3. I’m Armed With A lot Of Knowledge…..Now What?

The next step is to choose whether you want to build a system, or buy one pre-made. Here are a few suggestions for both scenarios.

Building A System (Some places to look for parts)

Computer Swapmeets
Rows and rows of independent parties and large computer vendors selling and trading computer parts. Large vendors attend these shows and sell their products at a much lower price to clear out inventory. They realize that a lot of people attend these shows, and they know that they will be able to move a lot of product in a short amount of time…usually at a fairly discounted price.

Once you have put your list together, you can systematically make the rounds at these events comparing prices. Most vendors will take credit cards, but a fist full of cash is hard to resist. Bargaining is a common occurrence at these shows, and there are some great deals to be had. The best way to find the show closest to you is to go online and search. Another way is to drop by your neighborhood computer store and inquire. These stores usually have any number of computer “geeks” whose sun rises and sets on the dates of these shows. If you know what you are looking for, a show can be a terrific way to find it at a great price.

Online
Shopping for parts online is not all that different from a swap meet, except it is basically a nationwide swap meet! There are thousands of computer retailers across the country who post their goods and prices on any number of websites designed to attract potential buyers. The only downside is the fact that you don’t get the instant gratification that you would buying at a swap meet, considering any purchases must be shipped to you……that, and those tasty swap meet hot dogs.

Computer Store
Another consideration is the trusty local computer store. Whether it is a “mega” chain store, or a “mom and pop” shop, you should be able to find what you need if you look around.

Buying A Pre-Built, or Made-To-Order System.

The big computer companies
Dell, Gateway, Compaq, and Hewlett Packard are a few of the big name computer suppliers. When you purchase a system from these companies, you are getting a solid system from a reputable company. You are also getting access to support for your computer in the event of a technical problem. This can be handy if you are not an overly technical person.

Your local computer store
The same way a smaller, local computer store can provide a PC builder with parts for their system, they can also build a custom system for you. If you are specific in the details of what you want installed, they can usually assemble and troubleshoot the system for a fee. This can come in handy for the user who wants to control what goes into their system, but doesn’t really want to go so far as to build it from the ground up.

Spec Out A Powerful System
If you choose to let a company build your computer, you may still take an active part in the creation of your system. Here are 6 system guidelines that will ensure a pre-made audio system will perform to the best of it’s ability.

Get the fastest Pentium or AMD processor you can afford. A minimum of 400MHz processor speed is recommended for reasonable audio performance on your PC.
Get the most Ram you can afford. A minimum of 128Mb is recommended.

Try to purchase a motherboard with an Intel chipset RPM speed, as well as size of a hard drive is a major consideration in delivering audio track playback performance. Try to get a drive with at least a 7200RPM rating.

To take advantage of the recent advancements in USB device support, as well as overall OS performance considerations, try to run a Windows 98SE, or newer operating system platform.

Avoid having extra devices and programs installed on your system. The less you have, the better your system will run. Dedicating the system to only audio applications is highly recommended.