Digital Home Thoughts: Building PCs for Fun and, uh, Fun!

"Before you start picking parts, a builder should clearly understand the machine's intended function. General purpose systems that deal with tasks like 2D games, Internet browsing, and document creation will obviously have modest hardware requirements. In contrast, high-end 3D gaming systems require better graphics, better cooling, and a larger power supply."

The the fundamentals of how to put a PC together has not really changed for decades, some aspects, like standards and specifications do change. I would venture to say that in general, cobbling together a computer is much easier today than it has ever been. Over the years, more and more functions have been integrated into the motherboard, meaning there are fewer parts you have to deal with in a standard configuration. Putting together a computer is a useful and informative exercise. While lots of people are content to treat PCs as magical boxes that give us access to Farmville, or wait until the worst moment to crash, knowing what goes into a computer and how it works is a great way to stretch one's mind. Does everyone have their "PC Builder" badge yet?