The motherboard is the core of the computer.  This is where you attach the central processing unit, the memory and all other peripherals required to run a computer.  When I search for a motherboard for a basic computing system I try to get the most bang for a buck that I can.  I start out by going to one of my favorite search sites for computer parts such as Shop @ Geeks.com - Great Deals Every Day!  and searching for motherboards.  I apply a filter for AMD or INTEL based chips per customer preference.  There is a difference in the connection to the motherboard for these different CPU’s and this difference will affect later choices so be sure to apply this filter.  For basic computing either CPU chip family will work well for your configuration.  For advanced users a more detailed look at how they will use the computer is involved as both have strong points in certain areas.  Then I sort the motherboards by price.  I then see where the break point is.  This is where the prices take a dramatic jump in price.  I then compare the 3-4 motherboards below that point.  I am looking for the additions to the motherboard that make it that much easier to configure such as:

• on-board sound
• on-board video
• on-board LAN
• SATA and IDE connectors
• extra USB connectors
• Fire wire connectors
• additional video AGP slot

There are 2 points of view about all these components built in.  One says that you should avoid them and the other says to use them.  I personally recommend them for low to moderate computer users as it will save on the overall cost and configuration of the computer.  For upper end computer users such as gaming computers I recommend staying far away from built in video and sound cards or you will have to change your motherboard with each new game they put out. 

You probably noticed that many cases on the market today come with their own power supply.  For most uses these power supplies will be adequate.  For gamers, power users, and server applications these usually do not provide the power necessary for the applications that they will use.  When looking at the power supplies there are several factors to look at:

• wattage
• size (very important as some sizes may not fit in the case you have selected)
• shape (also important when attaching to a case)
• noise rating (yes some of them can sound like a plane landing)
• form factor (20 pin and 24 pin for connection to the motherboard most new models come with the 24 pin)

For basic computer configurations I recommend a power supply of at least 300w as they will support the devices that you will use in every day computing.  For power users I would recommend a power supply of at least 450w.  And for gamers I would recommend a power supply of not less than 500w.  While these seem like very small jumps in power the price difference can be staggering the highest price for a pc power supply at this post was $579.00 for a 1000w gaming power supply and the lowest price was $11.99 for a 300w basic power supply.   For servers you need to find dual redundant hot swappable power supplies so you can change it while your computer is running if necessary.

The first step in building your custom computer is the case.  The case is the outer box in which we will install the workings of the computer.  There are many factors in deciding which case you require for your computer. 

• size from small cube designs to large towers to rack mount cases 
• prices start @ less than $15.00 to well over $1000.00
• color just about every color is out there just need to look
• design basic to bizarre and beyond
• steel, aluminum, plastic, and other materials
• number of slots available for expansion (hard drives,cdrom drives)
• built in accessories (card readers, front usb ports, front sound ports)

Three places to check out the choices for your case decision are price-watch and Check it out @ Geeks.com and Newegg.com has all your computer and electronic needs!
There are plenty of other places to search for a case for your custom build just type computer case in Google search  and you will find them.  Don’t try to get ahead and try to buy the case without having the rest of the selections made as you might be able to save some postage by purchasing multiple items from the same vendor.  For now just make a note of the case choice and record any model number you can find so that when you are ready to begin purchasing the items you have them handy.