Technology and IT is an ever-changing sector. It is one the rare industries in which the entire landscape can change from month to month. This is particularly pertinent for those of you about to buy a new PC. It’s often difficult to ascertain the best choice for a relatively future proof PC, as there are constantly new options becoming available. To get the best value for money in computer technology, it might be worth considering building your own PC.

This option is clearly not for everyone, but those with knowledge of computers and a willingness to shop around for components can save themselves a considerable amount of money. There are a number of websites that currently offer components at low prices, such as http://www.dabs.com and http://www.maplin.co.uk. These stores offer all of the necessary components that you need to build your own computer.

Building your own PC is particularly cost efficient if you will be using the computer for a specialist or niche purpose. If you work in 3D graphics modelling and designing, video editing or you simply want a supercharged gaming PC you’ll find that the price  of a good future proof machine can be extortionate. In this case building your won PC is really the only option.

Of course there are disadvantages to building a PC, but most can be overcome provided you are willing to dedicate some time to resolving them. The main problems arise from incompetence, but this is rectified simply by brushing up on your knowledge of computers; this can be done through online tutorials, reference books or a more in depth IT technician course.

Additionally, one of the main concerns is the lack of a warranty when you build your own PC. In actual fact this is not as much of an issue as you may believe because most components come with a manufacturer’s guarantee. Quality components providers typically offer a 5-year guarantee, compared with that the standard 1 year warranty that comes with most PCs.

If you’re still reading this, the chances are you are someone who is willing and interested in creating their own PC from the ground up. In the next section I’ll provide a quick guide to buying the parts you’ll need.

The main components you’ll need to purchase include the motherboard, processor, fans, hard drive, memory, video and sound cards, the tower in which to assemble these components and a PSU to power them with. Usually the tower case and PSU come together and this should be perfectly adequate as long as you check the total power required by the PC against the PSU’s output.

Depending on the intended use for your computer you may be able to buy a motherboard with integrated graphics and sounds chips. If you will not be using graphics intensive applications, such as video editing or gaming, this is probably the wisest option. The other issue when choosing a motherboard is its capacity for upgrades. You should ensure that the motherboard you are buying has plenty of extra slots so you can expand your system when necessary.

If you are building the computer primarily as a gaming machine the video card will be one of the most important factors in its graphics performance, and therefore will be one of the most expensive components. The main competitors in the graphics card market are currently Nvidia and ATI so it would be worth researching the latest video cards to find the price-performance balance appropriate for you. There are a number of benchmarks available for processor, RAM and graphics performance so this is definitely worth investigating.

If you are going to use the PC for accessing the Internet, listening to music and watching videos, your task will be slightly simpler. For these purposes the main factors will be the processor speed, amount of memory and hard drive speed. Additionally, an Ethernet card is a must for connecting to the Internet, and either a CD/DVD or Bluray drive should be bought depending on your needs and budget.

Another vital thing to remember when building a PC is to make sure all of your components will work together. This is easily verifiable by researching all your purchases thoroughly, and buying from reputable companies with experts on hand to offer advice. You should be aware that manufacturers sometimes produce specific models that work best together, so you may want to buy your parts from just one manufacturer.

I have mentioned a couple of sites above that are likely to offer decent prices and a wide range. You can obviously also add Amazon.co.uk to this list. eBay may also be a good resource, but you will need to be more vigilant in ensuring that the items are exactly as described and compatible. I would advise any buyer to ask the seller relevant questions before purchasing and refrain from buying products with inconsistent or potentially misleading information.

Having bought all of your components your computer just needs to be put together. The next section will help you to do so.

Once you have acquired all of the components you need and are familiar the concept of building a PC, you’ll find that putting the system together is a relatively simple process, but it’s worth mentioning that an IT technician’s wristband is a wise investment to prevent shocking any of your components.  The most difficult aspect about building your own PC is installing the motherboard, which is the first step in constructing the unit, and from there the installation mainly involves slotting the components into place.

You should first check that any power supply is not connected to the PSU You must physically put the components into the case using screws. Begin with the motherboard and then connect your processor. Add the memory into the memory slots and install any necessary drives with the cables provided with these components. As you should know by now the cooler the computer runs the better, so you should check that the fans are in the optimal position and that there is a clear airflow into and out of the PC. Overheating is one of the main causes of errors and malfunctions in computers

Once you’ve installed the drives, you can put in the install CDs for your operating system, which will most likely be Windows XP or Vista. Most PCs will guide you through the set up process to install the operating system. The only accessories you should have attached at this time are the mouse and keyboard. After making sure the operating system is up and running, put in your other devices one at a time and install the appropriate drivers.

Although it may be quicker to install all of your additional hardware at once, you want to test each piece as you go to make sure that piece is in good working order. In all likelihood however your PC should be up and running in no time and best of all you’ll have saved a considerable amount of money.