Why build a computer and what's in one anyway?

Welcome to my blog, the purpose of which is to give you the knowledge you need to build your own PC. Even if you are the least tech savvy person on the planet, this blog will be written in such a way that you will be able to comprehend it well.

First off, why build a PC? There are many reasons to build your own computer as opposed to just buying a prebuilt one. The top reason, I’d say, would be that you get way more power for way less money. Companies like Dell, HP, and Gateway charge way more than the computer is worth. When building your own, you can get components individually and build a better computer, cheaper than a retailer would sell you one for.  Another reason is that you can customize your PC to include better performance in the areas you use most. For example if you’re a gamer, you can make a PC specifically designed to handle intense graphics. And lastly, building your own PC or at least having the knowledge too will allow you to do your own troubleshooting and avoid costly repair bills.

While a computer might seem like an extremely complicated machine, there are really only a few necessary components in a desktop computer:

• PSU (Power Supply)- Gets power to all the components of the computer
• Motherboard- The “Body” of the computer, this is a board that everything else gets plugged into.
• CPU- Also called a processor, this acts as the “brain” of the computer. It carries out various tasks to get the computer to do what you tell it to.
• RAM-The RAM or Random Access Memory is used to store information for a short time.
• OS (Operating System)- Windows, OSX, Linux, Android, these are all operating systems. Used to run applications and give the user a nice, easy to understand display of everything.
• Storage- This is the storage you’re used to, used to store documents, photos, games, the OS and every file on your computer.
• Case- What you need to protect all those delicate electronic parts.

Not so scary now is it? Nope, these are the only things your computer depends on to run. However, there are also some optional components that can give you better performance, and are just better to have. These things include:

• Disk Drive- Used to transfer information via CD, DVD, Blu-ray etc.
• GPU (Video Card)- Used to get better quality video display if you plan on getting and HD monitor, playing games with fancy graphics etc.
• Wi-Fi Adapter- Allows you to connect to wireless networks.

Now there are many more add-ons you can get for your PC, but these are just some of the add-ons for the everyday PC user.

Later, I will go into detail as to how to pick out the parts that are right for you, depending on your personalized needs.