Build your own PCCustom PC Case

Find out everything you need to know about how to build your own PC, whether it's the dream PC that you've always wanted, OR the PC that best fits your needs. So whether you want to build a cheap PC that just surfs the net, types up word docs, and checks email, or you want to build a powerful gaming computer but just don't know how, this website delivers everything you need to know on how to build your own PC, what you need to buy, and important things to know about each component as it relates to the system you're building to help you decide how much to spend on everything you need.

What you can learn

With this website, you can learn what parts you need to build your PC from the ground up, know where to look to find which parts you want, and how to install them once you have everything you need. This knowledge can save literally hundreds of dollars on the back-end of the purchase of a new PC that can be easily spent on support costs should there ever be a need to upgrade and/or replace any component down the road. If you've always wanted to learn how to build a PC or just how to install a certain component, this site has everything you need.

Why build a custom PC?

Building your own custom PC has SEVERAL advantages over buying a typical manufactured PC. Many people think that by purchasing the individual components and building it all on their own may be cheaper than buying a brand-name PC. This may be true to a certain extent, but it really depends on what type of system you're looking. Computer hardware costs over the last few years have really declined, making it much cheaper for manufacturers to sell their PC's at lower proces to the end-consumer.

One of the biggest problems consumers have however after they purchase their new PC, is if later on they ever want to upgrade a single-component of their PC (whether it be more RAM, a bigger or additional Hard drive, a new video card, etc.), OR something in the PC goes bad and needs to be replaced, they typically have 2 choices:

  1. Buy a new PC - which is often times a terrible waste of money since only a single component needs replaced OR
  2. Call a technician to come out and fix your PC if it's broken or install a new part, or send it into the manufacturer if it's not working and still under warranty (they won't upgrade anything for you, just replace anything that's broken)

As long as the PC is still under warranty, the consumer has a much better chance of getting their issue resolved, unfortunately many consumers either don't have a warranty with the manufacturer, or it has expired. In this case, many people elect to call a technician or desktop support squad from a nearby popular electronics retailer... the problem with this is, if they do happen to provide you with an honest and correct diagnosis of your problem, their services are NOT CHEAP, and you'll still have to pay for any replacement parts AND installation. This can add up FAST, especially when they have YOU, the consumer, purchase parts through their store with a much higher markup on them than many of the same parts available to purchase online or through other hardware retailers.

With that in mind, at the beginning of each main component page, you will find a 'Minimun Price Range' that is included for each component so you can get a basic idea of how much money you will need to spend at minimum for that component. Keep in mind though that you can easily find more expensive componenents that are higher quality and can make your system faster or perform better.

What do I need to get started?

 

To build a custom PC, you will need the following hardware components:

The items with an asterisk (*) may or may not be needed depending on your system needs. Some motherboards come with integrated video, so a separate video card isn't needed in order to connect your monitor to your PC. CD/DVD drives aren't required for the system to function, but if you intend to install an operating system (such as Microsoft Windows or Linux), you will most likely have to install it via the system install CD's. Click on any of these components to find out more about what they are, what kind to get, and how to install them in your PC.