The barebones computer is basically something that you build yourself, instead of getting it ready made from a big manufacturer. By making your own computer, you get to pick the components you want included on it and you don’t sacrifice anything. With computers which are ready made, you usually dislike one component or another, or maybe you want a bigger hard drive or more RAM, or the graphics card isn’t as powerful as you’d like. The barebones computer allows you to create something according to your wishes, with exactly the level of performance that you want from your computer. If some compromise is needed in order to stay within a certain budget, the components that you compromise on are decided by yourself, so in the end you will still be satisfied with that PC. You will know that you’re getting the best computer within your budget and that’s everything one can ask for.
With a barebones computer, you get to make every single choice, from the motherboard which should go in, to the processor, the hard drive (or SSD), the amount of RAM, the power supply which will power everything and so on. Every single decision is yours and you’re free to check on all the components being sold online and buy the ones which have the best reviews. You can create a truly great computer if you invest a bit of time in the research needed to make sure that all the components you use give you great performances and that they all mix well together. For example, the combination between the motherboard and the processor should be very well thought out, since you risk picking something that is not compatible with one another if you don’t consider their capabilities. There are plenty of things to consider when you take components and you create a barebones computer from scratch. In most cases, a bit of experience with hardware is required in order to be able to create a good PC.
If the barebones computer sounds a bit like a handful, you also have the choice to go with a barebones kit, which gives you most of the hardware, but you’re the one that will have to assemble it all, plus add the rest of the computer that is missing. At first glance, a barebones kit looks like a great deal, but when you consider that you also have to add the cost of the operating system, it’s usually just as expensive as any other unit.
In most cases, the advantage of the barebones computer is not in the price, but in the level of customization that is available to you. It’s hard to make a cheaper barebones computer than a manufacturer which buys in bulk and has a lot of negotiation power behind it. You will usually get a slightly smaller price, but the real advantage is that you get the computer of your dreams and not just the best collection of components you can find from a manufacturer. With computers offered by manufacturers you can expect something that was created to be profitable first and within a set price, so too many compromises are made. When you make your own barebones computer, you’re the one that makes the compromises, so you will be more satisfied with the end result.
Whether you want a better computer within your budget or whether you like to build things, a barebones computer can be a decent choice, as long as you know what you’re doing.
Barebones Computer
When you’re looking to build your own barebones computer, you should ask yourself a couple of questions first, before you get started. The most important thing to know is what kind of computer you want. The components and the budget needed for a barebones computer will vary, depending on the requirements that it will have to meet. If you need just a computer to browse the Internet and to do some word processing, the needs when it comes to graphics will be limited, so there is no point in investing a lot of money in that area. If you want to do advanced graphics or video editing, the graphics chip suddenly becomes more important. Once you know what you expect that computer to do, you will know what kind of components you need on it.
Some people might need a low end computer while others might want a high end model to play the latest games on. With a cheaper barebones computer, you can choose a dual core CPU, while for a high end model you should probably go with the quad core. The amount of RAM should be sufficient at 4GB for a cheap computer, but for a gamer 8GB and a 64 bit operating system would be better. You can save a lot of money by creating the computer that you need, instead of going after an expensive model, which will be used just to browse the web.
Barebone PC
Once you know what kind of barebone PC you need, the next step would be to figure out the parts which should go into it. When you buy computer parts, you need to balance them well, since in many cases, the computer will be limited by one of the components. For example, if you want to run a game at maximum resolution and level of detail, chances are that the thing that will prevent you from doing so will be just one of the components, not all of them. The weak link is the one that will be the problem, so when you create a barebone PC you need to carefully balance everything out, so there aren’t powerful components that can’t function properly because of another part of the computer. Try to build a couple of variants of computers, sticking to your budget, but trying out different manufacturers and different components, until you find a variant which looks good on paper.
Barebones computer
Once you have that computer on paper, look at the barebones model you created and whether the components mesh well together. Do a bit of research online and also look at the specifications of each part. For example, make sure that the motherboard you picked is capable of using the processor you’ve chosen. There are a number of different types of motherboards, with different slots for processors, so you can’t just pick whatever component you like. You need to consider how the entire machine will work, so every piece of the puzzle has to fit well.
Now that the theory is out of the way, you can read below about the way you can create your own barebones computer, step by step.
When you’re looking to build a barebones computer, you first have to know the kind of budget you have at your disposal. While the processor, motherboard and graphics card are important, you also have to spend a bit of money on the misc components, like the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse or the printer. Your expenses don’t end with the main PC unit, so take everything into consideration. Make a list with the peripherals first and get them out of the way, so you know how much money you have to work with for the PC unit. You can save some money by using your old mouse or keyboard and replacing them at a later date.
Once you have all the components and you want to get started, read the manuals which came with the motherboard and the rest of the hardware. They should contain the information needed for their installation. As long as you follow those instructions, you should be alright. If you’ve never done something like this before it can get a bit confusing, but you should be alright if you’re the handy type. To get started you should have a couple of tools with you, including a screwdriver with a Philips head, one with a flathead, tweezers and a flashlight.
Once you have the motherboard installed inside the case, you can begin placing the other components on it. Add the RAM on it, then the processor and its heat sink fan, the videocard, the cables of the motherboard, the hard drive and any other piece of hardware that needs to go inside. Add the power supply as well and once everything is fastened, you can get started.
Once the motherboard is installed and the rest of the internal components are in as well, make sure that the ports of the motherboard are visible from the outside of the case, so you have where to plug in the external components, like the keyboard, mouse or monitor.
After you get the computer going, all you have to do is install the operating system for the first time and see if there are any conflicts between the components. For a barebones computer, your best bet would probably be the Windows 7 OS from Microsoft, though there are also Linux variants available, if you prefer to use them.
As I mentioned before, chances are that you will not save a lot of money when you create a barebones computer. The advantage is that it’s something you created, without all the useless software which comes on a computer these days and that it will do exactly what you need it to do. Instead of picking a model or another and compromising in the process, you can pick your own hardware and create a computer that you will be completely satisfied with. If you don’t know that much about computer hardware, there are a number of guides and tutorials online which teach you how to pick components for a computer and how to install them.
Barebones Laptop
While the barebones computer is something that a lot of people have experience with, there are far fewer people that are creating their own barebones laptop. Making a laptop is considerably harder, since there is less space to work with in the case and there are fewer components available on the market. It’s harder, but it can also be a very rewarding experience, if you succeed in creating the laptop you want.
To start with, your first step would be to find a manufacturer which makes kits for barebones laptops, which you can customize and add hardware to. With laptops you have to take a few things in consideration when you’re building them. You need to know what you need them to do and that will tell you what kind of size you need, what kind of features it should have and how much battery life. If you want everything maxed out the costs will be very high, so you will probably want to compromise in certain areas.
While a barebones computer can be easily upgraded later, the laptop is usually much less flexible. Upgrading components can prove impossible in some cases without changing everything else, so you should definitely know what you need before you start buying the hardware for your customized laptop.
Knowing whether you need VGA, HDMI, Firewire or USB 2.0 or 3.0 is just an example of the decisions you have to make. The ports you need will determine the motherboard you have to choose and the processor should also fit well with it.
The performances needed on a laptop are quite low if you want to watch a movie or browse the web. If you need to play games on it, the specs need to be considerably higher and that will up the price as well. With better specs, comes a higher power consumption and that will mean a battery life that is shorter. When you create a barebones laptop, it’s all about the compromise and about finding the balance.
After you decided on the components that will go in, you can start looking for the parts and the cheapest price. The Internet is your friend and you should have no problem finding the parts at low prices.
Barebones Laptops
As you saw, barebones laptops are not easy to do, but they’re not impossible either. Just like you saw with the barebones computer, as long as you know what you want, you just have to do the research and make sure everything meshes well together.