Have You Ever Wanted To Build A Computer?

By Samuel Wilson

Have you ever wanted to build a computer, but thought it was too complicated to do? This task isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Advancements in modern technology make it very easy to plan out and successfully complete a computer build.  There are many reasons to build your own computer, such as greater customizing options, knowing exactly what’s in your computer, and its generally cheaper to build and maintain a custom built computer, than a store bought one.

When you build your own computer you can customize every component your going to add to it. There’s a sense of individuality and ownership you get when you choose to build  a computer. You’re able to buy components in various colors, shapes and sizes in order to match your individual taste or furniture.

There’s so many additional options you get when you build your own computer. For example you can choose whether you want to add a BluRay Player, DVD Player or both. You can even choose the number of USB ports the computer will have. These types of options are important, as they allow you to customize the computer for your individual needs.

Another great thing about building your own computer is that it’s often much cheaper than buying a computer off the shelf. You will generally save quite a bit of money building the computer yourself. Not only is there money to be saved, but you are also going to enjoy the benefits of getting the most bang for your buck. A custom built computer is going to be more powerful than a generic store bought computer that’s in the same price range. Also, there’s a sense of accomplishment when you use something that you’ve helped create.

In order to start this process, you need to first figure out what your going to be doing with the new computer. Proper planning is key. Failing to do so may result in your new computer not being able to handle the tasks you throw at it. This would be an absolute shame, because one of the main reasons you built the computer was to carry out a specific set of tasks.

In order to try and avoid headache and disappointment down the road, you want to do this right from the beginning. Cutting corners and rushing won’t get you the best results in the end. With a little bit of planning, patience, and work, you will be able to have yourself a custom built computer that you can be proud of.

Let’s first take a moment and ask, what am I going to be doing with my new computer?  In order to get the best end results from the computer build, we are going to want to make sure that we answer this question as best as we can. Not everybody is going to have the same answer to this question as everyone uses a computer to do different things.

If you need some assistance getting started, here are some examples.

Are you planning on doing simple tasks such as browsing the web, checking e-mail, watching videos, and using home office applications? If this is the type of stuff you’ll be doing, you will definitely want to consider doing a  budget build. Your computing needs are very low since you will only be doing the bare minimum with your computer.

Those of you that fall in the budget build and do the bare minimum, you may even want to consider prebuilt options. If you don’t see the need  for an increase in performance, a custom computer build may not benefit you much.

Now to address those that need to do a little more than just the bare minimum. If you need to be able to run several programs at once, watch HD Movies, do some light gaming (not top of the line gaming titles) you will want to plan out a Mid-Range computer build. Running the additional programs and internet browser tabs are going to require more computing power in order to keep up with the additional workload.

If you edit video/multimedia, run large applications, or game, you’re definitely going to want to plan carefully because your needs are much greater than the other computer build types.  Your computing tasks are more demanding on the computer components, so your going to want to consider doing a High-End computer build. For those of you that like to run a whole bunch of programs at once, while keeping a ton of internet browser tabs open, you may fall into this build category as well.

One of the worse things is having to use a slow computer, so make sure you plan your build type accordingly. Deciding your build type isn’t a complicated process. If you’re having some trouble figuring this out, start by making a list of your daily computer usage. You can also ask a friend or colleague that has similar computer habits and compare their answers to the list you made. These things should help you determine your build type without stressing you out.

Once you’ve determined your build type, you’re just about ready to start putting together a parts list for the computer build. After we figure out the cost associated with the build, we can begin.

In the next article, I will show you how to determine your budget for your computer build out. The price ranges for the different build types will be discussed, so you can have a better understanding of what to expect. For those of you that do the absolute bare minim on the computer, I will go over if purchasing a prebuilt unit is better for you financially. The other important thing that will addressed, is how to get the most “computer” for your money.  Stay tuned for the next section for more details.