Building Your Own Computer: Select Best Motherboard and CPU Bundles

When you build your own computer, one of the most important decisions you need to make is selecting the best motherboard for your computer system; the motherboard is a critical operating component. Building your own computer means saving money and it also means that you can build a custom-designed and custom-specified system; you'll get exactly what you want and need.

All computer components have a function; however the motherboard is a very key part of the overall system. To select the right motherboard for you, you need to have a clear understanding of the kind of demand you will place on your system, the type of system you will want to run and build, and a clear understanding of how your selection will affect the operations of the computer once built.

When selecting the mobo, consider which CPU you will be using in your computer build. For example, AMD CPUs require a different motherboard than Intel CPUs because each uses a different socket type. Also understand the impact of processor speed: your motherboard needs to support the chosen CPU.

There are a wide variety of socket types in use; and with the frequency and rapidity of technological changes that will continue to change and evolve. With these changes, come improvements (aka changes) to the number of pins in processors - this results in motherboard sockets needing more pins to provide more power and support new features and benefits. New processor designs have started to put pins on the socket instead of the CPU, which does allow for an easier set-up. So make sure you do your homework and match the right CPU configuration and socket type to the right motherboard; the CPU needs the socket to communicate with motherboard components through the chipset. A number of suppliers offer motherboard and CPU bundles check into those carefully - they can be a good buy but you want to make sure that the bundle provides what you need and want.

Other related-to-the-motherboard decisions are the chipset, the bus, and the RAM. You will need a fast chipset to allow efficient data transfers and power management. Bus size is important because the size or width of the bus circuit determines how much data can be transmitted. Bus speed, measured in MHz, is relevant when selecting a motherboard; it determines the communication speed of components and data transfer; therefore a fast bus speed allows fast data transfer and faster running applications. Speed is evolving and being upgraded with new technology, not just because faster is better but to synchronize with demand for speed from upgraded and new applications. As with most equipment and technology, the slowest component will be a speed bottleneck for the whole operating system - with a slow FSB speed; your computer will also operate at slow speed.

Consider memory and how much memory you need to build your own computer system when you select your motherboard. Gamers, or those who do a lot of graphics or video work, will need more than 2 GB of RAM, but for regular medium-scale users 2 GB of RAM will be enough. Most motherboards come with at least two memory slots, and many come with four. Ensure that you have enough expandable memory capacity for the future and buy a motherboard with four slots. Other considerations when selecting the best motherboard for your computer system are the peripherals; such as mouse, printer, keyboard, flash drive, external drive, webcam, and digital camera. If you are planning on adding cards (such as a sound card, wireless network card, or graphics card), you will need enough PCI slots to handle these peripherals. Most motherboards have four USB slots; plus two more that connect to the USB ports on the case. Don't forget the system battery (you will need to change the battery in your motherboard every four to 5 years) and the preloaded BIOS which boots up your computer.

Make sure that when selecting components for your computer system build you ensure that you build a system for your future needs, not just a system for today's needs. A basic, minimal system will satisfy your computing needs for a short period of time, but with every changing applications and technology you need to specify and select your components to build your computer system to last you for at least three to five years. My last system worked effectively and efficiently for seven years because I over-built for my needs at the time. In other words, buy as many features and benefits and as much speed, power and memory as you can afford at the time; otherwise you will have to continually invest and replace systems to keep pace. As technology progresses and changes, you will find you need an advanced and fully-loaded system to sustain your needs.

Kris and Christian Bovay are co-owners of Build Your Own Computer; a resource guide for building your own computer system. Christian is an electronics technician with more than 30 years experience in computer building and troubleshooting with several telecommunications companies. Copyright 2008-2009 Voice Marketing Inc.