Building a Computer
Most people just assume that a new computer is a Dell or Gateway. Few people (other than the technically inclined) know that Dell and Gateway skimp on the parts inside the computer. What you're left with is a third-rate computer that costs much more than it should have.
Firstly, you need to gather the must-have parts that the computer needs to even boot up...
1)Motherboard - This is the essential piece that all other components of the computer hook into. If you are building a great computer, look for a board that contains PCI-Express slots for a killer graphics card(2005), plenty of RAM slots for memory, a good bus speed for fast processing, and 2-4 USB 2.0 slots would be nice for digital cameras, printers, etc. The motherboard is processor dependent(different types needed for different CPU's). 2)CPU - Major brands right now are Intel and AMD. Everyone has their own opionions, but AMD gives more bang for the buck. Go for the Athlon 64 model and a socket 759 or 939 motherboard as it's not rediculusly expensive and has great value. If you are an Intel fan since they are a little more stable, go with a Pentium 4 and a socket 775 board.
3)RAM - Again, dependent on the motherboard. A higher ranking is generally better but more expensive. I would go with 2 sticks of 512 MB DDR RAM as the minumum. 4)Hard Drive - They are being sold cheaper and cheaper. If you want one that will last for a long, long time...SATA is a must, 100-200GB recommended. 5)Case - A full tower if you are interested in a server class computer(very, very powerful and easy to upgrade) or a mid-size tower for a standard PC. They are usually the perfect size to stach it away and still have enough space to upgrade easily later on.
6)Monitor - I'd go with a 17" or 19" LCD monitor. They are much sharper the the CTS(the boxy ones) and will leave your desk less crowded.
7)Keyboard & Mouse - It doesn't really matter much unless you love First Person Shooter games. Get a the cheaper ones if you don't. An additional option is to get wireless so it's less congested. If you love FPS games, then you should go with a corded, optical mouse(less lag) that has a nice feel and weight to it.
Well, that's all you need in order to build computers, but you still have the option to get an operating system(Windows, Mac, Linux), a CD/DVD Drive, Ethernet card, Floppy Disk Drive, Printer, Digital Camera, etc.
After you gather the parts, it's then time to put them together. It'd be much more than an article could hold, but I can give you a great guide at http://www.gaming-computers-authority.com/Building-A-Computer.html
About the Author
Well, he has been around computers his whole life and knows how to build and repair them.
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