Under the Equity & Diversity section, I wrote an article called Let’s Talk about the Sexism in Computer Building. In that article I talk about how few videos there are online about women building computers and how this is exemplary of sexism in our society. I finish the article with a proclamation that women should start building computers.

Women should, but perhaps more appropriately everyone should, and this is especially true for small business owners. This is because it is a learning opportunity about the computer you are using. It is also an opportunity to break free from the dependence of a computer tech whenever things go awry.

If you own a small business you need to know what you are using, if only to avoid paying for tech you don’t need. This is undoubtedly what will happen when you buy that one-size-fits-all computer from Staples or Dell. Unlike large companies that have tech staff to advise them, you need to make decisions for your own business, and especially your computers.

The best way to learn about your computers is to build one yourself.

Why people build their own computers

Who builds computers? Well for the most part it is gamers. This is because gaming is a specialized field that requires specialized parts in a computer to perform specific tasks. Gamers have figured out that mass-produced computers from the big manufacturers are not optimized for gaming. They try to cater to a wider audience rather than a smaller specialized one.

So, they build their own computers. As a matter of fact, there is a whole subculture of people who are gamers and the builders, especially the good ones, have their own followings online. They have their own YouTube and Twitch channels and some even make a living doing this.

Here is the important take-away from this revelation: it is a highly specialized community. So if gamers have a specialized community for their specific computing needs, then why can’t graphic designers, musicians, and engineers? Why should they not have specialized hardware?

Most of them just buy from the big brands. They compensate for the lack of specialization by paying very high prices for top-of-the-line systems that cover all the bases. Unfortunately, this also means that they are overpaying for parts and features they don’t need, but that are part of the package.

One specific example of this issue arises for CAD and SolidWorks designers. These applications require the fastest processor. In order to have that faster processor, they invariably also need to purchase one with many cores, because that is part of the package. However, multiple cores is far less useful to these applications. It would be more economical if these people could customize their systems by building exactly what they needed.

Photographers using Photoshop have similar issues and just settle for the more expensive and all-inclusive top-of-the-line offerings from the big brands. Likewise, they are overpaying for features they will not need. The same is true for musicians, videographers, programmers, and many other computer users.

Interestingly, the same argument can be made for small business owners. Do they really need a touchscreen, a fan-cooled graphics card, 7.1 surround sound, or a Blue Ray drive? Well sorry, but that is part of the “small business package.” Wouldn’t it be more economical to be able to build a customized PC instead?

Certainly, Engineers and Graphic Designers don’t relish overspending on computer specs that don’t serve them. For small business owners, that expense is an even larger burden; they don’t always have the extra funds to spend on top-of-the-line computers, or even “small business package” computers.

Limitations to building your own computer

To begin with, Mac users don’t have this luxury at all. They only have one vendor to choose from and that is Apple. While there is some configurability available on their shopping site, it is minimal. They are pretty much tied to the Apple ecosystem for everything, and that includes a very limited choice of options.

Laptop users are also limited. This is because only the big brands make laptops. Portable computers are not available in parts, so if you need a laptop, then your configuration options will be only slightly less limited than Mac users.

It also may not be less expensive, at least on the surface. The big brands can afford to purchase parts in bulk and to use economies of scale to reduce their own costs, some of which they pass onto the consumers. If all you need is a basic computer for email and light word processing, then that HP at Best Buy may be enough for you and will be less expensive than anything you can build yourself.

Building your own computer will require some time and patience to learn new skills. I firmly believe these are important skills to acquire, but if you don’t have that time or patience, you should also opt for the HP or Dell. Building computers is not for everyone.

You need to be handy with a screwdriver and willing to read the manual. If you’ve assembled Ikea furniture or built a model airplane, then you have the requisite skills. That said, you need to have some basic assembly skills. Much of this can be learned by watching how-to videos, but some skills require some mental and coordination effort on your part as well.

You will need to order the parts from different vendors. This is an often-overlooked detail, but most parts will come from different manufacturers, some with strange names that you may not have heard before. Those parts will typically be purchased online so they may not arrive all at the same time, either. Computer builders actually enjoy this complexity, and it is what makes the customization possible. However, if you’re the impatient type and need to have everything ready at once, then computer building may not be the best thing for you either.

Mistakes are part of the experience. It is quite possible that you will make some mistakes along the way, even if you are extremely diligent. There isn’t a builder out there who hasn’t bent a pin, overtightened a screw or installed a fan backwards. It happens and sometimes those mistakes can add to the expense. I still think it is worth the risk, but you must be OK with that as well.

OK. So there are some limitations.

Moving onto the build

If these limitations haven’t scared you off, then let’s build that computer!

It’s not rocket science. If teen-agers can do this, then you can too. I’m not just saying that, I’m actually going to do it too. Over the next few articles, I will be building several computers to demonstrate that it is not difficult and that there are many options for building just the computer you need for your business.

I will also be building computers from the ground up using brand new parts as well as by using used parts. I am consciously doing this because I know that for many of you purchasing an entirely new computer is not an option. You may have an old clunker sitting around that could be upgraded and made into a leaner, faster, and more efficient system than even your current workhorse.

We will be borrowing heavily from the gaming community. They have a wealth of information that will be useful to us, especially when it comes to picking just the right parts for our specific needs – there is no one more knowledgeable about the inner workings of CPUs, memory, and graphics than gamers. With some much talent available to draw from it would be silly not to use it.

Finally, I will do my very best to build systems that will be efficient, smaller, and attractive. The days of having a boat anchor spewing hot air and grinding loudly next to your legs under the desk are gone. Today’s computers are designed to match your environment and fit your lifestyle, and I intend to build systems you won’t be ashamed to call your own.

Conclusion

In the next article I’ll share my first build. I know it will surprise you because it surprised me. The performance is incredible, the looks are classy, and the convenience features are all there as well. Best of all, it was a brand-new build that cost less than $800. There is nothing at Best Buy, Office Max or Staples that compares, I guarantee it.

The systems that follow will take needs into consideration. I plan to build a small computer for backups, a very attractive graphic design computer and I will also be doing an upgrade on two brand-name computers to show what is possible and what the limitations they have as well.

I will include as many pictures as I can, but this will not be a tutorial on how to build. Others on YouTube and Twitch can do a much better job of teaching you how to build. Instead, I will include links to specific building details that I think do a good job of explaining what you need to know without getting too technical.

My hope is that this will generate interest in you all to build your own systems. I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to learn how to do this. Imagine if the next time you go and purchase a car, you knew more than a mechanic about the car. Think of the advantage you would have over the slick salesmen on the lot. That is what I know you can do with computers.

Next time: the first build.

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