Hmm... time to put that old chestnut to bed I think. No it doesn't "work out a lot cheaper". Its maybe, possibly a little cheaper if (a) you really,really,really know what you're doing (i.e. no time wasting at any stage) and (b) you're able to source parts at a reasonable cost (which tends to be difficult on low volume) and (c) you value your time at zero. For your average Joe, it really isn't cheaper because : (a) Most people who say "its cheaper" are doing so because they are valuing their time at zero throughout the process. Even if you value your time at minimum-wage, if you count the time expended truthfully and honestly (i.e. from the start of the pre-build research and order process right through to the working finished product) it all soon adds up ! (b) Most people have no clue about what they need, they'll spend hours and days researching parts, asking questions on forums, shopping around for the "best" prices etc. etc. ... this takes time, and, if you're being truthful and honest, time equals money. (c) Most people have no clue about the build process. Most people will spend time figuring "where does this go", OCD people will spend hours making the cabling look all pretty etc. etc. etc. Most people won't end up with a working product first time round, which ends up with you having to do a troubleshooting process ... this takes time, and, if you're being truthful and honest, time equals money. (d) Boxes from the factory come with an OS preloaded. You've now got to spend time getting your OS installed .... this takes time, and, if you're being truthful and honest, time equals money. (e) What if it breaks down the line ? With a branded box you have a warranty (and can buy extended warranties). With your own box .. oh dear... lets waste some time troubleshooting and figuring out which component went wrong .... now lets waste some more time figuring out whether the manufacturer will swap it or if I need to buy a new widget .... now lets waste more time figuring out whether I should buy the same widget or a better one .... this takes time, and, if you're being truthful and honest, time equals money. Need I go on ? So sure, if you're a geek with all the answers and you're willing to value your time at zero (or you're a student !) ... then sure, you might save a little money. But for everyone else its nonsense. Just like those people who shout about Apple iPhones only costing a hundred bucks to build ... well sure, the parts maybe, posssibly ..... but what about R&D costs, software development costs, manufacturing costs, shipping costs etc. etc. etc.
Don't buy second hand, buy new. The last guy is getting rid of it for some good reason. There may be malware hidden in it.
Well said ! Its laughable when people think they need a super-duper $5000 computer just to do trading. Rendering video ? Working with large images in Photoshop ? HFT style running complex algorithms on large volumes of data ? Sure, splash out. But hitting buy/sell buttons and watching prices flash red and black on the screen ? Or running basic algorithms on typical retail streaming data ? Give me a break !
Or you could just buy second hand and throw the old hard drive on the bonfire ! Just get a new hard drive and install software you've bought yourself from scratch on that. I agree, don't use other people's software. But there's nothing to stop you buying their old computer and throwing out the disk drive !
LOL. The 'last guy' is typically a corporate cube-dweller. Used machines are offloaded in bulk by firms doing hardware refreshes.
This is correct advise. Buy a refurb industrial workstation from Dell or HP, any intel xeon quad core with 16gb ram with ssd would be nice. Don't waste your time at bestbuy or box stores. I purchased a Dell T3500 with xeon 2.87 ghz with 24gb ram, nvidia nvs 450 graphics card with 500gb hd all for 180 bucks, ebay free shipping . I may upgrade to SSD. Installed an nvidia fx580 for total of 6 1080P monitors. Plenty fast as is.
Anyone that's been down both paths knows the better option. Your PC becomes obsolete when Dell decides it becomes obsolete because they stop supplying parts and make it difficult to perform upgrades on your own. I would much prefer to decide my PC's longevity at time of purchase and during ownership. A bit of time to learn how PCs work and how to build them is time well invested IMO. Edit: Plus for the same money you get an inferior product through Dell. Dell would be a good option for leasing.
Thank u , this is what I have done every time I buy a new pc/ laptop Just throw a SSD in it... the old HDDs were the main thin bottle necking performance! U have to be careful with this though, the sneaky basterds started software/hardware locking some machines. I couldn't easily put windows 7 on a new laptop I got. I had to put 8 on it!
I stopped reading at Dell. Dell are great for pre-sales, they'll do anything to make the sale. Post-sales they are rubbish. I wouldn't even recommend Dell to Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton !
Information is power, the more you have the better the informed choice, but as a beginner it has a negative impact if you can't cut out the noise, bit like these forums. An FHD or preferably above laptop is fine to start on if you're new to trading, then multi-monitor or Widescreen, after that it depends on your trading timeframes and indicator setup how many monitors and computer performance.