Techie Tips On Shopping For The Best PC Your Money Can Buy

Before you go out and buy a new Personal computer there are more things than price to consider. While a low price for a personal computer system may be intriguing, stop and think about your options before you lay down your hard earned dollars.

The cheapest personal computer may be just that- cheap. What you want is a reliable personal computer that has all the bells and whistles you want at a price you can afford. While you can do without some of the extras you can’t do without a computer that has the right amount of memory and a decent graphics processor.

The price of a personal computer doesn’t always equal performance. A cheap personal computer price may mean that you are getting a bare bones model that may not do everything you need your new computer to do.

Your needs should determine what type of computer you purchase. Things to consider are whether you use programs that require a high end processor, do you connect to the Internet via a dial up or a wireless connection and does the computer come loaded with software or not.

These three things can increase the cost of your personal computer by several hundred dollars. Unless you know how to install these components after you buy your personal computer, it would be wise to purchase a computer with these components already installed. Buying the components pre-installed usually saves you money as well.

The software that you use for your personal computer can eat up the amount of memory available. Many low cost personal computers come with a bare minimum of memory, usually 250 megabytes of RAM or 250mb. While this may be enough for a high school student that doesn’t use any fast graphics programs, it usually won’t suffice for those people who want to create a media center that operates from their computer, as is possible with Windows XP.

If you know you will use your personal computer to surf the Internet and download videos, photos and music you will need on average 500mb or more memory. While you can purchase additional memory sticks to install into your computer, many people don’t know how to do this. Purchase a personal computer with more memory at the beginning and you’ll avoid some potential problems later.

Students and those that travel have some other needs that a desktop PC doesn’t offer. For people that are on the go, purchasing a laptop or notebook is the way to go. The good news for people who want this type of computer is that the prices are beginning to be competitive with the desktop PC.

The prices can be even lower if you purchase a used or refurbished laptop computer. A fully loaded laptop can run anywhere from $800 to over $3,000.00. A used fully loaded laptop usually can be found through reputable suppliers for under $1,000.00.

As with desktop PCs, laptop PCs need to have a lot of memory, a great graphics card and current software in order to be a bargain. In addition, if you travel you will want a wireless card that is either pre-installed or the computer should have a port that you can insert a wireless card into.

Great bargains can be found for personal computers if you do your homework. Always check out a reseller of computers with the Better Business Bureau before you purchase a personal computer and understand the warranties or guaranties that are stated. The same is true for a new personal computer; a buyer should read all of the fine print before they buy. A bargain personal computer is only as good as the warranty and support that is offered on the product.