Learn how to build the computer below by watching videos.

Anyone can build a computer. Sit down and watch our videos for 2 hours and you will be able to build a PC. The videos are available online, here, on the site and you can get the same videos on DVD with Free shipping, worldwide. You can watch the DVD on your home DVD player or computer. This is the complete set of videos.

Everything you need to know in order to build a computer is included on the DVD and online videos.

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Updated 02-27-2010


$2000 Workstation Computer Parts List

 

There are several options for most of the parts in this list to accommodate your individual needs. You can build a computer for CAD, music recording and editing, video editing, 3D graphics creation, stock trading, etc.  All using these parts as a starting point.  If you have a question about the parts or need a particular type of part and don't know what to buy or where to find it, please email us This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll look into it.

 

 alt

Intel Socket 1366

alt

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz

Newegg.com

$288.99

This is Intel's newest Quad or 4 core CPU.  There are lots of current programs that can use all 4 cores.  If you do video editing, video conversion or mp3 conversion, the program you currently use, would probably love having 4 cores to operate on.  There are two faster CPUs in this line for $700 and $1000, but keep in mind this CPU has a lot of overclocking potential.  You should be able to overclock this much cheaper model to be just as fast as the other models.

alt CPU Coolers - These are optional.  Both of the Intel CPU's above come with cooler.  The coolers below will improve on the cooling of the CPU extending it life.  These coolers are a must if you want to overclock the CPU.

Vigor Monsoon III LT Dual 120mm Fan CPU Cooler
Newegg.com
$42.99
This is the latest favorite CPU cooler of noise conscious overclockers.  It's only 20db.  Inside a good case, you can't hear it.

ZALMAN 9900 120mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler for Intel CPU's.

Newegg.com

$47.41

This is an updated design that has been a favorite CPU cooler for a few years now. It's made to fit onto a Socket 1366 CPU.  It cools very well and the fan doesn't make much noise.  It's a great combination.  It doesn't hurt, that it looks really cool.

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound

Newegg.com

$9.99

If you are going to use one of the 3rd party CPU coolers above you should include this thermal compound in your purchase.  This provides the best possible seal between the CPU and the cooler.  This will greatly improve the heat transfer, keeping the CPU as cool as possible.


build computersAMD Socket AM3

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition 3.4GHz

Newegg.com


$179.99

If you are an AMD fan and want a 4 Core CPU, this is it.  The Phenom II X4 965 is AMD's top of the line 4 Core CPU.  It's clock speed is faster than the Intel's, but the performance lags behind.  Intel is still making the most efficient CPU.

alt CPU Coolers - These are optional.  The AMD CPU above comes with a cooler.  The coolers below will improve on the cooling of the CPU.

Vigor Monsoon III LT Dual 120mm Fan CPU Cooler
Newegg.com
$42.99
This is the latest favorite CPU cooler of noise conscious overclockers.  It's only 20db.  Inside a good case, you can't hear it.

ZALMAN CNPS 9700 NT 110mm 2 Ball Ultra Quiet CPU Cooler

Newegg.com

$59.99

This has been a favorite CPU cooler for a few years now.  The reasons for this are that it cools very well and the fast doesn't make much noise.  It's a great combination.  It doesn't hurt that it looks really cool.

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound 

Newegg.com

$9.99

If you are going to use one of the 3rd party CPU coolers above you should include this thermal compound in your purchase.  This provides the best possible seal between the CPU and the cooler.  This will greatly improve the heat transfer, keeping the CPU as cool as possible.

 

The Motherboard

Choose your motherboard depending on if you want an Intel or AMD CPU.

build your own pcIntel Socket 1366

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58

Newegg.com

$289.99

This motherboard is near the top range of the Asus P6T series. It has all passive cooling (no fans) to keep the noise level down. These motherboards have an excellent reputation for being stable at default speeds, as well as being excellent overclockers.  This means with the right RAM and CPU, you can push the system even faster than Intel intended. Check out the comments on Newegg.  People are getting the CPU to 3.7Ghz and above.  It of course supports Triple Channel DDR3.  On-board networking and sound.  You can get a separate sound card to make your games sound even better. 


build a computerAMD Socket AM3

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

GIGABYTE GA-790FXTA-UD5

Newegg.com

$184.99

This motherboard has passive cooling on the motherboard to keep things quiet.  It supports 2-way Crossfire so you can put in up to 2 ATI video cards to double your gaming performance. See the case and power supply section on power supply requirements for Crossfire.  From the comments at Newegg and the reviews we've read, this is a solid stable motherboard.  On-board networking and sound. It also has an on-board video adapter which you will need to disable.   DDR3 1866 RAM is supported.

 

altRAM (Memory)

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

DDR3 for AMD system

DDR3 for AMD system

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

Newegg.com

$104.99

This is 2 sticks of RAM, 2GB each for a total of 4GB. 

For more information see the RAM memory types, speeds, bandwidthscomponent video lesson.

DDR3 for Intel system

DDR3 for Intel system
G.SKILL 3GB (3 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Newegg.com
$94.99
This is 3, 1GB sticks for Triple channel mode.  
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Newegg.com
$139.99
This is 3, 2GB for a total of 6GB of Triple channel memory.  You would still have 3 more slots to add memory if you need it in the future.  The CAS is only 8ns but you probably wouldn't notice a difference.

 

assemble a computerVideo cards: Here we show several options, one of which should fit your needs

 

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

ATI FireGLV3600 100-505507 Multi-View

Newegg.com

$164.99

This video card will support up to 4 monitors.  It will work well in a stock trading computer, where you need multiple monitors.  

PNY Quadro FX1700

Newegg.com

$449.99

If you're going to be doing CAD or a similar 3D application this video card will work very well for you. It is also good for gaming just in case you need a break.




Video Editing Boards


Video Editing Boards
Matrox RT.X2 Matrox.com $1795
This is not a replacement for one of the cards above.  This is for serious video editing use.  If it's your business and you need to work as fast and efficiently as possible you probably need this card or one like it.  It comes with Premiere Pro CS4 which is the same software we use to make the Home PC Builder videos.
Avid
Avid.com
$ varies Avid has several hardware options available for video editing.  It's probably best to call their sales line and tell them what you need.

 

buiding computersHard Drive - For video editing you should buy 2 hard drives

 

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

Western Digital Caviar Green 1.5TB

Newegg.com

$119.99

We've all had good and bad experiences with hard drives failing and we might individually prefer one maker over another.  Regardless, if you have important data, get two of these so you can set up an automatic backup of your most important files.  That way if a drive files you still have your data on the other.

See the hard drive component video lesson for features and specification to look for in a hard drive.

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB Newegg.com

$119.99

It's fast, quiet and runs cool.  You might consider getting 2 of these.  One for your operating system and regular programs and one just for your games and as a backup drive for your important data. 
 

alt External RAID - You can use several of the drives above to build a RAID array in your computer case that will back up your data automatically and give you increased performance from the drives.  You might also consider one of the options below.  The advantage is not having to worry about setting up the RAID array and opening the case to replace any failed drives.  The options below are set up for you and if a drive fails you just slide it out and replace it.  You don't even have to reboot your computer.

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

Drobo - external RAID storage

Drobo.com

$ varies

Personally I would go with the Drobo.  It gets excellent reviews, it's reliable, simple, great performance and very hands off.  You don't have to worry about it.

other external RAID options at Newegg.com
Newegg.com
$ varies
If you're on a tight budget there are several other choices for external RAID.  The link takes you to Newegg.com and a list of options, sorted by best review on Newegg. 
Avid.com RAID systems
Avid.com
$ varies
These don't have prices listed, so it will be expensive.  Just another option.
 

build computer videoDVD and Blu-ray Burners (Writer)

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

Sony AD-7240S-0B 24X

Newegg.com

$23.99

DVD burners are extremely cheap these days.  There really isn't any reason to pay more for a DVD writer.  We recommend this model for all of our customers computers.

Pioneer Blu-ray 8x Burner Model BDR-205BKS

Newegg.com
$219.99
If you're going to be producing HD Blu-ray movies you're going to need a way to get them off of your computer and in the hands of your audience.  This is the best way.
 

altCase and Power Supply

 

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW

Newegg.com

$49.99

This is the case we used for the Home PC Builder 2007 videos.  It is a favorite on Newegg as well.  It was released in 2004 so it's not a new case, but Cooler Master made it right to begin with.  This thing is very quiet and runs cool.  It has one 120mm fan at the rear and one 80mm fan in the front.  No need to buy more cooling fans.  Power Supply Not Included.

Antec P183

Newegg.com

$154.99

The P183 from Antec is made to be almost silent. It has 2, 120mm fans that are speed adjustable so you can balance cooling with noise. The side of the case are sound dampened to keep the noise from your components in the computer. Power Supply Not Included.

See the case and power supply video lesson for features and specifications to look for in a custom computer case. 

Antec EA750 750W Power Supply

Newegg.com

$95.99

This PSU rates at the top of the Newegg end user recommendations.  It a 750W power supply and is certified for both SLI and Crossfire.  It will do 2 way SLI but using 3 video cards would be pushing it.  If you want to go 3-way SLI you'll need to get one of the 1000+ watt power supplies from the High-end Gaming computer parts list. It is also an +80% efficient design which will cut your electricity bills and means it will run cooler than a less efficient PSU.

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V

Newegg.com

$119.99

This PSU has about the same features and specs of the PC Power and Cooling PSU above. See the case and power supply video lesson for features and specifications to look for in a power supply. 

Thermaltake Toughpower XT 850W ATX 12V v.2.3 Modular 

Newegg.com

$216.99

This PSU has 850W of power.  It also is a modular design.  This means all of the cables can be removed from the PSU.  The advantage of this is that you wont have a bunch of unused cables to tuck away inside your case.  You only attach the cables you need for your hardware.

altCooling Fans 


If you need extra cooling fans for your case these are the ones we recommend

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

Scythe SY1225SL12M 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan 

Newegg.com

$8.99

This Scythe 120mm cooler is very quiet which will help keep down the noise level of your computer.  Noise Level 24dBa

MASSCOOL FD08025S1M4 80mm Case Fan

 

Newegg.com

 

$1.99

Cheap, quiet, good air flow.  Noise Level 28dBa


pci computer sound cardSound and Network - The Network adapter is on the motherboard

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium 7.1 Channels

Newegg.com

$99.99

This is a must if you want to game with the fastest frame rates possible.  You wouldn't think a sound card could improve game performance, but this one does.  Here's how.  The audio processing in a games takes between 5% to 10% of the CPU's processing time.  The X-FI is able to process the sound itself, off loading the processing from the CPU, allowing the CPU to concentrate on other things, like making the game run faster!  It makes things sound better too.  It supports the latest EAX HD 5.0 for better sound in your games.  Hardware DTS-ES and Dolby Digital EX Decoding for your movies.

For a PCI computer sound card comparison see the computer sound card component video lesson For more on the Network card component see the Modem and Network card component video lesson.


M-AUDIO Delta 1010LT

Newegg.com
$189.99
This card lets you record 10 separate channels and output them as well.  This is what you need for live instrument recording, up to 10 instruments at once.

The motherboard includes a network adapter so you don't need to buy a separate add on card.

build your own computerMonitor


Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

Hanns G Hi-221DPB Black 22" 5ms Widescreen

Newegg.com

$159.99

This is the same monitor we recommend for the $1200 Gaming and $2300 Gaming Computers. It is a steal at this price.

SAMSUNG ToC T220HD Rose-Black 22" 5ms GTG Widescreen

Newegg.com

$209.99

This is the same size monitor as the cheaper Acer above.  The main advantage to this monitor is it's built in HDTV Tuner. Yes, you can watch over the air HDTV on it.

Samsung TOC T260HD Rose Black 25.5" 5ms  Widescreen
Newegg.com $339.99


build pc videoSpeakers

 

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

Logitech Z-2300 200 watts RMS 2.1

Newegg.com

$164.25

These speakers get great reviews all over the net.  Google the 'z-2300 review' and you'll see.  Lots of praise from end users in Newegg as well.  I use these on my system.  The only thing that comes close for this price range is a set of speaker Altec Lansing stopped making 10 years ago.

Logitech Z-5500 505 Watts 5.1

Newegg.com

$392.49

If you have room for surround sound speakers you should consider these.  


build a pcMouse and Keyboard Optionsalt

Description

Where to Buy

Price

Notes

Application specific keyboards and shuttles LogicKeyboard.com $ varies

Logic Keyboards sells keyboards with custom colors and descriptions on each key.  This lets you easily find the keyboard shortcut for any command which will speed up your work. 

They also sell shuttles, which are kind of like wheels you can use to move through your audio or video timelines more easily.

Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard

Newegg.com


$39.99
Saitek has been known for their flight sticks for years.  There gaming keyboard is something to consider.

Logitech G9x Black Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Gaming Mouse

Newegg.com

$94.99

The G9x is a laser mouse and you can change it's weight like the G5.  With the G9 you can also change it's shape.


Comments (2)Add Comment
...
written by Admin2, February 03, 2010
RE: to $4000 workstation
The Intel version of this computer would work nicely. A quad core i7, with 6GB of RAM would give you all the speed you need. You could get 3 or 4 of the hard drives and RAID 5 them for tons of space. The Obsidian case is nice.
...
written by David, February 03, 2010
Can you give me some ideas on building a super system I need a PC to run an on line business needing lots of storage and to be able to control or multitask many many tasks. And keeping security big time in mind,and two 24" monitors.I will be running large programs like PhotoShop 4, Dragon naturally speaking.Any you kind of get the picture. I have the case it is an obsidian 800D so lots of room. budget $4000.+/- Thank You! David

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You will notice that all of the links to the components in the list are pointing to Newegg.com.  We do receive a commission for any purchases made that come from these links.  Our commission is 1%.  This is not very much.  We could direct our customers to other sites where we would receive much higher commissions.  We chose Newegg because we absolutely believe they are the best place to buy online.  They consistently have the lowest prices, best selection, helpful end user reviews and real customer service.  If you have a problem with a part you can call them up and talk to a real person about whether to exchange it or get a refund.

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