To the Editor:

Saying you’re a computer genius because you can build one is like calling yourself a mathematician for being able to count to 10. Did you ever even think about building a computer? If so, did you get scared away because a computer is probably the biggest advance in technology?

Well, if you really get down to it and take a couple steps into the process, it doesn’t seem as impossible. You would think, “Why don’t I just buy one completely assembled?”

Well, say you need your computer for something specific, like gaming, video-editing, or presenting. You can put the components that you truly need and nothing more or nothing less.

According to recent prices from Apple and other companies, the average Mac desktop is about $1,000; the average Windows desktop is about $550. I think these are not always the best computers because they can lack some important things, but, when you build your own, you can add everything you need and nothing else, or sometimes some things you don’t need just because.

The store-bought ones can also have things you don’t need but you’re still going to pay for.  If you build it yourself, you can make it a cheap computer because it will still have everything you need for yourself.

When you buy a computer from the stores, think, someone else has this computer, too, and I might not have the same needs, but, if you build one, there is a lesser chance of it being the exact same thing as someone else because they probably have different needs.

I’m trying to build mine and I’m customizing it to my needs, not the needs of someone else. I think it’s a better idea to have a better processor (Like the i7-3770k Intel Ivy Bridge) than having a better graphics card (Like the GTX 660Ti from NVIDIA). Some people would strongly disagree with me.

Another customizable feature about your computer can be the operating system. There are many different options that not everyone needs.

Home premium versions seem to be more popular for the average user, but then again the business professional might want the professional version or maybe even the Ultimate model. Each level offers more and more features; with features comes price.

Another thing to consider when thinking about building a computer is price; sometimes money doesn’t seem to be a problem for some people, and can be a problem for others, and price will thoroughly limit you. Most of the time, quality also comes with price. A self-built computer can be pretty much any price range that you choose, anywhere for around $200 to $15,000. But then you would be sacrificing quality if it were to be on the lower end of that scale

Some people also want to upgrade beyond adding new parts; this is usually called overclocking or OCing. Overclocking is another way to get the most out of your money. But then, again, some people are afraid that it can ruin your computer. I think that people should do a little more research into the topic and not get scared away with even wondering what BIOS [Basic Input/Output System] is.

In the end, I believe people need to give themselves more credit and have more trust in themselves. Just try taking a few steps into the process. If you’re not enjoying it, you can always stop; if you enjoy it, then just keep going.

But you can’t be scared about something if you’ve never given it much thought. It is always OK to back out but just try. So why don’t you step out there and take a chance in building your own customized computer, because, as you can see, it’s not as hard as it seemed before.

Sam Groezinger

Farnsworth Middle School

Guilderland