Choosing a new home computer can be a confusing and potentially costly experience as there are many factors to consider. At the start, a decision may have been made whether to buy a PC or an Apple Mac and if a PC is decided upon another decision is whether to choose a netbook, laptop or desktop. And if a desktop PC is decided upon, there are even more factors to consider.
But choosing the best desktop PC doesn't need to be difficult and the simple tips in this buying guide can help everyone get the right computer for their needs.
First Things to Consider When Choosing a Desktop PC as a Home Computer
The price of a desktop PC can vary from a few hundred pounds or dollars to many thousands and, just like when buying a new car, it's sensible at the start to set a budget to avoid overspending. A big consideration concerning budget is what the PC is going to be used for. If the main use will be emails and surfing the Web than an inexpensive entry-level PC may be all that's needed but people wanting to play the latest action games will need to spend a lot more.
Another factor influencing budget is brand. IT research and advisory company Gartner reported in October 2010 that the top five PC manufacturers sold almost 60% of all the computers bought worldwide during the third quarter of the year but there are many smaller companies to consider as well. With the exception of cases, most manufacturers use similar third-party PC components to assemble their computers, including hard drives, memory and sound and video cards.
Although buying from the top manufacturers may offer more piece-of-mind than smaller companies, considerable cost-savings can be made if brand isn't important and they will often be of at least equal, and sometimes superior, quality. The best desktop PC may not always be from the biggest companies.
Also worth considering at the start is the style of case. There are many manufacturers who sell mini desktop PCs (an example is the Inspiron Zino HD range from Sony) but these often provide limited future expansion possibilities. People who wish to use their PC for playing games or other high-end applications should consider larger cases which offer opportunities for adding additional hard drives or bigger graphics cards.
Choosing a Processor for Your Desktop PC
The processor is the heart of any computer and almost every desktop PC will have one from either AMD or Intel. But both companies offer many different types that vary wildly in price and performance and many PC manufacturers equip some of their machines with older processors to keep costs down so choosing a processor needs to be done carefully.
Intel Atom and Celeron processors tend to be the lowest performance chips used by manufacturers, especially in smaller cases. They are fine for emails, Web surfing or other light use (including watching movies and editing photos) but inadequate for video editing and playing the latest games.
For any serious PC use, and to ensure some level of future proofing, it's best to choose a multi-core processor as these are able to execute more than one instruction at the same time, greatly boosting performance. A good PC should be equipped with dual-core processors such as the AMD Athlon X2, AMD Phenom II X2 or Intel Core i3, preferably 2.5 GHz or above. Games players should consider quad-core processors such as the AMD Athlon X4, AMD Phenom II X4 and Intel Core i5 which run above 3 GHz but the really serious games players, who want to play action games at the highest possible resolutions (above HD 1080P), need a six core processors like the AMD Phenom II X6 or Intel Core i7.
Companies such as PassMark Software provide free online processor benchmark results so the performance of each can be compared before choosing a processor.
Memory and Hard Drive
Alongside the processor, the speed of any computer is greatly impacted by how much memory is installed. 4GB is enough for most applications, including games, but multi-tasking many high-end applications, such as video editing, is better done on a desktop PC with 8GB of memory or more.
The cost of hard drives is falling all the time and most computers usually have 500GB as standard. The upgrade cost to 1TB is often very small and is definitely recommended as data storage demands increase. People planning to store thousands of high-resolution images or perform video editing should consider at least one 2TB hard drive (and possibly two if possible).
Graphics and Sound Cards
The smallest low-cost computers usually have integrated graphics on their motherboards and for light use these can be okay. But for more serious use, including games, a dedicated graphics card is required, usually with at least 512MB of RAM and preferably 1GB.
For playing games, even a desktop PC installed with a six-core processor can be outperformed by a PC with a dual-core processor if it has a much higher-spec graphics cards. Always check online reviews of graphics cards before purchasing - many reviews will test the cards against popular games for comparison.
Most computers are sold with at least 5.1 sound facilities as standard and for many applications this can be enough, even games. But serious gamers will want to upgrade to a dedicated Dolby Digital 7.1 sound card, especially if they plan to have multiple speakers.
Other Factors for Selecting the Best Desktop PC
Windows 7 Home Premium is usually installed as standard on most computers and few people will need to upgrade to the Professional or Ultimate versions which are primarily designed for business use. Always avoid buying a desktop PC installed with Windows Vista.
Many people buying a new desktop PC may be upgrading from an older one so may already have a monitor. 20-inch displays tend to be the default and are fine for most applications but the small upgrade cost to 22-inch is worth considering, especially as they typically all allow for full HD video to be played. People using their computer for playing games or video editing may want to consider at least a 24-inch display with a 2 millisecond response time.
There are many keyboard and mouse combinations, both wired and wireless, and it's a good idea to try them out first at local electrical stores. Another consideration is networking. Most people will be connecting their desktop PC to a wireless network and installing a low-cost internal Wi Fi card can be a more convenient option than using an external adaptor.
There are many factors to consider when selecting the best desktop PC but with a bit of careful research the right one can be found for less money than perhaps originally thought.
See also why you need super fast broadband for the home.
Jason Glover - Jason Glover has worked in the marketing teams of major companies for over twenty years, including over ten years in online marketing ...
Join the Conversation