My experience in building own PC II ( choosing the parts )

First thing came to my mind was Graphic processor Unit, which will handle the graphic and determined the gaming experience i will have. For these, the top of the line model like Geforce Gtx 295 or ATI Radeon™ HD 5870 graphics as introduced before are just way too expensive for me. While the cheaper option , like Geforce Gtx 220 or ATI Radeon HD 4770 wouldnt delivered the power i want. So its actually narrow down to a choice between Geforce GTX 260 core 216 and ATI Radeon 4870. With price and performance both similar, its actually a choice between the Green ( Nvidia ) and the Red ( ATI ) . However , the Green that run cooler and draw less power got my vote.

The sites that i look for reviews were Anandtech and Tom'shardware.

Second Choice was made between still pricey DDR3 platform or cheaper but getting obsolete DDR2 platform. With higher frequency, DDR 3 do offer some although slight performance bonus. My concerned would be with computer component obsolete fast in 3 or 4 years cycle, DDR2 may be phased out within next few years. Upgradewise, Replacewise, i had no option but DDR3. The one i got from Novatech was 4GB DDR3 1600mhz C7 from G-Skill which costed me 80 pound. For whom who didnt know, C7 was the latency of the RAM, which determine how long it counts per cycle. Therefore, lower is better and the lowest one you can get now will probably be C6. Another thing to look at is the voltage they draw, as far as i know, low voltage like 1.60-1.65v was essential for the system to run stable.

Third choice was about the processor, the central processor unit. Not an offence to AMD fans but, i ruled out AMD processor earlier as Intel do Dominated the Desktop CPU market. At first , it was a choice between intel core i7 and Core 2 Quad, where the expensive i7 and its even expensive motherboard ( cheapest 140 here) set me aback. However, the upcoming intel core i5 promised a better performance than Quad core but significance less expensive than i7. Where i waiting for it as stated before. Ordered one from Novatech , and get a Asus motherboard for 100 pound as well.

The Optical drive, and internal Hard disk would be just a matter of personal choice. As the existing brand on the market have similar price point and performance.

As for Casing, i will need a good one which offer good airflow but not too expensive. Where Antec 300 would be my choice.

Last but not list, was the Power Supply Unit. I wouldn't want to risk damaging the whole system by buying some cheap but low quality generic PSU, and i cant affod to buy those powerful 1000w + branded Psu as they cost too much. ( You wouldnt buy a 300 pound PSU just for a 600 pound system, would you?) . Initially i would like a Modular PSU for good cable management inside the casing, but the price difference between Modular and Non modular is quite significance. ( 15 pound for same Watts from OCZ). So i finally Grab the OCZ StealthXtreme 700W PSU.

Afterall, the parts left were just accessories which was a matter of personal choice. I grab a set of cheap speaker ( i cant roam in my room now... ) , a keyboard, an Edimax wireless adapter for networking, and a Belkin Toolbox for assembly.

Box of processor
Graphic processor unit

Motherboard

Power supply unit