Getting cheap computer parts involves a bit of detective work. The best cheap computer parts do their job well, but without a heavy price tag. A bonus is that the pricey computer parts of a year of two ago become the cheap computer parts of today and do a superb job. So lets dig deeper into what you need to keep in mind when shopping for cheap computer parts.

Your computer is made up of many seperate parts that are connected together to form the entire computer. It is possible to change and upgrade almost every part of the computer when the need arises, or simply when you feel like it is time to change.

To give you a quick outline of the different parts that you can change and tips on how to choose the new parts you are going to change them with have a look through the links below.

Your computer’s parts

Start here for a listing of the parts that are in your computer and how to choose the correct new parts.

The monitor

This is where you see everything. LCD monitors have come down in price so much that they are definitel worth it. They last a really long time and free up space on your computer table at home. The one above is less than $200.

The Central Processing Unit

This is the “brain” of the computer and does the complex math that is needed when running the computer. Speeds in processor are changing at rapid speeds, but the best value is really on the cheapest ones. The one pictured above is a Pentium 4 520 3.0GHz, it’s about the slowest P4 you can get on it’s own.

The motherboard

The motherboard sits inside the computer and puts everything together. All new components either get connected to it directly of via cables. The motherboard’s function is central to the computer. Making sure as many new features are included will mean a long time until an upgrade is needed. The one pictured above costs less than $150 and comes with a processor and memory.

The hard disk

The hard disk is where all your information is stored. This is the place where you save the stuff you do, and it’s also the place where you programs are kept, as well as your operating system. It’s speed can make a big difference as it is the first place all the data comes from. The biggest differences can be seem when dealing with big files like movies and video editing. The drive above is only about 50 bucks, has 40GB of space and supports the latest SATA-150 which allows super fast data transfer.

The system memory

The onboard memory is like a fast holding store between your hard disk and the CPU. It is much faster than the hard disk, but more expensive. Commonly accessed files and programs that are currently running on the computer are stored here. This is the hottest component for upgrading as it makes a huge difference to the overall performance of your computer without too much cost. The DDR memory shown above costs around 60 bucks and will support 400MHz bus speed and has 512MB, the least I really recommend for a computer.

The CD drive

CDs are a good form of long term permanent data storage. Computers have been using these for ages. CD-writer have become so cheap in fact, that the one above costs only $5 more than some plain CD drives that can’t write CDs.

DVD drive

DVDs are a much newer form of data storage, they can hold much more data than CDs, most movies that are released are in a DVD format. DVD writers have come down to prices where they are really affordable. Extremely good for long term storage of home movies and backing up of lots of data. The one above costs less than $40 and can write all the different DVD formats.

The case

The case is the box that everything is held in. Cases vary, but at the bottom end are very similar in function. Upper end, expensive cases will have various extras that help a very powerful computer perform at it’s peak. The Aspire X-Navigator case features a big 500 watt power supply and is one of the coolest mod computer cases. It’s also a very unique computer case.

How to put it all together

After browsing through the links above you should have a very good idea about what you actually need in your next computer.

Always remember that a computer needs to serve a function. Making it fit the function you want it for will make using the computer that much more pleasurable, and save you time and money.