Rule 3. Build Your Own Computer

This is important for two reasons. First, you can be assured of better quality components when you pick everything out on your own. When you buy an off-the-shelf system, chances are you are getting a big name CPU and everything else is most likely generic. Do you know what motherboard, power supply, or type of RAM you are getting? This of course, is my personal opinion, I'm not saying every manufacturer builds sub standard machines, but from experience I've had greater longevity from computers I've built myself. I've also noticed that you will often get little system memory, unless you pay a great deal more for it. You will often get 256MB of RAM with these base system. Windows XP will run, but likely with problems, on 256MB of RAM. It seems to be most stable with 512MB or more. Other areas they cut costs is by using integrated graphics chips. This saves them having to put in a graphics card, but you will pay price for it when you try to play a game.

The second reason to build your own computer is that you can cut your costs by stealing parts from your old computer. You can save hundreds of dollars by reusing drives, case, monitor, keyboard and mouse. Plus, you don't have to worry about calling a technician to install RAM or a new graphics card because you'll already know how to do it.

How Much Can You Build A Computer For?

I just checked out some pricing and you can build a very nice midrange gaming computer for around $600-$700 using an AMD Athlon 64 3000+. If you can steal a DVD drive from your old computer and maybe case, you can bring cost down even more. You can build a high-end machine for under $1000. The internet is full of useful websites about how to build computers. Look around and you'll find all information you need. There are several books published about topic as well. If you follow these simple rules and do a little research you can enjoy all of best computer games even if you are on a shoestring budget.

- Put your laptop in sleep or suspend mode rather than rebooting it. Rebooting your laptop uses much more power than simply letting it “sleep”.

- This one is something that many people should do – Carry a spare battery. By purchasing a second battery you can double amount of time your laptop can go for.

The above recommendations work great for adding some much needed time when it comes to your notebook battery, but nothing will help if your battery isn’t being properly cared for. Below are some general tips you can use to ensure that your battery will function correctly.

- Do not store your battery in extreme temperatures – Not too hot and not too cold.

- A new battery should be fully charged and then discharged when you receive it.

- Discharge your notebooks battery fully before recharging it again. Consider getting a rapid charger/conditioner for this.

By following above recommendations you can ensure a long life from your laptop battery as well as optimal performance.