# Clueless and Building... need help
**URL:** https://forum.highend3d.com/t/clueless-and-building-need-help/70849
**Category:** Archived
**Tags:** hardware-discussions
**Created:** [August 20, 2001, 1:45pm UTC](https://forum.highend3d.com/t/clueless-and-building-need-help/70849 "2001-08-20T13:45:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@spoonindustries](https://forum.highend3d.com/u/spoonindustries)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2001, 1:45pm UTC](https://forum.highend3d.com/t/clueless-and-building-need-help/70849/1 "2001-08-20T13:45:10Z")
Hi everyone. This is my first post to this board. I am about to enter college (Carnegie Mellon’s Art School) and am interested in both 2D and 3D animation. I think I am going to end up piecing together a completely new system. I would like to cap my self on the low end… around 1.5k including a new monitor. I am not expecting to get top notch stuff for that price, but I would like to have a machine that has good expandibility.
Can anyone recommend a system broken down in to components? Things I know what I am alkread getting already are:
CD-RW, Ethernet, floppy, and speakers
But advice on anything else is greatly appreciated. I look forward to learning a lot from this community in the future!
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### Author:  [@gmask](https://forum.highend3d.com/u/gmask)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2001, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.highend3d.com/t/clueless-and-building-need-help/70849/2 "2001-08-20T20:35:28Z")
Check out these two online vendors
Really Cheap but not the most highend parts
[http://www.essencompu.com/](http://www.essencompu.com/)
Cheap .. I bought a nice Dual AthlonMP system from here
[http://www.micropro.com](http://www.micropro.com)
If you want to invest money into a system that you can upgrade then I suggest you get a dual proc board with either one Athlon or one PIII proc(Dual PIII motherbaords are the cheapest route). Buy two 256mb memory modules leaving you room to upgrade to a gig later(If you are serious into 3D you’ll need it). Get a fast ATA100 ide drive. Video cards vary on what soft you are going to use.. basically you should beable to get a great card for around $300. As far as monitors I would try to find a used one .. asl ong as it ahs a high refresh rate (over 60) and will display at least 1280x1024 you are set. You should nto have to pay more than $300 for a 22" monitor unless you want something new.
Good luck
Adrian
[g](http://www.gmask.com)