It sure is easy to drive down to Best Buy or Costco and buy a computer. But there is something satisfying about building your own computer and configuring it exactly the way you want it. Some students might consider this a daunting task and would never attempt it. Watching the video below will give students a rough idea of what is involved in assembling a computer.
Now I wouldn't suggest running out to build a computer after just watching this video. You probably should do some more research first. Naturally, How Stuff Works has a section on How To Build a Computer. PC Mech has a Build Your Own PC section that gives step by step instructions with over one hour of video.
Although most students won't build a computer from scratch, many students may need to upgrade some components of their computer. For instance, they may need to upgrade the RAM to get the best performance out of the latest version of Windows. Or maybe they are craving a new Blu-ray drive for their desktop computer. There are plenty of videos on YouTube that show how to upgrade a computer, like the one below on how to install RAM.
There are numerous online merchants where you can buy the parts to assemble a computer. Two of my favorite spots are New Egg and TigerDirect. I have friends who have had excellent experiences with New Egg and I have been very satisfied with my purchases from TigerDirect. And Crucial is a fantastic web site for purchasing RAM (as mentioned in the video) which I have used numerous times.
Discussion Questions for Students:
1) Have you ever built, modified or upgraded a computer? If so, how successful were you? (i.e. did the computer work when you got done?)
2) Would you ever consider building your own computer from scratch? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of doing this?
3) If you had problems building or upgrading your computer, who would you consult for help? Does the Geek Squad (at Best Buy) help with assembling computers (or do they just perform upgrades)?
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