Five Reasons to Hire an Expert PC Builder

You have decided you want to buy a new computer.

After determining where your budget and needs intersect, you start to search for pre-built PCs online. After a brief search, you decide you are going to get a custom build. Then comes the question: "Do I find a professional builder, or do I build it myself?" From the perspective of a veteran PC builder, I will outline below what I have found to be the most relevant factors to consider, and why I personally recommend having a professional builder handle the process, from start to finish.

1. Preventing Delays Due to Returns

There are a few different reasons you can end up with an unexpected return on your hands. Here is a common scenario: you use PC Part Picker to determine compatibility, and something was overlooked or not mentioned on the site. For example, the motherboard you ordered does not support your CPU out of box without a BIOS update, and the board lacks the BIOS flashback feature. This leaves you with a few options to remedy the situation. You can order an older CPU and return the one you originally ordered (for those who are not comfortable with BIOS flashing), order a newer motherboard that supports the CPU you ordered, or you can order an older CPU to update the BIOS, and then return it.

Personally, I would rather not run into either of these three options, because they are major slowdowns to the completed build, and they can all end in someone else having a bad day because of your mistake. Many vendors do not check their returns thoroughly, and sometimes this can mean the item being sold to another person in faulty condition. Even if that part does not keep you up at night, these delays can be quite frustrating. The best way to prevent this is to consult with a professional. So long as they have the required experience, a professional builder will know exactly what to look for to ensure board to processor compatibility out of box.

Let us look at another example…You order a CPU cooler that is too tall for your case. I have seen this happen many times, despite the customer having checked compatibility on PC Part Picker. Sometimes, this results in the customer running their PC without a side panel, sometimes insisting they will “eventually take care of it.” If they do care of it, they either have to rebuild their PC into a new case, or order a new CPU cooler. Mounting a cooler to a board can be quite frustrating when the board is already installed in the case (depending on the cooler’s mounting bracket).

Another reason for returns is when you order a "less relevant" part from an unreliable manufacturer. For example, Fanxiang may have an SSD for $15 cheaper than the brand you recognize. If the problem reveals itself early enough, this example will result in a typical return; however, if the poorly manufactured part reveals itself as a dud after a few months of use, it can result in a show stopping RMA that costs you tons of time reinstalling the operating system and programs. The lesson here: do not skimp on your boot drive!

The final example I will mention for this: the good ole’ fashioned wattage requirement miscalculation. You skimped on your power supply, and it results in random shutdowns. This is one of the worst problems you can have on day one of your new PC's life, because it can prematurely shave off years of your computer's life span. A power loss due to insufficient wattage can wreak havoc on multiple components simultaneously, depending on various factors.

This problem has become more common, especially with new generation Intel powered PC builds. I am by no means an Intel-hater, but I have inevitably noticed their tendency to compromise power efficiency for performance; since the release of 10th generation "K" models. Graphics cards are also becoming increasingly power hungry, so a 650-watt power supply is now the minimum I recommend for Intel based gaming PCs. Yet again, consulting a professional can save you the trouble of dealing with this potential nightmare scenario. Just as with researching PC components and pricing, take your time to find a technician who also specializes in PC builds. A technician will have much more experience with the potential problems you could run into with your PC, and is more likely to build a PC that will not have these problems.

2. Getting the Best Bang for Your Buck

It is easy to get excited by the shiny lights in the picture of a PC, overlooking what seem like minor details. You may notice when shopping for a prebuilt, that two PCs priced within $50 of one another have very significant differences in the CPU and GPU specifications. This is because many SIs (System Integrators) have different strategies when attempting to maximize profits. The common thread here is that SIs will utilize their understanding of market perception to influence sales.

An I7 processor may not be the best choice for a $900 PC, but an SI will use the market perception of what an I7 CPU represents, to encourage less savvy buyers to order the product. This kind of deceptive approach creates a false notion that you have gotten a great deal, and tends not to happen when you consult a professional builder. An I7 processor in a $900 system usually means one of two things (or sometimes both). It is either an older generation I7, or the SI is using a weaker GPU, while preying on consumers who consider the CPU speed and core count to be the most important aspect of a fast gaming computer.

When building your own PC, you may run into the same problem. Your perception of where to spend money based on your budget and needs is likely to be incongruent to the reality of these two variables. In general, I have found that picking a relatively new generation I5 or Ryzen 5 (non "K" or "X" models, respectively) to be the best approach, allowing you to budget in a more powerful graphics card. Choosing a relatively current I5 or Ryzen 5 CPU almost always means that significant perceivable bottlenecking will not be a problem.

Yet again, the best solution here is to leave it to a professional. With experience, your builder will be able to appropriately allocate your budget in the best way possible; all you have to do is accurately convey your priorities during the consultation. I tend to focus on the best performance today, with an emphasis on longevity and future proofing at the baseline of the budget allocated to the non-graphics card components.

It is common to overspend or underspend on components such as the case, power supply, boot drive, and memory. Speaking of memory, this is a great example of "bang for your buck". Almost all motherboards will, by default, run your memory at the base clock of the memory generation you are using, or one step up from base clock. For example, many B450 boards will default all DDR4 memory to 2400MHZ (Or M/Ts). The memory kit may be rated for 3200MHZ, but until you enable the XMP profile in the BIOS, it will run at 2400MHZ. That essentially means you paid for something you are not actually benefitting from, unless you did the proper research.

Something I will note here (many new builders run into this issue despite doing ample research): If you enabled the XMP profile, and your previously working system no longer reaches POST (BIOS), you may need to clear the CMOS (Turn off the power supply switch and remove the CMOS battery, or hold the Clear CMOS button on the motherboard---or on the rear I/O for at least 10 seconds, and then install a BIOS update with the latest AGESA update from the motherboard manufacturer's website, before enabling the XMP profile again).

This is a crucial example that having an experienced builder can save you from headaches and frustration. I have heard horror stories from customers who spent days trying to get their system to work after attempting to build the PC on their own, inevitably needing to pay a professional, on top of the time spent troubleshooting on their own. My mission when building or repairing a PC for a client, is to prevent these slowdowns, while also empowering the client to save money on things they can handle themselves (with proper direction), should they arise.

3. Overall Build Quality and Cable Management

One of the most common things I see when a new client comes to me for help after attempting a DIY project; they were so overwhelmed with the project of getting the PC to work, that they neglected certain quality aspects of the build. One example is poor cable management. This is sometimes due to laziness, but it is usually due to being too exhausted with process of getting the PC to boot, and hence talking themselves out of taking the extra time to do some tidy cable routing.

Another quality aspect I commonly see is mounting fans in a suboptimal fashion. This often impacts performance and longevity, so I will emphasize this as a significant build mistake. I often see people mounting their top fans with the air pulling downward, meaning they are working against natural physics, creating negative airflow. This often gets brushed under the rug and dismissed, but is a significant benefit of hiring a technician. Technicians understand the mechanics of airflow specific to a computer chassis.

Here are the general rules for proper airflow in a computer chassis: Front intake, bottom intake (if applicable), top exhaust, rear exhaust, and side fans can be either, but most often should be set as intake. The intake side of the fan is usually the side that looks the most pretty, while the exhaust side of a fan is usually the side with specifications and fine print on the sticker. Finally, you should generally have one or two more intake fans than exhaust fans. This ensures that the intake air has enough time passing across components to be effective.

This brings us to a topic that gets brought up more than half the time during a high-end PC consultation; liquid cooling. If you are not a PC technician or tech enthusiast of some sort, liquid cooing is generally something I do not recommend for your PC. If you absolutely must satisfy an itch to tell your friends, “My PC is liquid cooled,” here is how you can make it something I can (sort of) recommend…Make sure you have a program (or gadget) that always visibly monitors your CPU temperature. If your CPU temperature starts to run consistently in the high 70s or 80s, stop using your PC and call a technician. After three years of regular use, I recommend replacing your AIO cooler.

For this reason, I recommend a larger air cooler for the long run. I have had many customers switch to air coolers because of the noise made by their AIO cooler. In terms of performance and longevity, there is only one point of failure in an air cooler (the fan), whereas with a liquid cooler, there are more than four. You can check videos on YouTube for comparisons, but I can confidently affirm from direct experience alone, that the temperature benefits of liquid cooling over air cooling are not enough to justify the long-term cost and inconvenience.

One similar aspect of quality that I see often is mounting the CPU cooler incorrectly. There are several examples that come to mind, but the primary ones are: not installing the mounting bracket correctly, forgetting to remove all plastic from the cooler, or placing the fans facing the wrong direction. These all can adversely affect longevity and performance, but can easily go undetected, since the system is technically working. Especially when you spend top dollar on a PC, it only makes sense that it should look professional and be configured to move air optimally. This also helps ensure your PC is quiet as it can be.

4. Crossing Your T’s and Dotting Your I’s

Much like the above example of being overwhelmed with the prospect of a working computer, DIY consumers often overlook their own preferences. Whether they be aesthetic, acoustic, or size related (yes, size matters), it is common in such cases that the consumer is more concerned with having a PC that turns on, than one that checks off all the little boxes that increase long term satisfaction. When we buy a custom PC, we have much more control over the little details of the final product. In my professional opinion, a technician can help make sure to cover these details before, during, and after the build process.

For example, you built your parts list perfectly on the electronics side of things, but you bought a case you know nothing about. The case looks great, but comes with six Molex powered fans. This means you will have six fans always running at maximum speed. All you would have had to do was check the fan specs, but the listing obscured the info under a wall of text (much like this article), so you just added it to the cart without doing your due diligence. This would result in either an urgent compulsion to return the case altogether (since you paid for the fans with the cost of the case), buy new fans, or simply suffer buyer's remorse. Even experienced builders can make this mistake when buying a brand-new case model they have not worked with in the past (if they don't take the time to check the specifications).

Another example in this category is ordering black components that were the same price as the white ones, when white is your preference (or vice versa). White PC components are much more equally priced to black components these days. If white is your preference, take your time to look around; there are plenty of cost-effective white options out there. There are even white power supplies now, with white cables included. Focusing on aesthetics can seem like a waste of effort for some, but it can help increase your long-term satisfaction with a custom built product.

The final example I will mention here is size. This can go in either direction. You order a case, and assume its size based on the picture, and it is either smaller or larger than expected. This can be a problem if you have limited space on your desk, as this can mean constrained airflow due to proximity issues regarding the intake and/or exhaust areas. If your case is smaller than expected, the typical problems are compatibility issues with components, which can be easier to address than the prior issue. Leaning on the expertise of a veteran builder, and being extra vocal with your expectations during consultation, can help increase your long term satisfaction with your purchase.

5. Longevity, Endurance, and Future Proofing

Picking components that are affordable and high performing is relatively easy, but having knowledge of longevity usually involves learning from experience, and that often involves trial and error. At some point in a technician's journey, they (hopefully) learned hard lessons from direct experience. This protects you, the consumer, from making the same mistakes. Getting a technician that is up to date with the latest knowledge on manufacturing quality trends can be challenging. This, from my experience, is the most important thing to consider when choosing an expert for your needs.

Knowing that you have a technician handy to help, should issues arise over time, is great. However, it is even greater to have a technician who prevents issues from arising by having some forethought from the start. There are a few ways of doing this. Apart from selecting quality components, I will share a massive element of longevity: thermal paste. It seems obvious and simple, but choosing quality thermal paste is crucial to the longevity of a computer that will be put through its paces.

When considering longevity and performance together, the Arctic MX product line of thermal compound is unmatched. It has demonstrated itself to be the best survivor of time, usage, and environmental conditions. One final point I will make here, is that I often choose the brand of graphics card based on this detail. If the card has a "void if removed" sticker on one of the screws holding the GPU to the heatsink, you are stuck with the manufacturer's paste application job. MSI is the only graphics card manufacturer that has never disappointed me on factory paste application.

The ability to start the life of your PC with reliable (and properly applied) thermal paste on your GPU is by far the number one reason I recommend having your PC built by a professional. Bear in mind, you most likely would have to request this and be charged extra, unless you are lucky enough to have your PC built by Dazzotek.

If you are in the position of needing a custom PC build, and you would like to schedule a consultation, you can contact me here.