How to Pick the Right Desktop PC
Two basic pitfalls confront any new desktop buyer: spending too much on a computer with more power than you'll ever need, or spending too little on a machine that becomes obsolete in a few short years. There is no such thing as the "best" computer. The question is always, what is the best for you? Finding the right answer, and avoiding the classic pitfalls, is a matter of looking at a few basic specifications in light of your unique computing needs.
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Instructions
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Consider what kind of software you plan to run. If all you need to do is check your email, surf the web and create text documents, you do not need a top-of-the-line machine. If, however, you plan on playing 3D games or editing digital film, you will need state-of-the-art performance.
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Look at clock speed. This is the number of times per second the processor works to execute software instructions. Manufacturers express this in gigahertz (1 GHz is 1 billion cycles per second). As of 2010, the fastest consumer grade processor operates at 3.3 GHz, according to PC World. Speeds this high are not necessary unless you're using complex software. However, a computer using less than 2 GHz is not likely to keep up with basic software demands.
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Find out how many cores the processor has. Central Processing Units (CPUs) can consist of more than one processor on a single chip, allowing them to perform more operations simultaneously. Anything over two cores generally does not improve performance of everyday tasks such as web browsing and word processing. According to Icrontic, 3D rendering, DVD compression and CD to MP3 conversion can benefit significantly from quad-core processing.
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Determine how much memory, or "RAM," the computer has. The more RAM your computer has, the better performs when running multiple applications at once. ZD Net reports that, as of 2010, the latest Windows operating system comes in versions that support either 8, 16 or 192 GB of RAM. Four GB are plenty for everyday tasks. Users with top-of-the-line processors or those who need to run many large applications simultaneously should consider having more RAM.
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Know what type of RAM the computer uses. As of 2010, most new computers use DDR2 SDRAM or DDR3 SDRAM. Although DDR3 transfers twice the data of DDR2, the latter is adequate for most computing needs. DDR1, however, is obsolete and should be avoided. Memory also comes in different speeds. Since upgrades to faster RAM can be expensive, try to purchase the fastest possible RAM at the outset if you need the most out of your memory.
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Consider the motherboard's total RAM capacity. Even if you don't need a lot of memory now, you may want to upgrade in the future. You can improve the longevity of your computer by buying one that contains a larger RAM capacity than you need at the time of purchase.
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Take stock of the kind of data you use and how much of it you need to store. Digital video and music hog hard drive space. If you have a lot of this type of content, you should consider buying a computer with a large hard drive or even multiple hard drives.
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