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Not being an expert on building a computer all I can recommend is the Linux distro I would choose as a first Distro. 1. Ubuntu 2. Linux Mint 3. Mepis 7 I am sure other forum members will have some other suggestions for you.

Why is it that people who build computers are told to make over-paced machines? You will end up spending more money than necessary. If you are going LINUX you can build a not-so-modern machine a LOT cheaper and still end up with a really fast computer that does everything you will ever need it to do! You can go on to newegg or someplace and get started buying parts. Just make sure what you buy matches. Don't get the fastest most expensive stuff unless you have a bottomless wallet. No need for that. A Pentium 4 processor is plenty fast enough to run several Linux distributions very well. Get a motherboard and the RAM of the type the motherboard has slots for. 512 is ok, a gig is better. two gigs is even better, but unless you are running a super-modern linux distro like ubuntu, and doing music composition or video editing, 1 gig is plenty. It's not like you're running xp or vista. Your linux operating system will not use 50% of your RAM like windows just to idle. My linux idles at only 18MB. Finally, get a soundcard that ISN'T that new. An older sound card will likely work better, as the new ones sometimes just don't have linux drivers available. Get a nice box for the computer. A strong power supply (better than 400 watts). A deep hard drive (80 gigs or more is fine). And you are looking at a quick computer ready to run any version of linux you might want to try for less than $400 total. For a really nice look that runs fast, try Linux Mint. For something ridiculously fast (on that machine), you might try Vector Linux. There are even faster distros (which are simply more stripped down), but I assume you want something pretty high-tech. Anyhow, we'll be here every step of the way if you have any questions or if you need help. It will greatly improve your capabilities if you have a separate running computer that you can use to download stuff on. But if you have no computer (and are reading this in a library or something), you could just go buy a Linux magazine at the book store and use the distro it comes with to get started. Magazines are also good for guiding newbies along the install and learning curve.

Asking geeks what hardware to buy or what Linux distribution to run is like asking someone what color is best! You are bound to get different answers from every one you ask. That being said, I can understand why you want to learn to build your own computer. I have been building my own computers since Windows 98 was the latest and greatest OS and I have always been more satisfied with computers that I have assembled than any other ones I have owned. There was a time when building meant saving money. The savings are not as great as they used to be in the "old days", but the satisfaction is still there. It is satisfying to know that you picked it, assembled it and can now fix it or upgrade it as needed! These days outside of dialup modems and esoteric accessories, just about anything except the latest cutting edge hardware works with Linux. You could easily pick up a good used commercial desktop with a high end P4 from ebay and be in business as fast as you can slap cdrom in and reboot. That would give you a cheap, fast usable Linux computer, but would not give you the satisfaction of selecting parts and building your own. There used to be lots of recommended build sites on the web years ago, but most build recommendations these days are aimed at high-end gamers where no expense is spared in the pursuit of fps in their chosen game. The best general all around site I can think of now is Ars Technica System Guide http://arstechnica.com/guides.ars. They give you an idea of whats available in several price ranges. You have to make your own decision about what to spend. Fortunately, Linux is very forgiving when it comes to hardware and a little hardware goes a long way. These days you have to accept that the cpu and motherboard that you buy today will probably only be current for a year or at the most 18 months. Hardware changes so fast these days that it is hard to keep up with it. The good part is that it usually gets better and drops in price. If you have a good selection of parts at local stores there in Florida then that may be a good way to go. If not, Newegg offers a smörgåsbord of computer parts on their site that will keep you entertained for days while you shop. In general terms, I recommend the following choices: Get a dual core cpu (or Quad if money is no object). Check motherboard user ratings on Newegg. If it is a good board and it works, people will let it be known. Consider choosing nvidia for video. Nvidia used to be the only way to go with Linux, but AMD has made great strides in their Linux drivers in the past year. For 3d or gaming you will need a discrete card or one of the new AMD or Nvidia integrated video chipsets. Hard Drive and optical drive go with SATA and pick what meets your budget. I would go for 2GB RAM just because it is dirt cheap right now (if you stay with DDR2). When it comes to the case and power supply, you may be better off buying local. Newegg has hundreds of cases (use pictures and user ratings) to choose from but the shipping can be expensive. Check locally to see what is available and on sale. My local Office Depot is the only store around that has cases anymore and they have a couple of nice Antec cases. They are particularly attractive when they are on sale. I generally build lower end "budget" systems that give me lots of bang for the buck. By running Linux I can get more for my hardware dollar. Keep in mind that the only video game I play is Sauerbraten and I don't do lots of video encoding on my system. I do like to play with VMWare and VirtualBox. I have found that just about any dual core system with one or two gb of ram works fine for that sort of thing. That doesn't mean I don't want a 3ghz system with a quad core, I just can't justify it! As far as distribution goes, I would recommend Ubuntu Hardy or Intrepid, unless you are more familiar with another one. Remember the most important part of building a computer--have fun!

[quote=iPodAddict181]Try this, it's called "The Ultimate Budget Box". It's from Ars Technica. The total cost is around $400 - $450, so it shouldn't break the bank. It will run almost any Linux distribution easily, I'd recommend Ubuntu. Happy building! http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/guide-200810.ars/1 [/quote] thanks for the link! [Modified by: Jason Frank, Jr. on November 14, 2008 05:13 PM]

Jason Karot Frank, Jr.