Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Reason why you may want a Custom PC

By Dan Ashton

Custom built PCs - what's the point? One problem with store-bought, off-the-shelf computers is they are well-rounded, average machines built for general use. That may not seem like a problem, and for people just needing a small home office, it isn't. But for people using their computers for very specific purposes, store-bought general use computers are often just not good enough.

The ability to specify your requirements, and have someone tailor the hardware immediately gives you the advantage over the standard package that everyone else has. By going down the custom route you should also have the ability to "future proof" your computer which means you have it for a lot longer. Lets look at some reasons why you may need a custom computer:

The reason why a lot of people purchase a custom built PC is for gaming. The high specification required to run most new games (and some older ones) is often beyond your standard PC. Particular graphics cards and RAM is needed to play them. A custom computer will be built specifically with this in mind.

There must be nothing worse than sitting at your computer waiting for the next section of the game to load, or have your screen freeze mid-battle. Without the necessary graphics card, RAM and CPU this is going to happen. If you're buying a PC that is to be used for gaming, check it's specification against that required by the games that you will be playing.

Fancy the idea of becoming the hottest new DJ or music producer? The possibilities are almost endless for what you can achieve on your own computer, but only if it is built to be capable of doing what you need it to. Obviously sound is a priority, with a top of the range sound card and fancy speakers, but you will also need a high specification processor, particluarly if you are mixing different tracks.

The advancement of the internet has meant that a lot of people who previously would have had to work from an office or studio can now work from home. A prime example of this are people who edit video for a living. This can range from large scale movie editing to wedding DVDs. This has meant a raft of software specifically designed for video editing, and as per the gaming machines it is vital that your PC can not just run the software, but run it well.

For a motherboard, inexpensive solutions usually have more built-in options directly on the motherboard, such as graphics and audio support. What this means is that it can be more difficult to upgrade in the future. Whilst they may be cheaper now, to keep pace with technological developments it is important that right from the outset you have the right motherboard. Generally you won't have a choice of a motherboard in a standard system.

The situations whereby a custom built PC is not just a "nice to have" but a necessity are varied, and the above are just three of those. - 16492

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