Buying a home or business desktop PC can be a difficult decision. Not least because there are so many desktop computers to choose from these days, with prices ranging from the low hundreds to thousands of pounds.

 

Some people may want to look at second-hand desktop computers first. We would say ‘buyer beware’! Check that there is some warranty on the PC left and if so, will the computer manufacturer transfer the computer warranty?

 

Obviously you need to power up the desktop to see [1] whether it runs OK !! and [2] what operating system and other software it has installed. If it does have software, are you getting the accompanying licenses and disks?

 

Check that the desktop PC has no external damage.

 

OK if you are buying a new desktop computer ...

 

Do I buy an Apple Mac or a PC?

This is down to individual choice. Macs have a fairly slick appearance, and come with a great selection of pre-installed software but you do pay a little more for this. The latest intel macs can also power up on a Windows operating system, but PCs cannot power up as Macs.

 

The selection criteria shoulsd include the following:

 

Size and appearance of the case.

CD Media – what speed is the drive? What type is it i.e. a DVD drive, a CD-R drive or a CD-RW drive?

Hard drive – what capacity?

RAM memory – how much is pre-installed on the computer and is it sufficient to power all your concurrent software programmes?

Network card – very important if you are running more than one computer in your house or office.

Processor – what speed is it?

Video Card – if you are going to be working with video or playing graphic-intensive games, you need to have a suitable card pre-installed.

Brand – Is it a reputable brand?

Software – what is bundled with the computer?

Support – what options are included?

Guarantee – what warranty is being offered by the desktop manufacturer?

 

 

Or please compare desktop suppliers from the following hardware vendor featured list: