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are getting cheaper, so buying a large monitor won't cost as much as it used to a few years ago. It should be possible to buy a 21 inch monitor (either the bulky CRT or flat screen TFT) for a reasonable price.

A good quality mouse will help with any design work, as will a stylus/pad.

As with all previous PCs, buy as much memory as you can afford.

These are only a few of the different types of PC that you might find in a home and of course, you might need your PC to perform more than one of the tasks listed above in which case you'd have to do a little tweaking on the various components. The important thing to remember is that you don't need to spend money on top of the range components unless you really do require their use and careful selection of components can see you getting a decent PC tailored to your own specifications for a reasonable price (seeing as you have set your own budget).

Building a PC is a lot easier than it looks and I consider the choosing of the components to be the hardest and most time consuming factor. The biggest problem to overcome is the confidence of actually sticking your hand inside a PC and inserting components. However, make sure that you are earthed (buy an anti-static strap), remember that the components often require a little force to mount properly, do not obstruct any airways or fans and that it's almost impossible to stick something in the wrong place and you'll be fine.

The hardest part is of the construction is actually getting your motherboard into the case, because it's the most fiddly job to do, even with a case that gives you plenty of room for manoeuvre. Once this has been done, the rest just falls into place. (Alternatively, find someone that can do it for you such as a family member or friend and buy them a beer if they build your PC).

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