Computer Buying Guide

What should I buy?

I presume you've read my general computer buying guide advice on this.

Here are some more specifics on the "cheap" PC's that I recommend against.

Open the hood on one of these cheapo's and chances are you find one or more of the following (maybe all):

• Chincy case, barely adequate power supply. I've seen these units where you add a 2nd hard drive, maybe only for a temporary purpose, and the machine won't power up because there is now too much power draw.

• It's a Celeron processor (a real Intel processor with one hand tied behind its back). Or maybe an AMD processor (AMD can be just fine, but if it's a cheap AMD processor it is a huge indicator of the poor quality in the rest of the computer).

• Sloooow hard drive. (A fast one would have cost them $8.32 more.)

• Not enough RAM. Usually RAM is cheapest to buy on the initial purchase.

• Integrated Video. (Fine in its place, usually business, but not for gamers that's for sure. And now with Vista, can be more of an issue.)

• Lame operating system like Windows ME, Windows XP Home, Windows Media Center

Need I go on?

So let me say it again - DON'T BUY JUNK!

The REAL answer depends on what you are looking for.

I want top of the line!
I want a good quality machine that won't break the bank
I want CHEAP!
I want to build my own

Top of the line
Good for you, but I hope you understand that you will pay top dollar for the privilege of buying bleeding edge components.

Dell is probably the choice if you want to buy online from a reputable (although far from perfect) retailer, get a good warranty, and choose your features. You can choose from the form factor that fits your space and your taste, but make sure to buy from the "right" of the screen. Dell usually lays out the machines from left to right, left being "good", then "better", then "best" - though not always.

Again, though, look for quality, not size. Hard drives, for instance, might have a higher price for a larger one but I would rather have the fastest one.

Make sure the PC is Microsoft Windows Vista Premium Ready, not just Vista Capable. Read more on Vista upgrades.

If you buy from a local store, that can be good if they have a service department that will take care of you. But make sure and get referrals, possibly ask a computer consultant in your area who can be trusted to provide a quality machine and still be around for warranty service.

If you don't use my computer buying guide, please use someone reputable to get advice from. I shake my head every day when I see what's out there - online and offline.

Here's a sampling of configuration options to choose:

• High quality, name brand motherboard (if not buying Dell) - Asus (my favorite), Intel preferred.
• Intel Core 2 Duo (the higher number xxGhz, the more $$)
• Windows XP Professional; Some are now offering FREE VISTA Upgrades
• SATA II 3Gbps 7200rpm (10,000 better but more $$, make sure it's a 3.0 not 1.5 SATA) hard disk, you choose the size
• 1GB memory (minimum for Windows Vista)
• nVidia or ATI graphics (Spend more if you are a gamer - with more onboard video ram, spend less if business oriented). I kind of prefer the software features of nVidia for customizing dual monitors, etc.
• DVD +/- RW (if you have the choice, buy a drive from Plextor or another high end unit)
• 1.44 floppy, if you think you might use it - Dell charges too much for it though
• Keyboard and mouse is absolutely a personal preference
• Monitor - Bigger is better as long as you buy the best in class! Cheap is not good when it comes to flat panels. If you really want to treat yourself, buy 2 monitors. Dual monitor setup is fantastic!
• Warranty - accept nothing less than 3 years, the other features are your preference
• RAID - This is a 2nd hard disk mirroring the first. Great in case of drive failure. No good if primary drive gradually degrades with only minor data corruption along the way (2nd drive will just mirror those bad bytes). This feature is ONLY recommended if a reliable software monitoring mechanism will alert you to a problem. If you have to reboot and watch the POST messages to know if the drive is failing, I wouldn't pay for it.

• Same as above. "What?", you say? Same as above. Just notch everything down to reasonable.
• Instead of getting that Core 2 Duo in 3.0Ghz, get a 2.0.
• Buy 1GB RAM instead of 2GB.
• Windows XP Pro does not change here, or anywhere (until Vista is out and stable)
• Hard drive is still a 7200rpm (not 10,000) 3.0 SATA II
• nVidia or ATI graphics (required for Vista), but less onboard video RAM (256 for instance)
• DVD +/- RW costs very little more than CDRW/DVD, as long as you stay with the non-premium drives
• Buy a 17" flat panel (upgraded quality), instead of a 19" or above.
  

Cheap computer (make that inexpensive, I NEVER recommend junk)

Buy a used computer that was in either category above a couple of years ago. In my humble opinion (IMHO),

Build your own computer

Probably beyond the scope of this computer buying guide to go into greater detail, but you can use some of the guidelines above for a start. Some other sites you might check out are listed below.

Especially for Building Gaming Computers. Gamers usually have specific needs and wants, so building your own desktop PC can have particular merit in addition to perhaps saving some money.