where to start?

[zigzag77]

i will be buying a computer when i have enough money, but i just don't know where to start! i kind of new to this so i dont know what's good and what's not.

it will be for gaming and i i know that i need the lates hardware for the latest games but thats where my knowledge stops.

what kind of motherboard do i need/ should i get?
what is the difference between a PCI slot and a AGP slot?
how many slots do i need/shoud i have?
i know i need a fast processor chip but i get confused with them all
2500+ , 2800+, 3200+ etc Intel this Amd that , 32 bit this 64 bit that.

what is a good video card these days? they all look the same to me
Geforce this XTpro that.

i just need some clarity , cause i wish i knew more about computers so i can make the right choice. i just dont want to buy a computer that is useless 6 months down the track.
thanks

[hockey man]

Here are some of the most important things to look for:
mobo; power supply.

If money is not an issue go with a sli mobo like this one:
http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131524

sli is dual pcie vid cards. Which means great graphics. Thing is you will need a high end nvida graphics card to use sli.
[http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814127147] you could buy one now and one latter though. Pcie is the new agp and you should definitely get that over agp.

PCI are more for audio and expantion cards, not graphics. There are pci vid cards, but the pci bus is not very well suited for graphics cards. You will probably want 2-3 pci slots plus your pcie for the graphics cards.

Power supply: others here no more than I do on this but some things to point out: bigger is usually better. Just make sure the 12v rail is around 18[what ever there mesured in:)].

Now, the mobo I posted to is a works with a AMD cpus that have a 939 socket.
Here is a great 939 cpu:
http://www2.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103514

[hockey man]

And Welcome to the Pcguide!

[pop pop]

Will this be your first personal purchase?

There are whole books, magazine articles, and hundreds of posts dedicated to answering this open-ended question.

You need to answer one question for yourself first--what's the budget. Once you do that you can move on.

In the meantime--research. Read the related posts in this forum. I also suggest digging through the reviews in Toms Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com). Tomshardware is a very good tech site, lots of reviews. You want to focus on gaming so that will likely (though not exclusively) narrow your search into AMD based systems (mobos and CPUs).

Prebuilt and preconfigured systems from a computer superstore (CompUSA) or a Bestbuy, or a Dell (heaven forbid) type place will severely limit your flexibility, but it's convenient. You won't be able to dictate the choice of mobo with those places and therefore you wont have control over the number of expansion slots, etc. So..

Choose your CPU. This will focus your mobo choice.
Choose your mobo
Choose the type and amount of RAM.
Choose your graphics type (AGP or PCIe) and card based on what the mobo supports.
Choose your monitor
Consider your audio options

For CPUs you have two choice, AMD or Intel. As I said, an AMD-based system probably fits your needs. Get the best you can afford.

As far as memory goes, you don't have to get the absolute best or fastest, or most expensive--just get the right type, most you can afford, and put it in the right slots. Generally a minimum of 512MB will be required for gaming.

Graphics cards are a world unto themselves and maybe more than any other single component, you have to research and decide because you can spend $50 and be happy or you can spend $500 and be happy. Toms has lots of graphics card reviews, benchmarks, specs, and prices.

A monitor for gaming is just as difficult a choice--CRT or LCD? How much $$? In many respects, CRTs are much better for gaming, LCDs have their advantages and can be more than adequate...depending on the budget, the choice, and you.

Audio options have become easier. Onboard sound is now pretty darned good and you don't have to spend extra. Speaker choices can range from no additional cost (with system) to $30 to several hundred.

For a first ever gaming system, I would think $1000-1500 would be a good start, but is that what you can afford?

Use Newegg (http://www.newegg.com) to price components (if you are US based). Nobody beats their prices.

[pop pop]

Ah, heck. Look here. (http://images10.newegg.com/UploadFilesForNewegg/promo/DIY/index.html)

There are two system bundles (you assemble) from Newegg, guarranteed compatibility of parts. Both are AMD based with one GB of Corsair RAM and Seagate Barracuda HDDs. One is a little over $800 (nice entry level) and the other is a few bucks over $1500 (kicks). Monitor and speakers not included.

[zigzag77]

WOW!! well thanks for the Help (And the quick reply).
i guess i will start from scratch and read all the data on this site and others.
i am from Australia and will probably spend about $2000 aussie.
which is about $1500 US.
and by the time i have it saved i should know what i am looking for!!
Thanks Again for all your help!!