Relax! You are half way there. I know this is really tough, but believe me it does get easier, you really need to hang
on in there. Next to the really interesting part - we shall assist you in establishing your own 'wish list' of components
you would like to have in your PC within your budget.
| Components |
Mandatory (Y/N) |
Comments |
Current Guideline |
| Midi-Tower ATX Case 200W PSU - ATX |
Y |
The airflow within a system case is critical as more and more powerful CPU's require constant airflow without any
impediment. We therefore are unable to recommend the use of Desktop ATX cases.
|
Midi-Tower cases - with 200W PSU (Power Supply).
|
| Motherboard |
Y |
The Motherboard will depend on your Processor selection, and your specific requirements
|
Leading OEM Motherboard Manufacturers:
http://www.abit.com.tw/
http://www.asus.com.tw/
http://www.msi.com.tw/
|
| Processor |
Y |
Fortunately there can only be two manufacturers to select from: Intel or AMD.
The model will depend on your specific requirements
|
Keep up with the current news, read about new processor launches, see the following sites:
www.one2surf.co.uk
www.intel.com
www.amd.com
|
| Memory |
Y |
Minimum should be 64Mb. Any more should really be in increments of 64Mb, and total ordered should be in a single
strip only, to allow for future upgrading. The type of memory depends on the motherboard and chipset combination,
currently there is PC100, PC133 and Rambus (RDRAM) memory . Check which memory is support by the motherboard.
|
|
| Hard Disk Drive |
Y |
Size is depended on your requirements, currently the entry level is 15Gb ATA/66 UDMA. Unless your requirements fall
in the SCSI-II UW category.
|
|
| CD ROM/DVD ROM Drive |
Y |
The choice is yours, DVD ROM Media is increasing in popularity, and the price difference is small compared to the
CD ROM Drive, currently a DVD ROM drive will cost £43.00 more than an equivalent CD ROM Drive.
|
|
| CDR-W |
N |
CDR-W A CD Rewritable useful if you want to burn your own CD's, and can also be utilised for back-ups, slow but
useful component in any PC.rive.
|
|
| 3.5" FDD / ZIP Internal |
Y/N |
A 3.5" Floppy drive is a must. ZIP - a good to have add-on comes in two varieties 100Mb & 250Mb either as internal or External,
great for back-ups
|
|
| Graphics Card |
Y |
AGP - From a host of technologies and models available this is very much dependent on your requirements. Currently
as a guideline, the NVdia Chipsets hold the crown in terms of graphics and games playing, but this could be
changing as we write.
|
|
| Monitor |
Y |
A 17" Monitor should always be a preference, and with a minimum .25 dot pitch, or aperture grille (on Trinitron type
tubes)
|
|
| Sound Card |
User preference |
A sound card is a standard issue in PC's however you can specify what type of sound card you require. Standard is
Creative PCI 128
|
|
| Modem |
Y |
An Internal Modem saves you a Communication port, and hence is a better choice. Currently the standard is V90 - 56i.
Beware, buy branded modems with fax and voice facility. Non-Branded modems can cause real headaches.
|
|
| Software |
Y |
Must have operating system - currently Windows 98 SE (release 2), however, Windows 2000 does look good. Bundled
software as mentioned earlier, please follow our guideline.
|
|
| Keyboard / Mouse |
Y/Y |
Keyboards and Mice are a personal preference. We would recommend a good quality keyboard and mouse, as these two
items, often ignored by users, are used everyday and are vital tools.
|
|
| Warranty |
Y |
Discussed at great lengths in our section. Please refer to the section regarding Warranty.
|
|
We have now completed our suggested components list, all you need to do is add the manufacturer's name and models to it,
or by this stage you may have selected the models from your vendors list, and are ready to proceed to the next stage.
Should you encounter any decision making difficulties, then go back and select the most recent reviewed models from your
vendor list. If this proves difficult and you need assistance please feel free to email us as suggested earlier.
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