How to Save Money On a New Computer

      One thing that most college students have in common is that they have a personal computer of some sort. Unfortunately, almost all of them spent more money on their computer than they needed to spend. By building your own you can easily save you up to $500 getting a new computer. (I saved almost $800 when building my own computer). 
        This can seem like a daunting task to most people, but once you have all the right parts it's as simple as assembling furniture from IKEA. The only "hard" part about building your own computer is knowing what parts you need, and making sure that all the parts are compatible. I put "hard" in quotation marks because it's only hard in relation to how easy it is to assemble all the pieces together once you have them. So to get down to it, here's a list of all the items you'll need to build your own computer.

• DVD or Blu-Ray Drive: What kind you get depends on what you plan on using it for. They can cost anywhere from $20-$100
• Hard Drive: Again choosing this piece is based on personal preference. Get whatever size you expect to need. They cost anywhere from $50-$125 on average.
• Power Supply: This is another item that is up to you. I would suggest at least 400W, and expect to spend $20-$40 on it.
• Operating System: Get whatever version of Windows or Macintosh that you prefer. Costs around $100-$200
• Graphics Card: This can easily be one of the cheapest or most expensive items in your computer. It all depends on if you want a high-end gaming computer or just a machine to check email and facebook on. Expect to spend anywhere from $30-$300 on this.
• Processor (CPU): When selecting your CPU there are two things you need to write down for later. You need to know if it's an AMD or Intel processor and what kind of CPU socket type it is. This determines what kind of motherboard you'll need. This could cost you $50-$300 depending on how much power you want your computer to have.
• Motherboard: This is the most important piece of your computer. You need to make sure that both the case, processor, and memory (RAM) all fit with your motherboard. They have two features you need to be aware of; the size and the brand.The sizes are labeled as Micro ATX and ATX. Micro ATX is just a smaller version of ATX motherboards. The brand will either be AMD or Intel. Which brand you purchase is based on the brand of processor you selected. Expect to spend $50-$100 on this.
• Computer Case: This is where you need to start paying attention to what you're buying. Some motherboards will not fit in smaller cases. Cases will either be labeled as ATX or Micro ATX, and if you get a Micro ATX case you need to purchase a Micro ATX motherboard. Both sizes of motherboards fit into full-sized ATX cases, so I would suggest buying a full-sized case if possible.This is also another piece whose price can fluctuate wildly depending on what you get. They have simple basic cases for as little as $20-$40, and they have fancy case with all the bells and whistles for as much as $200. Expect to spend around $50-$75 on average. 
• Memory (RAM): This is another piece that you need to be careful of when selecting what you kind you purchase. In the name of the RAM you'll see something along the lines of 2GB 240 PIN DDR3 ####. That #### needs to match the supported memory (or memory standard) of the motherboard you selected. I'd suggest 2GB-4GB or DDR3. Expect to spend $20-$40 on this.
• CPU Heat Sink: This is basically just a high-tech fan to keep your CPU from overheating. Any type will work. Costs around $10-$30.

Once you buy all of this you'll be ready to assemble your computer. Here's a nice walk-through guide on how to do all of this. Also if you have any questions the IT Department on campus is a great resource.