A "pro" that you missed is that you can build a computer that is exactly right for the job it's intended to do, whether that's gaming, video editing, or office tasks. You won't be paying for features you don't need and you can be sure it has everything you DO need. Proprietary computers are usually difficult to upgrade, which means that if they start to struggle with your requirements you have to replace them, which in the long run can be more expensive than having an initially more expensive but expandable machine.

@RonLarhz

2 жыл бұрын

A video editing setup is capable for all other common use. The actual difference is building server vs pc.

@TechHug

2 жыл бұрын

literally the first point

@Kusumkumari-hk4up

10 ай бұрын

Pm

Self builder here 🙋🏻‍♂️. Built my last 4 gaming PCs, most recent of which was 2 years ago. There’s a sense of satisfaction which comes from building your own. You can look at it and think “that’s mine. I made that”

I personally think the benefits outweigh the risks

@PiddeBas

7 жыл бұрын

Couldn't agree with you more

@lusurama5080

7 жыл бұрын

Naheed Uddin and it's really fun putting it together and see it start for the first time

@rmhjackal5265

7 жыл бұрын

I'm so tired of all this UEFI windows bullshit, so i went to linux :)

@gorepuppy

7 жыл бұрын

Ha, built at least 50 PCs. My current project had a bad motherboard and though it is here somewhere I misplaced the pin cover. Same as loosing 170$, but as I get older more and more shipped parts require RMA and it cost me shipping in many cases.I have piad several hundred in RMA shipping fees over the last decade. Still worth the risks but crap does it get me upset for the lack of QA sometimes. Still, that feeling when you get that first boot on a system you built never goes away, no matter how many you build.

@gorepuppy

7 жыл бұрын

It does not take that many RMA shipping fees to reach 100$.

I just finished building my first PC (Gigabyte mobo, Crucial M.2 NVMe SSD, Corsair 650W PSU, Crucial 2x 4Gb DDR4 and LG optical....all in a Rosewill case). Was a great educational experience researching & putting together the components. Wanted this to be my first Linux box (running Mint Cinnamon).....so now I'm learning Linux on a PC I built myself!!

Chris, you really remind me of my university lecturers. Your passion is infectious, and keeps me in the computer mindset. Thank you for making these videos!

Whatever you do, don't get drunk on half a bottle of whisky, and then attempt to fix that computer your friend left for you to repair. Flames! Flames leapt from the motherboard that night.

@ExplainingComputers

7 жыл бұрын

:O

@justsaus9897

7 жыл бұрын

ExplainingComputers ö

@imanulhuq

7 жыл бұрын

Real emotional investment ;-)

@zuryan

7 жыл бұрын

soooo you shared that bottle of whisky with that computer?

@Inaflap

7 жыл бұрын

Philipp Winter No. No whisky was wasted. The single malt I was drinking was worth more than the mobo. Let's just say that I managed to make things fit in slots they weren't designed to fit. Flames shot out of those slots.... and there was a nasty acrid smoke. It spoilt the aroma of the whisky for a few moments.

I don't like the proprietary components of some computers which can make it difficult to upgrade. I don't look at the cost on the first build as the total cost. I consider the much longer effective life with the constant improvements over time. In addition there is more satisfaction in your own case and selected components.

@DaRyteJuan

4 жыл бұрын

Egil Yeah. Remember the Sony VAIO line? Ugh!

This is an absolutely first rate dissertation on this subject. I have been involved in PC building, servicing and selling since the mid eighties, a retired IBM customer engineer that started a one man business. Your description of the pros and cons of building PC’s from scratch are right on the money. I started out building the PC’s myself but within a few years it made more sense to let the wholesalers I was buying the components from put them together test, support and provide a warranty. I have reached an age where it is not possible to sell or service customers anymore, but I still enjoy working on my own to the extent that I am able. I sure wish I would have had the service you are providing back when I started. Keep up the good work.

@ExplainingComputers

7 жыл бұрын

Many thanks.

My son and I have built computers over the years for ourselves and friends. And everything you've said here is true! My current PC we built for the pure joy of father-son DIY. My son's most recent projects have been building kid PCs from units locked away in the closet that mom and dad bought and abandoned. The parents invest a few bucks and the kids have a PC and in many cases the parents retrieved old files and photos. He has more fun than profit. My boy is 29 and together we've built computers over 20 years.

I've been building PCs since I was 12, It's actually pretty easy and it has gotten easier the last few years regarding connectors, compatibility, fail-safeness and information about it online. Also I think it's very true what you said, one gets very self fullfilled and happy about making a build of your own.

Thank you so much for this illuminating episode. With the exception of an IBM computer, I have always rolled my own. In a nutshell, there are many things that can go wrong, but there are many more things that go right!

Christopher, thank you so much! With your help I built my own computer! You made simple, all the different components. First off, buy an ATX case, buy a motherboard and a compatible CPU, then an appropriate power supply, then a drive and ram.. It was that simple!.. I went to the shops and priced machines. They were selling a machine for $1200 that was not as good as my $400 machine... I told everyone that I built my machine! They weren't impressed so I built another one.. Currently, I'm building another.. and I have plans for another... Christopher, HELP!

@ExplainingComputers

3 жыл бұрын

You seem to have the PC building bug! :)

Nice video! I have always been a self builder. Have the same case for the last 12 years but everything inside has changed.

I love your videos; you have such a clear and simple way of explaining things.

Only my first PC was pre assembled. Since the second one I have built every one of them plus some others for my wife, my brother and for one or two friends. I really like putting together a PC.

I remember in my 'early build days', I thought an AT motherboard would fit just perfectly in a Micro-ATX case. A touch of smoke later and I was soon sure that was not the case! We live and learn!

Good list of considerations. Passion for DIY often overlooked, but it's the main decision driver for me. I didn't build my last pc but I did buy with expansion in mind. Another good video Chris!

I love building my own PCs for the fact that you mentioned - It's a very personal process and I get emotionally invested in my PCs. I've always loved how intimate the process can be, selecting the components, handling them, putting them in the case and connecting everything. I also feel like you can get better looking cases in the DIY market than you can with manufacturer built devices. I recently built myself an i9 10850K machine and that feeling pressing the power button for the first time and seeing everything light up and the fans spin to life after all that labor went into putting everything together was the most satisfying thing ever.

a great way to learn is if you can get your hands on a pile of older junked out computers, take them apart, and see if you cannot cobble together a new, working machine. you will really learn about trouble shooting and just how diverse desktops have been put together over the years. I never really used them, (except my GF playing solitaire), but it was satisfying to get a few up and running, and you probably learn more that way, then just buying all new parts. I even did some painting/cabling/fan mods.

Great vid. I'm glad you added the personal connection aspect. I've built my own and bought prebuilt. They both have their advantages. For most people the prebuilt is just fine. But for folks that are watching your videos, I'd say build you own if you haven't done it at least once.

After pourchase 3 PCs from manufactures I decided to buy muy next PC and I'm very satisfied with the results! I has chosen carrefully all the components, I has read a lot about its and when I put toggeter Its has worked perfectly!

I taught myself to do everything i do , building your own pc is very easy these days , but i liked your video because of the way its explained build or buy, nicely done and your other content is rather good as well :D

I've building my own PCs from my first Pentium 133 with a Miro 22sd and a 8gb drive. That was ... 24 years ago 😅 I believe that once you're made own first self-build, it's the obvious choice then. My most recent one : an absolute beast for a 3d designer Friend of mine : A Ryzen 2990WX with 64GB Ram, GTX 2080Ti. Thank you for bringing up that topic to your channel, I guess that's a passion for many of your subscribers.

Chris raises a good point that even if you build the PC without making any mistakes, you could get stung. Back in 2009, I built a Core i7 rig with an Intel 950 on X58 and inexplicably kept getting blue screens on Win 7 Ultimate. Out of total frustration, I broke down and too the system to a local PC shop. After FIVE hours of analysis, they determined the CPU was faulty. Although the CPU was covered under warranty, the labor for the analysis was not. However, since the shop never provided me an estimate of the labor, I only consented to pay them for the first hour as they had listed up on the board. That is, after the first hour, the people from the shop never called me for authorization for any additional labor. But, I nearly got stung for $425 is support costs right out of the gate (5 hrs @ $85). Having said all that, Fry’s has a service where they’ll build your PC with your components for a flat amount.

I build PC's for friends, and, you are right about 1 thing, it can be a lot more to build what you want. You can buy a box (pre-built computer) with close to the same thing you are building, saving the time of building and the headache of incompatible parts. If you build enough computers you will eventually find components that do not p[lay well together. Thank you for this video.

Built my first rig recently. Love it.

@ExplainingComputers

6 жыл бұрын

Cool.

Such another great video again Sir Barnatt. Thumbs up! '> It is really my passion to build my own PC, so you're right there. But as I observe from today's wider area of PC productions, there are lost of shops out there who are selling a pre-built PC. I admit it is really tempting when you look at its low low prices.

All good points. Another advantage is that for the same money you get more machine. When I build, I know my processor, memory, Hard drive (SSD) and motherboard are all top quality. I've serviced many HP, Dell, and other machines and can say without hesitation that they skimp on quality wherever they can. The main component they really skimp on in every machine I've serviced is the Power Supply. This alone is enough reason to build your own.

Great video!The ability to analyze and repair is the main item for me. when something goes wrong, I can almost always diagnose and come up with a fix. With pre-built it is so hard to get into the "guts" and the use of non-standard parts, and things that disassemble in very odd ways with proprietary screws and clips etc. just puts me off. After 3-5 years I can upgrade the cpu, memory and motherboard and for $400-600 I can have a brand-new machine functioning to today's performance level

Very true. I have been self building since the late 80's. I can relate to what you are saying. Also if it ain't broke I keep my hands out, except for upgrades. Last build was 4 years ago, I7 2600. Last upgrade was 50inch Samsung 4k Tv as a monitor. Needs a better graphics card, water cooling for cpu, etc etc. It never ends. I like your videos. Please keep them coming

I would like to add that getting a professionally refurbished barebones office computer can often be a good base for a self-build if you're on a really tight budget. You can find a decent quad core for about £100(as low as £60 if you're willing to take your chances on eBay or Amazon Marketplace), then from there, just transplant in your old HD and some RAM and you're at the races. In ATX ones they'll typically have 4 RAM slots and at least a PCIE 16x, usually with either 1 or 2 4x and/or 8x slots and four SATA sockets. My previous machine was a used Dell upgraded over time as my budget would allow with 8GB RAM, a 2TB hard disk and a 1050 graphics to make what was once basically a web browser and office computer into a very competent gaming machine.

Great video, I have never purchased a store bought PC for myself except for laptops. I have been building them since 1990 and have been through all the evolutionary steps of DOS and then Windows when 3.0 was released and still do it today for friends and family. It has been a wonderful learning experience, I ran my own small business building PC's for a little while back when you could make money on them but soon the market became saturated with manufacturers and the profit margins became non-existent. Thus we saw so many companies go out of business. It is great to be able to construct exactly what you want and know that the quality you get is up to you making those decisions and not someone else trying to cheap out everywhere. You learn what is critical to performance and what is not and where to save money. It's also fun and everyone thinks you are so smart.

I started with putting the occasional part into an old PC someone else built for me (I don't think I've ever had a branded PC, not since the old BBC micro days anyway) it got obsolete to the point I couldn't really upgrade it anymore (DDR, AGP) and eventualy died, I decided it was time to build my own as I'd had problems identifying some of the hardware (and therefore compatibility). Spent a few hours putting it together, didn't turn on the first time, panicked, pushed a cable in properly, worked. 7, nearly 8 years and a couple of upgrades later and it's still working fine (jinxed it).

I can't imagine buying a pre-assembled PC in a box. In 20 years it's just never happened. I built my mine, my wifes, and my sons. What you say is very true. I know them all intimately, which makes any issues easier to fix. Love your videos mister.

Thanks Chris! I recently started motovloging, thanks to you I downloaded Davinci Resolve! WOW! But that led me to upgrading my video card and that led me to upgrading my power supply. The machine I'm working with is a cheap vanilla gamer PC, which is, I think, a good way to start. Buy an inexpensive PC and upgrade it as necessary. I'm looking forward to watching the build. Cheers!

Completely agree with your assessment, I am very happy with my homemade gaming rig, and I do agree that you should only do it, if it is something you are passionate about. It has a large effect on how you weigh the risk and calculate the cost. People who are not passionate about it would credit any error or problems as a huge cost to their project where one who enjoys it would credit it as a learning experience and a minor cost long term :)

I have build quite a few PCs over the years, but I have also bought pre-built as well. What I don't like about pre-built is that they often have BIOS limitations from the OEM that limit what you can do. overclocking, upgrades and other things are often much more limited than building. Also, builders often have access to newer technologies than most standard pre-builds have. You also can use a much larger or smaller case, which suits your specific application needs the most. For instance, you may want a 22 core Xeon chipset, but pair it with a gaming GPU. They don't often prebuild those.

Great video! I have like you been building PC's for quite a time now and I enjoy being able to have total control over the parts. For example I have a couple of render-machines I use for 3ds-Max network, and distributed rendering, those machines don't have a graphics or soundcard, no fast harddrive, no optical drive, no SD-card reader, etc. only lots of RAM and the fastest processor I can afford. Being able to build these myself has saved me a lot of money. The only thing that bugs me is having to buy a fullblown windows license for a computer I only use for network rendering.

I enjoyed your introduction to the issue of whether to build or buy a new PC. There is third alternative which might worth mentioning: independent computers stores. I am not sure about the structure of computer market in the UK, but in the US there are many small independent computer stores. Often these stores will, for a nominal cost, assemble a computer from parts selected by the customer. I prefer this alternative because I don't have the time to assemble a computer, but I don't want an off shelf computer for the same reasons you cited in your video. Thank you for returning to the topics encouraged me to subscribe to this channel.

@ExplainingComputers

7 жыл бұрын

Yes, this is a nice alternative -- and there are stores that will do this for you in the UK too. Good thought.

I've been building my computers f since 2000. Indeed you always know what you're paying for. Last build was a 100% silent computer (fanless and SSD) for my band's home studio recording. Works like a charm.

I've built a few PC's and always thought I didn't save any money but I did get to choose exactly what went into it. I also had to deal with finding drivers that would work with the MB and the OS and that can be pretty involved. If you are using the machine for gaming I think the best bet is to buy a refurb. You can usually get a business machine with decent specs for short money. The last 3 computers have been refurbished and all have worked out well for me or friends i bought them for. This is an attractive option if you want a machine to run linux on, a dual core processor can be had for short money and runs fine under linux.

Thanks for a good intro to self build. Been self building/repairing for many years, it has never been easier than now with truly standard interfaces. Great resources available on KZread such as Pauls Hardware and Carey Holzman for basic build methods and parts advice. Using something like the Partpicker website can be good for compatibility checking if you are not sure. Getting OEM Windows keys gets W10 for

Last machine I built was a Pentium IV 700mhz 128mb video card, sound blaster pro, running suse linux 7, 30GB Hd, in 2003. As far as I know it's still running diagnostic data for a telescope in Australia. I've played so much with Raspberry PIs over the past year or so, Im not sure if I need to build a "big" PC any more.

i think the best way to learn building is to read a motherboard manual. they often have lots of pictures explaining how things should be connected and what they are. and because everything is connected to the motherboard it basically teaches you how to build a pc. all motherboards that can be bought separately have a manual that can be downloaded from the manufacturer's site. a pre-built systems from a big brand manufacturer typically has a proprietary motherboard that doesn't have a manual (disadvantage), but you can usually still read the labels and recognize the parts on such a motherboard

@catoclouseau9057

6 жыл бұрын

Good tip, thanks.

Perfect timing. And i am still arguing with myself on the budgeting and setting up a PC build. Whether to slim or regular ATX build. And other trivialities

The first time I built a computer was in 1998, and I have built every desktop computer I had ever since. Most important aspect for me is that when I create the spec; I can include what matters to me and exclude what doesn't, while brand name manufacturers typically include what can be marketed to a wider audience. They add key words like "gaming" or "VR ready" to the description almost by default these days. Regarding cost, I agree that the immediate cost of a low-cost self-built computer can be higher than a factory-built one due to cost of buying an operating system, however, I believe the long term overall cost of ownership with the self-built system can be lower, because you can almost always upgrade a self-built computer in the future as needed (up to a point of course), while a factory-built low cost computer is usually built to serve for the duration of the warranty period with next to no potential for expansion or upgrades, often using custom or proprietary cases, motherboards, power supply units and cooling arrangements that are all but impossible to work on from an upgrade point of view. While, in theory, if you build a low-cost computer today but use modern components with a decent motherboard and a decent power supply unit, and you invested in the OEM version of windows, you can upgrade CPU, RAM, storage and GPU in the future (everything except the motherboard) without much trouble really. You can keep adding more life to the platform for as long as it serves you. The same cannot be said about branded computers, especially economy models.

You have been building PC's for 25 years and the only time one didn't work was some dicey memory. That is an encouragement to build your own, I think.

I have always built my PC, more than 20 years now. It has not even occurred to me to try to buy a ready package. I guess it goes with the fact that I have always been DIY on most things, even sometimes things that I could have called someone to fix maybe even for free (e.g. the building manager to fix my toilet) I have done myself. Today even the case of my PC is a DIY hardwood airtight watercooled cabinet (version 2).

The points you make here are as valid in June 2020 as they were when you made this video. The only thing I would add, there is so much help now on You Tube regarding how to build it, even a less technical person can attempt it - Lego for adults! Also cost can be dearer as you go to buy something, then you see a better item you did not know about, and you just end up spending over budget.

Thanks Ringo.

I just finished my first build this week and had some issues with the mobo. Take this tip: Always check the forums for the thumbs up and thumbs down on parts you want to go into your build first. Helps you make a more educated decision.

7:15-8:41 best and loveliest part of the video! GREAT

I built my first PC last month and I must say it was a great educational experience. I learned a lot.

In my case, the trouble would come in choosing compatible parts, and then would be the BIOS puzzle. It's tempting but WOW, the pitfalls, as you mentioned.

Another plus to building your own computer is getting manuals with the components, particularly with motherboards.

@ExplainingComputers

3 жыл бұрын

Very true.

as some reactions below, I also enjoy to put my computer together for the job it needs to be doing, my 1st was a 486dx2 and yesterday I replaced a defect motherboard for my ryzen setup, somehow I don't miss the hassle of jumper settings, or if you where lucky dip switches on the boards from former days, but still had it's flair though, yah even knew your mainboard and where to "fiddle" with it

Long ago there were local computer clubs and local computer shows with the latest cool components at a deep discount over the retail outlets. It was a good time to put a system together. Recently more and more local computer stores are going defunct, even the big ones. I haven't put one together in 5 years, new core i7 laptops would do everything I needed to do now (don't do CAD anymore). Don't think much price difference other than some retail desktops use proprietary components that would be difficult to upgrade.

I'm a newbie to your channel on KZread, good stuff. Have been doing self-built PCs since mid 1990s, never had a no-go until recently. Looking for a low-power machine, tried Gigabyte, and Zotac, could not get them to work, so returned. Now I have a Shuttle xs35, and could not get Win7 (supposed to be suitable) on it. Went to Linux. Tried ubuntu, but the restart for first use only came to a Linux command prompt. Too bad I don't know any Linux commands. Next up tried Linux Mint, which worked great, and since have been following your advice about Linux. Thanx Chris.

+ExplainingComputers / Christopher Yet another good video and a good demonstration about the pros and cons of building a new desktop / workstation. As like yourself, I have built countless number of computers over the past 25+ years (I have had my share of disasters but most devices have been working after first attempted build). About 15 years ago I was working for an independent computer retail vendor, in which my job consisted of building and installing at least six workstation per day (I built this many computer every weekday for over a year, as well as installation of OS and software, and repairs of existing devices). Due to time restraints and cost, these days, I prefer to purchase new branded devices with warranties from trusted vendors / suppliers.

I had thought about building for my Linux Mint PC but ended up getting an HP computer from a small computer shop that had been bought in bulk from previous institutions (university computer labs, businesses, etc.). It had the power I needed but some issues with installing some components. For instance I wanted a hard drive dock right inside the case but it wasn't made for it so I ended up having to use an external one connected via USB 3. The DVD drive is mounted vertically which is somewhat awkward but still usable. It does the job although there are times I think about how it might have been had I built one instead. Perhaps some day in the future I've build a more higher spec machine. I did put in the maximum amount of RAM, a fairly decent graphics card, although not top of the line, and SSDs for the storage and system disks so I can't complain.

I built my last pc years ago before I decided to switch to mac. Now I play with RPis, when I want to "play" with hardware. Looking forward to Your next RPi Robot video!

One of the best tips for PC construction is to cross-check you construction techniques against KZread videos on the subject. Don't assume that the KZread videos are necessarily correct, but cross-check the advice for logicality. You can even cross-check that you are using the correct screws, washers, and pillars, on websites. If the advice provided is logical for the application, then apply it.

I completed a self-build a few decades ago and it was one of my DIY highlights. I loved building it and was very proud to have completed it successfully. Unfortunately my pride and joy was destroyed when the electricity was restored after a power-cut, the sudden surge fried the psu and mother board. I am considering another self build. Is it possible/practical to build an ARM based computer? This is a great channel keep up the good work.

Thanks for the many hours of entertainment you have given me in your videos. It is crazy times we are living in. Parts are hard to find and way more costly than they should be today. However, I have seen folks buy pre builds just for CPUs and video cards that is cheaper to buy the whole box than the one part you need. I guess it has some value in the end due to you can down grade that pre build and either use it or sale it. Strange times.

I used to build them myself over a decade ago give or take, but nowadays I buy pre-built albeit from companies that let me configure it as much as possible. This is very particular to my corner of the world, but for my particular case, it was all about availability - something that people in the US, UK among other countries would never consider. :P Back when I built desktops for myself and friends, it was more or less like this: you either built a good gaming PC yourself, or you bought an expensive crappy desktop which you'd have to open up, void warranty, pay more to get components that weren't like 2 or more years old, and then you'd have a desktop to play the latest and greatest, or do something like video editing. Even still, some components of your desktop would innevitably be outdated, or belonging to the lowest models. That was the reality of it... you basically had no pre-build PC brands and companies that had their latest models available in Brazil. They were all models that were 2 or more years old in comparison to the US market for instance, all overpriced, so you couldn't rely on them if you were planning to do something substantial with it. Then again, building your PC from scratch is another type of hassle here. We don't have many computer components parts stores here... at least not official ones. It's all grey market (contraband). You don't have a whole lot of warranty even for the specific components. And because of these conditions, you can have newer hardware or less sought off components marked high up, way more than they would actually cost if it was the official thing. There's only a handful of big brands known worldwide that deals with pre-built desktop to this day in Brazil, and most of them takes months to years to start selling their latest models. Directly importing them is another option, but again, it's another kind of hassle. They get stuck into the importation process, which can delay delivery for up to half an year depending on what it is. And then, of course, there's the importation tax itself, which can go up to 120% of the original price. That plus currency exchange rates... you can imagine why so little people is into building their own PCs here. Over the years though, at least one brand that I know off started bringing more updated and flexible configurations to brazilian markets, and that brand is Dell. I wouldn't call them exactly cheap, but you can pay in installments, and the hassle to find components at good prices one by one plus all the individual component problems that might arise when you don't have warranty made me turn to pre-build. Other brands I know have an official presence in Brazil are: Acer, HP, Lenovo, Asus more or less... but the last time I researched on those (couple of years ago), all of them still had delays for bringing their latest stuff ranging anywhere from half an year to a couple of years. Most of those brands never even try to bring their high end/enthusiast lines. If I lived in the US or UK, I'd probably be building my own desktop PCs up 'till now.... because the way I got my previous Dell XPS desktop, was exactly the same as building it by myself: I researched on every individual component, customized it as much as I could, and when it arrived I opened it up to install an SSD, and will probably replace the graphics card soon. I know it inside out. But it's just too sad to see how things work here in Brazil. There are reasons why the country never advances in tech, why population seems to be locked into a previous era, and why technology related companies have the harderst time succeeding here. Government is short sighted as hell, and being a fan of tech related stuff here is a step back for your life. Everything is difficult, expensive, and counter-cultural. Society as a whole doesn't care much about it because we can't have access to it. Back some 3 decades ago, South Korea was in almost the exact same position as Brazil was. They invested heavily in education and tech, while we remained a backwards country with protectionist laws that made it difficult for technology to enter the country. The difference became evident. Our country is behind times, it's wasting talent and creativity, and the most successful brazilian people working in tech are working for companies outside the country. Our biggest exports are all raw materials and primary products. International companies dealing with tech have the hardest time flourishing here in Brazil, and brazilian technology companies are reduced to assembling foreign components to be used here, usually two steps behind the rest of the world. Dang, sorry for the long rant, went completely off topic. But oh well, there you go.

I bought my first PC in 1995; after upgrading a few components (RAM, HDD, and CPU) and reaching the limits of the motherboard, when that last component got replaced, I realised that I had the knack, and thereafter all my desktops have been self-built. I've also built over a dozen for other people. I have to say it is very enjoyable to build them. The video says everything about the pros and cons quite succinctly. As to the cost, PC maker companies can also claim VAT back on their purchases, whereas Joe or Josephine Public can't on the whole. Over the years, PC component costs have come down, to the point where it isn't cheaper to self-build now. The price of Windows hasn't come down, though. I'm not sure if it's actually gone up, or if it just looks more expensive because the hardware costs have decreased. What is the price of Windows for current versions? I only use Linux Mint on my machines, unless I buy a used laptop with Windows pre-installed.

great video! Maybe you can make another one about upgrading an existing machine. For example which parts of the computer are worth upgrading and at what point does it make more sense to buy a new one. I was going to buy a new PC this year but a friend advised me to upgrade my current one. So I bought a new case for better ventilation and a SSD to make it faster. The SSD was a great decision so I went ahead and did some research for a new video card. Turned out that my mainboard already bottlenecked my videocard. The end of the story was buying a new mainboard, CPU, RAM, power supply (with cable management) and a new video card additionally to the case and SSD. At first it's really overwhelming if you know nothing about what's currently going on with what's the best hardware out there and what's an affordable alternative to that. But you really get an interesting insight on how all the different parts of a Computer work together and especially what differences there are from different manufacturers. In the end it's sometimes not about what's better but more about what features do I favor about another.

like you, I have been building desktop PC´s for decades. This winter was the first time I couldn´t get it to work on my own. I had done a motherboard swap to upgrade and old AMD to ryzen. Noticed 2400G in the store and brought that home. Unfortunately, today´s motherboards in stock need a firmware upgrade to accept 2nd gen ryzen. You need a 1st gen ryzen to boot, upgrade the firmware, and then you can use put the 2nd gen processor in and it will work fine. Brought my hafl-built case back to the store, and they kindly opened a 1st gen part to keep around for the others that will have this issue, and in about 30 minutes, everything was fine. So even that build worked fine in the end. Not for the faint of heart though!

I've been repairing and building my own computers for years. My first computer was used and cost $3300 and at that time there was no mouse or hard drive. It had the 45 size floppies that had to be each programmed. Now building and using a computer is a breeze. I don't buy off the shelf because they don't usually come with everything I need and if you do have a problem you have to box up the whole thing and pay to ship it off.

Ever since leaving school in 1998 I've been building computers. My first one was a cyrix 166mhz and Windows 95 when I started as an IT apprentice. And have been building them ever since. Upgrade ability is always on my mind hence the reason why I try to upgrade to the less recent technologies. That way I save money and get the computer I need.

Would love to see a video on the different sockets, memory and ports!!!!!

@ExplainingComputers

7 жыл бұрын

Good idea -- noted. :)

Not sure how it works in other countries. But here general practice is that if you buy all parts from pc shop they will build it and test it for you and provide free of charge troubleshooting (if something breaks) durring warranty period. So it is something in between buying branded or building it yourself.

Excellent video. I myself have been in the build your own PC camp since my early teenage years. It's typically been my experience that I get a lot more bang for the buck going that route, though I primarily build gaming and rendering spec'ed PCs as opposed to budgetary, simple use builds. Even with the potential expense of Windows I was usually able to acquire an OEM system builders copy of whatever the latest Windows was at my local Fry's Electronics for approximately $100 - $200. Luckily the expense of a retail copy fell dramatically with Windows 10. Though now I'm more of a Linux user, Ubuntu Mate being my distro of choice. I only boot into Windows 10 now when I have the itch to game and wish to leverage my SLI capabilities for said gaming.

i have a continuous build that has been going since the year 2000. clearly i don't have any parts in it that i had back then, but progressive upgrading with a couple hundred bucks a year on average has me with a decent midrange computer that has ALLOT of good storage. and enough parts to have an emergency backup for everything in my computer (i could probably build two with old parts sans a few bits and bobs, i only have one extra case worth using atm). overall i think i saved money in one way, i ALWAYS had a mid to high range computer with just a couple hundred a year.

Built my first computer in 1996, have done at least 50 by now. As far as I can remember I never had a component dead on arrival, but once (in 2001 iirc) the motherboard and graphics card didn't like each other even though it was the correct interface etc. Got the card replaced for a different brand free of charge, though, just had to wait a few days for it to be delivered. The only prebuilt desktops I've decided on since was for a place which needed to have a support agreement where they could have an on-site technician within 24 hours. If you're wary of picking the wrong parts, there are stores nowadays that have knowledgeable staff who will be happy to help you pick out a combination which is compatible. In Sweden I would recommend Webhallen.com, Inet.se or Komplett.se. You can also opt to have them build it for you out of components you decide on and have a warranty on the build for 500 SEK (45£/52€/56$). I'm sure there are similar services in lots of other countries.

I just like the whole process of building a pc. Even moments of frustration that may come with it are worth it in the end.

@shaunlef00ck64

5 жыл бұрын

Oh my god love you too Chris

For people on a budget, self-building is the way to go. Decades ago, upgrading was an expensive proposition, you often had to upgrade the mainboard, CPU and memory in one hit. Very costly. Nowadays with CPU performance generally having hit a plateau (you only need so much performance for gaming and web browsing), the GPU is the only component that needs upgrading every now and then. Everything else (OS, peripherals, monitor) if bought well, can last you decades.

@skeletalforce9673

7 жыл бұрын

good luck with a 1080p monitor in 20 yearrs

@paulcwyuen

5 жыл бұрын

Not exactly. It depends on what configuration you want. If your purpose is normal office use, buying a Dell with MS Windows 10 pre-installed is cheaper than DIY.

I'd never want to go back picking up OEM systems. My current system is the second PC I build on my own, runs great and has exactly the hardware I wanted it to have. Of course ultra small systems like those MiniITX thingies might be a different story but for ATX and MicroATX, doing custom rigs is the best one can do.

With the advent of KZread, I think it's probably safe for a newbie to build their own computer these days. There are thousands of build videos to reference. Also, components are much more standardized than they were a decade ago (a friend once screwed his motherboard directly to the case without stand-offs -- now the stand-offs are commonly built into the case). As for saving money, if you're building a high-end machine, the savings can be substantial. I built a system based on the Intel Core I7 6800k (hex-core) with 32GB of RAM just six months ago for much less than half of what a similar system would cost from Dell.

I've never actually built a PC. But I've always bought and installed new hardware once the warranty had expired. I've upgraded my present machine with an SSD main hard disc (highly recommendable if you want a faster machine), a large traditional second drive, more memory and lots of USB-3 ports. And I've purchased an M-disc drive that I plan to install soon. And on earlier PC's I've installed new sound cards, graphics cards etc. In fact I'm considering whether I should invest in a new graphics card now, as DaVinci Resolve won't run on my present card.

@ExplainingComputers

7 жыл бұрын

DaVinci Resolve is picky -- but once running, it does work rather well. :)

I used to build my own but now just buy refurb laptops for cheap and upgrade them to what I need. My last one finally fried the system board. It is a thinkpad T410. Almost made it to 10 years of age. My thinkpad t440p that replaced it should last me a while and is perfect for my needs.

I also have been building pc's for number of years. The ability to tailor make a pc to your own spec is great. I usually build with a future spec in mind. For example, to minimise initial spend I would install the graphics card from the pc I am replacing. Perhaps memory could also be installed from that other pc. Many other components could also be used, eg HDD, (if you don't mind losing the s/ware from that other pc). Possibly PSU could be used too. There is nothing to beat the sweaty expectation of that initial power up when you see that bios screen come up.!! Don't forget the process then of installing all that s/ware. Win..?/Linux? M/B drivers, graphics card drivers, etc, etc. Then more upgrading over time, perhaps. New graphics card to go with that new cpu, more memory, bigger hdd, replace hdd with ssd?. Upgrade PSU? Having built the pc you can do this yourself instead of paying someone else to do it for you. Bugbears, having to buy a new version of windows, cut fingers from sharp edges in the case (not so much a problem now-a-days). Lots of swearing when plugging in those M/B connections. Having to buy adapters because the case doesn't quite match the M/B, not enough sata power connections, cables too short, cables too long... Even now though, I would only consider building my own pc... :-)

I have never build a computer but I am planning on building on. I have NO building experiences but I been educating myself from KZread :) for the last 18 months. going to start my build February or March mostly as it is my first comp I want to see what ZEN brings to the table. I thinking of gaming BUT my main passion is 3D design and rendering designing an aluminium boat at the moment but get tired of waiting for the drawing to some :)

@ExplainingComputers

7 жыл бұрын

You may find my next two videos useful! :)

good video....& thanks for this....

looking forward to the i7 build! :)

I've been building my own PC's since the late 80s, when dos was still a thing. Apple's for Apple's, you get more bang for your buck. I generally use the best components I can afford, and most of the pcs I've built can go 10 yrs with a few upgrades along the way before they become obsolete. Most manufactured pcs use proprietary mother boards and cases making them difficult to upgrade. A diy pc can be upgradeable for a very long time. It's important to do the research to find which components play nice together. In the past I've had problems with certain components not being compatible. This compatibility problem seems to have gone away for the most part, in more recent years as manufacturers adhere to standards that were not in place decades ago.

I'm so glad I found your channel.

@ExplainingComputers

6 жыл бұрын

Welcome aboard! :)

Years after you posted this video being under COVID-19 lockdown finally gave me the chance to build multiple PCs. I started by upgrading secondhand PCs, e.g i5-2400 to i7-2600 and graphics card etc. I then graduated to 775 motherboards with dual core then quad core chips. I then went onto building 4th gen i5 / i7 PCs. All of my individual parts were cheap - mixture of used and new - and were a mixture of Ebay, Amazon and CEX (UK). I am still wary of using more expensive parts but that will come when I want to upgrade and parts fall in price. So far all Intel CPUs but the AMD CPUs are looking cheap even new...

My first built was a 486, it was a little harder back then. The ide cables could be put in reverse if you didn't pay attention, the hard disk had to be put in slave mode and master. The front connectors didn't have a standard so that could be fun Ahh the good old days...

@ExplainingComputers

4 жыл бұрын

The good old days indeed!

I built a desktop computer about five years ago. Probably didn't save much money if any. Hard to say of course since you're not going to find exactly the same components in a stock computer. But it never gave me any problem until five months ago when the C drive started dying. I bought a 500 gb SSD and installed Linux instead of Windows and its working great.

I started to build my own PC about a year ago and still add things to it on a regular basis. I now have 6 SSD's in it - one for Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 10 & Ubuntu. I bought a manual hard drive switch box so that only one hard drive is running at a time. It cost me more to build my own computer than buying it from a store but the components are of a much better quality. I have also learned a lot in the process of doing so.

I have *never* bought a desktop PC, have always built them. My first was an "XT Compatible" (buzzword of the day) I built in 1985. I no longer remember which *specific* processor I used, but it was an Intel 8086 or 8088 (definitely pre-80286), running PC-DOS version 3-something, if I am remembering correctly. And it had a whopping 384k (yes, k) memory. At some point I added an Intel Above Board to it. Since then I've built more desktop PC's than I can remember, for myself or friends, but that figure is in the dozens. I had the "DIY passion" long before I started in computers, which made the job not only fun, but personally rewarding.

I enjoy watching your videos every Sundays

@ExplainingComputers

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks! :)

I've done a few self build PC's in the past. Its a great thing to do for learning about PC internals. I think that one thing you perhaps might have mentioned is how to choose the right hardware. This is especially important if you are using Linux - something that might be a reason for self build (avoiding the Microsoft Tax). I tend towards Intel / Nvidia builds but others experience may vary.

Well done video.

No warranty? Sometimes you have more time buying parts. If I buy a PC here in Portugal where I live I get a year warranty. If I buy parts I can get like 3 years in the motherboard and up to 5 in the CPU.

I had upgraded and made adjustments to PC's before but I would be lying if I said my first whole computer build was an entirely pleasant experience. I kept on getting boot loops. After a long process of elimination. It turned out that because Corsair changed their H80i bracket to plastic. It didn't have a noticeable stopping point with regards to tightening the cooler on. Hence I ended up braking traces on the mobo from over tightening. Luckily I still had the old metal bracket and all went well after getting a new mobo. An educational experience but it was very stressful at the time. Very gratifying in the end though.

Hi Christopher, some years back I decided to build my own desktop PC and I did this to overcome one main problem with buying a pre-built PC, i.e. inbuilt limitations. For example, when buying a PC from a store you do not know where the manufacturer has decided to "cut corners" in order to hit a certain price point. I have found in my experience, and to my disappointment, that manufacturers can use cheaper motherboards that cannot take more ram memory, internal PC case spacing being very limited, cheaper components overall that fail after 12 months, etc. However, I've found that you can buy the best components your budget will allow while designing out all those limitations "store bought PCs" will typically contain, i.e. you can build in your own upgrade/expansion path. To conclude, in the medium to long term, your self-built PC will always be cheaper than a store bought, pre -built PCs because you can build in quality, longevity and an upgrade path while a manufactured PC is a take it or leave it, one-time only thing built to a price. Regards Bob

I built my first pc recently and I had no issues using it. It's a core i3 pc that runs Linux Mint. I was tired of Windows and the issues I had with it so I switched to Linux. Since then things have been running smoothly.

one of the big problems with buying a computer, beside the price of course, is that many of them use proprietary hardware and, depending on the form factor, you may not be able to install any additional hardware....and you cannot overclock it.