Planning is the most important part of the process

[av8or]

Before you so much as lift a screwdriver, your computer-building project has already begun. If you don't do a good job in the planning stage, your project is unlikely to turn out well.

One of the most important things is to research the different components and see if they have a reputation for not playing nicely with each other. (Some video cards don't like certain motherboards, for example.)

You also need to consider the computer's intended use. Certain types of applications require much more and different resources than others. Check out the hardware requirements for the software you intend to use, and be aware that software publishers' minimum requirements are just that -- minimum requirements. In most cases, more is better.

For more information about planning your PC, check out http://www.kitchentablecomputers.com/plan.htm .