We've walked you through building your own computer before. In this post—which we'll update periodically as prices and components change—we'll walk you through the hardware we'll need for three different system builds: a budget workstation, a powerful all-purpose PC, and an enthusiast's system for gamers and media professionals.
While some consider the desktop a dead platform, there are still plenty of us who use them as much as or in addition to laptops or tablets, love to play PC games, or just enjoy getting our hands dirty and building our own systems. Before we go any further, we should point out that these PC builds are designed to optimize your all-around computing experience, with some emphasis on PC gaming. The components that give you the best bang for your buck depend heavily on what you're planning to do with the system: Your parts will be different if you're building an HTPC on the same budget, or a super-speedy file server for your home network.
We've talked about our own experiences building a system, why it's important, and some awesome tips for first-timers already. If you're ready to set out on the task of building your own computer, here are the components you'll need to build the best system you can get for your money.