What You Need to Build Your Own Computer

If you've recently looked through the wide selection of new computers at a local electronics store, you were probably struck by how many features today's models come with, like lots of pre-installed software programs, hundreds of gigabytes of storage space on the hard drive, and a bunch of other bells and whistles. This is great if you actually need the stuff, but most people never use even a fraction of those features -- yet have to pay for them nonetheless. That hardly makes any sense at all, especially when it's fairly easy to build your own computer to include the capabilities you're most interested in.

Some people might balk at the very idea, but the truth is that it's not that difficult to build your own computer. At the very least, you should be able to pick and choose the components you want, and then pay a tech geek to put everything together for you. Either way, you'll still likely end up saving money over the pre-packaged units, and you'll most certainly walk away with a machine that is perfectly suited to your needs. So now all you have to do is determine what you need in order to build your own computer.

The first thing to consider is how you spend the majority of your computing time. Are you a graphic designer who needs the best monitor around and lots of memory to run sophisticated software? Are you a hardcore gamer who wants a top-of-the-line video card in order to play the latest online games? Or do you simply need the machine to connect to the Internet to send e-mails and browse websites? Once you figure this out, you can start listing the parts and features to buy when you build your own computer.

After you have a list of components in hand, the next step is to start shopping. Since you're going to build your own computer, you have the flexibility to buy the different parts from different stores, which gives you a lot more freedom to compare prices and find the best deals around. Most people prefer to purchase these components from specialty stores online because of better selection and lower cost, so keep that in mind while you're shopping.

Finally, it's time to assemble the components into a working machine. Again, if you're a do-it-yourselfer, then you can tackle the project alone. There are several manuals and guides available to help you build your own computer, and these should be sufficient if you're confident in your ability to follow instructions or decipher diagrams. If you'd rather have someone else do it, then all you need to do is call a technician to come in for the assembly. Be sure to ask about hourly rates before hiring anyone, otherwise you might get stuck with a bigger bill than you expected.

As you can see, it's not that difficult to build your own computer. Sure, it takes a bit longer than buying a complete unit off the shelf, but at least you'll be getting a product tailor-made to your needs and you'll save money in the process!