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Build Your Own Computer Camp 

Have you ever wondered what all the parts of a desktop computer do? How a computer is put together, configured, and setup to run?  Well this camp is for youth, ages 12 to 16 who want to build and test their own computer.

Each camper will use new and used parts that will be provided in order to build a fully functional personal computer.
Included in the computer will be:
  • Case
  • Power supply
  • Motherboard and Central Processing Unit (CPU)
  • CPU cooling fan
  • DDR4 RAM memory, at least 8 GB
  • CD/DVD disc drive... (maybe not for 2022, we'll see)
  • Solid State Drive (500GB or larger)
  • Keyboard and mouse
  • LCD monitor
  • Linux Mint operating system (possibly Windows 10 Pro always depends on the cost)
​
These are solid desktop or mini-tower computers.  If you are looking for a great gaming computer, these probably aren't them... but you'll learn what you can do to upgrade these or build a new one to meet your needs.  Remember a really good gaming computer can cost over $2,000, so don't expect to get one at our camp.  BUT, it will play most games in a reasonable frame rate and at a reasonable resolution, so don't despair.

Learn how to:
  • Install all the components into the case
  • Configure drivers to get the parts to run
  • Run diagnostics on the computer
  • Install the operating system and virus software
  • Configure and connect to the internet and setup operating system updates

This program is an excellent opportunity for the youth to learn about computer architecture and to understand how all the different parts of a computer fit together, both physically and electronically.

Each camper will get to take the computer home when they are finished!

Ages: 12 to 16

​Minimum number of campers: 8
Maximum number of campers: 12
Stay tuned for the 2022 BYOCC Build:

We're looking at a real upgrade for 2022. Partly because there still isn't a lot available on the market.  The AMD Ryzen 3 3200g that we've used for the past two years has been discontinued, so we're moving up to the Ryzen 5 5600G processor and will be running it on a brand new B550 or B550M motherboard.

The Ryzen 5 5600G cracks the whip at 19,900 on the CPUBenchmark site, putting it on par with 10th gen Intel i7 processors. And the onboard Radeon Vega graphics comes in with a benchmark of 2640, which puts it on par with the RX 550 graphics card.

This will give these computers a LOT of oomph. We're sticking with the G series of processors (G stands for build in graphics) because the cost of graphics cards is still through the roof. Things like the highly recommended AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT graphics card is only $1,400, if you can find it.

The RX 550, which came out in 2017 for $75 is now going for $200 on Amazon, usually electronics get LESS expensive as they get older, not more expensive.

So we'll focus on a computer that you can use for anything, including gaming, just not at the highest resolutions and highest frame rates. Then you can go out and find a graphics card that is in your budget. BUT REMEMBER, you don't need one. A lot depends on what you want to do with your computer.

Except for the monitor, we're expecting the 2022 build to be new equipment. We may install a used secondary hard disk drive and a used CD/DVC player, but we haven't gotten to those yet.


So far for 2022:
  • Ryzen 5 5600G CPU (processor)
  • AMD Wraith Stealth cooling fan and heat sink
  • B550 or B550M Motherboard
  • <more details as we get the orders in>
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