Building Your Own Desktop PC

This tech tip is mainly for the person out there who wants to get into technology, learn about computers, or possibly save money. I will not lie to you, building a personal computer is not an easy task at first. Sometimes it can be downright frustrating which can cause many large headaches to develop. However, once you build one from scratch and everything works, there is a sense of accomplishment that can make you feel proud. And, adding this to your list of skills can be a benefit that you can never lose.

In my opinion, the best place to start with learning how to build a computer is upgrading the hardware in the computer that you already own, that is how I got started. If your motherboard can take it, add more memory. If you need extra storage space to backup your personal data, add another hard drive. If you like to play video games and think your computer could benefit from a better video card, upgrade it. However, it is best when upgrading any of these components to first consult the manual that came with your motherboard. Of course, if you bought your computer from a manufacturer like Dell or HP, you may need to consult your warranty also before voiding any warranty agreements.

In my personal experience, way back in 1994, my first personal computer (if you don’t consider the Commodore 64 I had back in 1984) was a AST desktop computer I bought from Radio Shack. After about a year of use, I found it necessary to upgrade the memory. Of course I consulted AST’s technical support service first so that I could get the exact type of memory I needed to buy in order to upgrade. After that I went to upgrading the 884MB hard drive that came with the computer to a 2GB hard drive and then from there to a faster processor, all the time consulting AST’s technical support service. Once that computer gave up the ghost about six years later, I built my own computer using the knowledge I had gained, over time, from upgrading the AST.

As far as resources are concerned, Lifehacker has a pretty good article on their site that discusses the basics of building your own computer. If you do more research using Google search, you can find plenty of information out there that discuss step-by-step instructions on how to build a computer. I found a pretty detailed instructional on How Stuff Works web site that does a pretty decent job also. If you prefer a book, I would start with any book on Comptia’s A+ Certification. Not only does it help you with the Comptia A+ Certification exam, for those looking to get into the Information Technology field, but it also has complete details on computers, operating systems and all technology surrounding personal computers.

Of course, the staff at Technical Difficulties can be a resource also. I don’t mind answering any questions you may have about building a computer. Just email us (td[ @ ]techdiffpodcast.com) and we will try our best to answer any questions you may have. Or, just post a comment here and we, or someone else, will respond to your questions and/or comments.