Lesson 1Sourcing realistic parts: verifying product listings, reading spec sheets, and cross-checking pricesBuild skills to check that online parts listings are legit and trustworthy. You'll cross-check specs, model numbers, and reviews from different sellers and makers, keeping an eye out for dodgy photos, bundles, and prices.
Confirming model numbers and revisionsComparing specs with vendor PDFsSpotting misleading photos and bundlesUsing reviews to confirm real behaviorFlagging gray‑market or fake listingsLesson 2Interpreting current component availability and pricing from major retailers and tech sitesLearn to read real-time prices and stock from big shops and tracking sites. You'll spot trends, special deals, and local price differences to time your buys and tweak builds to fit the budget.
Using price history and tracking toolsComparing major retailers and regionsSpotting sales cycles and promo patternsReacting to stock shortages and delaysAdjusting builds to stay within budgetLesson 3Cooling options: stock coolers, air coolers, AIO liquid coolers, and thermal performance trade-offsCompare basic coolers, tower air coolers, and AIO liquid ones. You'll weigh noise, space fit, reliability, and cooling power to pick what's right for your case, CPU heat, and looks.
Stock coolers: pros, cons, and limitsTower air coolers and heatpipe designAIO liquid coolers and radiator sizingClearance with RAM, GPU, and side panelsNoise, fan curves, and maintenance needsLesson 4Storage types: SATA SSD, NVMe PCIe (Gen3/Gen4/Gen5) and sizing strategiesLearn how SATA SSDs and NVMe drives differ in speed, wait time, lifespan, and cost. Get to grips with PCIe versions, storage needs, and job types to size it right without wasting money or slowing things down.
SATA SSD vs NVMe: latency and throughputPCIe Gen3, Gen4, Gen5 lanes and limitsRandom vs sequential workloads and QD impactEndurance ratings, TBW, and warranty termsCapacity planning for OS, apps, and dataLesson 5Case form factors, airflow, GPU clearance, drive mounting, and cable management considerationsSee how case size and setup affect fit, airflow, and noise. You'll check space for GPU and cooler, drive spots, and cable paths so builds stay cool, neat, and easy to put together or fix later.
ATX, mATX, ITX case and board fitmentFront, top, and rear airflow planningGPU and CPU cooler height clearancesDrive cages, brackets, and SSD mountsCable routing channels and tie‑down pointsLesson 6RAM types, capacities, speeds, timings, and dual/quad channel implicationsUnderstand how RAM type, size, and speed impact performance. You'll compare DDR types, timings, and setups, plus dual or quad channel effects for gaming, creating content, and heavy memory jobs.
DDR generations and voltage differencesCapacity planning for common workloadsFrequency, timings, and real latencySingle vs dual rank DIMM behaviorDual and quad channel performanceLesson 7Power supply fundamentals: wattage estimation, 80+ efficiency ratings, modularity, protectionsGet how to size and pick a solid PSU. You'll work out system power use, read 80 Plus ratings, compare modular types, and check protections and power lines to dodge crashes, noise, and upgrade hassles.
Estimating peak and sustained wattage80 Plus efficiency levels and impactModular vs non‑modular cabling choicesProtections: OCP, OVP, SCP, OTP, OPPSelecting reputable PSU brands and linesLesson 8Motherboard chipsets, sockets, and feature sets: matching to CPU use casesLearn to match boards to CPUs and jobs. You'll compare sockets, chipsets, power delivery, and connections, balancing extras, links, and budget for gaming, work, or office setups.
CPU socket and chipset compatibilityVRM design and power delivery qualityPCIe slots, M.2 slots, and lane sharingUSB, networking, and audio featuresBIOS quality, updates, and supportLesson 9How to read and compare CPU specifications: cores, threads, clocks, IPC, and TDPGain confidence with CPU spec sheets and pages. You'll read cores, threads, speeds, IPC, cache, and TDP, linking them to gaming, content, and office tasks to pick the right CPU level.
Physical cores vs logical threadsBase, boost clocks, and turbo behaviorIPC, cache sizes, and single‑thread strengthTDP, power limits, and cooling needsMatching CPU tiers to target workloadsLesson 10Building a parts list quickly: templates, compatibility checks, and saved search techniquesLearn to put together a full, matching parts list fast. Use templates, filters, and check tools, then save searches and alerts to jump on stock changes and quick deals.
Starting from proven build templatesUsing online compatibility checkersFiltering by budget and performanceSaving searches and price alertsVersioning and cloning parts listsLesson 11Documenting choices: writing concise justifications and noting purchase URLs and price snapshots for manager reviewBuild a simple way to record parts, prices, and sources. Practice short, clear reasons and grab URLs, times, and options so bosses can check and okay your builds quick.
Writing one‑sentence part justificationsRecording URLs, SKUs, and seller detailsCapturing dated price and promo evidenceTracking alternative parts and trade‑offsOrganizing build notes for manager reviewLesson 12GPU tiers and market positioning: integrated vs discrete GPUs and how to pick by workloadLearn how GPU levels fit gaming, creative, and office work. Compare built-in and separate GPUs, memory size, power, and features to match screen size, frames, and budget.
Integrated graphics vs discrete GPUsEntry, midrange, and high‑end GPU tiersVRAM capacity, bus width, and bandwidthPower draw, connectors, and PSU impactMatching GPU to resolution and refresh
