Part 1: Introduction to PC building

In this series of articles, I will be giving my opinions on the best ways to get started in building your own computer. I’m going to go into detail about selecting the right components for you.

1. Introduction to PC building
2. Choosing a processor (CPU) and motherboard
3. Choosing a case, memory (RAM) and cooler
4. Choosing a graphics card (GPU)
5. Choosing storage and operating system
6. Choosing a power supply (PSU) and case cooling
7. Tips for actually assembling your computer
8. Example build – The “cheapest (good)” build your own PC in January 2022
9. Example build – The “making your money go furthest” build your own PC in January 2022
10. Example build – The best “high-end enthusiast” build your own PC in January 2022

I’ve heard that building a desktop PC is easy. How do I start?

Firstly, I think it’s great you’re going to have a go at building your own computer. Don’t go into this thinking it’s going to be easy, but it’s not as difficult as you might first think either. This series of article will go into a lot of detail about how to select compatible components. It is a very good idea to watch some of the excellent YouTube content on actually building a computer when your parts arrive so you can see exactly how they fit together and what pitfalls to avoid.

OK, but is it worth it?

This is the most important question to ask right now. At the present moment (January 2022), components are becoming more and more readily available again after a number of shortages in 2020 and 2021. This is bringing the price of building your own computer back down. Under normal circumstances, building a PC is usually a bit cheaper than buying a ready-built one. However, professional system builders often have access to suppliers that the general public do not, so over the last couple of years of shortages, some pre-built computers have actually cost the same or even less than build-yourself ones. However, that balance is beginning to shift back to build-your-own now.

I don’t feel like that answered my question. Is it worth it?

If you are just looking to save a few pounds to get hold of a desktop computer that is just a functional tool to you, I would say that it’s not worth it to you. Any savings you will make will not be outweighed by what you will need to learn about building computers and if that doesn’t interest you, the savings probably aren’t worth it.

However, if you will spend a good length of time using your computer, you are interested in learning about how to build a computer and you would like to know how to keep its performance high over the years, it is absolutely worth it.

Could I build a laptop computer instead?

No. If you want a laptop, you have to buy a pre-built laptop. You can only build desktop computers*.

So where do I start?

You need to know what the different components do. This is an overly simplified explanation, but I’ve done separate articles on some of the components before so click through to read in more detail about each one if you want. Don’t worry about unfamiliar terms for now.

• CPU (or Processor) – Your computer’s brain. Fast, efficient CPU = better performance.
• Motherboard – Your computer’s skeleton. Every other component is attached to this in some way.
• RAM (Memory) – Your computer’s short-term memory. More of this means it can do more things at once without getting confused (e.g. have lots of browser tabs open at once).
• Storage (Not memory) – Your computer’s space for storing stuff. Storage could be:
  • Hard drive (Hard disk, HDD) – Large, cheap, slow space for storing stuff.
  • Solid State Drive (SSD, often connects to a SATA port on your motherboard) – Smaller, more expensive but much faster storage.
  • NVMe SSD (connects to a motherboard’s m.2 port) – Even smaller, even faster storage.
• Graphics card (Graphics processor, GPU) – a (usually optional) component that enables much better performance when rendering 3D graphics, especially in games.
• CPU cooler – The CPU needs a cooler to prevent from overheating. Some CPUs come with one already.
• Case – The box in which your computer will exist. This is what you will look at when you look at your computer. Bigger case = more bulky but easier to work inside, more space for bigger components and more space for cooling.
• Fans – Suck cold air into the case, expel hot air from the case. Used for cooling.
• Power supply – Provides properly regulated power to your system. Don’t cheap out on this.
• Operating system – Software such as Microsoft Windows or similar. Without this, your computer won’t know how to talk to you and will essentially be useless.
• Peripherals – Monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, speakers etc. These will need to be bought separately if you need them. You can use existing peripherals that you might already own with your new computer.

How do I even begin to process all that information?

You need a starting point. The first step is probably the hardest. You need to select components that will work together to make a stable, reliable computer. Let’s get started.

On to part 2: Choosing a processor (CPU) and motherboard

James

*Technically, it is possible to put your own laptop together. However, I can’t say that it’s worth it, particularly not for amateur builders.