Cost-conscious readers will get the lowdown on where to find parts--including an invaluable 10-point guide to ordering by mail--along with step-by-step assembly instructions that leave nothing to chance. The book also provides information on peripherals, software, multimedia, the World Wide Web, and Windows 95, plus troubleshooting and repair tips.

Making all the hottest sound, music, graphics and animation software within reach of PC users on even the tightest budgets, this book provides step-by-step illustrated instructions for assembling a computer that can handle today's commercial multimedia programs. It provides information on what hardware is required, such as: motherboards; memory chips; display monitors; input devices; hard and floppy disk drives; CD-ROM drives; MIDI and sound boards; and modems and faxes devices, and how to pull it together into a high-powered system that meets or exceeds all MPC requirements. The author also recommends software for a wide range of multimedia applications and, for those who do not want to purchase a whole new system, information on how to upgrade a PC to multimedia specifications is also included. The accompanying CD-ROM contains multimedia shareware.

Why pay big bucks for a Pentium II when you can construct one at home, professionally and economically? Build-It-Yourself whiz Aubrey Pilgrim covers the latest generation of chips, including all x786s from Intel, AMD's K6, and Cyrix's M2. He helps readers compare and contrast the three options, then shows how to create, test, and troubleshoot a sizzling state-of-the-art system. Lots of illustrations -- the most ever for this bestselling series -- make the project even easier.A volume in the Build Your Own Series.