I'm planning to buy a new computer near the end of December and there are just so many things I have to consider when I buy, especially what brand and what model. My price cap is at about $800-900 and I'll need this computer to just do some basic word PROCESSING, listen to some music, and play a few medium to high-end games. (All I know is that I'll need something to play Medal of Honour: Allied Assault, Battlefield: 1942 meeting both the recommended system requirements and possibly something like The Eldar Scrolls 4: Oblivion in the future. I'll want to be able to play all of these games pretty smoothly.) So I'm gonna need some help here on picking something in each field and with a little bit of information:

CPU: Using mainly the games as a guide, I'll need something that matches a 3Ghz Pentium 4 (or maybe even slightly better). Dual-Core would definately be good SINCE that would let me run a few more programs and also increase XPs performance. Intel's HT also seems pretty attractive, but I know little about AMD's processors so I don't know what makes them so good. (Semprons, Athlons and all of those names with the numbers behind them [Ex. Sempron 3200 or something like that] confuse me.] If anyone could tell me about one that's pretty nice, that'd be great.

RAM: DDR, SD, Dual-Channel, oh my! I'm pretty lost right now as to what sort of things I should be looking for in RAM. 1-2GBs seems to be a good amount of RAM though.

Motherboard: This is one of the areas where I'm most unsure of. I really don't know what I should be looking for in a motherboard. All the blabber about compatibility for Intel and AMD CPUs I'm pretty sure I'll be able to figure out (like the sockets that I would need), but when it comes to actually looking for certain things that make a motherboard worth its money, I just haven't GOT a clue. A little guideline or checklist with the things I should be considering in a motherboard (along with what they all do) would be appreciated

Video Card: Most definately the area where I need the most help with, I'm having trouble deciding what card I want and need. I'm looking for basically the best valued card out there, and from what I've heard so far from friends, other forums, and from other places, the ATI Radeon x1600 or the nVidia 7600GT are pretty decent for the money they cost. Will need at least 128MB of on-board, preferrably 256.

Hard Drive: RPM and SATAII, what matters more? Just need maybe about 80Gb or the NEXT step up.

O/S: I'm almost completely bent on getting Windows XP Professional as I don't want Home and Vista will probably put a bigger hole in my wallet. But if anyone thinks otherwise, speak out.

DVD/CD Drive: What's a good write speed and is a DVD±R Burner also able to read DVDs and CDs and burn CDs? I'll want my new computer to be able to burn and read DVDs as well as burn and read CDs so any suggestions on what I need to get if greatly appreciated.

Sound Card: I'm not too concerned with sound cards, but if anyone KNOWS about one that a good price and produces clear sound, let me know.

Cooling System: Heatsink or Liquid Cooling? That is the question. What should I get while staying within my budget?

Yes, meeting all of my demands while staying within my budget might be a bit of a tall order, but if you can offer any sort of help or suggestion, I'd be very grateful. [smiley=grin.gif]
The world will all be different by December. Things you may want now will have been replaced by better, or at least more expensive, one. Processor prices will continue to change. Just wait until you are closer to purchase time. The components you have described seem quite good for a computer today. Whether you'll get it that cheaply is another matter.

Like the others say, prices change all the time, so it's no good planning the specifics now. 80gb is about the lowest you should get for a harddrive. It would seem a pity to spend so much on a good computer, but tiny harddrive.

Intel v AMD... a constantly raging warzone. Sometimes Intel are on top sometimes AMD are. Personally I prefere AMD but each person has his own preference. Both are good processors. The AMD number is approximately its equivilent speed in megahertz compared to a Pentium. For example a Pentium 3Ghz is about the same speed as an Athlon 3000.If all you are using is Microsoft Word, it really does not matter which one you decide to buy. Quote

If all you are using is Microsoft Word, it really does not matter which one you decide to buy.

The world will all be different by December. Things you may want now will have been replaced by better, or at least more expensive, one. Processor prices will continue to change. Just wait until you are closer to purchase time.