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How to buy a desktop PC: shopping tips
Tips that can help you get the right PC for your specific needs.
PC shopping tips
Ready to buy a desktop? Here are recommendations for the average user's minimum requirements.
A 3-GHz Pentium 4 or 2.4-GHz Athlon XP 4000+ processor. For everyday work, word processing, spreadsheets and email, you don't need the latest, greatest and most expensive processor. In PC World tests, current AMD processors of the same clock speed perform some tasks faster than Intel processors.
At least 512MB memory. Anything less will slow your work, especially if you plan to run several applications under Windows XP. Buy as much as you can afford, up to 1GB.
Be careful when you buy integrated graphics. If you buy a computer with integrated graphics, ask if it has a PCI Express slot. If it doesn't, you won't be able to upgrade your graphics chip.
Subwoofers improve sound. Adding a sound system with a subwoofer (a large speaker that produces very low bass tones) can dramatically improve the sound quality of a home system, even if the speaker set is inexpensive. In the office, however, a booming subwoofer may trigger an uprising among your co-workers.
A 17-inch flat-panel LCD monitor. CRTs are dead. Unless you're really pinching pennies, a 17-inch LCD will let you see your documents with greater definition (or at a higher resolution) than smaller displays would.
A rewritable DVD drive. Floppy drives have faded away. CD-RW-only drives are on the way out. Though your computer might still include a CD-RW drive, many users find that thumb drives, CD-RW/DVD-ROM combination drives, and recordable DVD drives are better options for data storage and transfer. They allow you to back up important documents (up to 1GB on a thumb drive, 700MB on a CD and 4.7GB on a standard DVD), share files with colleagues and create custom audio or video discs. A CD-RW may be all that most people need, but a DVD recorder lets you back up larger amounts of data.
A 60GB or larger hard drive. A 40GB hard drive is fine for simple word processing or web browsing tasks, but you'll likely fill that hard drive pretty quickly. In the long run it's best to buy more hard drive than you think you'll need. Today's largest hard drives reach 500GB, but, unless you're planning to use your PC as a mini server for your office database or for electronic entertainment, a smaller drive may be more cost-effective.
Connectivity up front. Many PCs now offer a pair of USB ports on the front of the case, so you can connect multiple peripherals without having to fumble around in back. If this is important to you, look for PCs with up-front FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports, audio and video connectors, and USB 2.0 ports.
Graphics cards for novice gamers. If you want to do some gaming and you're keeping an eye on the future, get a mainstream graphics board. You'll need a card with a built-in TV tuner if you plan to record video from your TV.
Other shopping tips
In addition to choosing a PC with the above specifications, PC shoppers can save money and avoid unnecessary hassle by following these tips:
Don't buy additional software unless you really need it. Purchase an operating system, an office suite and an antivirus package. But, if you need more, look for vendors' software bundles to upgrade your software. You can often upgrade from Microsoft Works Suite or a similar package to a full office suite like Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition.
Don't get caught up surfing price reductions. If you need a new PC now, don't wait a few months to see whether prices will drop further and upper-end performance will improve. Some readers find themselves stuck in an endless price-drop waiting game. Instead, decide when you need the system, and go for it.
Buy above minimum specs for the longest useful life span. If longevity is a priority (and if you can afford it), get something closer to, but below, the current top of the line. This will extend the useful life of your PC.
Check an LCD monitor's interface. Depending on the brand or model of LCD monitor, it could have one of several interface connectors--the part that plugs into the PC. These include the well-known VGA and the superior DVI connectors. If you're buying a non-bundled display, make sure it will work with the system you want--or that you at least have a money-back guarantee.
Upgrade at the time of purchase. Often, you can get a better deal on a larger hard drive or a better monitor when you first order your computer. Even doubling the size of a hard drive may add very little to the cost, and upgrading to a higher-quality monitor may add only $100.
Avoid gimmicky keyboards to save money. Many vendors tout fancy keyboards with extra buttons for launching apps. Save some money by choosing the cheapest option unless you have a specific need for the fancier one.
Tips that can help you get the right PC for your specific needs.
PC shopping tips
Ready to buy a desktop? Here are recommendations for the average user's minimum requirements.
A 3-GHz Pentium 4 or 2.4-GHz Athlon XP 4000+ processor. For everyday work, word processing, spreadsheets and email, you don't need the latest, greatest and most expensive processor. In PC World tests, current AMD processors of the same clock speed perform some tasks faster than Intel processors.
At least 512MB memory. Anything less will slow your work, especially if you plan to run several applications under Windows XP. Buy as much as you can afford, up to 1GB.
Be careful when you buy integrated graphics. If you buy a computer with integrated graphics, ask if it has a PCI Express slot. If it doesn't, you won't be able to upgrade your graphics chip.
Subwoofers improve sound. Adding a sound system with a subwoofer (a large speaker that produces very low bass tones) can dramatically improve the sound quality of a home system, even if the speaker set is inexpensive. In the office, however, a booming subwoofer may trigger an uprising among your co-workers.
A 17-inch flat-panel LCD monitor. CRTs are dead. Unless you're really pinching pennies, a 17-inch LCD will let you see your documents with greater definition (or at a higher resolution) than smaller displays would.
A rewritable DVD drive. Floppy drives have faded away. CD-RW-only drives are on the way out. Though your computer might still include a CD-RW drive, many users find that thumb drives, CD-RW/DVD-ROM combination drives, and recordable DVD drives are better options for data storage and transfer. They allow you to back up important documents (up to 1GB on a thumb drive, 700MB on a CD and 4.7GB on a standard DVD), share files with colleagues and create custom audio or video discs. A CD-RW may be all that most people need, but a DVD recorder lets you back up larger amounts of data.
A 60GB or larger hard drive. A 40GB hard drive is fine for simple word processing or web browsing tasks, but you'll likely fill that hard drive pretty quickly. In the long run it's best to buy more hard drive than you think you'll need. Today's largest hard drives reach 500GB, but, unless you're planning to use your PC as a mini server for your office database or for electronic entertainment, a smaller drive may be more cost-effective.
Connectivity up front. Many PCs now offer a pair of USB ports on the front of the case, so you can connect multiple peripherals without having to fumble around in back. If this is important to you, look for PCs with up-front FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports, audio and video connectors, and USB 2.0 ports.
Graphics cards for novice gamers. If you want to do some gaming and you're keeping an eye on the future, get a mainstream graphics board. You'll need a card with a built-in TV tuner if you plan to record video from your TV.
Other shopping tips
In addition to choosing a PC with the above specifications, PC shoppers can save money and avoid unnecessary hassle by following these tips:
Don't buy additional software unless you really need it. Purchase an operating system, an office suite and an antivirus package. But, if you need more, look for vendors' software bundles to upgrade your software. You can often upgrade from Microsoft Works Suite or a similar package to a full office suite like Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition.
Don't get caught up surfing price reductions. If you need a new PC now, don't wait a few months to see whether prices will drop further and upper-end performance will improve. Some readers find themselves stuck in an endless price-drop waiting game. Instead, decide when you need the system, and go for it.
Buy above minimum specs for the longest useful life span. If longevity is a priority (and if you can afford it), get something closer to, but below, the current top of the line. This will extend the useful life of your PC.
Check an LCD monitor's interface. Depending on the brand or model of LCD monitor, it could have one of several interface connectors--the part that plugs into the PC. These include the well-known VGA and the superior DVI connectors. If you're buying a non-bundled display, make sure it will work with the system you want--or that you at least have a money-back guarantee.
Upgrade at the time of purchase. Often, you can get a better deal on a larger hard drive or a better monitor when you first order your computer. Even doubling the size of a hard drive may add very little to the cost, and upgrading to a higher-quality monitor may add only $100.
Avoid gimmicky keyboards to save money. Many vendors tout fancy keyboards with extra buttons for launching apps. Save some money by choosing the cheapest option unless you have a specific need for the fancier one.
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