This title, written by the authors of the authoritative PC Hardware in a Nutshell, is quite impressive. It "is intended for anyone who wants to build a PC for personal or business use", and is suitable for both those who are build-your-own novices and experienced system builders (who will find "explanations of the concepts used to design a PC to fit specific needs and budgets". It also contains good advice on the best components - and the authors are not afraid to say which products they don't recommend, and when the cost of a 'best' component is not necessarily warranted.

Of course, the primary audience is North American and local readers will need to take that into account when looking for components.

This is not a simple how-to-assemble a desktop PC. It describes five projects, each of which is a purpose-specific system:

Mainstream PC: performance and reliability at a reasonable price; typically a machine that will serve as a "primary office desktop system" that does not require a super-fast processor or a high-end graphics card (unless one spends time on 3-D games).

SOHO server: the overriding consideration is reliability; typically such a machine has to run twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. High performance and cost become secondary considerations. RAID is mandatory, and even tape drives are desirable for a belt-and-braces back-up system.

Kick-Ass LAN Party PC. What extraordinary nomenclature, and why are Americans so brutally inclined towards the species equus asinus? It seems there is a fashion of 'LAN parties' to which people bring their machines to play games. Cost-effectiveness is not a consideration; the emphasis is on high processor performance and high-end graphics performance. A machine with all that and which has to be portable will need to fit in a mini tower case.

Home Theatre PC: must be quiet, reliable, lots of storage space, and fast video. Size is not an important consideration, and a high performance processor is not a necessity. There are many other issues that have to be addressed in respect of video/audio peripherals.

Small Form Factor PC: size and reliability are the key factors. A particular issue is that small case volume brings with it a heat problem, which makes it essential to look carefully at the thermal characteristics of components.

The projects are described in a most practical way with plenty of tips and warnings amongst the step-by-step instructions. Components for each project are discussed in detail with reasons for their respective choice. Alternative components are also discussed. The text is supported by very good full-colour illustrations and the large page format enables them to be used to full effect.

Anyone who has never assembled a computer, but would like to try, should find this book an excellent tutorial that will bring understanding of design issues for particular purposes. The discussion of specific components is detailed and straightforward; there is no holding back on critical assessment. The book is an excellent resource for anybody seeking information about replacing components - especially CD and DVD drives - in an existing machine.

The authors maintain a Web site where the latest information is available on new products and models.
Good value and highly recommended. A book that should be in libraries.
 

Robert & Barbara Thompson: Building the Perfect PC ISBN 0-596-00663-2 Published by O'Reilly, 332 pp., RRP $59.95 incl. GST