subject: Get Wise When It Comes To Buying a New PC [print this page] Get Wise When It Comes To Buying a New PC
A lot of people hold their hands up and confess that they are "computer illiterate" and may not be familiar with computers, these days this number is quickly diminishing as computers become a part of our personal lives as well as being a key part of our working life also. It certainly pays to have some form of computer experience under your belt and many people from 8 to 80 are now able to do basic things such as sending an email or talking to a friend across the world with video calls and instant messaging.
Buying a computer can be a tough choice for some people, the high cost as well as the constant replacement of technology for smarter and faster parts can make buying a desktop PC or a laptop a baffling experience. But if you were to ask your local IT support or the geek in the family then they'd be able to tell you what the best model to opt for so you get the most for your money and don't overspend.
CPU The CPU is the main brains of your computer; typically laptops will have a slower speed than desktops and depending on your usage of your computer may determine how fast you need your next PC to be. Generally you can get away with slower speeds if you only need to send emails and browse the web whereas people using their PC for video editing, photo editing and other intense processes then you may need the faster speeds available.
RAM RAM (or Random Access Memory) is another key part relating to speed, the more RAM you have will determine how many programs and processes you can run at once, the minimum most PCs come with now is 2GB which is plenty for average users, if you run a lot of intensive processes then 4 or even 8 GB may give you the performance you are after.
Hard Drive Storage Space can be an important specification for people looking to store lots of audio, photos or videos. Many people now keep their record collection in digital form on a computer and the more space you have then the more you can save. In most desktops and some laptops you may be able to add more hard drive space at a later date or a smart choice would be to regularly back up your data on an external drive.
Graphics and Sound This may not be important unless you use a lot of visually intensive programs such as computer games, a standalone graphics card (as opposed to the built in ones on most motherboards) give you more impressive graphics as well as the option of multiple monitors. Sound cards are also good for people doing music production on their computers or using them as a media centre.
Be sure to check all of the details and compare them to your actual needs to make sure you get the right PC at the right price.
Buying cheap Laptops online is simple with all details available as well as being able to compare models; you can also find desktop PC deals for more intense computing needs.
