- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Tell you what, lets customise it for him.
Motherboard:
Deciding factor:
Processor type. Up to you really. Basically, you cant go wrong with either conroe or AMD AM2 processors. Just get the best you can go for. Whatever you get, its going to be dual core.
Try not to get abit, they seem to have an issue with putting crappy fans on the mobo. Other then that, great boards.
As well as all the normal stuff, make sure its got enough USB ports for you to use.
Powersupply:
Deciding factor:
What connections you need. Basically, just get a good one (loook at reviews) thats at least 450Watts. More if for some reason your going SLI or Crossfire.
Case.
Whatever you think looks nice. Make sure its not some stupid form factor. That its got enough bays and its not got more sharp edges than a knife factory.
Memory:
Basically, just look what type your motherboard takes, and buy that. Dont be fooled by CAS latency, anything 3 or under is ok. Ignore the half wits saying you will see a difference with less CAS than 3. Id recommend 2 Gig at least, 3 at most.
Hard drive:
Totally up to you. Your the one who knows what your using it for, so therefore how much space you need. A few provisos tho. Makes sure its at least 7200 spin speed. Sata, obviously. 8MB or more of cache would be good too.
Optical drive:
DVD burner. With how cheap they are now, its stupid not too. Make sure its dual layer, most are nowadays. Try to find a quiet one. Make sure it matches your case (unless the case has bezels).
Floppy drive:
I suggest getting the ones with lots of card readers built in. You never know when some stupid thing might need a floppy. For about £12 (whats that in $'s?) its worth doing. Again, make sure it matches the case.
Graphics card:
Nvidea or ATI? Who cares, except fanboys? Go for what you think looks best. Basically, buy the rest of your system and spend as much as you have left on the card. Id advise against SLI or Crossfire, both rather pointless but its up to you.
Monitor:
I'll echo what I said earlier. A 19" would do you lovely. Make sure its got a decent res, and preferably but not essential is a DVI output. Its up to you if you want to go widescreen or not. My personal preferance is not. But a must is 8MS response or lower. One thing people forget is that TFTs are bigger than CRTs in viewing terms.
My 19" TFT has the same viewing area as my old 21" CRT. Thats no lie.
Power protection:
I know I said it before, but its worth saying ten times over. Just spend a few $s on an anti surge plug. Its so damned worth it.
Theres an impartial guide to your own PC. Hope it helps.
Edited - I just cant spell these days.
[Edited on 9/27/2006]