To Build Or Not to Build.....

[Blaggs]

Hello everyone...

Looks like a board of very intelligent and helpful people here so I hope to be able to help and be helped in time...

I am thinking of building my own home PC.... Not unusual I hear you say - however I live in Japan... I was wondering if people can give me some idea's----

1. Do you think it is a worth while project - financially and personally
2. As I am in Japan (but don't read japanese) will this make building a PC more or less difficult - my main fear is the usermanuals are likely to be in Japanese....

Any advice on where to start and how long I can expect it to take?

Thanks for any help you can give me,
Paul

[chuck4456]

One of the advantages of building your own PC is that you are able to plan for the future. A well-designed system will allow you to make some changes as technology advances. It is a very worthwhile project. You can visit us for help - it will be just like we are in the next room. I'm unfamiliar with parts availability - shipping details to your locale, but we do have experts here who are trans-oceanic knowledge-wise, and I am sure they will have good advice. What do you intend to do with your PC?

[Blaggs]

Thanks for the quick response

I hope that it will be generally for personal use - games, web design, photo/video processing etc...

Although I expect it will be used for work - Bluetooth programming, general office stuff, etc etc....

I am certainly thinking about it at the moment

[Stuey]

Well, for mainstream light usage, you can't beat Dell or similar pre-built systems. But for heavier work and greater customization, building it yourself is a better idea. This is in regard to initial costs.

Even if you don't upgrade anything more than a HD or memory, building it yourself can be a fun and educational experience.

As far as the product manuals are concerned, you can usually download them in pdf format. So before you purchase a piece of hardware, check to see if an english version is avaialble electronically. I'd think that the most important components to check for would be the case and motherboard.

[jvallen]

Stuey is right. I have found most of the MOBO's I have looked at have pdf product manuals on mfg web site. I haven't built a computer yet(plan to next year). Reading up on mobo's manuals to see what I'm getting myself into. Good Luck with your Build Blaggs.

P.S. Love this site!! I have read nearly everything on it over the last 6 months prepareing for my first build next year.