Advantages And Disadvantages Of Building Your Own Computer

A first glance inside a computer case will likely scare most people away. It appears to be an impossible tangle of wires and circuit boards. However, it is actually pretty straightforward. And most computer components fit together with simple connections so if you can use a screwdriver and follow instruction, you can build your own PC.

Advantages to Building Your Own Computer

If your only consideration to building a PC is tying to get one on the cheap, then you may want to reconsider especially if you only want to use your PC for surfing and email. In that case is probably cheaper to buy a lower end preassembled bare bones computer.

But if you want some higher end components such as are required for gaming or audio visual applications, then building your own computer can actually save you money. Particularly if your computer requires customized hardware, you can save the bucks by doing it yourself.

Building your own PC gives you total control over the hardware which can be important if you are building a gaming computer for example. You probably want a specific video card and sound card and finding a system premade to your specifications isn’t going to happen. You can buy gaming computers already put together, but they still might not have the specific components you want, plus they are quite pricey.

Besides, building your own PC is a learning experience. You will understand how the components are connected together and how a computer functions. This knowledge will be useful if you ever need to upgrade or troubleshoot your system. You will know exactly what each component is for and how it relates to the others. That might save you a hefty repair bill in the future.

Disadvantages to Building Your Own Computer

One thing to consider when you pick and choose hardware and assemble your PC yourself is that you don’t have a system wide warranty on your computer. Usually if something goes awry, you can have your computer repaired under warranty. Your motherboard may damage your memory chip for example. On preassembled computers you are covered.

You may still have some degree of coverage when you build the PC yourself, so this is something you need to be aware of, to inquire about when purchasing your hardware.

You Get the Best

When building your own PC, you are pretty much assured of getting the best components which results in a superior PC in the end. Big computer manufacturers often use cheap components to cut down on costs and these can actually have an affect on system performance.

The Bottom Line

The advantages of building your own PC far outweigh the disadvantages. You will be guaranteed of getting the best components, you will be able to customize your PC for optimum performance, plus you will learn a lot about PCs in the process so you may be able to do your own servicing in the future.

Having the ability to actually put the computer together shouldn’t be too much of a concern since the components are made in such a way that it is almost impossible to attach the connectors in the wrong way. If you have ever assembled a child’s toy then you should be capable of assembling your own PC.

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Daniel Travers is an IT Consultant and a writer at Computing Times and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including Games Enthusiast.