Building a Custom PC

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Building a Custom PC

So you decided to take the plunge and save a buck? Building your own PC insures you get what you want and what you pay for. The first time I built a system it was to say the least tedious. I learned from my mistakes and made it easier for myself every time there after. Building a custom PC is really very simple and doesn't even require you know how the parts work in order to build one. Don't let others talk you out of it or try to make it sound difficult. In all honesty you can have a new PC sitting on your desktop within 5 hours and that's with going to the store for parts. Of course this is if all your parts are in working order and compatible.

The Real World

-The toughest part of building a custom PC is not the physical building, its the learning of all the information to pick the right parts. Technology is always moving and its a good idea to read up on new tech from Intel and AMD. All the well known manufacturers these days sell known brand names, I wouldn't recommend a non brand name when it comes to a £1000+ PC, quality speaks for itself, you notice it in TV's and you can notice it in PC's too. A good idea of well known manufacturers are Asus, Abit, Gigabyte, MSI, Corsair, OCZ, Maxtor, Western Digital, Sapphire, XFX, NEC, Sony, to name but a few. Nearly all components prices are of a similar value these days, they all have their different quirks, and rightly so, its up to them to make themselves stand out from the competition. Researching different manufactures equipment using a simple google.com search does wonders for building up a knowledge base. If you want to build and sell PCs as a business, I would suggest you use top notch components and sell your PCs for what its worth. As a buyer take note that a cheap PC is just that, cheap! As a buyer or seller you do not want a return or to be burdened with countless come backs.

Paying For Performance

- When browsing for a PC you will notice the price of items vary steeply, for example the latest Intel CPU could be $300-$500, but a slower Intel could be $160 - or even $50 in a bargain buy - you're basically paying for speed. Its nearly the same case in all types of components. With hard disks the more the pay the more storage you get, with graphics cards you get faster frame rates in games, CD-ROMS, DVD ROMs and DVD writers give you faster read or write speeds.

While some components have a small price difference for speed improvements, the main components, the CPU and Graphics cards, have a big price difference for the performance gained. This is well known, but not to fear, prices are dropping all the time as new tech is released. Its up to you to decide how much you are willing to spend, and what type of work you will be doing on the PC. Search forums, ring companies and so on to see what they recommend for a system for you. An example might be, if you just want to watch DVDs, type letters, search the net, and play the odd flight simulator, you don't need a $2000 PC to do all this. A PC with a mid range graphics card with a mid range CPU will last you a long time to come, and the beauty of building your own PC is that if you start doing more demanding tasks you can just simply upgrade.

Getting Started

-First you need to get a idea of what combination of parts you want to go with? There are many features to add to system and you want the best out there to date. We have put together a decent guide of what you should look for before putting together a PC. Check it out here!

-Also you need a little information on handling parts! Check out this article on Electrostatic Discharge and make sure you have the right tools!!

-If your ready then start Step # 1 - Preparing the Computer Case and Motherboard