So I have needed a new pc for a while now so i thought that i would go about building my own.... but i dont know where to start!

What do I start with?
What do I build It on?
How much time will it take?
Is it going to be worth it?

I hope someone can answer my questions. Thanx

Wow....

First thing, decide on what you want to do with it, whats your buget, etc

Then decide on what component is most important to you.

Then from there, we get to the hardware, which CPU you want, AMD or Intel? After that, nVidia or ATI? (There are others I know, but these are the main ones).

Then decide on m/b. Then the accessories. Simple. Its just making sure that your parts will work with each other, the shopkeeper should know that (AMD CPU on INTEL m/b)

start with a maximum budget, decide what your computing requirements are, and decide if you will be re-using any components from an older system. right now AMD socket-939 systems give you the best performance and best value, but that may change in a few more months with the release of the Intel Conroe core CPU.

um... a table?

buying the parts takes the most amount of time. once you have all the parts in front of you, you can assemble it in a couple hours.

that depends... if you're looking for a cheap budget system then you can buy one prebuilt cheaper (but it will be a low quality PC). if you want a good quality and upgradable PC, then you cannot buy one pre-made with the same quality that you can build it yourself, so it is definately is worth it.

hope this helps

Yeah, Dells are good if you want hassle free, cheap computing. Soemthing you keep under the table and think the only part there is to a PC is the monitor

But even then, you'll still save a few bucks buying it part by part I think, you'd get slightly better stuff, but it wouldn't make much of a difference. Plus, you'd get alot of extra hassle. Some people would prefer to just go Dell, and its a better thing too. You don't get people coming in here complaining about a Dell, any references to Dell computers here are problems with upgrading (and also, any references to Dell is the same to any other PC building company).

This is a mission that I'm on too! My brother said to wait until we know more about Vista, but I'm of the mind I'll stick with XP for the long haul.

Like the other guys are saying - what do you need it for? From there check out ready made rigs from Alienware or something to see what other people are doing/using. I like to go to places like tiger direct and check out what parts work with other parts, keeping in mind I could upgrade it later.

While online google HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN PC. Check out 5 different sites and take their recommendations!

Honestly, a table is good. I don't recommend a bath - unless it's upturned. Seriously, make sure you've got the right tools before you start - no cutting corners!

Not tried, but like was said, a few hours I guess is tops. Go slow though - even get a scrap computer - pull it apart - and reassemble it for practice.

If you're after a new hobby, expanding computer knowledge, being able to fix future PC problems because you fully understand what's under your hood - then yes. If you're wanting to impress people who are physically attractive... I've never had that much luck...

I'd say its one of the journeys in life: building your first computer. The first time it starts up, and the feeling of "I made this myself". Probably feels the same as giving birth, but I might be wrong.

You can build the PC just about on any surface, and you don't need much more than a screwdriver. In fact, there are systems which are totally tool free.

um, a bunch of us answered your questions... so now what? have you decided on anything?

if you still need more help, just ask.. it's what we're here for.

Of course, you have little idea yet which components to buy. When researching components, a good place to look is Newegg.com. Their variety is very good and you can get a good idea of what's available and at what price. There are so many different brands and performance levels. You don't have to buy from there, although I do, and you should certainly look at other sites for comparison but it's a good place to start even if you will not be buying online. BTW, Newegg only ships to locations in the USA.

Once you've selected your components, you could list them in this forum and ask for comments. People do that all the time.