You have been introduced to the historical development of the modern PC, as well as the components.  In short, you know what the computer is and how it works.  Imagine that you had an unlimited budget and could purchase any compnents you desired.  This WebQuest will allow you to use the internet to locate the hardware components of your choice and assemble them into your dream machine!

Before you begin selecting the components for your computer system, be sure that you have a definite purpose in mind for how your system will be used.  For example, if your dream system will be used by your family for basic homework assignments, would you need to spend your money on the fastest processor, largest hard drive, or most expensive mother board?  On the other hand, if you are into gaming or multi-media presentations, you'd need different components that may be more costly.  Write the purpose of your machine in the space provided on your DREAM MACHINE CONSTRUCTION FORM. This WebQuest will use links to hardware pages that contain specific information about the required components in your system.  You must choose each component and include an explanation as to why you chose the particular component.

In addition to current computer magazines, which are available in the library, you can click on the link below to go to a web site that will help you learn more about the components that you want to purchase for your system.

Hardware

Obviously, there are many sites available and you can choose others by using any of the available search engines.

Review the basic hardware components of a PC by clicking the Hardware link in the Resources section of this web quest.  Choose the components for your system from those below, which will be listed on the left side of your screen on the web page.
You must select the CPU first, followed by the motherboard.  You may continue with the rest in the order shown, or select in any order of your choice.
 

CPU	Video Card
Motherboard	Memory
Hard Drive	Printer
SCSI Card	Modem
CD-ROM Drive	Sound

As soon as you click on your desired component, you should read the description of the component.  Just below the description is the What To Look For section.  This section gives rather technical information.  To make matters easier for you, make sure that the components you select will work well with the CPU and the motherboard.  If you don't understand what a specific term/abbreviation means, click glossary.  You will also find the link to the glossary on the home page of the selected web site.  The last section that you will encounter is the Recommendations section.  The purpose is to guide you to the author's favorite components.  Choose the component that is right for your system and write the manufacturer's name on your form.

Click here for your scoring rubric.

You built a PC by examining and selecting all of the components.  You reviewed a plethora of computer terms and are now quite familiar with how your components function to perform the tasks required of you, the user!