How Long Does It Take to Build a PC?
Quick Answer: 3-7 days
Building a PC is a complicated process that can be broken down into several steps. How long it takes to build a PC depends on your expertise and skill level, as well as any problems you might run into while building.
Researching and ordering all the parts you need typically takes around a week or so. Then you will need to wait for all the parts to come in before you start the build.
Once everything is in-hand and ready to be built, you can expect to spend about four hours on average building a PC. Let’s take a look at a breakdown of all the steps to make the build go as smoothly as possible.
Is Building A PC Expensive?
The answer to this question is complicated. If you are building a gaming PC, then high-end components like a graphics card can and processor can cost a lot.
However, it is possible to build a gaming PC on a budget if you pay attention to sales and have patience. Following PC building communities like r/buildapc and the PC Part Picker Forums will help you find the best deals if a budget build is essential to you.
PC Building Steps
1. Research
Actually building a PC once you have all the parts is the fastest step of the build. Before you can do any of that, you need to research the parts you want for your computer. First-time builders can find help online for determining which parts to use in the build. Two invaluable resources for researching PC parts include:
* PC Parts Picker – This website keeps up to date with major retailer’s prices on thousands of different components. It also has complete build guides and offers guidance through their forums. If you are a complete and total first-timer to building a PC, this website should be your first stop for educating yourself.
* r/BuildAPC – This subreddit is a community of PC enthusiasts who are eager to help anyone who wants to build a new computer. If you are unsure about the part picking process and need guidance, these guys are always helpful and can answer any specific questions for unique situations.
2. Ordering Hardware
If you utilized help from either of the resourceful websites listed here, then you already have a list of parts to buy.
This step is pretty straight forward, but if you’re buying on a budget, pay close attention here. If you can spare a few days for a build, it is possible to wait for retail sales to get better deals on parts.
The r/BuildAPC community on Reddit also maintains a subreddit dedicated to finding good deals on popular PC parts at r/BuildAPCSales.
3. Building
Once all your parts have arrived and you’ve unboxed them, you’re finally ready to start building. Experienced PC builders usually only need around an hour to knock out a build, but first-timers should allow around three to four hours for the process.
YouTube videos and the PC Part Picker forums are invaluable resources if you have questions about the build process.
The type of case you purchased can also have an impact on your build time. Mini-ATX cases often take longer because of their smaller size and limited space.
4. Cable Management
Cable management can also add time to the build process, especially if your case is see-through. Most ATX cases feature channels to run cables and keep them hidden, but each case is different.
Sometimes, cable management can add a few hours to an otherwise painless build. When buying and choosing a case in the research portion, make sure you consider cable management as an essential factor. It will help you avoid future headaches while building your PC.
5. Troubleshooting
Allotting time for troubleshooting is important, too. Seasoned builders will probably spend less time troubleshooting than first-timers. Most first-timers experience the most trouble with getting fans to work, but pinpointing the issue can be time-consuming.
Sometimes a part needed for the build is dead on arrival, requiring a return and replacement. This dreaded situation could add weeks to the build during the home stretch.
Once the computer is built and everything works, the final step of your build will be installing Windows 10.
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