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How to build a computer with pictures.

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This wikiHow teaches you how to build a desktop computer using custom parts. Successfully building a computer is largely contingent on defining your computer goals and budget, buying the right parts, and putting everything together in the...

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Always found consumer reports to be very truthful and honest on their articles that would help when choosing a computer.

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Shopping for a computer? Read about types, features, and other must-know topics in our computer buying guide to make an informed choice.

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Shows you each specs and qualities of all the best computers.

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Desktop PCs Are All About the Power

Why on Earth would you want to buy a desktop PC or Mac in 2017? Simply put, there are computing needs that mobile devices like laptops and tablets can't fulfill as well as the stalwart desktop. Here's what to consider when deciding on your next desktop PC.

Desktop-class CPUs and graphics processors are simply more powerful than their mobile counterparts for the same money. They give you the power to finish whatever task you're working on in less time. Desktop components are less expensive in general, so instead of buying a $500 laptop with a competent Intel Core m3 processor, you can buy a $500 desktop with a powerful Intel Core i5 desktop CPU in it.

You can get desktops with screens that are already built in, or they can be connected externally to a monitor. In either case, you're almost guaranteed to have a bigger display than even the largest desktop-replacement laptop, which tops out at about 18 inches in size. Another plus is that expandable desktops can accommodate multiple graphics cards to support more than two simultaneous displays.

For some sensitive situations, buying a desktop gives you physical control of the computer and its use. Limiting access to desktop PCs lets you control who sees confidential business data, and the combination of a desktop PC and a large screen means that parents can monitor what their children are doing online via a quick glance across the room.

Which OS? Windows? Mac? Other?

You probably already know the answer to this question, but here's a quick rundown of your choices:

Windows 10 is the latest iteration of Microsoft's operating system. Desktops that use it and previous versions of the OS are what most people typically use, so you'll be assured of the best compatibility and widest selection of third-party software. This also applies to browser plug-ins, since some only work with Windows.

The current version of Apple's operating system is macOS Sierra. It's an excellent choice if you're already in an Apple-centric household, since it interfaces seamlessly with devices like iPads and iPhones, and with all your iTunes purchases and subscriptions. The updated version of macOS, High Sierra, will be released in the fall.

Chrome OS has the best buzz of the alternative desktop operating systems, since it essentially runs the Chrome browser on desktop PC hardware. You'll need to use always-on Internet service for the best results from this cloud-based ecosystem, but homebound desktops are usually connected 24/7.

Desktops with Android and Linux are harder to find, particularly in retail configurations, but both have their merits. Android lets you use several million apps, but in practice many have scaling issues on desktop screens, and you'll definitely run into problems with the lack of an accelerometer while controlling some games.

While it has its fans, Linux is more of a do-it-yourself operating system, where you'll have to rely on your own faculties for installation, sourcing programs, and support. Chrome OS, macOS, and Windows are certainly easier choices if you simply want to buy a desktop and use it right away.

How Much Desktop Do You Need?

If all you need to do is surf the Internet, write Word documents, or make simple spreadsheets, then an entry-level desktop is the way to go. You will have to make some compromises in terms of graphics, power, RAM, and storage compared with higher-end systems, but then again, you won't be paying as much, as entry-level PCs typically cost less than $600.

You'll find a wide selection of Intel and AMD processors in this category, from the budget AMD Athlon X4 and Sempron, as well as Intel Celeron up to the slightly more expensive (and much more powerful) Intel Core i3 and i5 processors. You should look for a minimum of 4GB of RAM, while 2GB is acceptable for sub-$300 machines. Only 16GB of eMMC flash storage is found on the least expensive desktop, but 64GB of flash storage or a 500GB hard drive is a better option for most users.

A subcategory of entry-level desktops, the chromebox (and its all-in-one counterpart, the chromebase) is a desktop that runs on Google's Chrome OS. Both can be found for as little as $179, utilizing free and paid Google cloud services to store your files, install your programs, and manage your digital life. If you spend a large portion of your computing life online, they're a fine alternative to yet another inexpensive Windows desktop, but given that they typically have scant onboard storage (think 64GB maximum of flash storage), you'll need a good wireless connection to be able to access the cloud-based storage and apps.

Midrange desktops will stay functional longer, thanks to more CPU power and speed, memory for multitasking, storage, or a larger built-in screen. You will have to make some sacrifices, but even demanding users will be able to find a midrange system that will last them at least five or six years. Look for a capable AMD Ryzen 5 processor, or an Intel Core i5 CPU in this category, along with 8GB to 16GB of memory, and a 1TB hard drive or 256GB solid-state-drive (SSD) storage.

High-end desktops offer top-of-the-line components, like the latest CPUs that will give you all the power you need for multimedia projects, loads of storage (a 512GB SSD or 1TB hard drive, but typically 2TB or more), 3D graphics capability for gaming, or a combination of all three. These high-performance machines typically start at $1,500, and can go up to $5,000 and beyond for workstations or gaming rigs with customized paint jobs and multiple GPUs.

While sticking to one of the three price ranges, we recommend that you buy just a little more than you need for the tasks you do now if you can. That way, you future-proof your purchase and won't have to shop for a replacement for a while.

See How We Test Desktops

What Do You Need to Do?

General-purpose desktops, which are the kind you typically see in retail stores, are well suited to general office tasks, surfing the Internet, video conferencing, and the like. They're designed to be jacks-of-all-trades: good at most tasks, but rarely great at specialized functions like multimedia creation or gaming.

Performance PCs, which include multimedia machines and workstations, will give you more power for complex creative or math and scientific projects. Faster processors with four, six, or even 18 cores make quick work of your tasks. More memory (8GB to 32GB) is installed, so you can keep larger images on screen while editing a video, rendering a 3D model, or processing a humongous spreadsheet full of numbers you have to graph. You'll also find extra storage in the form of large hard drives and SSDs that will let you hold a multitude of work documents and program library files.

Workstations are specialized machines made to do the heavy lifting of high-end media creation, scientific calculations, and strenuous work tasks that have razor-thin deadlines. You'll find multicore Intel Xeon processors and ISV-certified graphics solutions from AMD and Nvidia in this category.

Business PCs are typically utilitarian in appearance, but offer work-friendly features like easy serviceability and upgradability, extra security in the form of biometric sensors and Trusted Platform Module (TPM), software/hardware certification programs like Intel vPro, and software support. Some come with on-site tech support.

Gaming PCs have even faster versions of the multicore processors found in the performance PCs. Plus, they have specialized 3D graphics cards, so you can smoothly view and interact with the virtual worlds that the game developers create. Flashy design elements like automotive paint, multiple graphics cards viewable through Plexiglas (or sometimes real glass) case doors, and elaborate liquid cooling setups are available, for a price. Upgradability is almost (but not quite) a must-have. The most expensive gaming systems can cost upward of $10,000, but are capable of giving you a better-than-real-life experience with multiple 1080p HD, 4K, or 5K displays, or when using a VR headset like the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive.

Size Does Matter

Desktops are no longer the uniform metal boxes they used to be. Even the tiniest PCs have enough built-in components to rival high-performance PCs of the past. Choosing one these days is a matter of space constraints, and purpose.

If you live or work in truly cramped quarters, then an ultra-small-form-factor (USFF) or small-form-factor (SFF) desktop is what you need. USFF (or mini) PCs take up the least amount of room, but don't have much expandability, if any at all. Even so, they contain a processor, memory, storage, and ports to hook up displays, keyboards, and mice. They are usually the most economical to buy and run, since they use power-saving components and processors. The total volume of one of these systems is rarely larger than that of a small jewelry box.

Lately, we've seen PCs that are the size of USB flash drives, like the Intel Compute Stick. These have the benefit of disappearing behind an HDMI-equipped monitor or HDTV. You may be limited to one or two configurations and will have to give up expandability and I/O port selection, but stick PCs and similarly sized mini desktops are the most flexible way to play Internet streaming media and access cloud computing in your living room or conference room.

SFF desktops have more internal space, allowing you to attach additional hard drives and possibly even a gaming-grade graphics card. You'll also find more powerful CPUs here, with their more strenuous cooling requirements.

Traditional tower desktops, including mini, midsize, and full-size towers, have the most internal space, so you can install multiple hard drives, more RAM, or multiple graphics cards, depending on your needs. They are the most flexible, but also the bulkiest.

An all-in-one (AIO) desktop will save you some space, since the display is built in. Some even come with battery power for added portability (although we would not recommend you haul one with you on your daily commute). But in most cases you will give up expandability, compared with the traditional desktop. Screens come in sizes from 18 to 34 inches, and support up to 5K (5,120-by-2,880) resolution.

Which Desktop Is Best for You?

At PCMag.com, we review hundreds of PCs every year, evaluating their features and testing their performance against peers in their respective categories. That way you'll know which is best for gaming, which is our favorite general-purpose all-in-one, and which is the best if all you need is a small, powerful system you can get up and running quickly. We pull from our full range of desktops reviews for the list below, and include top-rated models from as many categories as possible. We also update the list monthly so it changes quite frequently. For the very latest reviews, check out our Desktops product guide.

$699.00 MSRP

Bottom Line: The HP Elite Slice is a modular small-form-factor business PC that can be used in conference rooms or at your employees' desks, and can be switched to different configurations in just second...

Read Full Review

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Why on Earth would you want to buy a desktop PC or Mac in 2017? Simply put, there are computing needs that mobile devices like laptops and tablets can't fulfill as well as the stalwart desktop. Here's what to consider when deciding on your next desktop PC.

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Show you a list of computers and laptops and It will tell you what each one has on it.

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Site to buy gaming computer and parts for it.

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Gaming Computers: Build Your Own Custom Gaming PC

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Build your dream gaming PC with iBUYPOWER. High performance computers at a low price. Click to customize by processor, graphics card, and more!

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You can buy computers and computer parts on Amazon

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Shop a wide selection of laptops, tablets, desktop computers, and accessories on Amazon.com from top brands including Apple, HP, Dell, and more.

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If you've never done it before, the idea of building a computer from the ground up can seem very intimidating-but it's one of the most satisfying projects a tech enthusiast can take on.
Update: We've got a much larger, more detailed, and up-to-date guide on building your own computer here. This article has some great reasons on why you might want to build over buy, but when it comes time to get your hands dirty, check out our new guide for the step-by-step.

Building a computer from scratch gives you the perfect machine for your needs, but it can be...
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Being more of a software gal than a hardware geek myself, I was the only Lifehacker editor who had never built a PC from scratch. So when I needed a new PC late last year, I took the plunge and built my custom system. I'm so glad I did-the project turned out to be one of my proudest accomplishments of 2008. If you've cracked open your PC before to install a new hard drive or TV capture card, but you've never built a whole new system from the ground up, it's not as difficult as you might think. Here are my notes for first-timers who want to build instead of buy their next computer.

Why Build Instead of Buy

"But computers are so cheap these days," you say. "Why waste the time and energy building your own system when you can get a great machine fully assembled and shipped to your door?" That's a great question. Building your own PC will not save you time. It might save you money, but that's not even the best reason to do it. For me, it was a fantastic hands-on educational experience. It gives me a deep sense of satisfaction every single day when I press the power button on my tower, watch it light up, and know that I plugged in the wire that goes from that light to the motherboard. Building your PC takes the mystery out of what's going on inside that black box you spend hours on per day.

There are other good reasons to build instead of buy, too. With your own build you can customize your system just how you like and make your perfect media center or gaming machine. You can save money if you already have some parts (though see my warnings on the dangers of a "Frankenbuild" below). Upgrading your PC in the future becomes easier and cheaper since your parts aren't tied to a particular manufacturer. With a custom build you can do fun stuff like overclock your CPU and get more bang for your buck, or install OS X where it was never intended to run.

Update: In September 2009, I updated our Hackintosh build with a guide covering how to build a...
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In short, building your own PC makes you feel like a badass.

What You're Getting Into

Don't get me wrong, though: building a PC (for the first time especially) takes research, time, gumption, patience, and a willingness to deal with several WTF moments. If you've never cracked a PC's case and installed parts, like a new hard drive or a video card, start there first. If you've got that experience under your belt, you might think that building a new PC is just a matter of snapping together a few parts. It is, but building from the ground up takes much more than an hour or two. My build took two full days, one online order, one returned motherboard, two trips to Fry's, one condescending sneer from a sales associate when I asked a newb question, and one trip to Radio Shack. If that sounds like a lot, well, it was, and there were moments in the process when I wished I'd just bought a Dell. But when it finally all came together, all the sweat makes the results even sweeter.

Where to Start: Researching and Buying Your Parts

You scared off yet? No? Good. Let's get down to it. There are a gadzillion articles on the internet about building your own PC, but many are way out of date, or just don't get specific about what exactly you should buy. When I had to start researching what parts to purchase, of course I turned to savvy Lifehacker readers to help me out. Several readers mentioned Ars Technica's excellent system buyer's guide, which breaks down exactly what parts you'd want for one of three levels of computer: a "budget box," a "hot rod," or a "God box." The 2008 guide published last fall; make sure you use the most recent one when you start your research. I started by plugging parts from Ars' "hot rod" system list into Newegg to get a sense of price and see if there were any deals, coupons or upgrades. In the end I didn't use Ars' exact recommendations, but it was an awesome, up-to-date, jumping-off point.

It's Friday afternoon, you've got questions, and your fellow readers have answers. Post...
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Your research into parts is the most important stage of the process. For first-timers it can be bewildering, and you will have questions. Just keep reading, take notes, consult with forums or sales associates, and remember that if you make the wrong purchase you can always return it for the right one. In the photo to the left you'll see my build's case, motherboard, power supply, CPU, and RAM. (I had a video card, DVD drive, and a hard drive from an old machine I planned to use in my new build.)

See this entire comment thread for more resources on deciding what parts to buy for your budget.

Get Down and Dirty

Once you've got your hot little hands on all the parts you need, the real fun begins. There are two stages to your build: the hardware stage, and the software stage. Adam's already covered how to install each individual hardware component. Here's the list:

Once you've got everything plugged in and mounted inside your case, leave the case sides off and plug in your keyboard, mouse, monitor, and power, and press the On button. This is the moment of truth. The first time you see the lights come on and the system setup appear on-screen, you'll feel like you've just arrived at the top of Mount Everest.

If the machine doesn't power on, or there's no video signal, or the keyboard doesn't work-just unplug everything and check your connections. It took me a few hair-pulling, teeth-gnashing attempts to get my new build to boot properly. If it doesn't work the first time, take a breath, unplug it all, and try again. Don't cry; that won't help.

Once you're into the machine's BIOS setup, key around and make sure the motherboard recognizes your DVD or CD drive and your hard drive. You'll need those working in order to install your operating system. Everything there? Now set your boot sequence to check your optical drive first. Insert your operating system's disc into your CD or DVD drive, and restart the machine. Now your operating system's setup will launch on boot, and you can install away.

In the meantime, blast very loud rock music, strut about the vicinity, arms upraised, and revel in your greatness.

Mistakes I Made That You Can Avoid

When you build your first PC, keep a few things in mind I wished I'd realized before I started.

Beware of the "Frankenbuild." A great way to save money on your new PC is using parts that you've already got around. But I was overly optimistic about what items from my very old Dell tower would work in my new system. I assumed my hard drive would work (it did, but it was an IDE drive, which I wound up replacing with a faster SATA model), I hoped my video card would work (it didn't), and I thought my DVD drive would work (it did). In the end I wound up buying parts I thought I'd be able to reuse, so my total price wasn't as low as my initial estimate.

Expect mishaps. I bought the wrong motherboard. Well, not the wrong one, but one that didn't have a FireWire port, which I wanted. Well, I had a FireWire card, but it didn't fit into the motherboard. Anyway, I figured all this out after I installed the CPU, which meant I had to remove it from the board, break the thermal compound seal, and ship the motherboard back. When I got the new motherboard and reinstalled the CPU, because the thermal compound left there didn't work anymore, the machine would start and within 10 seconds overheat and shut itself off. Next thing you know I'm scraping hardened thermal compound off the CPU with Goof Off and a credit card, and reapplying fresh from a tube I had to pick up from Radio Shack. Lesson: there will be mishaps. Expect crap to go wrong. Be confident in your ability to fix it after you Google the solution to the problem hundreds of people have had before you did.

Read the frakkin' manual. With years of tinkering in my PC's case under my belt, I went into my build eager to start working and only skimmed the user guides and online howto's before I started. Don't do that. Open and read the full-on manual that comes in the box with every single one of your parts. If you're not sure about something said manual includes, do your research before you plug anything in.

Buy locally if you can. My initial parts order was from Newegg, which was great price-wise, but really sucked when I had to return my motherboard, because I had to pay shipping fees and a restocking fee. With a Fry's down the road, I regretted not just buying everything at the store itself from the get-go to to make returns easier.

Give yourself lots of time. I wrongly assumed I'd be able to finish my build in a day, but it took two whole days and stressed me out because they were work days. Don't build a new PC when you're on deadline or otherwise pinched for time. Give yourself a whole weekend and a clean and spacious work area that you can leave filled with packing debris and electronic parts strewn about for a few days.

Have you built your own PC? Are you considering taking the leap? Let us know how it went or what you're thinking in the comments.
Gina Trapani, Lifehacker's founding editor, loves turning on her new PC every single day. Her new weekly feature, Smarterware, appears every Wednesday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Smarterware tag feed to get new installments in your newsreader.

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The First-Timer's Guide to Building a Computer from Scratch

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If you've never done it before, the idea of building a computer from the ground up can seem very intimidating-but it's one of the most satisfying projects a tech enthusiast can take on. Update: We've got a much larger, more detailed, and up-to-date guide on building your own computer here.

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My Recommendations for Purchasing a Computer.

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My Recommendations for Purchasing a Computer.

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Recommendations for Purchasing a Computer

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