How To Buy A Desktop PC. A Buyers Guide.

For some years I used to build and sell PCs but it is impossible to do that and make any money these days.

I am however regularly asked by my customers to recommend new PCs so I have put this guide together to help them and you make an informed decision.

• Windows XP or Vista?
• Which Processor?
• How Much Memory Do I Need?
• Hard Drive Size
• Standard Specifications.
• Discount Voucher Codes
• Recommended PCs
• Recommended Value PCs
• Recommended Base Unit Only
• Woopee It's Here! What Now?

Microsoft Windows Vista is here and if I were looking for a new PC that is what I would choose. Unless you want to run software that you know will not run with Vista (check for updates from the software manufacturer) then why go for the older technology? XP will be obsolete sooner rather than later. Vista looks and feels better and has better integrated security (but do not neglect a good internet security suite such as McAfee VirusScan Plus, click the ad at the bottom of this page to buy for £20.00, saving 50%).

Vista Home Premium has all the features a home user could want including Media Center, Windows Aero desktop, DVD and Movie Makers. If you do not need those extra facilities then save a few pounds with Vista Business or Basic.

The Microsoft's Windows Vista Editions overview web page outlines the features available in each version.

PCs in the cheap sub £300 category may not be powerful enough for Vista so XP will suffice.

Most PCs are now sold with 1GB of Ram and if using Vista I would not look at anything with less than this, it should be Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM. Personally I would insist on 2GB for a Vista machine. The minimum for an XP machine should be 512MB, but preferably 1GB.

It staggers me when I see Vista PCs for sale with just 512MB of RAM, it is not enough and in my opinion these laptops are being miss-sold. If you have found yourself in the unfortunate position of owning such a machine then you need to upgrade your memory. The Crucial Memory Advisor Tool takes the guesswork out of upgrading.

Hard drives these days are massive and cheap so 80GB is the minimum you should expect. Preferably Serial ATA (SATA). Some machines come with dual hard drives which may or may not be mirrored in a RAID array. A second hard drive is great for backups and the mirrored raid array means you have two identical hard drives, should one fail.

These are the specifications that any modern PC should be supplied with.

• Built in 100MHz Network Card.
• DVD±RW Drive.
• High Speed USB2 Ports.
• Built in Sound Card.

Will appear here shortly.

Will appear here shortly.

Will appear here shortly.

The first thing you need to do when you get your shiny new laptop in you grubby mitts is to update it.

As new as it looks it could have been sitting on a shelf for months and there is no guarantee the manufacturer will have installed all the Microsoft Updates. The supplied security suite, or the one you have purchased will certainly be in need of updating. If you have yet to purchase an integrated security suite then save 50% on McAfee VirusScan Plus by clicking on the ad at the bottom of this page.

• Recommended LCD Monitors
• Recommended LCD TV / Monitor Combos
• How To Buy A Laptop / Notebook. A buyers guide.