BUY COMPUTER PARTS
When building a new computer or upgrading an old one, focus on the computer's Central Processing Unit (CPU) first, as it defines most of the components a computer can use. It will also determine what you can do with the computer. Typical users can skate by with a basic processor for surfing the net and checking email. Gamers will likely want a quad-core processor, though as games advance, six and eight-core processors become more attractive options. The more cores or threads a computer's CPU processor has, the better performance it will provide, so graphic designers and video editors may need a high-end six or eight-core model.
BUY COMPUTER PARTS
There are three case size categories, though the computer cases themselves have varying dimensions. Full towers are large enough to accommodate specialty parts, such as Extended Advanced Technology Extended (ATX) motherboards and water cooling systems. Mid towers are the most common, and easily suit the needs of most users. Micro-ITX computer cases are large enough to house mini-ITX motherboards, and they are an excellent choice for basic rigs. Choose a case that can accommodate all computer components and allows airflow, which prevents overheating.
Out of all the gaming computer parts, the case is one of the cheaper ones. Rejoice, your wallet! However, you need to consider the size of your motherboard when selecting your case, as well as any additional fans or cooling systems you plan on putting into the case.
The PSU converts electricity from your wall socket into low-voltage, DC current for PC component consumption. It plugs directly into your powered parts including your motherboard, fans and graphics card.
High-performance gaming, video rendering, developing, and similar activities require more computational power and faster processing. Future-proofing would see that the parts you buy now are high-end enough to secure your needs for a few years.
Good motherboards, processors, power supply units, and graphics cards are still incredibly expensive parts. And the newer generation PC parts are too pricey for most of us. This is because these components are in short supply but in great demand in various tech industries.
A lot of manufacturers had to close down permanently or temporarily during lockdown, and this led to a chip shortage. The demand for semiconductor chips translated into major price increases and scalping that affected a lot of industries, including appliances, automobiles, video game consoles, and virtually all computer components.
The prices seem all over the place as suppliers deal with inflation, shortage, and inventory control. This volatility made a lot of consumers unhappy for buying overpriced PC parts, and having them go on sale the next month.
Take the RX 5700 XT, for example, which had a staggering 536% markup in May 2021 despite its $399 launch price. Unfortunately, you can expect most parts to go up in price after launch when demand is at its highest.
There are lots of different computer components that make up functional PCs. Building your own computer can be a rewarding DIY project. It'll also save you money if you're building a high-performance system for gaming or video editing. What's more, your PC will be custom-tailored to your performance needs.
The first step is getting the right computer parts. The six essential parts you'll need for a working PC are the case, motherboard, processor, RAM, hard drive, and power supply unit. A computer case is an enclosure for all the other components. This chassis serves as housing for a PC's internal hardware. The motherboard is the core piece that connects the computer's electronic components. Motherboards come in different sizes, and with a wide variety of sockets. Choose one that's compatible with the processor and case that you want.
The processor, or CPU, is critical to the PC's overall performance. Most desktop computers use Intel and AMD chips. When shopping for a processor, consider clock speed, number of cores, cache size, and the amount of RAM. If you're building a home PC, the minimum memory capacity you should consider is 4GB. For a gaming system, go for 8GB of RAM or higher.
The two options for computer storage are hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid-state drives (SSDs). SSDs are faster and quieter. They're also more durable and consume less energy. However, HDDs are more affordable, and available in higher capacities.
The power supply unit, or PSU, converts the computer's power from the outlet into usable power for the other parts inside the case or enclosure. The PSU takes the AC power and converts it into continuous power that the computer requires so it can run smoothly and normally. This converted, usable power is called DC.
When building a gaming PC, you'll also need a graphics display card and a cooling system. The graphics card is responsible for image rendering and video playback. For a powerful gaming computer, choose an NVIDIA or AMD GPU with video RAM of 4GB or higher. Coolers prevent processors and video cards from overheating by blowing cool air over them and venting hot air. Effective cooling requires fans and heat sinks. Power users need thermal paste and circulating cooling liquid when overclocking GPUs and CPUs. Finally, if you want to make your gaming system look as cool and powerful as it runs, outfit it with computer lighting essentials.
Servers are usually pre-built computers with high-performance CPU processors, lots of input/output ports, and high-wattage power supply units. To install them, you'll need server components such as rackmount chassis and cabinets. You can upgrade servers by adding graphics cards, and swapping RAM modules and storage drives.
Websites like PCPartPicker help you find computer parts by filtering through numerous online retailers at once. Using a service like this, you can compare prices and specifications more easily.
Your PC's final location will dictate how big you can (or cannot) go, and it will also help determine whether various premium case features are worth splurging on. You probably don't want to pay for a tempered glass side panel if the computer will be hidden under your desk, for example.
Obviously, if you can get some (or all) of your new computer parts on sale, then you can either cut down on the total cost of your system or upgrade, or you can utilize those savings to build or upgrade to a more powerful system.
And, fortunately, there are plenty of big sales days throughout the year. In terms of when you can get the best deals and lowest prices on computer parts, the following gives a general ranking of which days offer the best deals:
More often than not, people who ask when the best time to buy computer parts is are typically wondering when they can get the best deals on components. However, the other important factor to consider when trying to determine when the best time to purchase components is if there are any major CPU and/or GPU architecture updates or refreshes coming in the near future.
As a perfect example, at the time of updating this article, we are within a couple of months away from NVIDIA releasing their newest lineup of graphics cards, as well as AMD and Intel launching new processor lineups. So, if I were going to build a gaming computer with an NVIDIA graphics card today, I would end up choosing a graphics card that, in just one month, would no longer be the latest generation option.
While the big sales days and soon after GPU/CPU releases are typically the times when you can either build the best price-to-performance system or the best overall performing system, the actual best time to buy computer parts will vary from individual to individual.
One of the best places to sell computer parts, especially for bulk IT liquidations, is to ITAD companies. IT asset disposition companies specialize in buying bulk lots of IT hardware and remarketing it across various secondary channels to maximize returns on the equipment. If you have multiple computers, enterprise equipment, or bulk lots of IT equipment, an ITAD vendor is probably at the top of the list of best places to sell computer parts. Turnaround depends on preferred method of payment. Prepay is rarely an option, but many ITAD companies will be able to process your order in a few days. However, if selling bulk equipment on consignment most ITAD companies will pay a larger compensation.
Nextworth takes around 10-15 business days to reimburse you, and they also give check, PayPal, and Target gift card reimbursement options. You can take your computer parts to a target to trade them in, though that option forces you to be reimbursed by target gift card.
Before you look to sell computer parts, take a manual log of part numbers and model numbers. A simple google search should allow you to verify what you have in stock. To find the present value, disregard the currently listed prices online; check recently sold listings.
When it comes to selling computer parts, timing can be crucial. This is especially true with newer parts, whose prices fluctuate more rapidly. Take the following example: imagine that a bulk lot of RAM is replaced and sold days after a shortage announcement arrives from South Korea. Prices fluctuate and the sale goes through for two thirds of what it would have if the RAM was sold a week earlier. Similar situations are not unusual in the secondary IT market.
RAM in particular fluctuates with international supply, which is often seasonal. You can check past sold eBay listings for different parts of the year to identify trends for your RAM. Graphics card pricing is potentially the most volatile, as it follows erratic cryptocurrency trends.
When you buy computer parts, it can be a tough decision where you want to put all of your hard earned dollars into. Not only that, but when you buy a top of the line component, 3 months later (at most), your hardware will likely be outdated. This puts consumers like us in a bit of a pickle when it comes to purchasing, especially on a tight budget.
The question inevitably becomes, "What is the best computer I can get for my money?". This all still depends on what you need and how much you want to spend. I'm going to assume you want a great graphics card, because you really don't need to build a computer if you just want to surf the web. Plenty of free computers on Craigslist can check Grandma's email. 041b061a72