Building a personal computer is neither a dork's pastime nor too complicated.

"I've been doing it for about six years now," computer engineering junior Royce Cole said. "I started doing it out of a half-hearted deal with my cousin that I could make him a computer."

Years later Cole said he has become his family's personal tech support and has built many computers for them and his friends.

Seeing people use what he builds makes the experience rewarding, he said.

"I've built several computers for different family members," Cole said. "When people ask I can't help but to say, 'OK.'"

Building a PC is an endeavor often left uncharted for those faint of technology and lacking in knowledgeable resources.

This hobby, however, isn't as hard as one might assume. With a little research it can turn out to be a very rewarding and possibly money-saving experience.

"It's definitely cheaper," computer engineering sophomore Edward Bradford said. "You get more bang for your buck."

Bradford began building computers when he was young. Like Cole, he said he has used this hobby to help friends.

"I've helped a couple of my buddies build computers," Bradford said. "I really got into it sophomore year of high school. I've even helped my high school. I was on a tech squad that went around school and fixed computers."

Advertising junior Nick Bowman said building computers allows him to customize the technology to fit his needs.

"When I buy the parts myself, I know I'm going to be getting exactly what I need, so I can run the software I want," Bowman said.

Cole said a downfall to buying computers from a manufacturer is trouble with proprietary parts. These are custom parts designed specifically for a particular type of computer that can't be interchanged freely.

It's more than a hobby; computer building also is an investment, and just like any investment, there are risks.

One potential problem is if something goes wrong, there is no technical support to answer questions.

"I know there is the problem of not having any technical support," Bowman said. "It seems, however, that in a college environment there are enough students who know about this stuff to get the help that you need."

Bradford said another downfall to PC building is not having warranties in case something goes wrong.

"Sometimes there are benefits because of warranties," Bradford said. "I guess that's why you're paying more."

Bradford said he didn't think this should deter people. He said companies are normally good about refunding faulty items.

"If you keep all the paperwork together and you keep good records then you'll be fine," Bradford said.

To build a PC that will not need a warranty and is cost-effective, many PC builders start by researching parts to buy on the Internet.

"Online is a great place to find the perfect statistics to compare performances to prices," Bowman said.

Cole said he recommends Tom's Hardware Guide (www.tomshardware.com) as a place to gain information about hardware. As the most popular independent hardware site on the Internet, it receives more than 2.3 million hits per month.

"It takes a good look at all the pros and cons for the products that you'd want into your computer," Cole said. "It does well to compare costs vs. components vs. lifetime."

When it comes time to purchase parts, both Cole and Bradford said their first stop is Price Watch (www.pricewatch.com). The advertisement publication allows retailers from all over to update prices for their products in real time, Price Watch fluctuates hourly (much like the stock market), giving the cheapest prices for every PC product.

With a versatile search function, products can be arranged to find retail prices for any manufacturer.

Bowman said Internet auction house eBay also is a useful purchasing tool.

"You can find some great deals there sometimes, but as with any auction it is a bit of a gamble," Bowman said.

Bowman said he suffered a bad gamble with the first PC he bought from a company. Because of lack of upgradeability, it became quickly outdated, and some of the parts were faulty.

He said the biggest mistake he made with computers was not building his first one.

"The first computer I bought had a lot of problems," Bowman said. "Whenever my hard drive made that weird 'chachunk' sound - which I later learned was the sound of it dying - it made me wish I had ordered the part myself."