I began to get into computers in 1995 and paid a sum of $1500.00 for my first custom built PC. If I recall it was a 486 DX2 80 IBM Clone with 16 Megs of Ram, I even splurged with a luxurious 15-inch monitor, all built by a 16 year old high school student. I couldn't believe it but he brought it to my house and set it up and I was off on my journey.

I purchased my next pc from the not so beloved Best Buy department store, where the sales reps where quick to tell me that the unit I wished to purchase was fully upgradeable, they failed to tell me however that it was limited to th

The Processor: installing the CPU is a pretty straight-forward process. The real risk is to the CPU. Doing this step too fast or carelessly can result in damage to the processor. Therefore, don't get nervous. It is an easy step, but do it with care (Risley Pg 5). Again using a website configuration wizard will help assure that all your parts are compatible with each other and must sell you a heat sink and fan for your processor so as not to void the warranty.

Chambers, Mark L. "Building a PC for Dummies" 2nd ed. 1999. CA: Foster City, IDG Books Worldwide

The Motherboard or Main board: Almost everyone knows that the motherboard is the most important component of your computer. At one point or another, every other component connects to the motherboard. Keep in mind that your motherboard choice controls your future upgrade paths (Risley Pg 1). You don't want to buy to cheep nor to expensive. For example the Gigabyte motherboard is a great middle of the road board and has a full color fold out flyer with step-by-step instruction, from installation and Processor Clock frequencies. This is one of the many user friendly motherboards.

There are a few things you need to remember as you set your mind to launch out on this endeavor. You need to take your time and enjoy yourself----remember your not running a race (Chambers 6). Should you tackle the project of building your own computer? Well, there is no reason not to. Even if you know nothing about computers, if you have a desire to learn them, then you can. And once you know the basics, you can build! You can learn as you go (Risley Par 2). You need to make up your mind and compile a list as to what you need your PC to accomplish, (video editing, creating your own DVD's, gaming, making your own audio CD's or surfing the internet) Its really up to you and you don't have to depend on what the salesman who thinks he know what you need better that you do. Something else you need to do is to set a budget as to how much you want to spend, because the sky is the limit.

e memory only. All other components were integrated (built onto the motherboard). Realizing that the only way I could know what was going on, was to jump off into this process of building my own system. The purpose of this paper is to inform you that it is possible for you the reader as well.

You then choose your Hard drive, CD Rom or CD /CRW and then the Video card (if you're a gamer this is a very important expansion card, it will be the backbone of your gaming experience). If you p

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