For example, let's say you are a professional graphic designer or a video editor. In this case, you will need to work closely with graphics intensive software. And since graphics requires specialized processing, you may want to invest more on higher end graphic cards.

If you are considering putting together a customized PC, graphics cards thus become your top priority. You can make a list of the brands and models that have the specifications that you want and move forward from there. This will also help you pick the other components for your PC.

Obviously, your video card must be compatible with your motherboard. The motherboard is the hardware that allows you to integrate all the other pieces of hardware on it. There is a wide range of motherboards available. And what you eventually buy, again, depends on what you need.

For example, you may wish to consider buying the MSI X58 Eclipse motherboard if you need higher specifications to run your applications. The MSI X58 Eclipse motherboard is compatible with the Intel Core i7 processor. It supports up to 24GB of triple channel DDR3 RAM. An ordinary motherboard usually supports up to 8GB of dual channel DDR3 RAM.

Some people use their personal computer more for work, while some use their systems more for entertainment. Entertainment wise, audio is as important as graphics. You can watch movies, play 3D online games, stream videos or music, and do lots of fun stuff on the computer. All of these activities involve the use of sound. So obviously the sound system that the motherboard supports is vital. Most modern motherboards come with integrated audio devices from reputable audio card manufacturers such as Creative Technologies. These will fill the needs of most consumers.

The amount of RAM you need depends on the type of applications that you need to run. If you are going to run resource intensive applications concurrently, it is advisable to install more RAM. Generally speaking, the more RAM available on your personal computer, the faster your applications will run.

Finally, you need to decide on the amount of storage that you need. If your intention is to store large amount of digital data such as audio or video files, you will need as much storage space as you can get. However, do remember that there are external storage solutions such as external hard drives available. You can always add more external hard drives to your motherboard at a later stage if there is a need. External hard drives can be connected to your PC using USB ports.

Having a good understanding of how the different parts works and how they interact with other parts of the computer will help you make better decisions. As long as your customized PC is able to give you a pleasant experience, you know that you have made the right choices.