How Hard Is It to Build a Computer?

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Many people hesitate to build their own computers because they think it will be difficult. The good news is that building a computer is one of the most streamlined processes in tech. Most anyone who can read competently at a high school level can figure it out with a little bit of finagling. You really just need to be able to read the part manuals. There’s no need for advanced technical skills in computer building.

Standardization

Computer parts are heavily standardized and fitting them together is as simple as reading the manual.

One of the reasons that hobbyist computer building is so easy is because the industry is strongly standardized. As long as you are cognizant of buying parts that are compatible, it’s just a matter of finding the right place to plug them in. There are some notable parts that can be incompatible, such as CPU sockets. However, the majority of PC parts follow rigorous standardization that make it easy to slot parts in and out.

Standardization is not so important to laptop manufacturers however. Laptop parts follow very little standardization and you might find that parts for laptops are incompatible. However, most of the incompatibility in laptop parts is with the case itself. Since laptops use a small form factor, the parts must be small enough and shaped in such a way that they fit in the non-standardized case shape and size.

Don’t Press Harder Than Necessary

Computer parts don’t always “click” when they’re in place. Don’t try to force parts together or you’ll break them. It’s especially important that you do not press down on the central processing unit when you install it. The CPU should sit flush against the socket, but will not press down or “click” into place. Instead, the faceplate will hold it onto the socket. If you press too hard on the CPU, you will crack the motherboard.

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