My computer I've had since 99 and it is old. It will not support future games I want and well its about time I got a new computer anyway. My family is getting a discounted 3yr old comptuer for their needs and I am looking around for a computer for gaming. When looking at the different deals I do not know the different spec phrases for video cards, processors, and such. I know each of the specs the phrases mean something like for example E8400 on an intel core duo or 3.0MHz in that phrase must mean something. In NVIDA cards theGTX, GU, or DX10 must mean soomething.

So I am interested in knowing about what these parts of the names mean so that when comparing computers and their strengths and weaknesses I know what it means. It would be also great to have a chart of different processors, video cards, and that kind of thing so I can see this is more recent than this and this is more upgraded and better than this. I'd like to educate myself in this stuff. It's important I know. For example I've learned in a motherboard SLI means its upgradable and can support more than one video card.

Thank you for all your help.

poke around vendors websites, visit some hardware websites read a few articles and you will pick up the "lingo" heres a few to get you going:

http://www.amd.com/us-en/0,,,00.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/graphics-cards,1.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/processors,6.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/hard-drives,3.html
http://www.motherboards.org/articles/index.html
http://www.anandtech.com/
http://www.xbitlabs.com/
http://www.intel.com/Consumer/Learn/index.htm
http://www.nvidia.com/page/support.html

A good basic guide is also Computer Hope

Thank for the links.