Build Your Own Computer - Comments Page 1

Could these instructions be laid-out like a recipe - for those of us intimidated by the thought of doing this on own?

Dear Bob,

Good article as always. It might be worth it to build your own computer so you have total control over every component, and it can be educational.

However, you might not save money. It might even cost you somewhat more.

The big manufacturers get volume discounts on the Windows operating system and on all the hardware components.

I have noticed that Microsoft has 2 ways to buy software now. Buy the cd or a download. I don't trust Microsoft that much ever since they made win 7 whith should have been only a upgrade to the screwed up vista. So what to do???
Bill

OK so you spend $500 for the base system. You
still have to spend the following amounts:
operating system $200...Monitor $150 Speakers
$25..Keyboard and mouse $50 and only end up with
a so so system with limited to no warranty? For
$800 to $1,000 you can buy a lot of desktop systems
from Dell, HP and others that are as good if not
better and offer at least a 1 year warranty.

"Building own PC ok, but then what and how"? I did basically do what you suggested here, BUT... What about the operating system and basic software installations - configuration and stuff -not knowing how to do this - this was the rub.

What to buy, how much to spend, where to find best, etc home office software and entertainment. Are there software packages for new PC's? and what about OEM?

EDITOR'S NOTE: I'd suggest Windows 7 Home Premium ($99 at TigerDirect) and a free anti-virus package such as MSE. (See http://askbobrankin.com/microsoft_security_essentials.html) You can go with MS Office for word processing, etc., or try a free office package like these: http://askbobrankin.com/free_office_software.html Pretty much everything else you need can be found as a Web-based application.

And don't forget about Linux, which is a totally free alternative to Windows. See http://askbobrankin.com/where_can_i_download_linux.html

I have been building my own computers, since 1999. I wouldn't have it any other way, either. I also, build computers for family and friends, as well as repairing them.

First of all, I know exactly what is in my computer. Secondly, my computers do not have a bunch of 'crapware' installed on it, since I also, do my own installing of OS and programs. Plus, I have all of the disks necessary to 'recover', should the need arise. Thirdly, I can shop for bargain components, saving lots of money.

For me, computer building is a win-win situation.

I also build my own systems, but sometimes its 3 or 4 years between builds. And I seem to forget what to do. I found a great resource that can help http://www.homepcbuilder.com/ Check it out.

The advantages of building your own computer increase as the quality of the desired system increase. I recently spent 1100 on a system that was listed on dell for 2500. I got all the parts on newegg dot com and recommend that site as a good resource for peer-reviewed products--additionally they are very good about inevitable DOA returns where TigerDirect dot com sometimes falters.Building from scratch ensures that you know the quality parts in the computer, what the power and cooling requirements (something dell is known for low-balling), and what hardware quirks your computer may have. This article does not do an adequate job of preparing the reader for the challenges of computer building, and I would highly recommend watching and reading online instructions and peering over the shoulder of a knowledgeable friend as they build one. Things like mounting a CPU or computing power and cooling requirements can be done incorrectly with disastrous and expensive consequences. Still computer building is a relatively easy task with a little experience.

In addition to Tiger Direct, the ones that I find much better prices and service are microcenter.com and newegg.com.
While Windows is the big operating system maker, one could always try Ubuntu, a Linux system, that is free and includes everything and more than Windows and you certainly cannot beat the price!

This article is great!
I'd like to see one on building your own laptop. Along with comments, other recommended urls, etc., from others reading this article, once Bob writes it.

Great starter guide :) for those people that are a little daunted by opening up your system and physically building your computer, there are many web based systems that allow you to design your pc component by component - great if you have a budget to keep within. An example one is like http://www.computerplanet.co.uk/custom/

Hello Bob ,
I want to build my own pc which could be used for best performance gaming on 22" FULL HD Resolution LED screen .Around 90% gaming and 10% for other required work.My Budget is around Rs 45,000 ( around $ 850). Currently i am going for following configurations.Please give me some suggestions or improvement.

1. AMD Phenom II X6 1090T
2. Compatible ASUS Motherboard with 512 MB inbuilt Graphics Card
3. 4/8 GB RAM
4. 1 TB Hard Disk
5. 1/2 GB ATI Graphics Card ( please recommend which model to get)
6. 22" Full HD LED screen
7. Wirelss keyboard Mouse Combo.

we built them with our
telephone headset parts from scratch worked like a charm.

I had a look at the website suggested by Roco on 24th June - but it's not a free resource: you have to pay anything from $14.95 for access to one video tutorial to $27.95 for the whole set of DVD tutorials. And whilst using these tutorials might save you some money by showing you everything you need to know about building your own PC, there are probably any number of free tutorials available on the net?