Just do it

It’s time to make a PC

You all build your own PCs, right? I hope the answer to that is a big ‘no’, and that’s ok. There are plenty of reasons why you would just buy an off the shelf desktop system – but – there’s also a bunch of great reasons why you should consider the DIY way. You can save a decent amount of money, which can be kept in your pocket, or re-invested into better components. Then there’s the plain old thrill of the project. There’s nothing quite like the nervous moment when you hit the power button for the very first time, and then (hopefully!) watching it come to life. And of course, for as long as you run that PC you just might find yourself flush with pride at random moments when you remember that you made this.

But I get the trepidation. Everyone feels it. What if I break something? What order do the parts go in? Which way around do things go? Where should I put the AIO cooler? And much, much more. APC is here to solve all this and help you get the confidence to build. In this multi-part guide we’re kicking off you’ll learn absolutely everything you need to know to build your own PC. It’s a keeper, so even if you don’t build a PC for a while yet this guide is standing by ready to get you across the line with a beautiful new PC, that you made. Nice.

And if that excitement wasn’t enough, this is the issue we’re announcing all the finalists and winners of the 2024 Australian PC Awards! This annual tradition exists to acknowledge the companies and people behind them that design, engineer, build and support the gear we love – and do it better than anyone else. Putting this together was an exhaustive yet enjoyable process for us, and as always we roped in PC experts from our Future Publishing colleagues at TechRadar, PC Gamer, PC PowerPlay and Tom’s Guide to get the job done.

Take a look and see if you already own something we’ve tapped. Or, if you’re currently looking to add some gear or upgrade, everything in the finalists and winners here is gold and comes with our highest recommendation.

2024 is really starting to heat up with very exciting new products, we’ll do our best to cover the good stuff right here for you, just as we always do. Enjoy, and see you all next issue.

“In this multi-part guide we’re kicking off you’ll learn absolutely everything you need to know to build your own PC.”