my first custom computer build
i custom built my first computer a few months ago and i forgot to share the process i went through in building it. in an attempt to make up for my lapse, i’ll just share with you the components i used.
one thing to keep in mind is that the price of these components are probably much cheaper than when i originally bought them.
computer case
- brand: corsair
- cost: $90.76
i bought the corsair mid-tower mainly because i wanted extra bays for additional storage space but knew i would never fill a large tower up. i haven’t installed yet but having the option of installing liquid cooling is possible with this case. lastly, i have to say the aesthetics sold me with its sleek, dark case.
power supply
it was a no-brainer for me that the most expensive component should go towards your power supply unit. my intention is to make this computer a workhorse that can handle heavy processing loads. for that to happen without experiencing random software crashes, the computer shutting down, or worse, a fire, then i need to make sure my power supply can sufficiently power all of my other components. in addition, if i were ever to upgrade some of those components, i want to expect my power supply can handle the extra load.
- brand: coolmax
- cost: $149.99
processor
amd vs intel? not the most important question to answer when building a computer but probably the first that comes to mind when beginning the selection process. i went with amd in this case because of the cost. it was significantly cheaper than intel’s i-series while still offering competitive speeds. plus, amd provides you with overclocking abilities for an extra boost in speed whereas intel doesn’t.
- brand: amd
- cost: $127.11
motherboard
multiple input and output ports, six expansion slots, and support for ddr3 and raid. amd only and no on-board video, however.
- brand: msi
- cost: $107.11
ram
my motherboard is capable of handing 16gb of ram but i didn’t see any need to install more than 8gb at the time.
- brand: corsair
- cost: $71.97
hard drive
buying a terabyte of storage is much cheaper than buying a solid state drive so i opted for a sata with a 6 gbps transfer rate.
- brand: western digital
- cost: $96.97
video card
since my motherboard didn’t come with on-board video, i need to spend a few extra bucks on a reliable video card that can output hd in movies and keep up with the minimum specifications for computer games or photoshop.
- brand: msi
- cost: $29.99
the complete build
here it is ladies and gentlemen, the final product. overall, it took me a little over an hour to put everything together and another hour installing an operating system (i chose to run the linux distro ubuntu because of its wide support).
in total i spent $673.90, not including shipping and any rebates i had. comparing my build to some at dell and hp, i think the price is low for the power and flexibility i have built in. i’m positive however, i could have the same power while buying less expensive parts that would no doubt be a better deal than major retailers could offer.