Comin' at you bro

From the brand spanking new desktop I built this weekend. God damn this thing is slick. For those of you who are unaware, it is totally possible to buy computer components and assemble them yourself. I have to say, it is a very rewarding experience. I had a lot of fun researching what I would want in order to meet my needs (read: wants) and to make sure everything would be compatible. The build itself took quite a bit longer than I expected, having watched a couple videos on computer building, but that mostly had to do with the fact that the case I bought isn't actually the most user friendly in terms of building. I had to strip several screws down a bit in order to get them into the places they needed to go since they decided to make them fit WAY too tight (also, the covers on things like the optical drive bay have to be broken out and therefore can't be replaced in the future. wtf right?). But once I had everything in place and plugged it in and hit the power button the first time and saw all the lights come on and fans spin up, I couldn't help but yell in my best Dr. Frankenstein impression, "It's ALLLIIIIIIIVE!" Given the problems with the screws, the hodgepodge of parts from different brands, and my joyful surprise that it worked, I decided to name it Frank, in honor of said doctor. After installing Windows and all of the drivers and importing all of the files I wanted from my shitty old laptop and running a few stress tests, I have a computer that I can call my own and, more importantly, will run the most demanding of games.
The next time you're thinking about getting a new computer, I would advise you to seriously consider building your own. Anyone with a brain and the will to put in a little time can do it. I learned a lot about what is actually in that box, which will probably come in handy if something breaks down in the future. I had fun. But what is perhaps the best part about this whole experience is that if I had customized and ordered a computer through a manufacturer like Alienware using comparable components I'd have shelled out another $700.