JK
I want to build my own computer . How doI do it?
I want 120GB @ 7200rpm
512 mb
P4 -
CD-rw 54x
6 USB slots
FAST Cable access
Windows XP
Wireless optical mouse and keyborad
Where can I get it and what else do I need?
What the hell is a mother board? What kind should I get?

Ebay baby....I built another one for the kids out of parts I picked up for less than $500.

The mother board is the main board, it holds the processor and memory and lets all the devices talk to one another ( short version answer).
I would look for a ASUS mother board, look for a ps4 (allows pentium 4) and 8x agp (allows for fast video card).
120 GB is nice but can be a bit tricky to set up.........make sure you have a big enough power supply ( 300 -400 watts)

Right now I have a Sony Vios laptop with 800mhz, 256 memory and 40 gb . It suck when doing more than 3 things at one time. Internet . recording and documents are 90% of what I use them for , what whould you recomend. I also want to get into gaming.

If you've never built a system before, do some research. It'* pretty easy, but you can waste a lot of money if you just start grabing parts without researching them first.

I'll search for some good sites, watch this thread. In the meantime, list EVeRYTHING you want to do. Surfing, burning (burning what?). etc. I used to do this for a living, so tell me what you need.

I use netscape so I usually have about 10 tab up( lot'* of web surfing)
Record music (need space for music)
Documents for work
Listen to music ALOT
Have lot'* of USB stuff
Printing
Wants to be able to play games and not freeze up!
That'* pretty much it.
I want to build my own so I can always upgrade in the future is it'* carp later on.
Thanks

Best place to look for parts/prices on the web is

www.pricewatch.com

broken down by categoary as well as search engine...

Check out www.newegg.com for some good prices for the parts.

Go to www.tomshardware.com to see some great articles on how to build the right PC. It'* easier than you think.

Yup! Two very good sites!

Yeah, research, thats where I messed up. Now I am stuck with a tower that cost me Aprox 1200 in parts to build and take 3 or 4 tries to boot after its been shut down.

Motherboard that'* the computers Central Nervous System. Abit and Asus are good brands. This is where you want to be the most careful, and spend the most money.

Power Supply Don't shirk here, either. You'll want at least 350Watts for a P4, if not more. I have a 500 Watt on my 2 gig system.

Hard Drive - Western Digital or Maxtor are my preferences

RAM- 512 should be plenty - Brand, to me, is only really important based on what your Motherboard wants. Kingston is good, and affordable, up to about 512

Input - If you want wireless Mouse and Keyboard, Logitech or Micro$oft only. I have the Logitech MX700 Cordless Optical Mouse and love it.

Video - This will start a war, but I am partial to NVidia. Just stay away from the FX series unless you want to spend the money on a 5900. All the others sound like you have a dustbster in there. If you don't plan on doing a lot of high end gaming, you can save some money on your Video because all the fancy 3D ain't necessary

Monitor Flat screens are cool, but slow and expensive. If you're short on money, but not room, get a normal monitor. You can get a lot more "bang for your buck" this way.

Cable access Talk to your cable company. They will have the best eqipment for your area, and it comes with the subscription. You may want a router to share with other computers in the house, just make sure you get one that'* made for broadband sharing. Setting anything else up is a PITA.

CD Burner Again, may start a war, but I am partial to TDK. Good drive for the price.

Audio Most motherboards will have this built in. And it will depend on what your after. The built in audio is usable, and can be pretty good. Some MB'* will even come with surround sound. If you want good audio for movies, and some games, you'll have to go add on. I will only recommend Creative. Budget is up to you. I have the Extigy. It'* USB, so it doesn't use a slot inside, and has very good surround features, and it is quite affordable. If you wanna go all out, you need the Audigy. Takes a slot on the MB, and in the case, but it'* the best sound out there.

Case Go to ColorCases.com and spend what you can afford. You'll definitely need some research in this area, tho, to make sure you have the case to fit your MB. It'* pretty much standard anymore, but definitely read, and ask if you're not sure.

My personal recommendation is to hit up the geeks in your area, and see where they shop for parts. Stay away from Best Buy. They have some good deals and such, but thier staff may or may not know what they are talking about. Hit them when the part you know you want is on sale, and don't let the kid behind the counter change your mind.

I'll probably think og more later, and hopefully will have time to put a sample system together for ya tonight on NewEgg. But this should get you going for shopping and thinking at least!

And remeber, this is FUN! When you get aggravated, walk away! This ain't like whipping a wrench across the garage when you get frustrated. You got'* to be nice to the internals on these things!

Depending on your budget, you can get all of this from $500 -1000. If you have someone who k