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Tips On Buying A New PC The information here is correct as of February 2022 This guide is really for the average user that wants a good PC that will allow them to browse the internet, type letters, send emails, store photos, play music if you are wanting to buy a PC for games or edit videos then this probably isn't for you. Things to look out for: Key RED = should avoid GREEN = recommended
A good laptop that would suit an average light user that browses the internet and does a few emails/letters then you should be looking for a laptop with the following specification. Intel Core i5 (2.2ghz or More) Processor, with 8gb of Ram and a 500gb Solid State Hard Drive. An explanation of the above: Processor: The processor is the computers brain the faster the computers brain (processor) can run the faster your computer will run and startup. Generally anything with the name Celeron or Atom is lower powered most machines I see with a Celeron and Atom processors run noticeably slower. Go for at least an Intel Core-i3 processor (2.3ghz or more), even better still a Core i5 processor. I have only referred to Intel Processors to simplify things also generally I find that Intel processors seem to run faster and cooler than AMD equivalents, therefore I would avoid AMD. RAM: This is the area that your programs load into when they are running, generally the more RAM you have the faster the computer will run. It is surprising how many programs load in the background when you start your computer, if you get a computer with too little RAM your Antivirus/Internet Security could take all of your ram leaving little or nothing for other programs use, this will mean that the other programs will have to use the virtual memory which will mean your programs will run slowly, as a guide make sure you have at least 4gb of RAM, if you can go for a machine with 6gb or 8gb (or More). Hard Drive: This is where your Documents, Photos, Music, Videos, Emails, etc are generally stored, if you have Pictures, Videos and Music then you will need a larger hard drive (i.e 500gb or more). Emails and Documents do not take up much space compared to Photos, Music and Videos. Its difficult to say for sure how much hard drive space you will need as each Photo, Video or piece of music will vary in size. If you currently have a computer you can check how many GB's you have used on your current hard drive and gage how much you need from what you are currently using. When choosing a computer or Laptop getting one with a Solid State Drive (SSD) is an absolute must as they run so much faster than a mechanical Hard Disk Drive (HDD), computers with SSD's will boot up very quick and also are less likely to slow down. Windows 10 and 11 now have large updates which will cause a mechanical Hard Disk Drive (HDD) to cause the system to run extremely slow when preparing and installing updates. Makes: I have found that generally the lesser known computer make (i.e. Advent, Ei System, Emachines) tend to have a much shorter life than Dells, Compaq, HP, Medion, and Acer Laptops. I often see Dells, Compaqs, HP's, Medion and Acer's outlive their useful life. Many of these machines end up on the scrap heap not because they have developed a fault but more because they are unable to keep up with the current software as their operating systems become outdated. There is no firm evidence that a lesser known make will not out live the other, its just based purely on experience. Beware of Salesmen (or Sales Women): PLEASE NOTE: No guarantee can be given with these recommendations, the recommendations and tips are given purely for guidance based on my personal experience. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
