Upgrayed Pt. 2

So. Now I know what I want:

CPU
Motherboard
RAM
Power Supply (cause any motherboard/CPU I upgrade to will need more power than my old solution was using. make sure you take that into account when youre purchasing upgrades. Power is plenty important and can be the source of many a problem.)

Now I need to shop around. I am blessed enough to live in a city that caters to the industry. In addition to more Comp USA's, Best Buys's, and Computer City's than I can easily count- Theres 3 Fry's stores that serve this city alone. Thats just overkill, but I certainly dont mind it. For instant gratification in your BYOC (Build your own computer) venture, Fry's is a good place to start. Spend time with the sales reps learn about the pieces youre buying, check specs against multiple products and make a selection, in one of the best stores for that kind of consumer goodness. I am also of the good fortune to have worked in a small store that does computer assembly and parts sales and So I know people who i can ask for opinions and can trust to get quality parts. Sometimes I'll pay a little more, but i know im buying something i wont be returning the next day. (which.. happens more often than i like to admit).
So I shopped. I dont want to spend too much, cause im not independently wealthy and my money tree has been confiscated by the government. I set a conservative ceiling of 200 dollars. So. I tell the guys I know (or you would tell the sales guy) what you want and how much you want to spend. Be specific. If you dont want to swing wild from your estimate, dont give them much room to sell you. Know what things you want and what things you dont and while you should be firm, do listen to their suggestions. If they suggest that the 19 dollar power supply wont work, find out why the 200 dollar one will, then find one somewhere in the middle that does the same thing. Another alternative is to have your parts shipped in. You can find really good deals (ill tell you where in another post) if you dont mind thinking ahead and having your things shipped to you. Though, getting your shipped parts in a timely fashion can pretty much obliterate any savings you got on the parts themselves unless you get some free shipping. Which some places offer.

I did both. I contacted my good friends locally, Had them order some parts to their store, assemble and test them then I added the components I found at their store to my order. I paid a little over my estimate, but I got quality parts, tested, and I trust who I was buying from- and thats certainly worth the cost of shipping.

So. In a couple days I'll have the pieces I need to actually complete this upgrade and get to the real work. Stay Tuned to find out what horrible mistake ive already made!!!