Should you build your own PC or just give up and buy one?

polygon.com:

If you want to build a kick-ass computer lab in your home, you’ll need to start with a kick-ass PC. But with so many ways to get good PCs these days, you’ll need to make a decision:

Do you buy a pre-built PC? Or do you buy your own parts and build the PC with your bare hands?

Computer Lab Week is our ode to the classic “school” games, like Oregon Trail and Number Munchers, that kept us from being productive. Sure, you should be doing homework, but Carmen Sandiego is on the loose!

Over the past 10 years I’ve made both of those choices, so I’m in a prime spot to guide you through this process. Let’s talk about what you’ll need to build your own PC, what it’s like to order a custom pre-built PC online, and which I recommend.

Building a PC is hard work, but can be extremely rewarding. It offers you complete control in the process, and really makes your PC feel like your own creation. It makes upgrading your PC easier as well, because you know exactly how every piece and part fits together.

Speaking of parts, let’s start with everything you’ll need to build a complete computer and be able to test it on your own:

For acquiring parts, I recommend PCPartPicker. It’s a great resource for beginners and will let you compare different parts so you can get exactly what you want (and it also will tell you if any of your parts are incompatible with one another). You can also take our checklist above and buy the individual parts from an online retailer like Amazon, or pick them up at a local store like Micro Center.

Going into this process, you need to know that PCs are complex and fickle. One wrong move could cause you problems when trying to boot your PC for a test. And if you aren’t careful about your static electricity buildup,