Tech Tip of the Day: Build Now or Wait Indefinitely

One of the most common questions would-be PC builders ask is, "Should I build now or wait until product X comes out?" You can answer your own question by asking yourself another one: Do I need something faster now?

If the answer is yes, then build now and don't worry about what products are right around the corner. It's really that simple and you only complicate by playing the waiting game. Let's say you wait for an upcoming motherboard that adds USB 3.0 support to the fray. Once it ships, you then have to decide whether to build right away or wait for the new product to mature -- new drivers, new revisions, etc -- or come down in price. And then you have to decide what other components to surround it with. Should you buy a kick-ass videocard today or wait for AMD's upcoming HD 6xxx series? If you're going to wait, you might as well put off buying your other components too, because who knows what bigger/better/faster complimentary components are lurking next week/month/quarter.

Take it from us, once you start playing the waiting, you'll never stop. There will always be new products and new technologies on the horizon, and if you're always waiting for them, you'll end up stuck with your crusty old hardware indefinitely. If you're in need of an upgrade or an overhaul and there are products out there right now that will do what you need, then build/upgrade right now.