What are decent parts to use when building a computer?

Question

I am getting some money in and my laptop is very weak compared to a PC. So what parts should I get to build a decent computer. I have friends helping me and everything. I want to only spend between 500 - 800 all together. I know the basic parts like monitor , mouse, and keyboard, but. I need a little advice. IF you know any specificications I should, know let me know. Thanks

Answer 1

Hi,
When i build a PC i generally use the brands below:

Motherboard: Gigabyte
CPU: AMD
RAM: Kingston
Video Card: ATI
HDD: Seagate
Sound Card: Sound blaster


For the rest i generally wont worry about the brands because there isnt much difference in the products. But for the items i have listed, these can make the difference between a ok computer and a great computer.

Everyone has different tastes on what brands they use, but that is what i use.

Answer 2

You will need to start with a atx form factor computer case and power supply. Go with at least a 450 watt power supply to run everything you might eventually add. make sure to get a quality power supply, enermax, antec, etc. I would also consider investing in a quality aluminum case as well, because this will keep all your components cool. Also try to find a case that already has fans installed - Intake and Exhaust. Next you will need a motherboard again stay with quality like msi, abit, asus, biostar.. go with a board that will have support for future upgrades. you can buy a processor sepreratly are bundled with a motherboard "motherboard combo" I like amd processors, so I would go with a 64 bit single or dual core depending on your budget. you will also need ram (memory) ddr speed should match the front side bus of the processor. next you will need a hard drive, go with a serial ata for speed and say atleast a 200 gig for plenty of storage. If you are into gaming you might want to buy a dedicated video card 256 mb will do just fine. if not just make sure the motherboard you get has onboard video (graphics) and sound. last you will need a cd-rom drive, they make drives that are all in one now dvd, cd, cd-r, dvd-r. that would give you the most options and they are only a little more. If you dont have windows xp I bet one of your buddys do, if not you will need to purchase a copy of windows xp. I would also wait for 6 months to a year before investing in windows vista, because all the holes and bugs. www.newegg.com is the best site to order your parts from, very good service and fast, and some of the best deals anywhere. You will probably spend around 700-750 range but you will have a much better computer than what the mass produced systems. Good Luck!