If you want to build a first-class computer — a PC that does advanced computational work (like video editing), plays the latest computer games, and has high-quality video — then here’s the equipment you'll need to build this power user’s dream:
| Computer Component | What to Look For |
|---|---|
| Case | Full-tower model; dual or triple fan |
| CPU/motherboard | The fastest doggone Core 2 Extreme Edition or Athlon Phenom processor available; PCI and PCI-Express slots |
| System RAM | 2GB to 4GB |
| Hard drive | One SATA drive, 500GB minimum |
| Optical Drive | 16x dual-layer Blu-ray/DVD recorder |
| Floppy drive | One 3.5-inch, 1.44MB disk drive |
| Modem | Cable/DSL modem for broadband |
| Video card | PCI-Express 3-D adapter, 512MB minimum of video memory; NVIDIA or ATI graphics chipset with TV tuner |
| Sound card | PCI audio card with Surround Sound, 3-D positional sound, hardware MP3 encoding |
| Monitor | 21-inch widescreen LCD display |
| Ports | Four to six USB ports, one FireWire port, digital media card reader, and one eSATA port |
| Input | Ergonomic keyboard with extra Windows keys, trackball |
