Desktop PCs Buying: A Guide

The most important thing to keep in mind when shopping for a desktop PC is your budget. There are many types of desktop PCs to choose from for different price points, so if you haven’t had a price point in mind, it might be very hard to choose the computer that’s right for you. Whether you are building your own PC from scratch or purchasing a pre-built system out of the box, it is important to have a budget in place.

Budget desktop PCs offer the biggest bang for your buck, especially if you don’t plan on doing anything other than check emails and surf the web. Starting at $300, these machines are very affordable for those on a tight budget. These types of desktop PC normally have the lowest priced processors, smaller hard drives and only about 1 to 2GB of system memory, plus you’ll have to buy a monitor separately in some cases. Despite all of this, you will have a bargain system that should serve you well for quite some time.

At the $500 mark, you’ll have the mainstream desktop PCs. These machines are pretty much the middle-of-the-road in terms of specs and features. You’ll get more system memory, bigger hard drives and faster processors than budget desktop PCs, but you won’t have as many features as more expensive machines. These desktop PCs are for those who want to take on light multimedia tasks or just want a machine that has more oomph than the average budget PC.

As you go higher in price, you’ll find more desktop PCs will even more features, such as dedicated video graphics cards for better graphics performance and dual CD/DVD/Blu-Ray burners. Premium processors such as Intel’s Core 2 Duo and AMD’s Athlon are commonly found in these premium PCs. For around $1000, you can find plenty of these desktop PCs.

Avid gaming fans looking for a system that can pack a wallop can turn to gaming desktop PCs for their powerful PC fix. These machines are tailored to gamers who love to run their latest games at the highest settings possible. Customized tower cases provide better airflow, while powerful video graphics cards such as the nVidia GTX295 and the fastest processors available deliver a solid experience that is sure to please even the most hardcore gamers. Some budget-minded gaming machines can be found for under $1500, but those looking to purchase gaming desktop PCs should expect to pay $2500 and beyond for good gaming PC.

For those who want to have a machine that can play the latest games without missing a beat, gaming desktop PCs are the perfect answer. These machines have the fastest processors, the best video graphics cards and the largest and fastest hard drives available on the market, all dressed up in a special desktop tower case designed for maximum airflow. Of course, these machines often cost a pretty penny, with prices soaring beyond the $3000 mark. If you’re comfortable with building your own desktop PC, it’s possible to build your own machine to the same specs as a $3000 for half the cost.

The vast majority of desktop PCs will come with Microsoft’s Windows Vista preinstalled, although newer systems are appearing with the latest operating system, Windows 7. Only a few manufacturers offer PCs with the Linux operating system installed, usually upon the customer’s request. Nearly all desktop PCs come available with recovery CDs and other rescue tools for fixing most operating system-related problems.

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Tagged with: Computer Hardware • computers • desktop pc • pc • personal computer

Filed under: Computers and Technology

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