| Plan it Out / the OS |
| Plan by Function |
| Tweeking Speed |
| Salvaging Parts |
| Discount PC Parts |
| Key Considerations |
|
Primary Components
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| Case and Power |
| CPU (Processor) |
| Motherboards |
| Buying RAM |
| Hard Drives |
|
Secondary Components
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| Video Output |
| CD /DVD /Floppy |
| Sound Cards |
| Getting Online |
|
Peripherals
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| Keyboard / Mouse |
| Printer / Scanner |
| Monitors / Displays |
| Computer Speakers |
| Getting Started >>> |
| Choosing and Installing Software >>> |
| Optimizing and Overclocking your PC >>> |
Your computer and you interact through the peripherals. The keyboard and monitor are pretty much the barest minimum you can go with and still be able to interact with your computer. Your choice in peripherals very much depends on personal preference and the complexity of the interactions you intend to have with your computer.
Keyboard and Mouse
For the home PC computer system you build, you'll need a keyboard and mouse at the very least. You may have these items already from a previous computer, but like all computer devices, improvements and changes are constantly occuring. Perhaps you may want an optical mouse or wireless mouse and keyboard. These options are relatively inexpensive but do have their drawbacks.
When choosing a mouse, there is generally no reason not to choose an optical mouse. They are considerably lighter (and as such, reduce RSI) as they have no moving parts, they are much better at smoothly tracking movement, and they don’t require constant cleaning like ball mice (though it may be wise to brush off the lens with a q-tip or other soft tool on occasion). Make sure that you spend money on a decent-quality mouse made by companies such as Microsoft or Logitech, as lower-end optical mice will skip if moved too fast. Mice of medium-to-high quality will track the movement almost flawlessly.
Although three buttons are generally enough for operating a computer in normal circumstances, extra buttons can come in handy, as you can add set actions to extra buttons, and they can come in handy for playing various video games. One thing to note is that with some mice those extra buttons are not actually seen by the computer itself as extra buttons and will not work properly in games. These buttons use software provided by the manufacturer to function. However, it is sometimes possible to configure the software to map the button to act like a certain keyboard key so that it will be possible to use it in games in this manner.
Wireless keyboards and mice do not have a very noticeable delay like they once did, and now also have considerably improved battery life. However, gamers may still want to avoid wireless input devices because the very slight delay may impact gaming activities, though some of the higher end models have less troubles with this. The extra weight of the batteries can also be an inconvenience.
