By Ty Kelly
PC builders know everything about computers. If you thought you couldn’t make a decent $500 computer, a PC builder could build you a $500 computer that will rival the performance of the most expensive laptops out there. They can find value for every cent you give them. You can only imagine how good their work-from-home setup; these guys have the whole thing figured out. No-latency wireless mouse, ergonomic mechanical keyboard setup, eye-friendly displays, and accurately sounding speakers. Get one of their computers, and you would not want more.
Does this sound familiar? If you’re a PC builder, you must have heard something like this about your particular skill set. You can probably improve the computers back in your work or school if you’ve been given a specific budget. You might even argue with your company’s IT staff now and then. In short, you take great pride in what you know about computers.
But what do you do when you encounter a problem that you can’t solve? Go to Tomshardware.com’s forums and find an approved solution? That’s what you do, isn’t it? It doesn’t mean anything. You just found a problem you can’t solve. But, by not formally asking for help, you’re missing a critical component of solving a problem: getting to the solution.
A Learning Opportunity
To any PC builder who’s also an avid fan of The Big Bang Theory, you must remember an episode where Howard laughs at the idea of calling for tech support. As a PC builder, you must have a memory that’s just like it. But, what’s the shame in asking help from your local computer technician? Admitting that you don’t know everything? Well, before you take your PC apart finding a solution to a problem you can’t solve, it’s better to ask for help now.
Here’s something many PC builders think they know: setting up a RAID configuration. What do all the guides usually recommend? Two identical storage for fewer chances of failure. After that, it becomes cloudy, isn’t it? And how would you exactly know if your RAID 0 or 1 is working properly? Google search, again? The most significant advantage of going to a computer technician is that you can go through a solution in person and step by step. It’s a little hard to do now because of the lockdown, but having to talk to someone and having that someone clear up your problem is like a font of cold water. It’s so refreshing compared to going to forums and trusting someone’s untested solution.
Got a Bad Start
What if, by chance and tremendously bad luck, you thought that The Verge’s PC build was a good platform for your new computer? You might be encountering a few problems right now that most PC builders don’t usually encounter. This is just one example of how a bad start can give you headaches in building your PC. It might not be this bad, but along the way, you probably picked up bad advice and wanted to sell all the parts back.
There’s only one thing to do in this situation: ask for help.
There’s always good, bad, and ugly in PC gaming. Everyone goes through it, even veteran PC builders. But, what will make it worse is trying to solve a difficult problem by yourself. Ask a computer technician and enlighten yourself. Good help goes a long way.
