I am buying a new PC, what should I look for and how much should I spend?

This is a common question and really depends on the user/consumer themselves. You need to ask yourself the following question before deciding to what to get and how much to spend on a new PC.

What do I use my PC for now and want to do i want to use it for in the future? Examples may be something like: I only use my PC for email and family pictures and to surf the internet. I use my PC mostly for games and to watch movies. I use my PC for work and run a lot of programs. Depending on what your answer is to this question will make your decision a whole lot easier.

If you only use your PC for email and family pictures, then there is no need for you to get a high powered machine. These sorts of tasks (email and pics) do not require a lot of system resources. In this economy especially you want to spend only what you need to spend for what you need. If this is you, then you will not need to spend anything more than $600 (monitor not included).

If you use your PC for gaming and to watch movies or streaming video from the internet, then you are going to need a machine that is able to handle the latest games, and has plenty of power. You will need a very good video card, and decent processor as well. Of course these machines will cost a bit more money. For a decent not over the top gaming machine you should only need to spend around $1000. There are plenty of far more expensive machines but again it all depends on how much you want to spend.

If you use your PC for work and are busy doing multiple things, then you also fall into the higher-end PC's. You will not need a fantastic video card but you will need a decent processor and will want the more powerful PC. If this is you, you should expect to pay anywhere from $700-$1000 for a decent machine. Of course you can spend more if you wish.

For people that buy their PC's in stores like Best Buy etc, you will only have a limited number of models to choose from. Knowing what you need before you go there will prevent you from getting too much or adding things a salesman may try to push on you. Service contracts are a very common upsell. Whether they are worth it or not is up to the consumer and perhaps a future blog topic.

Regardless of your situation you should get at least 4 GB of RAM on your machine. At this point I would also recommending only getting a 64 bit Operating system as opposed to a 32 bit system. 64 bit is going to be the standard going forward. Even though it may cost you a little bit more, getting the extra RAM and a 64 bit system will keep your system active for longer. This means you shouldn't have to replace your PC for at least 4 or 5 years.

If you purchase your PC online then you will have more options to choose from, to find one specifically for your exact needs. Using the same advice from above will allow you to get exactly the correct amount of RAM for your PC, and choose a Video Card if necessary or upgrade certain components specifically tailored to your needs.

With all the information in hand, we are now ready to purchase our PC. Do you have a budget or a ceiling? If you are on a budget you may have to make sacrifices as to what you can get with your money. Based upon your needs as mentioned above, you should see a few models in differing price ranges. The average user should be able to get a decent PC that suits their needs for around (monitor not included) $500-$750.

No matter what you get be sure to get at least 4 GB of RAM as this will help you out the most if you are on a really tight budget. Keep your eye out for Sales especially in this economy as you may be able to get a more powerful PC for the same price or save some $$$ as well.

If you are purchasing a laptop PC, you can add $100.00 to the costs I listed above.

Thanks for reading and have a great rest of the week.

Steve
www.zolexpc.com