Before you purchase any computer parts, whether you are building your own computer or fix the one you have, be sure that you know what you are purchasing. You need to do some research in order to make the right choices in selecting the correct computer parts, installing them correctly, properly maintaining them, connecting peripherals and troubleshooting when necessary. Be sure to inspect all parts you buy before installing them into your computer; a faulty part can damage the system in its entirety.

If you are building your own computer, you will need the following parts:

* Computer Case - Function

* Computer Case - Selecting

* Power Supply

* Processor(CPU) along with the Heatsink/Fan

* Motherboard

* Hard Drive

* Memory

* Keyboard and Mouse

* CD Drive

* Floppy drive

* PCI Cards

* USB Port

* Monitor

* Operating System

* IDE Cables

* Graphics Card/Video Card

* Sound Card/Audio Card

* Modem

You will probably also want to purchase a good security software program. It is important to protect your computer from viruses and hackers. And, you should also be prepared with a UPS backup system in case you lose power. Internet security software includes: Antivirus software, firewall, surge suppressor or UPS backup and a computer Internet security.

There are also accessories that you can add to make your computer fun to use. These include speakers, headphones, DVD drives, scanners, digital cameras and Webcam. There are many online computer stores who have excellent quality systems and computer parts at great prices.