To kick-start the series we're going to begin, as it were, at the top – with the fine art of motherboard and CPU installation. Whether you're building your machine anew, or upgrading your current one with more powerful components, the following guide will help make installing these two key components a breeze.

Want to perform an extreme makeover of your system's motherboard, processor, memory or hard disk? We'll show you how.

System case - AOpen ATX Midi tower case or Lian Le midi tower aluminium case. As discussed earlier (see Case closed), the system case is an important consideration when building a

The humble beige box is an area of PC hardware that many people overlook. However, the quality of system cases varies significantly, and a bad design can cause no end of problems in the long run. Unfo

With the increasing size of operating systems, games and the broadband smorgasbord of music and movies, it's just a matter of time before that dreaded message box pops up to tell you just how little space you have left.

A few weeks ago we asked for your eBay stories, and we’ve received a lot of responses about bad sellers, demanding buyers and more.

Designed from the ground up with gamers in mind, GameVision has produced a fine looking and practical system with plenty of potential. The system is built around Intel’s now legendary 2.4GHz Pentium 4 ’C’ stepping processor, one of the most overclockable chips available on the market. With substantiated overclocks of up to 3.6GHz with stock air-cooling, these unassuming CPUs are powerhouses of frequency, if you know how to milk the most from them.

The High Court of Australia has ruled that Australian consumers and overseas travellers can buy cheaper computer games and hardware offshore and modify them locally.

IBM has a well-earned reputation within the corporate sector for providing exceptional quality desktop workstations. Their latest model – the ThinkCentre S50, is set to keep that reputation on track.

Apple computers from the sweetest to the rottenest

Price: $59.95 Specifically designed for the Palm V, this leather case is made of fine black leather and has a Velcro closure and internal pockets for business and credit cards. It has a

Good things often come in small packages and that's the case with Sony's PC108E. It is only fractionally larger than the JVC GR-DX77 (the smallest camera in the lab) but weighs in 65 grams lighter. Sony has kept it compact by providing a separate docking station that contains the USB, DV and S-Video ports. There also are AV and additional microphone connectors on the camera itself.

It's a mini adventure with the S10. A go anywhere, shoot anything cam that won't break the bank and delivers well for its size

The only PC in our mini roundup this month to feature a rather boring beige case, it more than makes up for its looks with blistering performance at a very reasonable price. Inclusion of thumb screws will allow you to get at your hardware quickly and without the need for tools. Always handy for those of us that like to fiddle frequently.

When it comes to desktop replacements, the Dell Inspiron 5000 is a case study in portable power.

A very fine, cheap travel speaker

Small enough to fit in your pocket but with enough power to make light work of rusty screws and flat-packed furniture

Our Labs Winner this month represents what a mini barebones PC should be: it's small yet easily accessible; it's attractive, but has a quality build; and it has all the features you need for a full PC or a media centre.