Custom PCs

A custom PC is specified around the work it will do rather than around a manufacturer’s fixed bundle. That usually means the money lands where it matters — the graphics card for gaming, cores and memory for rendering, storage and quiet cooling for an office machine — instead of being spread evenly across parts you will not use.

The other advantage is upgradability. A build using standard ATX parts can take a new graphics card, more memory or extra storage years later, which is often not true of a prebuilt desktop using proprietary boards and power supplies.

If you are considering it, the decisions in order are: what the machine must run, the graphics card, the processor and platform, then memory, storage, case and power supply to suit.

You can also assemble it yourself from our PC components range, or start from a desktop PC and upgrade from there.