Utility - Area of utilization

Before you buy components you need to consider what you are going to use the computer for. Do you need it for gaming, make music, picture processing or just regular office work? Another important factor is the price. If you have a limited budget, you may want to find components that will suit your needs. 

Gaming

If you are interested in playing computer games you need a good video card. Today, computer games are developing rapidly and the graphics are getting better and better. Spend your money on a good video card instead of an ultra-fast processor and lots of memory, if your budget is relatively small. Before you buy, visit a computer store where they sell games and look at the back of a case to see what system requirements are needed for the types of games you prefer. To summarise, gamers need a computer with a relatively fast processor, lots of memory and most importantly a good video card. Also remember that many of the new games require a lot of storage space, so buying a big hard-drive may be a good idea. But again, only if you can afford it.

Picture processing

Picture processing either with digital-camera or video, requires a lot of memory, especially if you are working with them simultaneously. Fortunately, memory is pretty cheap compared to what it used to be, so buy a little bit extra. The hard-drive should also be big and fast in order for video processing to go smoothly.. Remember to not use all your money on the computer, a big screen is also a big advantage.

Composing music

Composing music requires a fast processor, lots of memory and a good sound card. Here, of course, the sound card is what you should spend your money on. However, you also need a fast processor for the composing to go smoothly.

Office work or surfing

This type of work do not have any special requirements and you would probably find the cheapest components to be sufficient. It may be an idea to install extra memory if you are using many documents or browser-windows at the same time.