You may have pondered about buying a computer for a long time. When you finally decide to take the plunge and get yourself a computer, it is time to weigh your options carefully.

The first question on your mind may be whether to go for a pre-built computer or to build your own. Both approaches have their pros and cons. When you go for a pre-built computer, what you really buy is convenience. Such computers are guaranteed to have no compatibility issues among the various components used, have technical support available and may come with warranties and service plans offered by the manufacturer.

With a computer built with your own hand, you get none of these facilities.  What you get is customization and price advantage. On the side, you get to learn a lot about how a computer is put together when you build your own and you get a computer that fits your needs perfectly.

You can build your own computer in several ways:

1.    You could buy the individual components of a computer and then put them all together yourself to build a computer.

2.    A barebones computer kit comes with a pre-built skeleton to which you add a couple of components and have a computer ready to run.

3.    You could go to an electronics retail store like Fry’s and use the in-house experts to guide you in deciding what components to buy and use them to build your own computer

4.    Your neighborhood computer technician is another good option that could be explored especially when you know what components to buy but are not sure how to go about building the computer.

5.    Several computer component warehouses sell large volumes at low cost. If you have a tight budget, sourcing your components from such stores is a good option. The price savings can be significant in this case.

6.    If you do not have an idea of how to go about building your computer, the Internet is an excellent source of information. Many websites guide you on how to select components, and give guidance on building the computer. There are also videos available online that show you how to do so.

7.    Another favored option could be your friendly neighborhood computer geek. Geeks can be very helpful when it comes to Do-It-yourself projects like building your own computers. They have the requisite level of knowledge coupled with the research skills required to get the job done.

8.    Another valuable source of information on how to go about building your computer is the public library. You may find several resources here that can help you build your own computer.

9.    The science teacher of your local school is also a resource-person who can help you can see your project through.

10.    If you know someone who has a homebuilt computer, you could ask him for guidance when you build your own computer.