The most important aspect of building any new computer system is to jot down what exactly you want the computer to be and made up of. On top of this, you need to specify a budget for this system and make sure to stick to it. It’s easy to surpass any budget that one would lay out if they find some need to do so. However, if at all possible – don’t pass that limit. Take the goals that you laid out and match them into the budget that you set forth. Also – be real with yourself. Contrary to popular belief – building a system is not always cheaper than purchasing one from a direct vendor such as Dell. If you want to build a low cost system, you’re probably better off purchasing a box from a vendor. However, it is often the case that as more higher-end components are used, the cost savings from building a system is becomes more apparent (and more fun!).

For my new dual processor system, the immediate goals were to replace my existing system which comprised of the following:
Cooler Master ATC 101 Case
Supermicro P4DCDE+ motherboard
2 – 1.8GHz 400 MHz XEON processors
2 – 256 MB PC800 RIMMs
1 – NVIDIA GeForce3 AGP4X video card
1 - 100 GB Maxtor ATA/100 Hard Drive
1 – HP DVD200i DVD Burner
1- Lite-on DVD ROM drive

My budget for the new system was set to 2000 dollars at maximum and consisted of the following:
2 – Intel 2.66 GHz 533 XEON processors
1GB of Dual Channel DDR266 memory
An E7505 based motherboard in ATX form factor
A new Cooler Master ATX case
Pioneer DVD-R 4x burner

Sure I could have opted for a 3.06 XEON but I didn’t need to pay that much more money for a slight increase in performance.

Other general goals for my new system included:
1. Having the ability to both compile and debug applications quickly
2. Being able to perform video editing functions
3. Being able to burn dvds
4. Being able to play the latest 3D games out there
5. Stability and Reliability

If you are replacing an existing system, consider what you will do with the components in your system. Some people like to sell their components on EBay while others may opt to reuse existing components. Whatever the scenario – you should never leave the components to sit in dust. Sell them or use them.

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