Pro: You Avoid Build Problems
Let’s face it, even though building a PC
can be great fun, there are times when even the most dedicated system-builder
has been reduced to tears of frustration by an unexpected problem. Sometimes
there are inscrutable performance issues that defy explanation. Sometimes an
unanticipated hardware fault might hold the process up for days while you wait
for a replacement part. And sometimes you drop a screw behind the motherboard
and have to take the entire machine to bits again just to retrieve it.
You
Avoid Build Problems
Common Mistakes In System Building
Using an online system builder is a great
way to stop yourself running into problems, because hardware conflicts and
incompatibilities should be taken into account for you by the experts building
it, if not the system itself. There’s no danger of buying an AMD motherboard
for your Intel CPU, the wrong size RAM, or an IDE hard drive if you only have
SA TA connections.
However, that doesn’t mean there are no
mistakes to be made. Here, we suggest a few you might want to watch out for:
Forgetting the network capabilities
Most motherboards have built-in Ethernet,
but what about a wireless connection? Although common in the home and a
mainstay of portable computers, Wi-Fi is actually quite rare on motherboards.
If you’re planning to run your PC on a wireless network, you may need to buy a
separate wireless adaptor. Of course, the opposite is true as well. If your
motherboard has Wi-Fi, you don’t need to buy a separate wireless card.
Failing to make correct RAM configurations
Remember that the way RAM can work in pairs
means that it’s a better idea to buy two 4GB modules instead of buying one 8GB
module. Even though they give you the same amount of RAM in total, you’ll get
better performance with the latter, as well as a PC that’s more resistant to
failures, and it sacrifices only a little component space in the process. Most
system builders won’t stop you buying one 8GB module, because it’ll technically
work fine, but be aware it is possible to get better performance by taking another
route.
Remember
that the way RAM can work in pairs means that it’s a better idea to buy two 4GB
modules instead of buying one 8GB module.
You should also take care not to fill up
the RAM slots. A machine with all four memory banks full is harder to upgrade,
because you have to take some out to put more in, meaning every step forward
involves a partial step back. The rule of thumb: always fill two RAM slots when
building a new PC.
Including unnecessary/unsuitable components
The problem with system builders is that
they don’t tell you when to stop. And why should they? You’re the boss, after
all.
The problem with that thinking is that a
novice might not be aware that you don’t necessarily need three case fans and
water-cooling if you’re building a Core i5 system, or that there’s no point
buying a top-end graphics card with a low-end CPU. So before you put together
your dream machine, look at similar ones that you might consider buying and ask
yourself: are you spending extra money on components because you need them or
because you think it’s somehow better to have them?
One of the main benefits of having someone
else build a PC for you is that these problems, quite simply, are no longer
yours to deal with. When a PC build goes well, it’s one of the greatest
feelings in the world, but for the same reasons, when a PC build goes badly
you’ll find yourself wondering why you ever bothered to try. It’s worth
remembering that the reason people buy systems off the shelf from big retailers
like Dell and Currys is because they can get a computer without the hassle of
having to build it. Should you be denied that convenience just because your
needs are slightly more specific than the average user?
Experience, after all, is something you
can’t shortcut your way to. A problem that might take you hours or even days of
online investigation might be common enough that a system-builder can fix it
within minutes. Letting someone else take care of the problem sure beats
trawling through web pages, unsure where to go next, running into the same
dead-end solutions, so don’t be too hasty to dismiss it.
Con: You’ll Avoid Learning About Your System
The flip-side of this problem-avoiding
convenience, however, is that you don’t actually learn anything as a result of
getting another pair of hands to do the work. As we said, experience isn’t
something you can shortcut your way to; it’s a quality you have to build. And
if you’re letting another person put your system together, they’re the one
getting the experience. If you don’t start learning now, when will you start?
“Choosing
what goes into your PC is ultimately the best thing about buying one from a
serious PC-builder”
Don’t get the wrong idea; we’re not
suggesting that everyone should be forced to build their own PC, but if you’re
interested in understanding the guts of a machine, the only way to do it is to
stick your hands into them and find out what happens. As the sort of person who
reads a computer magazine, you’ve probably been asked how it is that you know
so much about how printers work, or fixing web browsers, or setting up network
connections. The answer is the same every time: you do it and do it and
eventually you understand enough to fix any problems you encounter or, at
least, know where to look in search of a solution.
Admittedly, trying to build a system from
scratch is something that probably happens a lot less in your day-to-day life
than helping someone fix their broken wireless configuration. However, even if
you think you understand computers, you really don’t until you’ve built one.
The best time to learn is always now.
“Choosing what goes into your PC is
ultimately the best thing about buying one from a serious PC-builder”
Pro: Post-build Obligations Completed For You
One of the more tedious things about
building a system is the process, once it’s complete, of testing the
components, troubleshooting any issues, and then starting the even more
unrewarding process of setting up your operating system and installing
applications.
Conversely, if you get a system that has
been constructed for you, you’ll have the peace of mind of knowing that the
system builder has already run the kind of benchmarks, stress-tests and
troubleshooting procedures that you’d ordinarily have to take care of yourself.
Duff memory modules will be weeded out, hard drives with bad sectors replaced,
CPUs and graphics cards tested to their limits for stability - often using
tools and standards that would be unavailable to the casual home user. CCL
reportedly runs its pre-build systems for a full 24 hours and makes them pass a
visual inspection afterwards before they’re allowed anywhere near the
customers.
And then, to make things even more
convenient, your system builder can even install your operating system and
software suites, if that’s what you want. Unlike the big companies, they
probably won’t have a generic ‘factory-default’ disk with an default image so
that they can install everything in one go, and that means you’ll get a
genuinely clean installation tailored to the contents of your system.
Again, you won’t learn anything by letting
someone else take this step, which is arguably bad, but then again, if you’ve
installed Windows once, there’s probably nothing else left for you to learn…
