Tops Reasons to Build a Computer

Lets face it. There is nothing more awesome than to be able to say that you built your own computer. But why would somebody want to go through the trouble in the first place?

1. Experience
   
   Building a computer is actually an easy process once you learn what parts to buy. Everything is usually explained in the motherboard manual how to piece everything together. Seriously, just knowing how to take your computer apart makes things so much easier when you want to upgrade expand upon your current build.
   
2. Long Term Cost
   
   Now days, computers have really become like appliances in our daily lives. We absolutely need them but we don't have to buy a new one every two or three years to stay up with the times. However, there are some parts that do need to be replaced from time to time. Places like Best Buy only care about making the computer as cheap as possible. This often restricts you in several ways such as having weak power supplies which can limit how good of a video card you can upgrade to if you decide your computer is too slow. When you build your own PC, you can design it so you can upgrade it later and it won't be stuck in a outdated state.
   
3. Customize
   
   The most fun part of building a computer is choosing exactly what goes into it. If you want a gaming PC you can shift your funds to buy a better video card. If you need to do a lot of encoding you can invest in a better CPU. You can personalize it so it is the perfect computer for your needs.
   
4. Easier to Repair
   
   If a part goes bad, it is super easy to replace because you know exactly what you bought in the first place. It's a nightmare when your motherboard goes bad. You have to disassemble the whole thing! If you have a pre-built computer, sometimes it's a huge hassle trying to get the power connectors from the chassis to match the motherboard. Whereas if you build your own computer, it's very easy to buy a motherboard with a standard form factor that actually fits everything right.
   
5. Manufacture Warranty and Quality of Components
   
   When you build a computer, you know the reputation of all the parts you put into it. You don't have to settle for cheap junk. You can sort by ratings and still find one that's priced decently. Not only that but you have manufacture warranties to back your parts up. These can easily be up to three to five years. By picking and choosing your parts, you know you have a reliable computer. If something does go wrong, you know you don't have to worry about spending more money because you have a manufacture warranty on your side.
   
6. Easier to Overclock!
   
   CPU's might not be improving as quickly anymore but they are still very easy to overclock. If three years go by and your computer is starting to get left behind, bring it up with the times by overclocking it. You can easily buy a cooler for $20 to $30 that will make this happen. I usually like to wait until my warranty on my CPU is over before I overclock it. That way I don't void it early. Once the warranty is up, overclocking can make a significant difference in your computer's performance.

Cas Latency or Timing Definition

The simplest way to think of cas latency (or timings) is by associating it with how much delay your ram will have. Timings represent the gap between the processor sending information to the RAM and the RAM responding to it. High cas latencies will result in slower RAM.

You can expect that as memory becomes faster it will naturally have higher timings. For example, memory with a speed of 1066 Mhz will likely have a cas latency of 5-5-5-15. Whereas, memory with a speed of 2133 Mhz will possibly have a cas latency of 9-11-10-28. Aim to find RAM with a high speed first. Then focus on finding one with the lowest cas latency.

Ram Amount Definition

The amount of ram is the amount of space, usually in gigabytes, that the ram has. The more ram a computer has, the more programs a computer can open at one time. Having too little ram will make the computer run slow. Most modern computers will have 2 to 16 gigabytes of memory. Programs and video games will often have the minimum requirements of ram listed on them.

Note: The reason why a computer runs slow when it doesn't have enough ram is because it is trying to find another way of storing the information. There is a portion of space set aside on the hard drive for this purpose. The downfall is hard drives are incredibly slow. When they are forced to step in, programs will take a long time to open.

Choosing a Case

Another name for a computer case is a chassis. There's are lots of possibilities when buying cases. The two biggest rules is the case has to fit your motherboard and there needs to be enough space for your video card.

Motherboards are designed to fit certain cases. The different layouts are called form factors. Thankfully, most companies agree to use the common form factor called ATX. There are other types of form factors out there but just make sure they're compatible with your case. Below shows a example of what to look for.

There are many different sizes of cases. Most cases are considered a mini or mid tower. The biggest difference is the amount of drive bays inside. 3.5 inch bays are common for CD drives or hard drives. 2.5 inch bays are normally for solid state drives. It also helps to get a larger case if you buy a large video card. High end video cards can be over 300 millimeters in length. It would be a huge disappointment if you bought the parts just to find out that the video card wouldn't fit in your case. Find out what other buyers have to say about the length before purchasing.

Most of the things about a case are personal preference. You may want check how many USB 2.0 or 3.0 ports it has. Read reviews about how well it's built. Make sure it has sufficient air flow. Does the case have a side air duct. Maybe you want it to be made out of steel versus plastic. Above all, make sure the case has a good reputation.