Finding The Perfect Computer To Fit Your Needs

If you are thinking about buying a new computer, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the wide selection of brands and models available these days. If you truly want to make an informed decision about your next computer, there are some technical specifications and terms you will need to learn and understand so that you will be able to properly assess the needs you have and choose the computer that fits most of those needs at a price you can afford. This article will help you figure out what characteristics should be considered when you are computer shopping.

Your Computer Needs:

First, consider how you will use your new computer. If you only perform basic tasks like surfing the internet, using Microsoft Office programs, or play simple games like Solitaire, you will not need to buy a fancy, expensive computer. The most basic and cheapest computers will be able to handle these tasks just fine. However, if you are a gamer who loves playing high resolution computer games, there are high performance and gaming computers available. Gaming computers come with beefier CPUs, extra RAM and lots of hard drive space to install games on.

Other tasks, such as video and music editing, will also require a high performance computer with plenty of hard drive space and RAM. If you plan to use your computer for entertainment activities such as watching movies and TV, then you will want to consider buying a computer that is designed and marketed as an entertainment or media computer. You will also want a computer that has a large screen, good sound, a high end video card and other features that will improve the quality of the media you plan to enjoy. For gaming and watching movies, make sure your computer comes with dedicated video/graphics and sound cards for the best results.

Desktop or Laptop?

Once you have pinpointed the needs you have, decide whether you would like to have a desktop or laptop computer. It makes sense that people who are constantly on the go will want to purchase a laptop for easy portability. If you only need to use your computer while at home, then a desktop computer will be more suitable. On average, desktop computers are cheaper than their laptop counterparts. A $500 desktop computer will usually come with more features than a $500 laptop.

Technical Specifications:

As far as technical specifications, even the most basic computers these days come with at least 3GB of RAM, or memory. If you plan to just browse the internet, run basic programs and occasionally play lower resolution games, this will be enough RAM for your needs. Gamers, movie lovers, and people who run complex programs will require more RAM. Find the computer that has the highest amount of RAM within your budget. You can also choose to buy extra RAM separately and install it into your computer if it does not come with enough to suit your needs. It’s fairly simple to install RAM or find someone to install it for you.

The next important component is the CPU, which is also known as the processor. A computer with at least a dual core CPU will suit basic to moderate users. Gaming and high performance computers tend to have quad core CPUs. Choose a computer with a CPU that offers the highest GHz and cache memory you can find in your budget.

Author Bio:

Gabriel Lexus is a writter for cpuinc.com who specializes in computer data storage and backup. Gabriel enjoys writing about technology and computers. Feel free to connect with Gabriel on Google+ to learn more about him.