Unfortunately, GameStop never puts dates on any of their online articles.  So, you could easily be reading about something very old unless you were aware of the current technology of the time.  Therefore, some of the article dates I've provided are the actual published dates and some dates are rough estimates.
 
 
 
 
Video Cards and Video Card Issues:
 
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP)  http://www.gamespot.com/features/agp/index.html
 
3D Explained  http://www.gamespot.com/features/3dx/index.html - Early 1998 or late 1997
 
 
 
 
Sound Cards and Sound Issues
 
 
Sound Cards & Speakers  http://www.gamespot.com/features/auralfixation/index.html - Late 1998
 
My view on PC Speakers
 
Paying $100 for a quality 2-satellite speaker 1-woofer combo seems dumb because the only thing you can use it for is the PC.  On the other hand, if you're budget conscious, paying $100 for the Boston Acoustics speaker & woofer setup isn't bad.  Because I have a similar setup, I suggested my brother buy a Phillips/Magnavox portable stereo system for maximum flexibility and usability for years to come.
Phillips/Magnavox
FW530C
Best Buy $230
 
 
 
 
 
Be aware that these home networking methods usually entail a proxy method.  One computer will have to be on all the time in order for another computer networked to it to share modem access to the internet.  If having your proxy computer on all the time is impractical or doesn't sit well with you, then you need to rethink if you really want to network your computers for the purpose of ISP sharing.
 
"Several of these kits ship with some kind of connection-sharing utility, also called a proxy server. This utility is the gateway between your local area network (LAN) and the Internet, and the machine running it routes traffic for the other nodes on your LAN to the Internet." -GameStop
 
As with anything internet connection related or with computer gaming in general, speed is important.
 
"To make the most of the experience, especially with multiple machines sharing the (same) line, you should consider a high-speed Internet connection like XDSL or a cable modem." - GameSpot
 
 
Other Sites of Interest
 
Check out these sites after you've read the above articles at GameStop.  Those articles will act as an introduction to information covered in greater detail on these sites.  Where ever possible, click on the "Printer Friendly" icon offered by some of these sites.  It will allow you to read the whole review without having to click through multiple pages.
 
 
 
Tom's Hardware Guide  http://www.tomshardware.com
 
 
Makers of Quality Gaming PCs
 
  
 
 
Falcon Northwest usually wins the top spot in GameSpot's  annual review of high end gaming PCs.    The down side to FNW is that they tend to be a bit pricey.  On the other hand, you can talk to a rep and piece together your own system.  FNW is supposed to be getting an "A La Carte" online menu setup soon.  It will allow you to build a system with all the features you want or adjust an existing system as necessary to suit your price range. 
 
 
 
 
 
Alienware is relatively new to the custom gaming system scene.  Even so, Alienware has gotten its own share of rave of reviews from various sites on the web.  Alienware also offers "A La Carte" system building or pre-built systems of varying price ranges.  If anything, they bring competition to the market of custom built computer systems.  Hopefully, that competition will lead to lower prices.
 
 
For the "Do-It-Yourself" Person
 
Build Your Own Pentium II PC
(Pentium III version now Available)
Aubrey Pilgrim
 
Bookcover
Barnes & Noble Price: $23.96
Retail Price: $29.95
You Save: $5.99 (20%)  
In-Stock: Ships within 24 hours 
 Format: Paperback, 500pp.
ISBN: 0070502390
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies, The
Pub. Date: April  1998
 
Aubrey Pilgram lays out the PC building process in a very easy and non-technical fashion.  As an extra benefit, the book contains additional information beneficial to the new PC system builder. There's also background information on past and current components that give the new PC builder a better perspective on the ever changing state of PC technology.
 
 
Where to Shop Online
 
Here are some places to look for computer hardware and compare prices.
 
 
The nice thing about CNET is that you can compare the prices of several vendors at the same time.  You also have option to sort a list of vendors "by the lowest price".  Having this feature beats looking through all the vendors one by one for the best price.
 
 
This site is just hardware and no frills.  You can find just about anything here.  Prices are listed from least to most expensive.
 
 
Here's the least user-friendly price comparison site.  ComputerShopper belongs to the convoluted family of sites under the Ziff-Davis online publications.  You can find things, but you have to work harder than necessary.
 
What I Built for My Brother June `99
 
Pentium II 400MHz CPU
Diamond Micronics C400 440BX Motherboard
Diamond MonsterSound MX300 Sound Card
Diamond 56K Internal Modem
128MB SDRAM
Kenwood 42X "True-X" CD-ROM Drive
Guillemot Xentor TNT2 Ultra 32MB Video Card
ATX Mid-Tower Case