The Vendor

Oh my God! This must be the single most important thing to consider when you decide you want to spend some good money on a Computer that you will assemble yourself.

The reason for this is clear, DIY PC assembling is not for the faint-hearted... so be prepared to return to the shop very frequently in the first few days.

My No.1 suggestion is : Get to know your vendor like you would a new found friend. Even go as far as building "... dropping into his shop just to say Hi!" kind of relationship.

I recommend this because if something goes wrong with your customized set-up you can always run to him for help.

You know you have impressed him when he offers his assistance absolutely FREE OF CHARGE each time teething problems occur on your 'Made at HOME' PC.

Just to give you an idea of what to expect, I had visited my Vendor 10 times in the first month alone!

So, another intelligent advice is - DON'T buy the parts / PC from a SHOP across town when you can do it closer to home...