Want a PC for work or gaming? There are a lot of companies out there that sell them such as Apple, Dell, Alienware, HP, and Lenovo. Sure, you could buy your PC from these companies but what if you want an upgrade? What if it breaks? Proprietary non-standard parts for these prebuilt computers are very hard to find and you have a limited range of what you can pick out. They also will only work with that brand of computer and not with anything else so there is no cross-compatibility. Many companies will choose the cheapest parts and cut corners to avoid high manufacturing costs. 

When you’re buying a computer from one of those companies, you are generating more e-waste which means that the computer you bought from Dell in 2006 is probably sitting in the landfill now because you can’t make the proprietary parts work with a newer part, therefore rendering it junk and too old for anything modern such as Windows 10 or 11. A standard motherboard from that era will probably have a way better upgrade range that will work with newer software and hardware.

For these reasons, you should build your own computer. Like actually putting the parts together! 

A custom built computer is much easier to upgrade and repair with standard and compatible parts. It’s easier to troubleshoot because part manufacturers have diagnostic guides online. They are also more reliable than prebuilt computers from companies if you can build it properly. You can pick your own parts that go in your PC to fit your needs and use cases like toppings on ice cream. Want 12TB of storage but the latest model Dell Inspiron™ doesn’t offer that? Buy a 12TB hard drive and put that in your custom PC. 

Custom built PCs are also cheaper than pre-built computers from companies. These companies will often charge a premium of $100 or more on top of the value of the parts.

It also helps your creative mindset when you build a PC. You can pick parts with a huge variety of different colors and add your own touch with special lighting customization. It has over a million lighting colors that can be selected.

For those who say building one is really hard, takes so much work, and not worth the hassle, there are plenty of guides on YouTube by people with experience that will guide you every step of the way on your PC building journey. PC building is very popular among gamers now as they want the best parts so they can game at the highest setting. Even 12-year-olds are making videos on TikTok about building PCs. All the parts just either snap in like a lego piece or screw in without any holes having to be drilled. No soldering required either! PC building is definitely a fun project for those DIYers out there who don’t want to take big risks.

If you have no idea about which parts to pick, there are guides on YouTube for that too! There is also Pcpartpicker.com that will give you an in-depth guide on which parts to pick and the most reliable parts. You then can put the parts all together into a digital list and order them from electronics retailers.

Need help with building one? There are plenty of other people out there who have experience and will be happy to help. You can find them on forums such as Reddit and Toms Hardware. 

You’ll be feeling so happy and accomplished when you see that first startup of your new custom PC. Now what are you waiting for? Your next computer option is a custom one built by you!