Build the Best Computer for Windows XP
Published: October 8, 2001
By Jerry Honeycutt, Windows XP Expert Zone Community Columnist
Editor's Note: Past articles by members of the online community are archived for your use. The information may become outdated as technology changes. For the most current information, please search the Web site or post a question in the newsgroups.
The key to building the best computer for your money is giving a priority to the components that mean the most to you. Throw the lion's share of money at those, and then spend the rest of your cash on the remaining components. When building a computer for my kitchen, for example, I decided that the monitor was the most important component. I spent as much on a flat panel LCD monitor as I did on the rest of the computer.
Most folks think that CPU speed is the true measure of a computer, but that's seldom true anymore. Assuming you choose a reasonable processor, which is anything faster than 500 MHz, there are better places to spend your money. I suggest that you start with the components that actually thrill the senses of sight, sound, and touch; then choose the remaining bits to suit how you'll to use the computer.
Here's how you build a computer that gives you the best Windows XP experience.
Pack It with Memory
Start with memory.
Every time I memory shop, I get another surprise: prices have dropped again. When preparing for these columns, I bought 128–MB sticks of memory for $25 a piece. Compare that to the $100 the same stick of memory cost a few years ago.
Adding memory to a modest computer usually has more impact on a computer's performance than upgrading the processor. For example, in a computer with a Pentium III 633–MHz processor and 128–MB of memory, you'll get a bigger bang for your buck by spending $25 on another 128–MB stick of memory than you will from dropping a few hundred dollars on a new processor.
 | Given that memory is so cheap and has such a huge impact on your experience with Windows XP, you should pack your computer with memory. |  | |
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Given that memory is so cheap and has such a huge impact on your experience with Windows XP, you should pack your computer with memory. At the least, install 256 MB. This gives you a great experience. You'll only need more memory if you use memory–intensive applications, such as speech recognition, or if you tend to run a lot of programs at the same time. I know that the requirements for Windows XP are far lower, but we're all power users here, right?
There are different types of memory. These days, those are Synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), and Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), with DRAM standing for dynamic random access memory. SDRAM costs less than RDRAM, but RDRAM is a faster. A limited number of mainboards require RDRAM, and I tend to shy away from those; it's a price for performance thing. Note that SDRAM is available in two bus speeds, PC100 (100 MHz) and PC133 (133 MHz). Because contemporary mainboards use PC133 and PC133 is downward compatible with PC100, just stick to buying PC133. You'll purchase the memory that matches your mainboard requirements.
Get the Best Monitor
After memory, I put a lot of stock in a good monitor. The reason is simply that the monitor is what I look at every day. A small, cheap monitor with a low refresh rate gives me a headache and doesn't show off the new user interface of Windows XP.
Your first choice is whether to get a standard CRT or an LCD. I believe CRTs are better for game action, they are certainly less expensive, but LCD monitors have a smaller footprint and a sharper image. The choice depends on what you do with your computer. Play games? Get a CRT. Surf the Internet or edit documents? Get an LCD. The other decision is size. Size matters. A 15–inch monitor on your desktop is too small for Windows XP. 17 inches or bigger is essential.
Plan on spending a large chunk of money on the best monitor you can buy. It really has a huge impact on how you see Windows XP. And, unlike most of the other components in a computer that are upgradeable, you can't upgrade screen size or refresh rate without replacing the monitor. So get it right the first time.
Invest in Good Speakers
So far we're building a computer that doesn't try our patience, because we're loading it up with memory, and we're nabbing the best monitor we can afford, so it's easy on the eyes. The next sense to enhance is the sense of hearing.
Windows XP uses sound to provide feedback. When you click a menu item, it chirps. When the operating system snags an error, it screeches. Sound is an important part of the user interface. If OK sound is all you expect from your computer, then you don't need to invest in anything but basic $25 speakers.
Games, movies, and music require great sound though. I haven't met many people who don't listen to music, watch movies, or play multimedia files on their computer. For that reason, go ahead and spend some money on good speakers. A $75 set of speakers is good for a business computer on which you'll play an occasional movie or listen to music. $150 will buy a good set of speakers for a gaming or multimedia computer. More expensive surround–sound speaker sets are available for your computer too.
Catch a Great Mouse
Buy a $2,000 retail computer and it comes with a $5 mouse and a $10 keyboard; neither of which inspire you. The keys stick, the mouse hangs—you type 10 WPM.
So the last sense is touch. And to tickle your sense of touch, you need a good keyboard and mouse. The better the keyboard, the faster and more error free you type. And on a personal note, a solid keyboard just feels good under my hands. It took me a while to get used to the Windows keys on contemporary keyboards, but now I wouldn't be caught without them. And if you're wondering which keyboard I prefer, I own several Microsoft Internet Keyboard Pros. As far as mice go, mine are IntelliMouse Optical.
The cost of a modest set will be less than $100. A stellar keyboard and mouse will cost less than $200 and is well worth the investment.
Prioritize the Rest
I introduced components in my last column (Make Windows XP a Home) that I didn't mention in this column. That's because, in the average computer, the memory, monitor, speakers, and input devices deserve more attention that the rest. That doesn't mean you won't change the priorities though.
If you're building a computer to play games, then you'll want to make the video card a high priority. Buy the best one you can afford. If you want a rocking multimedia powerhouse, make sure you invest in a high quality sound card. In short, take a look at the list of components and decide which ones are most important to you; then put your money there and cut corners on other parts.
This is it for introductory material. For my next column, I'm going to build a low–cost computer. My goal is keep the cost well below $1,000 while putting together a basic computer that you can use for word processing and Internet browsing. I'm going to take advantage of the Intel all–in–one mainboards and cheap component prices to keep the price down. And of course, I'll spend most of my money on the monitor.
Expert Zone Columnist Jerry Honeycutt is a writer, speaker, and technologist who has written over 25 books, including Microsoft Windows XP Registry Guide (Microsoft Press, 2002). He frequently writes about customizing and deploying Windows XP.
For More Information
For additional details, see these related links.
To learn more about different types of memory:
To see how different speakers stack up:
To see the Microsoft keyboard and mouse offerings:
Previous columns by Jerry Honeycutt
