Custom built PCs - what’s the point? One problem with store-bought, off-the-shelf computers is they are well-rounded, average machines built for general use. That may not seem like a problem, and for people just needing a small home office, it isn’t. But for people using their computers for very specific purposes, store-bought general use computers are often just not good enough.

The ability to specify your requirements, and have someone tailor the hardware immediately gives you the advantage over the standard package that everyone else has. By going down the custom route you should also have the ability to “future proof” your computer which means you have it for a lot longer. Lets look at some reasons why you may need a custom computer:

The reason why a lot of people purchase a custom built PC is for gaming. The high specification required to run most new games (and some older ones) is often beyond your standard PC. Particular graphics cards and RAM is needed to play them. A custom computer will be built specifically with this in mind.

There must be nothing worse than sitting at your computer waiting for the next section of the game to load, or have your screen freeze mid-battle. Without the necessary graphics card, RAM and CPU this is going to happen. If you’re buying a PC that is to be used for gaming, check it’s specification against that required by the games that you will be playing.

The Laptop DJ. Mixing your own music is increasingly popular, and a custom-built computer designed for audio engineering will perform better than store-bought, general-use machines. Like gaming PCs, a fast motherboard with a powerful processor and lots of memory is a good starting place. If you’re on a budget, give memory higher priority. Next, a high quality speaker system is essential. The dinky speakers bundled with store-bought computers are inadequate for audio engineers, who need to hear subtle nuances in music on multiple tracks. At the very least, you’d want speaker systems with a subwoofer. At the other end of spectrum are high quality 5-point surround-sound speakers. Finally, to take full advantage of your awesome new speakers, you’ll need a powerful audio card.

The Armchair Editor. If you plan to make movies on your PC, once again a custom-built computer gets you the most bang for your buck. Video editing and video game computers share a lot of hardware requirements, but with a different emphasis. If video gamers love speed, video editors love storage.

First of all, get a fast motherboard containing a powerful processor and all the memory you can, or your video rendering times will be only slightly faster than a turtle with arthritis. You don’t need the most powerful video card on the market-go one step down instead. It will be a little less powerful and a lot less expensive. Finally… storage. Unrendered movie files are measured in gigabytes, not megabytes. Add to that the size of raw footage, and hard drive space becomes crucial. You’ll want at least a 500 GB hard drive, especially when working on multiple video projects simultaneously. Finally, get a fast DVD-RW for burning your movies to disc.

Just three reasons why a custom built computer is superior, even necessary for some. Something to think about if you’re planning a new purchase.