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ATX is the typical form factor used for motherboards by today’s modern desktop computers. Basically, if your motherboard is ATX, you need an ATX case (and power supply). A case has space for a power supply (often times one is included, although it may not be enough watts to power your system. The front has space for the optical drives. You can also customize your case, adding things like special lighting if it pleases you.
The power supply is a key component of a desktop computer. You need enough watts to power your entire system internal parts. Cases often come with a built-in power supply, although typically 300 watts or less. If you’re using a powerful CPU and a high-end video card, you might need to install your own. Some people prefer to install their own regardless of their system needs--they enjoy the comfort and reliability of a hand-picked power supply instead of a generic built-in. You can calculate your power needs at NewEgg with their handy calculator.
To view the calculator, click Computer Hardware at the NewEgg site, then Power Supplies from the dropdown menu. On the power supplies page, click Power Supplies again on the left, then click “Wattage Calculator." NewEgg also has combo deals for case and power supplies together.
The most popular CPUs are made by Intel or AMD. If you want to use more than 3GB of RAM in your system, it’s best to go straight to a 64-bit CPU (32-bit CPUs cannot address large amounts of RAM). Of course, you’ll need an OS in the 64-bit version as well to take advantage of the extra RAM. That said, you can pick single-core, dual-core, quad-core, or other CPU configurations. Depending on your needs, a single-core or dual-core CPU may be sufficient.
The motherboard you get needs to match the socket your CPU will fit. So, if you pick an Intel CPU, you’ll need a motherboard with a chipset compatible with that specific CPU. Likewise, if you choose AMD, you’ll need a motherboard compatible with that specific CPU. Motherboards can include on-board USB2 ports, an audio card, a network card (Ethernet) and sometimes an integrated graphics chip.
The amount of RAM you need really depends on your specific needs. Generally, 1GB total memory should only be used if you’re using the system for very light tasks (In this case, you might just buy a Nettop for $200, hook it to a LCD, and avoid the system building completely).
A hand-built system will typically need 2GB of RAM or more. If you’re planning to use more than 3GB, remember to get a 64-bit CPU and a 64-bit operating system.
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For some, the integrated graphics chip that comes on the ATX motherboard may be sufficient for their needs. That said, graphics cards can easily be added and upgraded on an available port on the motherboard (typically a PCI-Express port). There are a very, very wide range of video cards, typically ranging from 128MB of memory on up. This is one part, along with the CPU, that I highly suggest you spend quite a bit of time researching before making your purchase.
If you use the on-board integrated graphics chip, you’ll probably be borrowing from system memory. If the on-board chip is configured for 128MB of video RAM, you’d subtract the 128MB from the total memory, leaving what’s left as available to your operating system.
Example, your system has 1GB of RAM, but uses on-board integrated graphics at 128MB. You would only have 896MB of RAM available to the operating system. PCM - FREE FedEx Ground Shipping on Weekly Business Deals.