Discussion Does building pc’s make me smart?

[Nate926493]

I know this isn’t really a hardware question but I find pc’s very intredting and fun. But does building pc’s actually make me smarter is it just something really easy that most people don’t do? I’m not that good at anything else and I was thinking of going to college for this. What is your opinion?

 

[kanewolf]

I know this isn’t really a hardware question but I find pc’s very intredting and fun. But does building pc’s actually make me smarter is it just something really easy that most people don’t do? I’m not that good at anything else and I was thinking of going to college for this. What is your opinion?

It depends. If you just follow a YouTube tutorial without understanding WHY and WHAT you are doing, then you haven't gained any knowledge. If you do research while building, like "what is the significance of the gold triangle in the corner of the CPU chip?" then you would be smarter.

 

[punkncat]

Building a modern computer is a whole lot like building a Lego kit while following the directions. There is very little you can do incorrectly insomuch as the connectors and parts. The only thing that comes to mind that can be plugged in incorrectly to those not paying attention is the CPU/GPU power cables from the PSU (and they are labeled).

To anyone with reading comprehension and the ability to follow directions, I don't think it takes a particularly high level of mechanical skill or intelligence to properly assemble. That said, I do have a bit of mechanical ability, so perhaps I am just making light of something that comes naturally to me. Typically, I am about as smart as a stump.

 

[geofelt]

Building pc's will give you experience.
Experience is what you get when things do not go the way you planned.

I don't know that pc building is a college subject.
But going to college is a good thing if you can afford it.
A college degree is your union card or qualification for many jobs.
It says you have the dedication to work and sufficient intelligence to be employable.
If you have a career in mind such as medicine, law, or engineering, the subjects you take will be much more important.

 

[USAFRet]

Does it "make you smarter"?
No.

You were already smart.

 

[Cj-tech]

I know this isn’t really a hardware question but I find pc’s very intredting and fun. But does building pc’s actually make me smarter is it just something really easy that most people don’t do? I’m not that good at anything else and I was thinking of going to college for this. What is your opinion?

It doesn’t make you smarter as mentioned by others. However, after doing hardware upgrades/repairs multiple times, you start to gain experience. That experience will probably be valuable in college if you are in a computer-related field.

The ability to build PCs by itself is not going to be a skill that employers will look for. On the other hand, troubleshooting software and hardware issues are two things I think are basic skills that are valuable. For example, if a computer won’t boot, what is wrong? It could be almost anything. Having the ability to figure out what is wrong or guiding clients or colleagues through steps to fix something is a totally different skillset than assembling components.

To sum it up, assembling computers is a basic skill. Maybe look for a small IT company nearby to work for. Try to help people fix their computer issues on forums like this or with friends/family. Try to develop your skills as much as possible before going to college.

 

[Bob.B]

I know this isn’t really a hardware question but I find pc’s very intredting and fun. But does building pc’s actually make me smarter is it just something really easy that most people don’t do? I’m not that good at anything else and I was thinking of going to college for this. What is your opinion?

Everything you do that is new will make you smarter.
Life is one big learning session.

How smart you get (a little or a lot) from building a pc will depend on how deep you want to get into it.

 

[Nate926493]

It depends. If you just follow a YouTube tutorial without understanding WHY and WHAT you are doing, then you haven't gained any knowledge. If you do research while building, like "what is the significance of the gold triangle in the corner of the CPU chip?" then you would be smarter.

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense

 

[kurdtnz]

I am living proof you dont need to be smart in order to build a PC. 😉

 

[Karadjgne]

Man tells his apprentice, put mortar here, here and here, then slap on the brick and tap gently to level. For the next 20 years, that's all the apprentice does, exactly what was shown. He can lay bricks fast and well and level with perfection. Doesn't make him smart or an expert.

Understanding Why the mortar needs to be in certain places, How much mortar, the Consistency of the mortar, Reasons for using one mortar over another, Understanding temperature variations and affects, Differences in bricks or blocks and mortar requirements, That's what would make him smart.

It's one thing to build a pc, it's nothing really more difficult than playing with Lego's. Understanding How, When, Why, What makes up a pc, the relationships and composition of the equipment, quality, and other factors used in building the pc is a whole different ballgame.

 

[hotaru.hino]

To answer the question bluntly, no, it doesn't make you smart. But in fairness, what makes a person smart is subjective at best.

But to answer whether or not you got smarter from this experience depends entirely on if you learned something from it. If all you did was get hardware from a list someone else made, put it together, and by some miracle it worked on the first try (or if it didn't work, had someone else hammer on it until it did), then no, I'd argue you didn't really get smarter.

 

[hang-the-9]

I know this isn’t really a hardware question but I find pc’s very intredting and fun. But does building pc’s actually make me smarter is it just something really easy that most people don’t do? I’m not that good at anything else and I was thinking of going to college for this. What is your opinion?

You will gain knowledge, being smart is really just biology. Someone can be smart without much knowledge but can learn easily and have good logic, or you can be not so smart but have learned many things but have issues with figuring out new things and application of existing knowledge. Just basic intelligence is really being able to apply what you know to new situations and in some case remembering things.

The more you use your brain the better it will work and remember things.

 

[jacob249358]

No. Smart is something you either have or don't have. Being smart is a higher ability to learn faster, better, and have good logic. If you arent smart you can combat this with knowledge and by learning stuff so you don't really have to think for yourself and can just use your knowledge.

 

[tennis2]

Pretty sure the physical act of building a PC is an entry level job that you barely need a high school diploma to do for a career. People with college degrees design the hardware/firmware/software to a degree of excellence to make it as easy as possible for the average Joe to build a PC.

If computers and IT interests you, then yes, go to college in that field.

 

[Deleted member 14196]

Definitely go to college and get some kind of IT degree or some kind of programming degree if you’d like to program

 

[Karadjgne]

Pretty sure the physical act of building a PC is an entry level job that you barely need a high school diploma to do for a career. People with college degrees design the hardware/firmware/software to a degree of excellence to make it as easy as possible for the average Joe to build a PC.

If computers and IT interests you, then yes, go to college in that field.

Took apart and rebuilt my first pc when I was 10 (much to my father's horror!) and that was back in 1980, long before people with college degrees gave any real consideration to upgrades or DIY build-a-pc mentality. Lol 🤣. The Commodore Vic20 with 5k of ram addition was Expensive back then.