Don't bust the budget

A dream machine can have many incarnations, depending on how much money you

 
truly are able to put into it. At some point along the configuration process, you’re
going to ask yourself the question, “Do I really need this particular item in my
machine?” It can be a high-end video card, HD-ready display, etc. The first thing
 you need to decide on is essentials.

You should write (or type) the absolute must-haves for your machine. This list will differ with everyone, depending on what you’ll be using the computer for. After the essentials are done, then you can start thinking about spending that extra buck on a component that may be a bit frivolous, but you can’t live without it. Have a budget and a dollar figure that you won’t go over by more than a few bucks.

Choosing components

The best advice I can give is to choose your components based on a couple things. First, if you have had past experience with a particular brand, whether positive or negative, that should factor into your decision-making process every time you are shopping around again. If you have had nothing but wonderful experiences with ASUS motherboards or NVIDIA video cards, that’s obviously going to influence your decision, and that’s perfectly fine. The same goes for negative experiences.

Second, it is essential that you read reviews of products you are interested in. Just because a company has made well-reviewed and popular products in the past, that doesn’t mean they are infallible. Make sure you read reviews from both tech professionals and consumers for the exact product you are looking to purchase.

Also, make sure the components you buy complement each other. For example, if you are planning on taking advantage of SLI [to boost your machine's graphic processing], you want an SLI-capable motherboard. If you are planning on a nice digital speaker system, make sure that your sound, whether it’s integrated or dedicated, has an S/PDIF input. You want components in your Dream PC to operate as if they were built to do so seamlessly.

The information in this tip originally appeared in the Build Your Dream PC online class discussion.