Some people want to build their own computer versus buying one that is already put together. There are many different reasons for doing so. Some like the challenge of it. Some want to control all the hardware that is in the system so that it runs the way they want it to. If you are thinking about doing this on your own, there are many things that you need to know about this process before you start buying the parts to begin.

First of all, you need to know how to install hardware. If you have done installations of video cards and DVD drives before, you have some of the basic experience you need. If you can’t do these easier installations, you might want to pass on building your own machine.

Do proper research about your hardware. While you might not expect it, some hardware just doesn’t work well with other hardware at all. You need to do your research to make sure that everything works with the other parts of the computer.

You need to know how to install an operating system on your own. Generally the installation part isn’t the most difficult but downloading and getting all the drivers and hardware to work together on the software side.

Know that building your own computer might actually cost more than a bundled machine. The reason is that you aren’t getting a discount on all the parts and many times are paying individual shipping on each component. To save some money consider using a bare bones kit or using some of the parts in the computer that you already have.

Be sure that you try to think somewhat long term with your computer. Get a motherboard that you will be able to add on to at a later time. This means that you can upgrade the RAM, add a new video card, or other components down the road.