Guide to Choosing Cheap Computer Parts

I like to look at building a cheap computer as a 2 step process of getting the cheap computer parts you need and connecting all the parts together.

If you have ever played with Lego's, you will have all the basic skills of computer assembly.

I've been building and upgrading my computers for years using cheap computer parts. I have never done any formal computer training.

What cheap computer parts do I need for a complete computer?

Below is a list of all the different components in a cheap computer system. This list is everything you need to build a Northwood Pentium 4 socket 478 computer. I think this type of computer is currently the best value once you take into account the motherboard costs.

If all you want to do is basic wordprocessing, email and a bit of Internet surfing then here is a list of all the cheap computer parts you will need:

CPU:

I recommend a Socket 478 Intel Pentium 4 or Celeron 2 Ghz and above.

• If you want a cheap computer then get a socket 478 motherboard and CPU. When you take into account all the other costs like memory then this is the best buy.
• Most socket 478 motherboards have Intel components are very stable. This means that your computer will crash less often.
• If you want to see all the different types of socket 478 CPUs you can browse Intel Processors at TigerDirect .
• Celeron versions are slightly slower than full strength Pentium 4 but are better value. If you are interested in some information about all the different kinds of CPUs out there then check out my CPU guide here

Motherboard:

You need a Socket 478 motherboard to go with your Pentium 4/Celeron CPU:

• The type of motherboard you get determines how upgradable your system is. I recommend a motherboard that has plenty of room for expansion. You can add a fast AGP 3D cards for games.
• If you want you can browse a range of motherboards at TigerDirect .
• Socket 478 is the type of connector to the CPU. Pentium 4s use socket 478 while AMD Athlons use socket A.
• If you want to know more about motherboards then check out my motherboard guide here

RAM:

Get at least 256 megs of DDR SDRAM. I recommend you get 512MB DDR 333, browse for this and other types here.

• DDR SDRAM is the type you want for a socket 478 motherboard (with Pentium 4/Celeron CPU).
• If you want you can browse a selection of cheap memory at TigerDirect .
• If you want to know about the other types of memory out there Check out my computer memory guide here

Hard Drive:

Get at least a 40 gigabyte drive. But if you can afford it, get a faster, bigger hard drive from TigerDirect .

• You always need more so buy as much as you can afford. Buying more space doesn't cost much extra so I recommend you get a 80 GB drive like the one above. If you want to browse a range of Hard Drives, be sure and check out TigerDirect .
• The hard drive is where your installed programs are stored. Lots of storage space means that you can have a wide variety of different software at your fingertips.
• If you want to know more about hard drives then check out my guide to modern hard drives here

CD Writer:

Any CD writer faster than 32 speed is plenty fast enough.

• CD writers are very handy if you want to share large lots of digital pictures or video. DVD writers/burners have recently dropped dramatically in price. If you want to browse a selection of cheap CD and DVD drives at TigerDirect .
• You must have a CD ROM drive to install Windows and other applications. With CD writer drives so cheap it makes sense to simply get a CD writer and use that as your CD ROM.

Graphics Card:

Get at least a 64 megabyte AGP card :

• AGP graphics cards are the best but your motherboard needs an AGP slot.
• Your graphics card is only really important if you want to play games.

Case and power supply:

Get a minimum 300 watt power supply.

Get a nice large case (like the one above) that has enough room for you to work on your computer. If you want to know more then check out my guide to cheap computer cases here.

Sound Card:

Get a Soundblaster Live by Creative labs. They are the most common and most compatible brand.

Monitor:

Get at least a 17 inch computer monitor

If you want to save your eyesight get a 17" LCD screen like the one pictured above. LCD screens are much easier to read from than bulky CRT displays. If you want to browse a range of cheap monitors & LCD's from TigerDirect .

I've got all the details on how to select a good cheap computer monitor that suits your needs here. Guide to choosing cheap computer monitors.

Keyboard and Mouse:

If you are going to be spending a great deal of time using your mouse surfing or doing graphic design then get a new optical mouse like the one below. You can eaisly find combos that include both a cordless mouse and matching keyboard.

An optical mouse is very responsive and doesn't get "jammed" with funny brown gunk like old style mice.

Keyboards are pretty much all the same. If you do a lot of typing then spend more. I recommend you get a multimedia keyboard for gaming, and even general use. I know a guy who got one and it works great. The keyboard has great key action and the mouse is precise. The best part of all is that there are no cords to clutter up your desk.

Ready To Build!

Now you have seen a list of cheap computer parts that are common to all computers.

I think you are ready to see how to Build your own computer

Once you see how easy it is to assemble cheap computer parts into a computer you will be convinced.

Being an independent computer user will save you money and win you friends. You will save thousands if you plan on maintaining a computer for a few years.

Return to the top of Cheap Computer Parts

Have A Comment About This Topic?

Do you have a comment about this? Share it!

Give Your Story A Title

Tell It! [ ? ]

Close Help Entering your story is easy to do. Just type!... Your story will appear on a Web page exactly the way you enter it here. You can wrap a word in square brackets to make it appear bold. For example [my story] would show as my story on the Web page containing your story. TIP: Since most people scan Web pages, include your best thoughts in your first paragraph.

Upload A Picture (optional) [ ? ]

Close Help Do you have a picture to add? Great! Click the button and find it on your computer. Then select it.

Add Picture Caption (optional) 

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

Your Name	(first or full name)
Your Location	(ex. City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

Check box to agree to these submission guidelines.

(You can preview and edit on the next page)

What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Cheap Computer Parts Don't Always Mean Poor Quality  Not rated yet
Hi!,

I have been in Computer hardware and networking domain for more than 14 years now. I have build a lot of Computers for myself, my relatives, friends ...

Cheap computer parts aren't necessarily bad  Not rated yet
Talking about building one's own cheap PC. I have built two of them.

I have had great experience with both, they have worked brilliantly. The above ...