If you have never put together a computer before, then choosing the right parts probably looks like a daunting task. Don't fret! It's actually much easier than it looks. This article is going to simplify the steps of choosing computer parts, and will also help you find parts that are within the price range and performance level you're interested in.
It's important to know that if you're on low budget, you WILL NOT be able to buy all the high tech, cutting edge performance parts for your computer. You'll have to skimp somewhere, but this doesn't mean you'll be stuck with a computer that sucks! Last years hot items work just as well as when they first came out. If you want to save money while building a gaming computer, don't skimp too hard on the graphics card, and if you're building a work computer, don't skimp too hard on the processor. If you're looking for something that's fast for simple e-mail and web browsing, spend more on the RAM and hard drive, as these two components really help the computer run faster even if you don't spend too much on the processor.
The first decision you need to make is what processor manufacture you want to go with -- Intel or AMD. In my experience Intel is the better of the two and a little more expensive. The reason why this is your first buy is because motherboards are built around the processor so you have to make sure they are compatible. Once you have chosen your processor, do a search for the specific processor and compatible motherboards. Once you have the processor and compatible processor, double check again to make sure they are compatible -- better safe than sorry.
Now that you have a motherboard, you will need to look at other components to fill it up. You're going to need RAM, a hard drive, a graphics card, and a power supply to get everything running properly. RAM is fairly difficult to buy. You'll have to find out how much RAM your motherboard supports before buying any, and also what speeds your motherboard supports. There's nothing worse than buying 8 gigabytes of DDR 800 RAM, only to find out your motherboard only supports 4 gigabytes of DDR 400! You will always want to pay special attention to what your motherboard can handle before you buy any components.
Are you familiar with the different hard-drives available? If you are than you might have heard about the new hard-drives called SSD drives. These drives are faster than the old fashioned drivers and more expensive. If you can shop around and find one at a great deal that doesn't deplete your budget, buy it. Old fashioned hard-drivers are sold with speeds that range from 3200 to 10000 rpm. 7200 rpm is a fast hard-drive and should be at an affordable price range for a tight budget. If you buy a hard-drive with a slow rpm then it doesn't matter how fast and great your other components are because they will bottle-neck at the hard-drive.
You now have the main components of a computer, but you still need a way to display the data that's being processed. You need a graphics card. Just like the other components, you need to make sure that the graphics card is compatible with your motherboard. Most graphics cards are compatible with most motherboards, but you should check your motherboard requirements just in case. Modern graphics cards use a PCI express slot. Older graphics cards used PCI and AGP slots, but those are almost unheard of now. Many motherboards still contain a PCI or AGP slot just in case, but they often go unused.
Your graphics card doesn't have to be expensive, unless you're planning on playing all the latest computer games with all the settings set on high. If you plan on turning your computer into a gaming machine, you'll definitely want to allot most of your budget to the GPU. Graphics cards and their prices are directly related. The more you spend, the better the card. You can get around this problem by buying a model from a previous year, or buying a used graphics card. Buying a graphics card used is sometimes dangerous, because it could have problems, but can be worth it if you're buying from a trusted friend or family member.
The final piece of the puzzle is the power supply. You'll want to find a power supply with enough power (in watts) for your components. Usually, around 500 watts is enough. If you're putting in some heavy duty equipment, you may need to step up the wattage to 800 or more in order to get everything running properly. You'll also want to make sure that you have enough connectors on the power supply, and also the right connectors on it. If you run out of connectors, there isn't much you can do. The only thing left after buying your power supply is to get a case and assemble your new system!
Start by choosing your processor, Intel or AMD. Pick a motherboard that is compatible with the specific processor you've chosen. Pick compatible RAM and a hard-drive with an rpm speed of 7200. Finish the project up with a graphics card and power supply. If you only take one thing from this article, please let it be the word "Compatibility." Good luck.
