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There are PC manufacturers of all shapes and sizes. You can buy them online, and there’s probably a store somewhere not too far from where you live that has them ready to buy off their shelves.
So why would someone want to build their own computer? More to the point, what specific use scenarios for a PC are ones that drive people down the DIY path?
Here are five usage situations which are known reasons people like you choose to build your own PC.
1. Gaming
Whether you play video games for fun, for competition, or both, there’s no denying that having a computer that delivers high framerates and peak performance can greatly enhance the experience for games like Call of Duty, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, or Minecraft: Contagion with the shaders turned up full crank! Building your own custom PC allows you to hand pick quality components to suit your video gaming needs as well as your budget. Plus, if you ever end up taking your gaming rig on the road, that liquid cooling and RGB lighting array looks mighty impressive to your friends (or opponents).
2. Game Development
Maybe you’ve played video games enough to know that the perfect video game (or mod) has yet to be created. And maybe you are the person who is going to make it happen. Building your own custom PC can help you assemble the perfect workhorse for developing a game in Unreal Engine, Unity 3d, and other platforms. DIY allows you to pick exactly the CPU, RAM, and storage you need to burn the midnight oil at max efficiency, creating the video gaming world’s next masterpiece.
3. Machinima
If storytelling and cinematography are more your thing, then perhaps you’re building your own PC to create a machinima magnum opus in The Sims 4, Red Dead Redemption 2, or Fallout ’76… capturing your high def footage in OBS, Bandicam, or Movavi Screen Recorder. Maybe you’re live streaming some Grand Theft Auto V, out to be the next Gray Still Plays. Or maybe you’re hand-crafting the next Star Wars fan-made machinima-style animation using Reallusion’s iClone 3d animation software. Whatever your machinima flavor, a custom PC is the way to go. Just ask the folks at the And Now For Something Completely Machinima podcast!
4. Video Editing
Whether it’s for a YouTube channel or for some other kind of scenario, non-linear video editing is a craft all it’s own which performs best on a high end custom PC. The additional RAM and storage needs are there, whether you use VEGAS, Adobe Premiere, Corel Video Studio Pro, or Movavi. In fact, additional high capacity external storage drives are a good addition to any video editor’s custom computer setup.
5. Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
Cubase. Pro Tools. Reason. FL Studio. These are software titles you’re familiar with if your custom PC scenario is multitrack editing of digital audio. A “DAW” (Digital Audio Workstation) needs high speed and high capacity storage, and plenty of RAM and CPU muscle if you plan to be working with quality VST plugins and effects. Recording studios all have a DAW nowadays, but they’re equally popular among independent artists who do their own recording… from big names like Billie Eilish, to newer endeavors like Mad Hominem.
So which usage scenario applies to you? Maybe you’re building a machine to do more than one of the tasks above? Or maybe you’ve got a scenario different from these examples.
We’d love to hear your story. Let us know in the comments below.
