There is still a lot of confusion in everybodys mind on branded vs assembled. ofcourse the choice depends heavily on the knowledge of the consumer in computer hardware. it would be easy to argue that newbies are better off buying branded due to the warranty and other factors.
another plus point the branded PC’s have are that banks give loans more easily if its a branded one . some days back my friend was rejected a loan application since he was buying a assembled piece, he eventually bought a wipro pc for getting the loan. I had an Acer PC which was about 2yrs old, and when I eventually wanted to upgrade it, but the cabinet wouldnt take anything in. it was so intricate and specifically designed for Acer. So I bought a new assembled Pc. if u have even only a basic knowledge of comp hardware and u want to buy a pc, I would anyday advice an assembled one.
infact there are some shops in B’lore, if u buy all the components there they will asemble it to u free of cost. all the components have warranty individually so it must not be a problem. if u have a good knowledge of comp hardware and can distinguish products and can decide wats best for u, u have unlimited flexibility if u buy an assembled piece. some people buy components and assemble it themselves. it is a wrong notion that big companies always have the best combination of components for a pc. if u go the assembled route and go to the right shops or assemblers, u will be saving a considerable amount too.