One problem here, Pandora, is that many (probably most) of us build our own systems, simply because we know how bad shop-bought PC's can be. They rely on the ignorance of the buyer, and add in some cases build hefty support costs in, knowing that things will fail etc. As an example, the spec you see on my signature below cost me no more than £1000 to put together, but to buy the equivalent from a shop would have cost anything from £1500-£2000 (when I built it...it's depreciated a lot now!). If the system in the shop is under £1000...it probably won't have all top-end components. Evesham might be a little more expensive but they do tend to put slightly better kit in the box, and they are a bit clearer about the detail of the components.
What i suggest is that I'll list here a series of the main components and things to ask for at the shop...basically how close are they to this spec. If you try out a couple of places and then come back to us with responses, perhaps we can guide you to the one that seems most 'honest'.
I'm not saying this is the best...someone like Muckshifter will probably suggest changes...but this is the basic spec to look for based on what you said you want to do...
Motherboard: Asus A7N8X (basic one - u don't need the deluxe version) - this includes 6.1 channel sound on board so u don't need a seperate soundcard.
Processor (CPU) AMD Athlon XP2200+ (Probably best bang for your bucks but prices will fall soon and u could get better for less in a couple of weeks or so)
Memory (RAM): 512Mb DDR PC2700 (RAM with a brand name like Samsung is usually more reliable than what's called 'generic'). You could easily do with less...a single 256Mb chip, for example, but the price of this good at the moment, and more never hurts.
Hard drive: A Western Digital 80Gb or 120GB - make sure its a 7200rpm speed. Also, ask if it has an 8Mb or 2Mb cache...8 is faster and preferred nowadays, but 2 is ok. (probably the other best brand to go for is Maxtor).
CD/DVD: Even bog-standard CD writers and re-writers are pretty reliable now...I wouldn't worry too much about brand, but make sure it's pretty fast...say, 48X CD writing and 16X DVD reading. Remember that if you get a single drive that does CD/RW and DVD ROM, if it goes wrong, you have no other way to put CD's in...some people (like me) swear by having seperate drives for CD and DVD...just in case. (If you don't want to play DVD's on ur PC then obviously you can forego that). Make sure your CD writer is 'burn-proof'...can save a heck of a lot of wasted money on blank CD's!!
Video card: This can be the single most expensive part of the whole system...or quite cheap. It really depends on the type of games you want to play. As a good fast but not too expensive card, look for a 128MB GeForce4 Ti4200 (Never accept GeForceMX!!!!!!!). Alternatively, ATI Radeon cards, like the 9000 Pro are very cheap but competent.
Soundcard: Not needed as the onboard sound with the motherboard is excellent now (it's what I use and it's improved on the newer boards). However, if they say the machine has a seperate soundcard, then look for a 'Creative Audigy'...accepted as the best.
Speakers: Creative Labs, Klipsch Promedia, Altec Lansing, Boston Acoustics are names to listen for. A 5.1 or 6.1 surround sound system if ur into hi-fi and DVD or extreme gaming and have room to position them around you; properly; a 2.1 (2 speakers and a sub-woofer) is better if u are limited on space. Reasonably good speakers are not expensive...
Floppy disk...er...any will do.
Mouse and keyboard: This can be very subjective, but many off-the-shelf PC's include crap ones that carry the shop's own logo. A keyboard should be reasonably heavy so it won't move while ur typing. A mouse shouls have at scroll wheel and optical is perhaps preferable to a ball. These are dirt cheap...don't get palmed of with a naff two-button ball mouse and a keyboard that floats or has to be blue-tacked to the desk!
Monitor: Some here will realise I'm not a TFT/LCD fan...they are still too expensive and nowhere near the quality of CRT monitors...especially for games. If, tho', you have limited space, then a TFT is perhaps best...others will have to advise you on the best buy.
Case/Power: External USB/firewire is a thing to look for...don't get taken in by glass panels etc...expensive, pointless unless ur into showing off at LAN parties, and they can remove the EMI shielding. Make sure the pwer supply (PSU) is at least 350W. You could get by with less, but you might want to add some things at a later date.
I may have missed loads of stuff...anyone got anything to add??
:spin:
I have a budget of £1000 to include a TFT monitor. I want the PC to run Office so that I can use the S/Sheets, D/Bases etc for work. I need it to be compatible with my broadband access. I want to make DVDs and CDs. I also want to be able to play games.
