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Build your own PC: a buyer’s guide

Manek Dubash ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 23 Jan 2004

External peripherals

Choosing a keyboard and mouse was straighforward enough: we selected Microsoft's new Wireless Optical Desktop Elite, a recent ZDNet Editors' Choice. Not only is this £51.05 (ex. VAT) combo competitively priced, but the keyboard is comfortable and the mouse both innovative (the scroll wheel moves horizontally and vertically) and attractive.

Keyboard and mouse: Microsoft’s Wireless Optical Desktop Elite.

The display was more of a problem since we initially wanted an LCD screen. Flat-panel displays look modern, neat and compact, and can deliver a pin-sharp image. However, many applications for our self-build PC demand a fast pixel response time and high resolution, yet typical 17in. LCD monitors -- which deliver equivalent screen space to a 19in. CRT -- offer native resolutions of only 1,280 by 1,024. LCD technology can also blur fast movements. The final nail in the LCD coffin for this project is the fact that current prices, although falling fast, would bust our £1,500 (ex. VAT) budget.

Monitor: Iiyama Vision Master Pro 454, a 19in. CRT with integrated speakers and USB hub.

So in the end, we plumped for a good-quality display from Iiyama -- the £223 (ex. VAT) 19in. Vision Master Pro 454. Although the company couldn’t supply a black-bezelled model, its DiamondTron tube, integrated speakers and 4-port USB hub make it a useful addition to any top-end PC.