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SHUTTLE CASE : First of all you will
need your Shuttle. You will have to decide on what type of system you require.
AMD or Intel compatible.
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PROCESSOR : Select what you
want to go with ( Athlon or Intel), the speed and the type (Note all, if not
most processors use different socket connections, this is very important,
processor must match the socket type. The higher the speed
the bigger the price. We recommend, (unless you can afford it) that you don't
buy the top of the range processor, try it a few speeds below, this will
save you quite a lot of money.
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Click
here for a beginners guide to processors
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VIDEO CARD : A good AGP video card
is recommended, but many Shuttle systems use onboard video as well, so if
you don't require a good graphics card then the onboard will do. Confirm once again if this is compatible with you motherboard. (Checking
the Shuttle information should tell you what you need, you can usually do
this online from the Shuttle website.) e.g. if you
have an AGP X8 slot on the motherboard, and your Video Card only works on AGP
X2. Then you will have problems.
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Click
here for a beginners guide to Video Cards
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SOUND CARD : The sound is onboard.
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Click
here for a beginners guide to Sound Cards
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MODEM : Everyone needs a
modem, but internal or external ? Of course if you are using cable or ADSL, go for
this. Basically the choice is yours, internal is neater and does not
require a separate power supply, but does require a PCI slot, and Shuttles
tend to only have one free.
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MEMORY : Be careful when
buying memory, make sure what you buy is compatible with the motherboard
and processor. Checking the motherboard information should tell you what you
need, you can usually do this online from the maker or manufacturer's website.
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Click
here for a beginners guide to Memory
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PROCESSOR FAN : You don't need one
as the shuttle is supplied with a liquid cooling system.
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EXHAUST FAN : Is already in case
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HARD DRIVE : The choice is IDE
or SATA, Shuttles will accept both. A fast Hard
Drive increases performance dramatically and buy as large as possible.
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Click
here for a beginners guide to Hard Drives
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CD-ROM/DVD/CDRW/DVDRW : You can only
have one drive, so buy a DVDRW which will allow you to watch movies, burn
DVD's an CD's and play CD's .
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Click
here for a beginners guide to CD-Rom's, DVD-Roms and CDRW's
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Click
here for a beginners guide to DVD writers
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FLOPPY DRIVE : Almost
dead and buried, but get one anyway, your computer just would not look right
without it, and unfortunately a lot of diagnostics, repairs, upgrades, updates
still require that you have a floppy drive. They are cheap so don't do without.
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SCREWS : These come with the Shuttle
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CABLES : These come with the Shuttle
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MONITOR : Go for at least a
17" monitor, anything smaller seems so old fashioned, although 17" TFT
would be better. Remember a 17" TFT is 17" viewable, where a
17" monitor tends to be only 15.6" viewable. Different brands
tend to be different quality, always check review before buying, but then again it all
depends on what you the user are looking for, unbranded or unknown brands are a lot
cheaper.
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SCANNER, PRINTER, CAMERA'S etc
: Pick and choose as you want. Remember always read reviews in magazines,
and online sites to help you decide on what is Best
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OPERATING SYSTEM : Your
choice, but don't go for anything to old. Windows 98 SE should be as far back as
you go. Recommended is Windows XP.
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KEYBOARD AND MOUSE : Best to
go with USB or PS/2 keyboards and mice, once again ask what connections you have
on the motherboard and purchase what you require. Cheap keyboards are OK
but always go for a branded mouse, as cheap once are not as reliable.
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SPEAKERS : You need a good
set of speakers to get sound from your computer. Invest in a good set as you
will end up buying ones in the future. Remember if using onboard sound
check for compatibility, 5.1 speakers will not work well on 2.1 sound
cards.
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Click
here for a beginners guide to Speakers
