Guide to Choosing a
Cheap Computer Part

Step 1: Acquire Cheap Computer Part

Cheap computer components are readily available at many stores.

When acquiring your cheap computer part, the questions that will come to your mind are :

• What parts do I buy?
• Where can I get the best parts at the cheapest price?

For the purchase of these cheap parts for your computer, click here to view some fantastic prices. I have personally found this company to offer the best prices, good warranty and technical support.

Below is a list of the Cheap Computer Parts that you will need to Build Your Own Cheap Computer:

Computer Case:

Computer cases come in different designs and form factors. Your choice of these computer cases will depend on your available space and preference. It could either be a desktop or a tower case. A desktop case usually sits on the top of the desk while a tower case sits underneath or beside the desk.

I recommend the Raidmax Smilodon Mid-Tower ATX Case with front USB, audio ports, clear side and 500-watt power supply . This is a fantastic buy!

Most new Motherboards use the micro-ATX or ATX form factor.

I would recommend a power supply with a minimum of 450 watts in the event you have to add additional components in the future. For a great price on a Cheap Computer Part, browse here for Power Supplies.

You should ensure that the case has the required amount of drive bays that you require for future upgrading of your computer, and that it is easily accessible for the motherboard and other component removal and installation.

Although the case is a cheap computer part, it is extremely important to obtain one that has sufficient cooling fans or, if not, you should ensure that it has the available spaces to install extra case fans.

Click here for extra Case Fans at fantastic prices.
Take a look here for deals on a variety of Cheap Computer Cases.

Motherboard:

When choosing a computer part, your choice of motherboard is most important. Every other component of the system is connected to the motherboard at some point. This board holds the processor (CPU).

It is important to make the right choice of motherboard so as to enable future upgrades to your cheap computer system.

You should ensure that the motherboard that you choose has the same form factor as the computer case and the power supply. I would recommend the ATX form factor.

View fantastic prices on Motherboards here.

If you need to upgrade your memory (RAM), you first have to check to see what type your motherboard uses and how much it will support.

Some motherboards come with integrated sound and video. In the future, if you need to install a sound card, you will have to ensure that the on-board sound can be disabled. Also, if you wish to install a video card, the motherboard should be equipped with an AGP or PCI Express X16 slot.

Motherboards also have PCI slots which will enable you to install other cheap computer parts such as sound cards, modems and network interface cards (NIC).

Another important component of the motherboard is the chipset - this is the 'controller' of the motherboard so it is very important that you know what chipset is installed on the motherboard.

The chipset is responsible for the different types of hardware that your motherboard will support now and in the future.

My list of cheap computer parts would include the Asus A8N-SLI SE NVIDIA Socket 939 ATX Motherboard

The Asus A8N-SLI SE Socket 939 Motherboard supports AMD processors like the Athlon 64 FX X2, Athlon 64FX, and Athlon 64 processors with 1MB/512KB L2 cache. It is designed specifically to support the new 64-bit software architecture.

It features 2000/1600 MT/s HyperTransport Bus and dual-channel un-buffered DDR400 memory support up to 4GB. This SLI-ready motherboard is prepared for Dual VGA applications with 2 PCI-Express x16 slots, 1 PCI-Express x1, and 3 PCI slots.

With a bus bandwidth 4 times higher than that of AGP 8X interface, PCI Express x16 bus performs much better in applications such as 3D gaming.

The processor is a very important computer part

Processor (CPU):

The processor (CPU) is the 'brains' of the system. One of the most important decisions you are going to make when building your new PC is which processor (CPU) to use. Choosing a cheap computer part such as the AMD Athlon 64 or Intel Pentium D will dictate what motherboard you buy, what kind of RAM you will want and how fast your applications will run. Check here for some Cheap Processors (CPUs).

Processors come in three basic categories:

• Low End - This is used for simple computing like word processing and other business software. These include Intel Celeron, Intel Pentium 4, AMD Athlon XP and AMD Sempron.
• Average - These processors are used for light video processsing and gaming. They include the Intel Pentium D and the Athlon 64 which run at speeds in excess of 1 GHz.
• High End - These processors are the top of the line and are used for more CPU intensive programs. In this group of cheap computer parts are the Dual Core chips such as Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Quad Core, AMD Athlon 64 X2 and AMD Athlon 64 FX which range upwards of 2.0 GHz.

The processor (CPU) that you will need for your system is a matter of personal choice but I would recommend a high-end processor (CPU) such as the AMD Athlon 64 FX-74.

AMD was the first to introduce a Windows©-Compatible 64-bit processor. Built on AMD64 architecture, the AMD Athlon© 64-bit processor is designed to deliver outstanding levels of performance. AMD64 technology is AMD’s approach to 64-bit computing which doubles the number of processor registers and increases the addressable memory space well beyond 4GB for increased performance and new, cinematic-computing experiences.

AMD64 Technology enables the industry to advance software development on all fronts, with x86 compatibility, while providing the capability of delivering 64-bit technology benefits.

I recommend the AMD Athlon 64 FX-62 2.80GHz Processor.

CPU Heat Sink/Fan Assembly:

Today's modern processors (CPUs) pack millions of transistors into a tiny amount of space. As a result, they are not just highly advanced silicon "brains". They are also intense 'furnaces' that generate massive amounts of heat. Heat reduces performance which can damage and end the life of your Processor. For this reason, as a cheap computer part, a good heat sink is essential for the prolonged life of your processor.

The heat sink/fan assembly is mounted directly on your processor and its purpose is to move heat from your Processor and dissipate that heat into the air. Click here for Heat Sink/Fan Assemblies at great prices.

Computer Memory:

Another cheap computer part is the memory module. It plays a very important part in the operation of your system so purchase good memory. There are different types of memory modules and most motherboards today are using dual-channel DDR and DDR2 SDRAM. The dual-channel configuration requires the installation of two identical memory modules hence the increased speed compared to the single channel configuration.

Today's operating systems require large amounts of memory. For example, Windows XP's requirement is 256MB of RAM; therefore, buy as much memory as you can possibly afford. Get a minimum of 512MB DDR. Click here for a wide selection of Cheap Memory Modules.

I recommend the Corsair Value Select Dual Channel 1024MB PC5400 DDR2 667MHz Memory (2 x 512MB).

The Value Select line provides quality, tested, compatible computer memory at competitive prices and is qualified for major current desktop systems. All Value Select modules are backed by Corsair's comprehensive warranty.

Hard Drive:

Another cheap computer part is the hard drive. Most computers have a hard drive. It is the largest capacity non-removable storage drive located in the computer. The hard drive is where the operating system, system files and programs are stored.

I would recommend that you always purchase a new Hard Drive and ensure that it has a manual. If the manual is not available, make sure that there is a jumper diagram printed on the drive itself.

The present popular choice is SATA because of its faster access time and better overall performance compared to the old IDE . I would recommend that you get a 7200 RPM, 16MB cache drive since the older 5400 RPM, 2MB cache drives are considered slow for today's PCs.

If you require 'blazing' speeds, get yourself a Western Digital Raptor drive capable of platter speeds of up to 10,000 RPM.

SCSI drives are the fastest at 15,000 RPM but are expensive.

You should purchase the largest drive that you can afford. Get at least a 160GB hard drive but I would recommend the Hitachi 250GB SATA-300 hard drive. The Deskstar 7K500 sustains the leadership momentum with a 25 percent capacity increase over the previous generation. This capacity milestone enhances system reliability by reducing the number of drives needed to support the most demanding applications.

View a wide selection of cheap Hard Drives here.

You can also add a hard drive cooler which enhances the performance of your drive. You can click here to view cheap computer hard drive coolers.

Floppy Drive:

Most present day computers arrive minus a floppy drive installed. This drive is a removable storage drive and only holds 1.44 MB of data. It is also a slow drive. It fits in a 3.5 inch drive bay in your computer case.

Regardless of its 'old age', I always include one in my 'builds' since it is a very cheap computer part and at times can be useful for making a boot disk. Click here for great prices on floppy drives.

DVD-Rom Drive:

The DVD-Rom drive is also one of your important cheap computer part. It will be needed to install your operating system and play audio CDs and DVD-video disks. You will also require a good DVD software player such as PowerDVD or WINDVD to play your DVDs.

These drives are quite inexpensive now so purchase a fast one - about 52X or more. Also make sure it is ATAPI and IDE compatible. Click here for great prices on DVD-Rom Drives.

I recommend the AOpen Combo Drive. It is also an affordable cheap computer part. AOpen’s COM5232L combo drive offers high-speed 16X DVD reading and 52X CD-R and 32X CD-RW writing, as well as reliable performance and exceptional accuracy.

For archiving your audio and video collections, purchase a DVD burner with multi-format, dual-layer capabilities.

Video Card:

The Video Card is also a very important cheap computer part for your system. It is the component that displays all the graphics on your monitor. There are three types of video cards:

1. PCI - This card is installed in the PCI slot on the Motherboard. This type is fast becoming obsolete since it is "slow" considering today's standards.
2. AGP - This card is installed in the AGP slot on the Motherboard. This type is now popular but is fast giving way to the PCI Express x16 technology.
3. PCI Express x16 - This graphics interface provides increased bandwidth and scalability over its predecessor the AGP 8X technology achieving throughputs in excess of 4GB/s.

Cheap computer parts such as older video cards used 64MB of memory while the newer cards use between 128 to 256MB of memory. High-end cards now use up to 768MB DDR memory.

When buying a video card, ensure that it is 3D capable and that it is compatible with your computer. View some Video Cards at great prices here.

If you want to spend a little extra money on your cheap computer part you can purchase a Video Card with TV-Out to be able to connect to your TV. As a mid-range card, I recommend the T BFG GeForce 7600 GT OC PCIe video card.

Designed for extreme HD Gaming, the BFG 7600 GT graphics card delivers ultra-realistic gaming experiences and unparalleled image quality and resolutions up to 2560x1600.

Sound Card:

A sound card is absolutely necessary for your PC system. It is also a very important cheap computer part. There are lots of different brands available but I would recommend staying with name brands such as Creative Labs and Turtle Beach.

Ensure that the card has at least 5.1 support since this makes the audio sound great if accompanied by a good speaker system Click here to get great prices on sound cards.

I would recommend the Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Extreme Audio sound card. Why settle for basic, built-in sound? Your music and movie collection deserves better. It deserves Xtreme Fidelity. Install your Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio sound card on your PC.

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Keyboard & Mouse:

The Keyboard and Mouse are the two most used input devices in your system and are, therefore, important cheap computer parts.

The keyboard allows you to input data such as word processing and the mouse enables you to select and open files and showing options. Choose a keyboard and Mouse that are cordless and ergonomical. Corded components cause a lot of clutter.

Choose an optical mouse which uses an optical sensor instead of a ball. The laser mouse eliminates cleaning caused by dust build up on the ball. This can cause the mouse to malfunction leading to erratic cursor movement.

Regular dismantling and cleaning of your mouse is eliminated. It's more costly than a regular mouse but is so much more convenient.

Click here to view some excellent prices on keyboards and mice.

I would recommend a Logitech Cordless Desktop MX3200 Laser Keyboard and Mouse Combo.

Take advantage of all your PC's great media and communication capabilities in first-class comfort and style.

Enjoy ultra-precise navigation with the high-resolution laser mouse, and easy Internet call management with convenient one-touch controls.

IDE/EIDE Drive Cables:

When acquiring your cheap computer part, ensure that you have all the drive cables required for connecting the hard drive, floppy drive and CD-Rom to the motherboard. These cables are usually shipped with the motherboard or the drives but sometimes the amount supplied is insufficient. Inspect them for damage and ensure that they are long enough.

It is important to remember that ATA/66,100,133 drives require an 80-wire IDE cable.

If you are particular about cooling problems, you may choose to buy rounded data cables to replace the flat ribbon cables which clutter your system and prevent proper air flow. I would recommend rounded ATA data cables.

Click here to get very good prices on IDE/EIDE Drive Cables.

Audio Cable:

This cable connects your CD/DVD-ROM drive to your sound card. It should not be necessary to acquire the audio cable since it usually comes with the CD/DVD-ROM Drive.

Surge Suppressor:

This is not a cheap computer part but it is absolutely essential that you purchase a good surge suppresor to protect your computer. Check here for my guide on surge suppressors.

UPS (Emergency Backup System):

This is also not a cheap computer part. It functions both as a Surge Suppressor and an emergency backup system to protect your valuable data during a power outage. You, therefore, would not need to purchase both systems. Check here for my guide on (UPS) Emergency Backup Systems.

Windows Operating System:

When acquiring your cheap computer parts, you should also obtain a Windows Operating System CD

The new Microsoft Windows Vista Operating System has arrived! With all the 'WOW', Vista has its share of glitches and incompatibilities both with hardware and software which can be pretty annoying and frustrating. Until all the 'bugs' have been ironed out of Vista, I recommend 'sticking' with the 'old faithful' Microsoft Windows XP Professional Operating System.

Note:  Microsoft's support for XP will cease by the end of 2007.

Click here for the Microsoft ® Windows® XP
Pro Edition OEM Version with SP2

Set Up Disk:

This is not among your cheap computer parts but it is prudent that you have a set up disk ready in case of a system 'crash' or if your computer refuses to boot. Prepare one for the specific operating system you plan on using.

If you have another computer, you could use it to make the system disk; otherwise, ask a friend to make one for you.

I do hope that you found this list of cheap computer parts helpful.

You will now be moving to the next phase to Build Your Own Cheap Computer. If you have acquired all your Cheap Computer Parts, Click Here and go to Step 2 - Prepare Computer Case

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