To build or not to build

[gordintoronto]

Hie thee to pcmech.com

When I built this computer, I selected "best of breed" components. I doubt if I saved any money, but the system is still working very nicely.

If you avoid the very latest video cards, most things work with the latest Linux.

If you have never swapped a hard drive, or re-seated memory, building a PC from scratch might be a bit of a challenge.

Keep yourself grounded!

[Bucky Ball]

1. Is building a PC likely to be cheaper than buying one?
2. I have an engineering background with 'not bad' electronics skills - how difficult would I find building a PC?
3. What are the pitfalls / common mistakes when building a PC with the specific intention of running Linux on it?
4. Can anyone point me to some useful links? Ideally a "here are the parts" though to "here's your machine working with Ubuntu installed"?

1. Yes.
2. Easy.
3. Not researching compatible hardware and overkill (an 800W PSU and 16Gb of RAM when you're only surfing the net and checking emails; a waste of money and energy). Lack of pre-planning.
4. You might like to have a read through the 'Build a Linux computer' link in my signature. Dated but principles still apply.

Good luck. Build. You won't regret it.

PS: I will add, as I generally do, that spending a bit more on an efficient power supply unit is key. DO NOT buy a case and use the generic silver box PSU that comes with it. I take them out and recycle them (or keep them for backup) and replace with an 85+ energy efficient PSU from a reputable manufacturer. Generic silver box PSUs are a menace and dangerous to your computer and you and your family (if you don't believe me you haven't seen one blow). You can sometimes pick up sweet deals on combo cases from Antec or the like which are quality cases with a quality 85+ (or 80+) PSU installed already, can be cheaper than buying both separately.

PPS: Plan ahead. Take your time. Get it right. Only design for what you need. Write a list of what you want to do on the machine then match the hardware to it. Unless they're running a space station or are into pro audio/video most domestic users really don't need much.