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From PC World

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AMD's disruptive Ryzen processors and Intel's supercharged 8th-gen Core CPUs have sparked a wave of interest in PC building, but some people still hesitate at the idea of crafting a custom PC. Don't! Building your own PC isn't some arcane art or esoteric skill that only the most hardcore of hardware geeks can pull off. In fact, assembling a DIY PC is pretty straightforward once you've settled on your parts list.

Rosewill 45 Piece Premium Computer Tool Kit RTK-045

Rolling your own computer offers a number of advantages that boxed desktops just can't match, even though inflated component prices have made DIY computers less of a deal these days. You still get granular control over every single aspect of the hardware. You still get to choose not only the nuts-and-bolts-level details like processing and graphical performance, but also deeply personal touches like the PC's case design and cooling capabilities. There's no need to settle for a boring black box, unless you want a boring black box.

Looking to build a hulking PC brimming with top-of-the-line hardware and closed-loop water-cooling? Go for it! (If you can convince your significant other to OK the expense, that is.) Or maybe you prefer a more well-balanced rig, or a delightfully small system with big gaming chops. When you're building your own computer, the choice is yours.
[ Further reading: The best SSDs ]

Brad Chacos

We built this PC with a liquid-cooled 8-core AMD Ryzen chip and Nvidia's powerful GeForce GTX 1080 Ti.

AMD Ryzen 7 1800X processor

Even better, when you're building your own PC you can shop around for the best price for each of your chosen components, rather than paying a single marked-up cost for the whole-hog system. AMD's new Ryzen processors have sparked a brutal price war in CPUs. DIYers can benefit from that! The superb PCPartPicker.com website makes comparison shopping dead simple. And when you're done building your PC and successfully power it up, it feels glorious -like you've truly accomplished something, rather than simply yanking a prebuilt tower out of a box.

Building a PC for the first time can be intimidating, though.

Even though PC assembly's fairly simple once you know what you're doing, staring at a giant pile of disparate parts and knowing you not only need to piece them together correctly but also wire them correctly afterwards is enough to bring a lump to a newbie PC builder's throat.

We're here to help.

Brad Chacos

Building a PC lets you opt for an SSD the size of a gum stick.

Corsair Hydro Series H100i v2

PCWorld has detailed installation guides-often with supplementary buying advice-for every major PC component you need. This comprehensive superguide explains how to build your PC from top to bottom, from case fans to CPU to cable management.

Need help installing a particular component? Here are links for each piece of hardware in your PC:

How to avoid common PC building mistakes -a must-read before you even buy your first part.
How to install or replace a case fan How to install a power supply in your computer How to install an Intel or AMD CPU in your PC How to install new memory in your PC How to replace your PC's motherboard How to install a graphics card How to install a hard drive in your PC
The ultimate guide to proper PC cable management -you want your PC looking nice and pretty, after all.

Even veteran PC builders stumble into trouble every now and again (though our guide to avoiding common PC building mistakes should help you avoid most of it). If your system won't start after it's all together, check out PCWorld's guide to troubleshooting your home-built PC. It's a few years old, but still very applicable today. And once everything's up and running, consider checking out these free programs that your new PC needs first. They all rock!

Then sit back, relax, and enjoy a cold beverage. You just built a PC with your own two hands. That wasn't so hard, was it?

Editor's note: This article was most recently updated to mention current components and the pricey state of today's DIY hardware market.

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AMD's disruptive Ryzen processors and Intel's supercharged 8th-gen Core CPUs have sparked a wave of interest in PC building, but some people still hesitate at the idea of crafting a custom PC. Don't! Building your own PC isn't some arcane art or esoteric skill that only the most hardcore of hardware geeks can pull off.

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Building a computer used to be a complicated process, where careful selection of delicate parts was a necessity. When that collection of components finally booted for the first time, it was a triumphant experience. Knowing how to build a computer made you quite the tech-head.

Nowadays it's easier than ever, with clear standards of compatibility, obvious choices for performance and value, and an actual building process that's straightforward and well documented. That said, there are pitfalls to avoid and assumptions experienced builders make that newcomers won't know.

To help out new PC builders and experienced enthusiasts alike, we've compiled this handy step-by-step guide that will take you from a pile of parts to a working computer in just a couple of hours.

Getting started

This guide is all about putting your components together. If you haven't selected and purchased all the hardware you need, stop reading and go check out our PC build guide, which outlines recommended components for a variety of builds.

Have your parts? Good. Let's get started.

Before you dig in, ensure there's a clean workspace with plenty of room to open boxes and put parts together. Hopefully there's already a pile of them in front of you, but if not, our PC build guide can walk you through that process.

There are a couple of safety issues to discuss before we actually start ripping open those boxes.

You can feel it

There's an invisible risk when building a computer that can crush the most powerful system: Static electricity. The same force that lets you shock your friends when you wear wool socks can also fry components in a heartbeat. Fortunately, it's easy to all but eliminate with a few simple steps.

One easy solution is to purchase an anti-static wristband. One end wraps around your wrist, and the other clips somewhere on the computer case, keeping the wearer constantly grounded. Touching the case frequently with the PSU plugged in, but turned off, achieves the same effect.

Apart from that, it helps to build in a room with a bare floor - carpets generate a lot of static - and wear rubber-sole shoes rather than socks. Many components are packaged in anti-static bags, and it's a good idea to leave them there until just before installation.

Need help? Just ask

Building a PC for the first time can be a little tricky, but the good news is there are many resources to help. People who like building computers don't often get the opportunity. If you have an enthusiast friend, they may jump at the chance to help put it together.

This guide is meant as a general overview of the process, and the instructions your parts came with may vary from our suggestions. When they do, default to the included instructions, and use our guide as a road map for the whole project.

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Building your own PC is the best way to earn geek cred - here's how to do it

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Building a computer used to be a complicated process, where careful selection of delicate parts was a necessity. When that collection of components finally booted for the first time, it was a triumphant experience. Knowing how to build a computer made you quite the tech-head.