PRODUCTS

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1. Choose a Case. Your case defines your work area for internal parts as well as the overall look of the outside of your system. Choosing a good case can make your life easier. Cases come in several major sizes: Mid-Tower, Full-Tower. The most popular of these sizes is Mid-Tower, and it is adequate for the vast majority of systems. If you intend to have a large number of drives (aka you want a high end workstation or a server) then strongly consider a Full-Tower.

2. Choose a CPU. Your CPU has a large impact on the performance of your system. Without a CPU you can't have a system. CPUs are sold by four main factors: Socket Type, Speed, Model Number, FSB Speed, and packaging retail or OEM.

3. Choose your motherboard. After your CPU, the motherboard is your most important choice. The motherboard defines what internal parts you support. I.e. how many drives can you use (case defines physical aspect of this), what types of devices you can attach, what memory you can use.

4. Expansion cards such as Sound, Video, Network, enhance the functionality of your system. Most cards are in a PCI format. If you are going with an ATX setup you will likely have 3 or 4 PCI slots. Video cards will come in an AGP or PCIE. PCI Express being the new supported format of most new motherboards.

5. Choose Memory although memory comes in a variety of types, almost all motherboards on the market now take DDR2 you should use memory that matches you’re motherboards specifications.

6. Drives There are three main categories of drives: Hard Drives, Optical Drives, floppy and removable storage

7. Choose your I/O devices. A system can't do much without a Keyboard / Mouse, and Monitor. For the keyboard and mouse we have found that the products by Microsoft and Logitech are the most popular. If you do a lot of typing on a day to day basis or work regularly with your PC, investing a little extra money in these devices can save you from sore wrists. Ergonomically shaped (split) keyboards also help as do good mouse pads. For the monitor: We have found that for most people bigger is better. You may think you need something like a 15" monitor right now, but your eyes will thank you if you go with the largest display your pocket book (and desk) can afford. For those doing regular graphic work or gaming we strongly suggest a 19 LCD widescreen unit. Ultimately it's a good idea to do research on these types of devices and read reviews.

8. Choose an Operating System Your operating system will determine how you will use your system. For normal home systems we recommend either Windows XP Home, or XP Professional. Those running home networks, SOHO, or power users will likely want XP Professional. If you are building a server you will need either a server version of a Microsoft OS such as Windows Advanced Server 2003, or a form of Linux.

All this information might seem overwhelming to some of you, not to worry! ALZ PC REPAIR is here to help. Just tell us what you would like to do with your new computer system and we will build it.