Sound, Graphics & Storage

Sound & Graphics At one time quality sound and video components added hundreds of dollars to the price of a PC. Now, people can expect to find satisfactory performance from the components that come standard with most models. Here's an outline of the minimum quality you should accept and what to look for if you want greater performance.
Video Cards Also known as graphics cards, these components are responsible for displaying 2D and 3D images on your monitor. 2D graphics are the regular pictures and images that appear on your screen while 3D graphics are mostly used in games and imaging. Most computer systems come with video cards that produce acceptable 2D results but there are reasons to upgrade.
Unless you have at least 8 MB of video RAM you can experience some image stuttering on your monitor when performing tasks like moving windows around and scrolling through text. This can become even more of an issue if you have a 19" or larger monitor. Most people with these monitors use a resolution greater than the 800x600 and maximum possible resolution is a function of the amount of memory a graphics card has. Therefore if you are getting a 19" or larger monitor you should have 16 MB of RAM.
Sound Cards The sound card is either attached or built in to your PC's motherboard. Its job is to control the quality of audio in and out of the computer. There should be input jacks for speakers, headphones, microphone and line-in for audio components like a tape deck. Beyond that, most sound cards that come with a new computer system will offer a suitable level of performance for average use.
If your audio requirements are more advanced or you play a lot of games, you should consider a PCI sound card with a wider range of features. At the top-end there are cards with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and S/PDIF digital output, the audio format that is used in many home theatres.
Positional or 3D audio is offered by higher-end sound cards and can make games and music come alive. For example, when an enemy is about to attack, you can detect which direction he's coming from by the sound of his footsteps. Advanced sound cards also support midi devices and come bundled with better audio software (encoders, editors, mixers, etc.).
Speakers If you plan to take advantage of any of your PC's multimedia features, you'll want to invest in a decent set of speakers. At the very least you should make sure that they are powered by an external source. Speakers powered by the sound card are incapable of producing rich and dynamic audio. Gamers and serious audiophiles will want at least 30 Watts of power with a separate subwoofer for ample bass reproduction.
The more money you spend on your speakers the closer you can come to approximating the dynamic audio of a home theatre.