Reasons to Build a Computer

Previous  Next

Last Updated: May 10, 2008

Why Build?

Don't build a computer to save money.  Build one because nobody makes what you want.  I built one because Dell doesn't offer a 10,000rpm hard drive and I had to purchase a keyboard, mouse and speakers that I didn't want or already had.  I had upgraded hard drives, video cards, and DVD drives over the years so I felt ready to build my own computer.

Overclocking

Overclocking involves changing the voltage on a computer to make it work faster.  It voids all warranties.  The allure is some processors are known to go 30-40% faster.  For example, a $300 2.5GHz quad core processor can be overclocked to the same speed as a $1,000 3.0GHz processor for a $700 savings and 25% increase in performance.  I suspect most people that do this like to tinker more than saving money.  Motherboards that allow a lot of control of the processor, memory and front side bus voltages and timings cost more.  Memory also costs more.  Heat sinks and fans that come with the processor aren't made for overclocking so a new heat sink and fan is needed.

The biggest drawback to overclocking for me is electricity use and heat.  Processors are designed to slow down and use less electricity several times a second if they don't have much to do.  This lowers the electric bill by a small fraction (1/200 of monthly bill?).  Less electricity also means lower heat, lower fan speed, and lower fan noise.  Overclocking changes the processor to go 130% or more full time.

Allow Enough Time

Your labor cost associated with researching, buying, assembling, and installing will far exceed the cost of buying a computer fully assembled.  How much is your time worth?  Assembling the parts and installing Windows can take 2 hours if you've already built the same computer in the past week.  It could take 8 hours if this is your first time.  Give yourself an entire weekend to work on it.

Is It Worth It?

Different people have different needs and different budgets.  I splurge on some things and skimp on others because it's worth it to me.  However, it may not be worth it to you.  For example, I spent more money on making a quieter computer while someone else may have chosen a faster video card for games.  I don't play video games.  So ask, "Is it worth it to you?"  I've never been disappointed by spending a little bit extra, but I have been disappointed by cutting back when I had doubts if I should cut back or not.

Previous  Next