text: Good power supply (500W and good quality = key)\nGet an AMD 64 3000+ (or beyond) chip to save money and not run as hot\nYou can get a 300+ GB SATA hard drive for ~$200\nGet a motherboard that supports USB 2.0, SATA, eSATA, and PCI-E.\nA gig of ram is fine, get the highest speed you can afford.\nMight as well get a DL DVD burner, they're like $60 bucks and well worth it.\nAlso, might want to get a good case thats easy to work in, stays cool, and is reasonably quiet.  PCs that sound like a 747 engine are not cool.\nVideo card is important and always worth splurging to avoid having to upgrade just months into its lifespan.