How did you gain your technical expertise?

ROFL :haha:

I voted "Trial and error", but forgot to mention Techspot and Howard!

When I created the poll I thought about checking the "I am a computer God and know all!" part. Now I'm really glad I didn't, my brothers computer has humbled me. All I can say is stupid video cards!:evil:

I started my computer self-educating about 1.5 years ago.

About two years ago, whenever I get a computer problem, I took the initiative to go online to Google and/or forums to find the solution. Eventually, I ended up learning a lot about computers through trial and error.

I remember my first build, where I was researching Google on how to build a computer. I found that there were basically two ways to build a computer. The first is to only know the basics, where the only worry was just to make sure that the parts are compatible. The other way is to understand everything about every piece of hardware, and make the best choice based on your knowledge. I was very curious, so I chose the latter and started Google-ing.

I remember myself going on newegg.com, selecting the computer parts, going to the "Specifications" tab, and Google-ing everything that was listed. For example, I remember myself looking at the specs of a motherboard, and then google-ing things like "FSB" and "northbridge", and then reading the results to find out what these things are. I did that for everything, until I eventually understood every spec of every component of a computer.


Therefore, I have to thank Google for my technical knowledge. I also learned a lot from forums, especially TechSpot, because nothing teaches better than the words from an experienced hands-on genius.

This thread is a very good idea. I first became interested after i pulled my mom's pc apart. Its funny that a lot of the votes are trial and error/techspot.

The best way of learning about computers is having a troublesome computer which runs into problems on a regular basis, and having really really crap aftersales support.

You'd be surprised how much you can learn about computers when you're in the mood to game, and your only computer needs fixing.

you're probably not wrong, i've pretty much always had to fix my pc myself so i've learnt a lot from that and from techspot.

What a great question. Although I'm probably older than many (if not most!) of you, I've just begun learning about computer hardware and how everything works this summer. 40 years was quite long enough to wait. Like Grafficks, I've done a ton of research with Google and through various forums. I never even visited a forum until recently, and am amazed at the amount of information so willingly provided. You guys are the best (faith in humanity boosted). Unlike Grafficks, my research was intended so that I could best configure a system to be built by a manufacturer since I need one before I'll be confident enough to build one myself. Now I'm obsessed with learning about this stuff...

I am a Computer God of War!

Muahhahahaaha! :evil:

I'll change my name to Kratos

I pray that isn't you-amen

No lol, go to google and search Kratos

It's like the 2nd picture or what ever

Whoa, good.

You scared me there for a second tp.

Is that a kilt ?

I don't know it's not me :haha:

trial and error
techspot
internet

I broke a lot of stuff, that's how i first started.

I've just been doing it since i was a wee little kid I started at 9 and now I'm 15...

I started back in 2000-2002 while playing Ultima Online. I was looking to buy an in-game house, so I had left my ICQ number in posts all over the place hoping to find a motivated seller. I got an ICQ message from somebody I didn't know, but who apparently had seen my posts and wanted to know if I'd like to see pictures of their house. I clicked the link to view the pictures, and I see a window quickly open and close and then my computer crashed.

I had a good idea that I had been sent something nasty because at the time Ultima Online accounts could be worth thousands of dollars, so I was probably sent a key logger in an attempt to steal my account. My account was almost worthless as I had no virtual property except what I could pick up off the ground. It wasn't until just a few years ago that my account became worth stealing.

Well anyways, after my computer crash I ended up formatting and reinstalling Windows 98. Then I bought various PCI video cards in an effort to improve my game play. I was always buying more memory. I bought a new "Gaming Modem" to improve my 28.8k connection and my 220 ping. It didn't help. Years later I tired of PCI video cards, so I purchased a computer I could upgrade. I ended up buying a VPR Matrix 2.0 GHz Pentium IV with an ATX motherboard and a 4X AGP slot. That computer exploded into a more than decent gaming computer at the time with the edition of a Radeon 9700Pro and a Sound Blaster Audigy II both of which almost doubled the cost of the computer.

Things have escalated from there.

i think i got really interested in pc's when i bought some more ram once i think it was for this pc actually although back then i was buying sd ram and had a 1ghz cpu, which was better than my sister's 433mhz cpu so i was happy

I wouldnt say i got expertise by any means, but ill go with the majority and say i learned what i know today from destroying every computer i had! starting with a commodore amiga 500. I remember saving for months to buy a 1 meg memory upgrade . After i broke the parts i usually learned how id done it and not to do it again!