A little bit of time, patience, and a Phillips head screwdriver are the only true essentials for building a PC. However, you can often make the building process easier and more organized by getting a few more key supplies together, including a flathead screwdriver, a tray for screws, an anti-static wristband, and some zip ties for cable management.

While it may seem a little daunting at first if you’re a first-time builder, if you think you can finish a puzzle, then you can build your own PC. There are a lot of great guides available online, especially video guides on YouTube. The Micro Center Community is also a great source of knowledge as our experienced technical support monitor and respond to questions.

We actually have an in depth guide on choosing your PC parts! This guide will cover all the necessary parts to build a PC and what to look for when buying them. To quickly cover the basics, the core functional parts of your PC build will include:

• Central processing unit (CPU)
• Graphics processing unit (GPU)
• PC case
• Motherboard
• RAM modules
• Hard drive or solid state drive
• Power supply

While not technically required, you will probably need most or all of these peripheral devices to use and enjoy your PC:

• Monitor
• Keyboard
• Mouse and mouse pad
• Speakers

Start with which CPU and GPU you want, and then work your way out from there. Of course, if you have any questions, feel free to ask us on the Micro Center Community!

Our sales associates know how to build computers. They have overseen thousands of custom PC builds for business, working from home, video production, streaming, and gaming. They have extensive experience with fitment and compatibility across all types of cases, cooling solutions, and lighting options. Visit one of our coast-to-coast locations and one of our associates will be happy to help.

Our online tool checks availability specifically at your local store. If a part you want isn’t showing up in the list of products, it may be out of stock, so you can click on the option to show all products, or it may not be a product we carry.

Some of the fields will not be available until you select other parts first — e.g., you cannot select RAM until you select a motherboard.

The Custom PC Builder tool automatically tries to filter out parts that would be incompatible with any you’ve already selected. We always recommend you do a little research and double-check just to be safe.

Most PC builders build at home in their normal living space — you don’t need any kind of special workshop. What you do need is a wide, flat, clean surface made from a non-conductive material like wood, glass, or plastic. A table or desk is ideal. To prevent static discharge, it’s preferable to build in an area without rugs or carpets on the floor, but if that’s not an option, an anti-static mat or wristband will keep your space static-free. Alternatively, you can choose to have our PC experts at Micro Center assemble your PC for you from the parts you’ve chosen!

If you’re not sure what you want or would just prefer working with somebody directly, our in-store sales associates are happy to help you pick out parts for your custom PC. After you build a PC online using our tool, our highly trained technicians can assemble it for you for an added fee. Details on pricing and what’s included in each tier of a build can be found here.

It depends on what you’re looking for! Building your own PC is a fun and exciting project that can teach you a lot about computers and ensure your computer has exactly the components and performance you want. Plus, doing it yourself will typically save you money.

However, buying a PC is also a great option if convenience is a priority. Micro Center offers a great selection of prebuilt PCs, including our own PowerSpec PCs assembled in-house by our computer experts. We’ll also build a custom PC for you using your chosen components! Check out our PC building services for more info.

The cost of your PC build will depend entirely on what components you choose. Budget builds may cost only a few hundred dollars, while a top-shelf gaming rig or creative workstation can run into the thousands. Use our PC builder tool for a detailed rundown of what your new PC will cost.

Building a PC can be surprisingly quick. Once you have all of your components ready, many builders find that the whole assembly process takes around two to six hours. That includes the process of physically installing your components in your case, as well as time for reading component manuals, watching tutorial videos or reading guides, and installing your operating system and driver updates.

Remember, there’s no reason to rush, especially not on your first build! Take your time, double-check everything, read your manuals, and take advantage of the extensive PC building resources available in our Micro Center community.

If you’re using Micro Center’s custom PC building services, we offer same-day service on Tier 1 to Tier 3 builds when you place your order before 4 PM! Since Tier 4 and 5 builds are highly customized, they can vary widely in assembly time. Our Micro Center associates will provide you with a general time frame during your consultation for a Tier 4 or 5 build.

If you have basic knowledge about computers and you don’t mind doing a little bit of research, congratulations — you’re qualified to build a PC! Most people are surprised by just how easy the PC building process is. Generally speaking, PC parts are more user-friendly than they’ve ever been, and tons of resources are available to help you through the process.

A few tips to make your first build easier:

• Use our PC builder to select your parts — it automatically checks for compatibility in critical parts like your motherboard and CPU.
• To get a basic idea of how the process works, watch some tutorial videos and/or read some PC building guides before you get started. Our Micro Center community is full of helpful resources!
• For a smoother experience, try keeping your first build relatively simple. Save features like dual graphics cards or custom water cooling for when you’re more experienced, or use our custom PC building services for a more advanced rig.