First Build Your Own PC Class Went Well

Sorry for the extended St. Patrick’s Day break. Our first Build Your Own PC Class on Saturday last went exceptionally well – Shelton Romhanyi, head of our testing lab and formerly labs manager of Tom’s Hardware Guide U.S., gave the class. It was his first time teaching a group of people, and I figure he learned a bit about giving a class as he taught his students about PC’s on the component level.

He started describing the different parts of the motherboard and what components go onto it, bit by bit, before discussing design and then giving the small class (5 people) a hands-on go taking apart and putting together a PC.

It’s really a confidence as well as a knowledge thing – really, the knowledge of how to build a PC is easy to attain (it’s like complicated, expensive lego.)

A real bonus to the class was the hands-on experience, because it’s one thing to be told “Press firmly on the RAM to insert it onto the motherboard”, it’s another thing to have 500 euro worth of kit sitting beneath you and being told that you have to apply enough pressure that you think you might snap the mobo, the RAM or something else in half. Do it once or twice on our test bed and get a feel for it and you’ll likely feel a lot happier doing it yourself when you get home.

The Q&A session, which most of the class was really, was another great bonus; and I don’t foresee any two classes being alike as people arrive in with different questions and levels of experience.

All in all a great success. I’m going to be taking a good look at how we can make this a sustainable class to keep driving forwards with, the demand for it has been really big.

Picture nicked from Adrian Weckler, Sunday Business Post writer who attended the class.

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