Factors To Consider When Buying A Computer

As you might guess, there isn't one ultimate answer to the question of factors or things to consider when purchasing a brand new PC. To come up with an ultimate answer, though, you will need to answer some other little questions for yourself before beginning the buying process.

1) How are you going to use this particular computer? Are you going to use it solely online surfing, that is email and browsing the internet and perhaps typing a document or using a spreadsheet once in a period? Are you going to use it for playing music and managing images to and fro your smart phone or camera? Are you using it for business purposes? What of gaming? Are you a real gamer or will you be doing some serious video editing on the computer?

2) There are also some performance questions. Are you that type of person that wants the machine to perform as fast as possible regardless of what you are using it for or are you more satisfied or comfortable with a slower performance?

This may seem to be obvious, but you will only get a computer that meets the needs you have if you stop and take into consideration these and other, questions to ascertain what your general needs are. Those who buy a PC without doing such type of inventory are usually always disappointed simply because they will realize that they have spent lots of money on a PC that is fancy probably much than they actually needed or, conversely, notice that the machine they have really isn't up to the tasks that they are expecting it to perform.

So, practically, what does this mean?

Let's start with people who will use the PC almost exclusively online, occasional letter writing and using spreadsheet. Most basic model PCs, whether it’s a desktop or laptop, fits this bill. The higher RAM the computer offers, the faster it will be, but models with 2 or 4GB RAM will work simply fine. I would identify the actual models that fit this block and then decide basing on price. Also look at various models at your workplace supply store but buy online. You are likely to find great deals, especially from very reputable sites like Newegg.com along with Amazon.com. The All-in-One models will be appropriate to this set of people, though they are expensive in comparison with regular desktop computers.

Two more notes concerning this: 1) Even if you should only get 2-4GB RAM, try to get a model that could hold more RAM in case you would want to upgrade afterwards. 2) If your main use is Internet activities, then the speed of your web connection is influential on your surfing as opposed to the speed of the PC. In the case you have DSL or you have Satellite Internet, check to see if Internet cable is available where you stay. Cable connection is always faster, if not, ensure that you're not at the minimum speed your current service provider offers.

If you are going to use your PC for business purposes or other applications besides the Web, then you will want to have a faster processor than what the basic model computers have. You would also want to get a model with 4GB of RAM or more. At times it will be cheaper to get a model with low amount of RAM and upgrade to a higher RAM on your own. It will all depend on how the manufacturer packaged the computer. You will also want to make certain that you get a large enough hard drive. 500GB used to be much but now, things are different, we have so much to keep on our hard drives and it now seems little. You should get at least a new 1TB drive, it can be internal or you can just buy an external hard drive.

In case you need very high speed rates, consider a model that has a Solid State Drive instead of a traditional hard drive. They are quite high priced though. However, there are Solid State/Hard Computer hybrids, which are not that much expensive and are also faster than regular disk drive. The one I have been using in for three months now has considerably sped it up.

For the real gamers, you would need a fast processor, high RAM & high-end video card with a lot of video and graphics RAM. Most manufacturers sell computers labeled as gaming machines; you may well not need to buy one specifically labeled that, looking at their configuration will give you an idea on the kind and specifics of hardware you may need.

Last and important note; before you buy make sure you carefully understand the return policy and to make certain that the seller will not charge you a restocking payment for returning it back. This in case you would want to return it back if doesn’t meet your needs.