'CollectioN': Computer Buying Checklist

If you are in the market for a new desktop PC, a computer buying checklist can help you out. Regardless of whether you need it for business, to play games, or just surf the web, you want to make sure you have the right one that suits your needs.

Computer Buying Checklist

Determining your Price Range

What the computer will be used for most determines how much money you may need to spend on it.

Family computer - You will need to purchase a mid-grade model or better that has a variety of features, since everyone will be using it for different things such as homework, paying bills, surfing online, email, etc.
Home office- Depending on what type of work you do, a home office computer can be anywhere from a budget type to top of the line. For instance, if you find yourself just writing basic documents in Word and surfing the web, a basic budget computer will work. However, if you are working with video or graphics editing, a mid-range to top of the line model may be what you are looking for.
Heavy gamer- Technology changes quickly in the gaming industry, and you will need a top of the line, cutting edge, latest 4D video graphics card and chips to get the best performance from today's and tomorrow's games.
Second computer for the kids - If you have kids that just need the PC for homework and surfing the web, a basic budget computer will do the job. However, if they are studying computers or graphics design, you will at least need a mid-grade priced computer.

Top of the Line Computer: Price and Features Needed

Depending on the features you need, you may spend a bit less or a bit more.
Memory is very important if you are looking for a faster PC. Buy a computer with as much RAM memory as you can afford. One gigabyte of memory is acceptable; 2GB would be ideal but it can add a lot to your purchasing price.
For those demanding, large software applications, you will need a lot of space. Buy as much hard drive space as you can. Fortunately, this is one of those items that has come down in price a lot over recent years, so you can probably get a decent amount of space to hold everything you need.
Be sure you have at least one DVD ROM and CD/RW drive. If you have some old programs that are not on CDs, or if you use other computers that use floppy disks and you may need to transfer files between them, consider getting a floppy drive as well.
Consider a flat panel monitor for your new PC. It will not only save you desk space, but the screen quality is better than a regular non-flat monitor and they are generally more energy efficient.

Mid-Range Computer: Price and Features Needed

For memory, don't settle for less than 128 MB RAM. If you can afford more, this is where you would want to spend extra since the performance of your computer will be much better.
Get a hard drive around 20-40GB to handle the applications and files you will need it to store.
Buy your PC with at least a Pentium III, IV or AMD Athlon processor in the 1.5 GHz category.
You will need a CD ROM drive to install and use all current software and game applications.
Consider at least a 17" monitor. Any smaller screen than this makes screen viewing a bit more difficult if you are reading a lot of text.

Budget Computer: Price and Features Needed

Look for a processor that is a couple versions earlier than the most current one on the market. As new processors are released, prices on previous ones drop significantly, leading to bigger savings.
Get at least 64MB of RAM so you can run most basic programs.
Buy a PC with at least 10GB of hard drive space.
Make sure the computer you are considering has a CD ROM drive.
Consider buying a 17" monitor for more comfortable viewing.
At least a 56K modem for a DSL/cable to use the Internet.
Consider buying a rebuilt or refurbished computer that may have more features at a lower price because it was originally built for someone else or the parts have been recycled, but be sure to check the manufacturer's warranty details to guarantee it is a good deal.

Other Considerations

In addition to the above computer buying checklist, check out the following tips for purchasing a PC.

If you want to buy your PC online, do your research and look for reviews on the computer(s) you are considering purchasing.
Buy from a reputable source. Check the company's current customer service and return policy.
If you are buying online, consider going to a regular store so you can physically see the computer you want to buy. This way you can make sure that it is the one you want.

Investing in a computer can sometimes be a daunting task. By taking your time and looking over this basic computer buying checklist, it should help simplify things to help you make a better decision. Spend time thinking about what you will need the computer for and how much you are willing to spend, and you can narrow down your choices. Your new computer is just around the corner.

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