Custom PC builds: from WHY to DIY
From saving you money, to having your pick of components—there are dozens of reasons to build your own PC instead of buying off the peg
There are many good reasons to opt for a tailor-made PC over a pre-built model, and you don’t have to be a tech expert to appreciate them.
Firstly there’s cost—you’re free to pick and choose the best value components across the whole market. Self-assembly doesn’t just save you even more money, but gives you valuable insight into how things work under the hood.
There’s also customization. Custom-built rigs mean no extra costs for features you don’t need, and the end product will look and feel exactly as stylish as you want it to.
Finally, there’s future-proofing. With a home-built rig you can upgrade piece-by-piece at your own pace, following either your own whims or the cutting edge of tech development.
So, ahead of the PC-building masterclasses you can expect on December 3rd at ASUS’ PC DIY Day, let’s explore some of the options.
Rather like electric cars, water-cooled PCs were once a luxury, but have now firmly established themselves in the mainstream—available in a huge array of colors and styles.
Installation’s no longer the hassle it once was either, even the more affordable modern cooler units, like the TUF Gaming LC II 240 ARGB, are as simple to clip on as any old-school air cooler or heatsink.
Step up to the Republic of Gamer range, and you have a huge range of aesthetic options— white or black, square or round heads and, of course, the usual range of gorgeous RGB lighting options. Because it’s not a custom-built setup unless it lights up like a Beyoncé concert.
If you’re shopping for a new PSU, you’ve either suffered a power surge that’s killed the old one or you need more headroom for your monster new graphics card. Commiserations or congratulations, as appropriate.
Whatever the reason, Republic of Gamers is once again well worth a look, with the LOKI range ideal if you’re looking to squeeze as much wattage as possible into a small form factor. At the other end of the scale, ROG Thor PSUs go all the way up to 1600 watts, to feed the hungriest of beasts.
High-end heatsinks won’t tax your case coolers, soft flexible cables make routing a breeze and wattage extends all the way up to 1600w. Make sure to look for Gold certification or higher for high-end efficiency at all load levels.
GPUs are among the most vital components in any build, for gamers and content creators alike. They also tend to follow the fastest upgrade track, with an endless cutting edge that never really stops moving.
This means a new graphics card is often the most impactful single upgrade you can make to your system, so choose accordingly. ASUS, best known for its ubiquitous motherboards, also offers a wide range of GPUs (Henry Cavill used an ASUS model in his viral home build).
The selection here ranges from Republic Of Gamer cards packing the latest NVIDIA GeForce tech for the most demanding of esports, to the ProArt range, specifically built for lifestyle influencers and content creators.
The most front forward component of any build is also the most often overlooked. Sometimes the best upgrade you can make is to the simple mouse and keyboard.
Once again, features that were formerly luxuries have long since arrived in the mainstream. Mechanical switches have largely replaced membranes in the portfolio of any self-respecting manufacturer, while many modern mice offer extensive customization options like hot swappable weights.
So feel free to stretch your wings and explore what’s on offer. The ROG Azoth gaming custom keyboard is appearing on a lot of best buy lists right now, and with its unique form factor and high end pre lubed ROG NX Snow Switches it’s not hard to see why.
But what about the upgrades you didn’t even know you needed? External SSD drives for data backup? New routers for improved networking? (We can all do better than our service provider’s default device.) Quality headsets, chassis and chairs can all make a world of difference.
All this and more is set to be explored on December 3rd, when ASUS celebrate PC DIY Day.
Experts from across the industry will be demonstrating a huge variety of builds, all in aid of ASUS’ Build Together, Give Together initiative, with the resulting machines all being donated to the builder’s charity of choice.
Tune in to the livestream from 11am-4pm PST for builds, tournaments, demonstrations, and expert guides to all aspects of DIY PC building. You can even attend in person at the ASUS Experience Centre, 48710 Kato Road Fremont, CA 94538. It’ll show you everything you need to know.