If you have ever wanted to learn the internal workings of a computer, then one of the best ways is to build one of your own. By doing this, you are more likely to remember what you are learning so you will be able to apply your new skill in the future. It is also a good way of saving yourself some money, not only in the short term as self-builds tend to be cheaper, but also in the long term as you will be able to carry out small repairs yourself.
As with any new skill you are likely to run into problems as you go. However, if you keep the following things in mind then hopefully the process of building your first PC will be relatively painless.
Buy Only What You Need
You may think it’s best to buy all the most expensive and flashy parts for your new PC, although if you take some time to really consider what you use your PC for it will soon become clear you do not need all that brand new gear. You should only buy the best you can afford, and keep in mind the latest parts may not give the greatest performance.
Online or High Street?
You will have to make a decision about whether you feel better about buying parts online or from the high street. Each way has its own pros and cons, online is generally better for price but you can experience long delivery times or problems returning parts. Whereas physical stores have the benefit of allowing you to see the part functioning in real time, along with usually having better returns policies, but you could encounter highly incompetent salespeople who sell something you do not realistically need.
Be Patient
If you are in the fortunate position of not needing your PC immediately, then patience is a virtue. If you have certain parts in mind, then it can be worth waiting for them to come down in price or wait for the updated version to be released. New parts are released so regularly that you could end up with something far better for the same money if you just wait it out.
Buy All Parts At the Same Time
If you do this then there will be fewer problems with incompatibility and it will help to keep your project from taking a very long time to complete. If you are waiting for the release of a new part, or for a part to come down in price then wait until you’ve bought that one to buy everything else.
Plan Properly
Make sure you set aside time to properly plan your project, and that all your parts with be compatible. Doing proper research is one of the best parts so make sure you do it properly and try to read all the reviews you can. But more importantly, set yourself a budget and make sure you stick to it, this should help stop you from getting carried away and lusting after parts you would never be able to afford.
Handle Parts With Care
When your parts start arriving then make sure you are extremely careful with them. It can be easier than you think to accidentally damage a part, the easiest way to prevent this is to handle them as little as possible. When you start fitting your PC together, be careful not to force anything as this can easily damage parts. Instead of forcing parts, try turning it a different way.
Time and Space
When it is time to start putting all your components together then it is vital you have sufficient time and space to work. Having enough room and proper lighting is important as you will be working with some parts that are quite small and fragile.
Finally...Static Electricity
You may have heard about the problems that static electricity can cause when putting together a PC. It can be a very real problem, so make sure you minimise the chances of it affecting you. There are special wrist bands that you can buy which are meant to prevent static, but most professionals don’t bother using them. It is easy to prevent static just by working on a hard surface and wearing natural fibres.
Alex is a PC enthusiast who now makes a living from his passion. He is the owner of Component Warehouse and builds custom gaming PCs for a living.
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