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Tech certificates and degrees: • Computer Science • IT Training • A+ Certification • Networking ... and more. IT Education info Group Training: Have trainers come to your company and train you in groups: • Operating Systems • Datebases • Networking ... and more. Group Training |
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Instead of buying a PC, many people build one. Below, you'll find our recommendations for consideration when building a PC. Click on any of the main components for a detailed explanation. Also, check our PC Builder FAQ for some quick thoughts on the idea of building a PC, and check out the Lowest PC Prices. Expect to pay from: US $720 - $4,290 for a fully decked system with decent components. Comment on this section in our Message Parlor.
Most
Recent Updates:
June
13, 2002 - Fixed a few bad links on this page. Doh!
June
5, 2002 - Updated all sections and added component pricing.
| DETAILS | RECOMMENDED | MINIMUM | Price
Range US $ |
Get Component Pricing! |
| Main Components | ||||
| Processor |
Athlon XP 2000+ |
Athlon XP 1700+ P4 Celeron 1.7GHz |
$80 - $250 | Processors |
| Cooling | Thermal paste, large heatsink, large ball-bearing fan, 1 or 2 case fans |
Retail heatsink / fan with thermal tape (for "boxed" processors, adequate cooling is included) |
$0 - $50 | Cooling |
| Motherboard | ATX board with: 1 AGP, 5 PCI slots 4 DDR DIMM slots - Athlon XP or P4 (or 4 RIMM slots - P4) Ultra ATA/133 6 USB 2.0 ports (supported) integrated: AC '97 audio, 10/100 Ethernet |
ATX board with: |
$50 - $200 | Motherboards |
| Memory | 512MB CAS2 PC2700 DDR DIMM or 2 - 256MB PC1066 RDRAM RIMMs (for P4 i850E chipsets) |
256MB CAS2 PC2100 DDR DIMM or 2 - 128MB PC800 RDRAM RIMMs (for P4 i850 chipsets) |
$50 - $150 | SDRAM DDR memory RDRAM |
| Case | ATX mid tower case with 5 open drive bays | ATX mid tower case with 3 open drive bays | $50 - $200 | Cases |
| Power Supply | 400 watt | 300 watt | $30 - $50 | Power Supplies |
| Storage Devices | ||||
| Hard Drive | 100 GB or larger Ultra ATA/100 hard drive at 7200RPM | 60 GB or larger Ultra ATA/100 hard drive at 7200RPM | $80 - $125 | IDE
Drives Serial ATA SCSI Drives |
| CD / DVD Drives | DVD-ROM/CD-RW Combo drive or 32/12/48x CD-RW drive and 16x DVD-ROM drive |
16x DVD-ROM drive | $35 - $120 | CD-ROM CD-RW DVD-ROM DVD Writers |
| Floppy | standard floppy drive | standard floppy drive | $20 | Floppy drives |
| Graphics & Imaging | ||||
| Video Card | GeForce4 Ti 4200 or ATI Radeon 8500 |
GeForce2 MX card with
32MB or integrated GF2 MX / i845G |
$40 - $175 | Video cards |
| Monitor | 19" CRT monitor with .26
dot pitch (capable of 1600x1200 at 75 Hz) or 17" or larger digital LCD panel |
17" CRT monitor with .26 dot pitch (capable of 1280x1024 at 75 Hz) or 15" or larger digital LCD panel |
$200 - $600 | CRT
monitors LCD monitors |
| Scanner | 600 dpi or better, 24-bit color or better, full page scanner, single-pass | not required | $0 - $200 | Scanners |
| Printer | color inkjet w/ 1440dpi resolution or black and white laser printer |
not required | $0 - $300 | Printers |
| Sound | ||||
| Sound Card | SoundBlaster Audigy PCI sound board | built-in sound | $0 - $200 | Sound Cards |
| Speakers | 5-way name-brand shielded speakers with subwoofer | 2-way name-brand shielded speakers | $10 - $150 | Speakers |
| Microphone | get one; may come with sound card | get one | $0 - $50 | Microphones |
| Peripherals | ||||
| Networking / Modem | 10/100 Ethernet | 56 Kbps-V.90 modem and 10/100 Ethernet | $30 - $120 |
Modems Network Cards |
| Wireless Networking | optional | optional | $0 - $100 | Wireless |
| Pointing Device | optical wheel mouse with 3 buttons | optical mouse with 2 buttons | $15 - $50 | Mice Trackballs |
| Keyboard | ergonomic keyboard | standard keyboard | $20 - $80 | Keyboards |
| Game Controller | get one you like if you need it | not required | $0 - $150 | Joysticks Racing Wheels |
| Other | ||||
| Operating System | Windows XP Pro / Linux | Windows XP Home | $0 - $300 | OS Software |
| Software | small application suite, anti-virus software, personal firewall | anti-virus software and personal firewall | $0 - $400 | Business Software |
| Internet Access | Broadband (cable modem or DSL) |
IDSL, satellite, or 56K if you must | $10 - $100 | Routers |
| Warranty | get the best warranty you can on each component | |||
| Power | 200+ VA UPS with surge suppression | not required, but I'd get a good power strip with surge protection | $0 - $150 | UPSs |
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