Introduction:

PC's are one of the easiest things to build and maintain as long as you know the basics. There are many components that make up a computer, and they can become quite expensive, but if you look hard enough you can come across some great deals.


Sites I Recommend:
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Newegg.com is arguably the best place to purchase everything you need for your computer. Whether you're a gamer, graphics designer, business man/woman, programmer, or all of these, Newegg is definitely the place to go. The prices are reasonable, the customer support is wonderful, and you'll feel right at home every time you access the site.

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Best Buy's computer components selection isn't quite as wide as Newegg's (let's face it, Newegg's inventory blows Best Buy's right out of the sky), but it's still a great place to keep track of. Every once in a while, you'll get pretty good deals on graphics cards, fans, and RAM.

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I haven't ordered much from this site, but I hear you can find a lot of great deals on it. I believe they own CircuitCity.com now, as well. I know I'm definitely going to check it out. I hear shipping is fast, the customer service is excellent, and the prices are decent.

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Pre-built vs. Custom:

One of the most asked questions is "what computer should I get, I want to play [place name of PC game here]", or some variation of that. There's nothing wrong with buying a pre-built computer, but if you're using your computer for gaming or programming, custom is the way to go. Besides, you'll end out dishing less cash for custom than you would for a pre-built PC or laptop.

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A Few Decent Pre-builts:
Will update later.


[multipage=Components of the PC]
The Components of the PC:

- Case: essentially the body of the computer. You'll have to make sure that your case can not only fit and house your components, but also supply an adequate amount of air flow and cooling, too.

- Power Supply (PSU): let's put it this way -- without a PSU, you're computer isn't gonna work. (Pointing out the obvious. =D ) It is vital that you know what wattage your computer will need, and that it will provide a sufficient and steady output of power to the components of your computer. Gaming computers should have at least 500W, and can require even more than 1000W.

- Motherboard (Mobo): basically the lungs of the computer. Also one of the most difficult things to decide upon. Things you'll have to consider are if you want an AMD or Intel processor, how much RAM you will want to be able to use, and if you want a single or dual graphics card computer.

- Processor (CPU): one of the most necessary components. The heart of the PC, you could say. There are two large companies for processors; AMD and Intel. AMDs are arguably cheaper, but people claim that Intels are more durable and powerful. Although with personal experience I can say Intels have far more overclocking capability, I'm not too sure I would prefer one kind over the other. They're both great companies, and it all comes down to your budget.

- RAM: the amount of RAM you'll need isn't too much. I run just fine on 4GB. Nothing is as satisfying as upgrading your RAM to the max, though. RAM can get pretty expensive, and there are many different classifications when it comes to it, but we'll get to that later.

- Graphics Card (GPU): there's nothing I love better than beautiful graphics -- but they're not cheap. Graphics cards are absolutely necessary if you want to use your computer for graphics design and gaming. Decent cards are decently priced, and high-end cards can become quite expensive as well. AMD and Nvidia are the two major companies when it comes to GPUs, but many different companies manufacture them.

- Hard Drive (HDD): go big or go home -- a large hard drive is one of the best things to have if you're a gamer, graphics designer, programmer, or businessman; however, if you're only using your computer for day-to-day things (media, Facebook, email, etc.), it's not worth spending a decent amount of cash on a large hard drive. I recommend 2TB for gamers and the aforementioned, and around 500GB for day-to-day users.

- CD Drive (CDD): it isn't too hard to come across a decent one for a good price. This will probably be the easiest component you'll have to decide on.

- Fans: if you're running a high-end computer, I suggest you mount a couple of fans. There are CPU fans (I always go aftermarket), case fans, PCI fans, the works. It all depends on your set-up.

- Operating System (OS): this all depends on your personal preference. Most people use Windows 7 Pro or some variation. I run on Windows 7 Ultimate, 64-bit. It works perfectly fine for me. I'm not really familiar with the Mac OS, but I've used Ubuntu, and I love the interface, I just don't know if it's suitable for gaming.

[multipage=Cases]


[multipage=PSUs]

Wattage: what components your computer can handle depends on two main things -- wattage and compatibility. The normal wattage that entry level to high-end PCs have are 500Ws to 1000Ws. I myself have one in the middle, at 700W.

PSUs aren't too hard to decide on, I suggest Rosewill (Newegg's "home" manufacturer), Corsair or Coolermaster. (Although there are tons of great companies to buy a PSU from.)

If you're a gamer, try to go for 700W+, but don't spend too much on it. You could easily find a 700W for $60-$70.

A few PSUs I recommend:

- Entry level: You must login or register to view this content.

- Decent: You must login or register to view this content.

- High end: You must login or register to view this content.