Hello. Advice for learning about hardware?

[sara_dippity]

Well, I'm sure this has been posted many times before, but surprisingly enough a search for "building computer advice" turns out only thirteen posts, (I expected at least a hundred on a site like this lol) however they don't seem to have what I wish to know.
I'm doing long term research on hardware, trying to understand how it all goes together so when I scrape my meager budget together (will take at least half a year) I can be very informed on building my own pc. Naturally I have google, but google doesn't tell me what the best websites are in the eyes of those "in the know", and that's what I want.
Where should I go to learn?
I've read this: http://www.windowsreinstall.com/install/build/ and found this place: http://www.sharkyextreme.com/ and they seem good. I found something involving a cardboard box, duct tape, and a rabbit but that's not exactly what I'm looking for.
What are the usual sites for research and purchasing parts? I know there's ebay, and something about an egg. What's the egg I'm remembering hearing about?

edit to add ----------

Oh yeah, and I see by a poll in this section that most people prefer AMD processors. However, the first article I've read (well, am reading as I've only covered the parts section, that's all I'm researching this week) said that AMD lists speeds as what it deems is "comparable" to a Pentium, however the actual speed isn't as fast. The example I wrote down was that the 2200+ processor runs at 1.8 GHz (I'm assuming they are implying that a Pentium 2200+ runs at 2.2 GHz).
Now a part of me says the listed speed of the Pentium is more reliable, however a part of me says that I've always heard good things from techies about AMD, so maybe it runs slower because it doesn't need to run as fast. That's just my newbie fumbling logic though, can someone explain to me why AMD is preferred?
I'm a little scared to ask that, I remember when I hung out on aquarium forums and a newbie would ask "Should I use charcoal or other media" the flame wars that would happen...

edit to add (again) ---------

Ah, I remember. New egg was the egg I was thinking of. I think. Off to look.

 

[1337c0mpn00b]

That isnt AMD's real speed. i think the 2200 (AMD) runs at 2.4. Correct me if I'm mistaken. That's why AMD owns all lol but there 3400+ (2.2ghz i think) runs faster then anything intel has right now (3.7)

 

[sara_dippity]

Well that would certianly explain it!! Ok, seems that site wasn't as informative as I thought it was.

 

[David Lindon]

That isnt AMD's real speed. i think the 2200 (AMD) runs at 2.4. Correct me if I'm mistaken. That's why AMD owns all lol but there 3400+ (2.2ghz i think) runs faster then anything intel has right now (3.7)

Actualy I thought it ran @ 1.8: http://www.gamepc.com/labs/view_content.asp?id=axp2200&page=1&cookie_test=1

 

[DarkBlade1]

Sara, the reasons AMD is much better then Intel are because of the following reasons:

1). AMD's have only 8 pipelines, opposed to Pentiums 20. The more lines, the more tasks at one time, BUT, also the more CPU pipelines, the more latency and bottlenecking. AMD's SCREAM!!!!!!!

2). AMD's pipelines are shorter, and therefore take less time to process information.

3). AMD's cores (Newcastle, Winchester, Clawhammer, Sledgehammer, etc) are much better engineered then Intel's cores (except for the Dothan core)

4). AMD has 64bit extensions now. The XP's don't so I won't include them in this reason. But the Athlon64's are double the data rate because they are 64bit.

5). AMD's do more work for every tick (2 ticks to every clock cycle, and 1 Hertz [Hz] is one clock, so 3.2GHz is 3.2billion clocks per second), AMD's can do more work in one tick then P4's, therefore, they need not be as fast, which makes them produce less heat, and use less energy!

AMD PWNS ALL!

 

[sara_dippity]

Ok, half of that doesn't make sense to me yet, and at the same time it all does. Not as fast, yet more efficient anyway. Does fewer things at one time, yet because it focuses on fewer things, it does them more efficiently (like people), run cooler and smoother. Got it.

Edit to add -------

So, um. Anyone know any good websites to learn from?