older pieces.
The higher price of a computer assembled with new hardware components can cost more (but this is not always the case) but it guarantees a longer life and does not risk becoming obsolete after a short time.
In fact, a customized machine is able to give better performance at a lower cost in relation to the time of use (it will become obsolete in less time).
9) Usage scenarios
If the intention is only to surf the Internet, write Word documents, watch movies and listen to music, we can also bet on a pre-assembled and ready-to-use PC, bought with a flyer offer at the mall, without being too far behind technical details but making sure that it has the bare minimum to properly run Windows 10 and the programs we intend to use.
In one case or another, the advice on things to know before buying a new computer remains valid.
