Guidelines For Buying A Desktop Computer

Desktop computer buying guide with industry tips & recommendations.

Updated June 25, 2010 10:45 PM PST

Introduction To Buying A Desktop Computer

In today’s high-tech world desktop computers for many of us are far beyond a simple tool for word processing. Desktop computers are the portal into our world at large and a huge integral part of our digital lifestyles offering us music, video, gaming entertainment, Internet, e-mail access, and more.

While its true desktop computer sales have declined in favor of ultra fast portable laptop computers, desktop computers still offer you certain features the average laptop cannot including a greater performance potential, increased customizability, and often a better price per performance ratio.

Similar to laptops, desktop computers also come in various shapes, sizes, and configurations, and on top of this new and faster desktop computer technologies are arriving all the time so this can make buying a desktop computer a bit overwhelming. This is especially true if you are looking for the perfect desktop that will fulfill your growing digital needs and offer solid performance for an outstanding price at the same time.

On the plus side if you do a little preparation before running out and buying a desktop computer the process can actually be pretty easy and even rewarding.

To prepare you for the perfect desktop we're going to detail four unique desktop computer profiles and also overview common desktop computer components to help you fine tune your purchase.

To get the most out of our desktop buying guide read through each profile until you find your digital lifestyle match and then after you’ve narrowed things down check out our desktop computer technologies glossary at the bottom of this page for more great information on key desktop computer components.

Desktop Computer Type Selection Menu:

General Purpose | Power & Gamer | Digital Media | Business or Home Office

General Purpose Desktop - Recommendations For Buying A Desktop Computer

General purpose computer users are those who are typically going to use their desktop computer for word possessing, Internet & e-mail, and basic multimedia usage.

If you want to run basic productivity and multimedia applications, view family photos, manage MP3s and videos, and run very basic games then a general purpose desktop computer will be a great fit for you. 

General purpose desktop computers typically sell in the $300 to $800 dollar range and offer a mix of entry-level and mid-range hardware components.  Thankfully because of technological advancements even general purpose desktop computers offer great performance, so you're actually going to be surprised what you get for the money.

The average general purpose desktop computer offers low to mid range Intel or AMD processors, Intel integrated graphics or entry-level to midrange ATI or Nvidia graphics, and you will also find midsized storage options up to 1TB in the typical general purpose desktop.

Two popular general purpose desktop models on the market include the Dell Inspiron and the HP Pavilion.

Common General Purpose Desktop Computer Specifications:

• Price Range: $300 to $800
• Processor:  AMD Sempron or Intel i3, low-end AMD Phenom or Intel i5
• Memory:  2GB up to 6GB DDR3
• Hard Drive:  320GB up to 1TB
• Video Card:  Intel integrated up to midrange & entry-level ATI or Nvidia
• Optical Drive: DL DVD+/-RW/CD-RW drive
• Operating System:  Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Miscellaneous:  Up to 6 USB 2.0 ports, built-in Ethernet LAN, memory card reader, and basic software suite.

Recommendations For Buying A Desktop Computer In This Category:

Before buying a desktop computer in the general purpose category pay special attention to models in the low end of the price spectrum. Lower priced general purpose desktops typically offer older generation components so they may be fine for basic computing needs at the moment but in the very near future performance may not be up to par.

Sometimes moving up the spectrum and paying an extra $100 to $150 for a higher level general purpose desktop will make a big difference and help you future proof your investment.

We typically recommend buying a desktop computer that falls in the general purpose category primarily if you're looking to fulfill basic computing needs. General purpose computers also make great secondary desktops, and they are also perfect starter computers for younger folks.

Power & Gamer Desktop - Recommendations For Buying A Desktop Computer

If you need to run demanding productivity applications like Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Photoshop and others, or play top notch 3D games like Unreal Tournament or Call of Duty Modern Warfare then you fall into the Power/Gamer user profile. 

Power/Gaming desktop computers typically start around $1,500 all the way up to a whopping $3,000 or higher price range. After all high-end performance does come at a price.

Power user and gaming desktop computers offer at the minimum high-end hardware components. These powerful components are necessary to handle the intense number crunching demands of power applications and the pixel-pushing demands of 3D games.

Typical high-end systems come with the latest processors from Intel and AMD including the Intel Core i7 or AMD Phenom II X4, 8GB or more of DDR3 system memory, 1TB and larger hard drives running at 7,200RPM or 10,000RPM, and powerful dedicated graphics cards such as the ATI Radeon HD 5000 series or the Nvidia GeForce 400 series with 1GB or more of dedicated graphics memory. In high-end gaming systems it is also not uncommon to see Nvidia SLI or ATI Crossfire dual-graphics card options available.

Two popular power/gamer desktop models on the market include the Dell XPS and the Alienware Aurora.

Common Power/Gaming Desktop Computer Specifications:

• Price Range: $1,500 to $3,000+
• Processor: Intel Core i7 or Core i5, AMD Phenom II X4
• Memory:  8GB, 12GB or more of DDR3 SDRAM
• Hard Drive:  1TB or larger and running at 7,200RPM or 10,000RPM
• Video Card:  ATI Radeon HD series or Nvidia GeForce series with 1GB or more of dedicated graphics memory. Nvidia SLI or ATI Crossfire dual-card options also available
• Optical Drive: DL DVD+/-RW/CD-RW drive or Blu-ray
• Operating System:  Windows 7 Home Premium or Ultimate 64-bit
• Miscellaneous:  Up to 10 USB 2.0 ports, built-in Ethernet LAN & wireless, media card readers, and advanced software suite depending on computer manufacturer.

Recommendations For Buying A Desktop Computer In This Category:

If you are a non gaming power user buying a desktop computer and you deal primarily in productivity applications, a super fast processor and lots of RAM should be up there on your list of key ingredients. Productivity applications like Adobe Premiere Pro and others for example benefit tremendously from lots of memory and processing horsepower.

This doesn't mean power users who are going to run demanding productivity applications should skimp on the graphics card of course; they should just pay extra attention to CPU and memory options when buying a desktop computer. For example if you have the option to up your processor speed and memory with a small sacrifice in graphics card performance it may be in your best interest. Of course the key when buying a desktop computer really is to make sure you select the right balance of components to achieve maximum performance without creating any bottleneck.

On the other hand if you are a hardcore PC gamer, your key ingredient for maximum performance is always going to be the graphics card. 3D gaming requires a lot of 3D pixel-pushing power, so it is wise to make the graphics card a key focal point. For the ultimate in 3D gaming performance look for dedicated Radeon 5000 series or Nvidia GeForce 400 series graphics cards with lots of onboard memory in single or dual-GPU configurations.

Remember though, balance is the key to achieve maximum performance from any desktop computer be it for hardcore 3D gaming or Adobe Photoshop usage. Chucking all your money into a bad ass graphics card and pairing it with a lackluster CPU and memory subsystem is like mounting run of the mill Costco tires on a high performance sports car.

Digital Media Desktop - Recommendations For Buying A Desktop Computer

Digital media computer users are those who are going to be primarily using their desktop computers for photo, video, and audio editing, plus other multimedia applications including digital video recording or video/audio streaming.

If you plan on running programs such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere or other high-end multimedia applications on a consistent basis then a digital media desktop computer may be perfect for you.

Digital media desktop computers typically start out for entry-level systems right around the $800 dollar price range on up to the $2,000 or more for digital media desktops in the high-end of the spectrum. Digital media computers offer a mix of mid-level and high-end computing hardware so there is a perfectly priced digital media computer for just about anyone’s computing needs.

Typical digital media desktop computers come with the latest processors from Intel and AMD including the Intel Core i5, i7 or AMD Phenom II X4 or Athlon II X2, 4GB to 8GB or more of DDR3 system memory, and 1TB or larger hard drives. Some high-end digital media desktops even come with two hard drives which is the perfect companion for digital editing.

High-end and mid-range digital media desktop computers also typically come with powerful dedicated graphics cards in various flavors of the ATI Radeon HD series or the Nvidia GeForce series with 512MB or more of dedicated graphics card memory.

In entry-level digital media desktops on the other hand you will often find integrated graphics chips from Intel, ATI, or Nvidia which we will admit do still pack plenty of punch to watch videos and perform consumer level video and photo editing without issue.

Other common features you will see in digital media PCs are additional input/output ports for connecting various video & audio devices, and built in wireless (Wi-fi) network cards which are perfect for streaming audio and video media to other computers on your network wirelessly.

Common Digital Media Desktop Computer Specifications:

• Price Range: $800 to $2,000+
• Processor:  Quad-core Intel Core 2 series, i5, i7 or better, AMD Phenom II X4 or AMD Athlon II X4
• Memory:  4GB to 8GB DDR3 or more of DDR3 SDRAM
• Hard Drive:  Single 1TB or larger hard drive for entry-level desktops and dual 1TB or larger hard drives in high-end systems. Either 7,200RPM or 10,000RPM
• Video Card: Integrated Intel, ATI, or Nvidia solutions for entry-level desktops. Dedicated ATI or Nvidia graphics card with 256MB to 1GB of video memory or more for higher-end systems.
• Optical Drive: DL DVD+/-RW/CD-RW drive or Blu-ray
• Operating System:  Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
• Miscellaneous: Up to 10 USB 2.0 ports, built-in Ethernet LAN & wireless (Wi-fi) connections, digital media card readers, and advanced software suite depending on computer manufacturer. TV tuners are also common in some digital media desktops.

Recommendations For Buying A Desktop Computer In This Category:

Unlike gaming desktop computers, digital media desktop computers benefit more from a stronger CPU and memory subsystem over sheer graphics horsepower. The more processing cores you can pick up the better, some of the latest Intel i7 or Intel Xeon and AMD Phenom processors even have up to to 6 processing cores. High-end digital editing software can really utilize these extra processors to increase encoding/decoding time.

Memory is another key feature you should look for in a digital media desktop computer, especially since you will be working with 2D graphics such as video or photo editing. 2D graphics put a heavier load on your CPU and memory so try to pick up as much memory as you can. If you have to trade off 3D graphics performance for more memory or a faster CPU it may be in your best interest.

Last but definitely not least is hard drive storage options. If you want to have plenty of space to store, record, and work with your favorite digital media you will want to get plenty of hard drive space. We recommend nothing less than 1TB for a digital media desktops, and if you can pickup 2TB or more even better.

For professional level video, photo, and audio editing picking up a digital media desktop with dual hard drive is recommended. Many digital media applications will benefit from a second hard drive, if needed you can read/write media to the secondary drive which is much faster than reading/writing to a single drive. A second drive can also be useful for backing up all your media, plus a second hard disk in general gives you more flexibility over a single drive system.

If you are thinking of buying a desktop computer in the digital media category and your digital media needs are merely recording, storing or watching, a lower priced desktop configuration will be more than enough to handle these basic digital media tasks, plus you will also be saving a bit of money over higher priced configs. On the other hand if you see yourself graduating to more advanced media projects such as photo or video editing in the near future or you currently are a media editor, paying a few extra hundred bucks will be worth the investment.

Business or Home Office Desktop - Recommendations For Buying A Desktop Computer

Business/home office desktop computers are often best for those individuals who plan on using their desktop primarily for word processing, Internet, e-mail, finance software, and other basic business related tasks. Most business class desktops are similar in price and specifications to general purpose machines.

With most business computers, graphics and all the fancy multimedia capabilities are less of a concern unless of course you plan on using it for design/specialized business applications. If this is you, higher-end business class workstation such as Dell’s Precision line may be necessary, though we must warn you these high-end business desktops cost a pretty heft penny.

High-end business workstations are typically for analysts, engineers, architects, digital content creators, and other power users who need extreme performance and virtually limitless scalability beyond what is offered in other desktops. As a lower priced alternative to these high-end business workstations you may want look at a digital media or power/gamer desktop system for it may be enough to fulfill your computing needs.

On the other hand if you're buying a desktop computer and your business needs are basic, a standard business class desktop is going to be a great bargain since you are not going to be spending additional money on features you probably won’t ever use. This extra cash can be better spent on a better warranty, monitor, printer, scanner, or you can even pocket the cash.

When buying a desktop computer you'll notice that many business class desktops typically sell in the $400 to $1,500 dollar range, but sometimes you may even find lower-end business desktops for cheaper. Of course these cheaper models do come with slightly older processors like Intel’s Core 2 line and no bells and whistles but despite this these uber cheaper systems are usually powerful enough to handle most basic day to day office tasks such as word processing, e-mail, etc.

Higher-end business class models as we’ve mentioned on the other hand do go way beyond $1,500 dollars and are not typically worth the cash unless you run highly specialized applications. 

Business tailored desktops such as the Dell Vostro, Dell OptiPlex and other models also offer robust business tailored warranty options, and because these machines were also designed with the business in mind they do not have consumer tailored software (crap-apps) installed either so you can install only what you need.

Two popular business class desktop models include the extremely cheap Dell Vostro and the more capable Dell OptiPlex.

Common Business Class Desktop Computer Specifications:

• Price Range: Business desktops range anywhere from as low as $400 up to $1,500 or more. High-end workstations designed for specialized business applications can however cost well beyond $1,500 and even upwards of $3000+.
• Processor: AMD Sempron or Phenom, Intel i3 or Intel i5. Intel i7 and better for high-end models
• Memory:  2GB up to 6GB or more of DDR3 SDRAM
• Hard Drive:  Single 320GB to 1TB or larger hard drive for entry-level and mid-level desktops and dual 1TB or larger in high-end business workstations.
• Video Card: Integrated Intel, ATI, or Nvidia solutions for entry-level desktops. Dedicated ATI or Nvidia graphics card for mid and high-end business desktops.
• Optical Drive: DL DVD+/-RW/CD-RW drive
• Operating System:  Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional 32/64-bit
• Miscellaneous: Up to 8 USB 2.0 ports, built-in Ethernet LAN.

Recommendations For Buying A Desktop Computer In This Category:

Before buying a desktop computer in the business/home user category it never hurts to check out other desktop types just in case for you may just find a similarly priced though more capable system. On the other hand you can’t honestly beat the price of some entry-level business desktop computers, we’ve actually seen some brand new for under $400 dollars and surprisingly performance and features were outstanding for the price.

When buying a desktop computer for business remember to also keep in mind these super cheap entry-level business desktops are designed for essential business needs only so you won’t be getting the best technologies and you can also throw out the future in proofing. Entry-level business/home office systems however are perfect if you are on a budget, or if you are looking for a secondary computer for basic business use.

Mid-range business class desktops offer comparable features to those in the general purpose category but because they typically do not have consumer tailored features and software they are often cheaper than most general purpose consumer desktops even with similar specifications. And because they were designed for the business you also have better warranty options available to you.

High-end business systems such as Dell Precision Workstations are beyond the price range of most individuals, though if you are an engineer, architect, digital content creator, or other hardcore power users these workstations offer top of the line components such as 6-core Intel Xeon processors and workstation class graphics cards like the Nvidia Quadro or Ati Fire-Pro series.

When buying a desktop computer, we feel business class systems are definitely your best option when you are going to be using it at a place of business since you have superior warranty options available such as next day service and other key benefits. Business systems also have no consumer crap-apps to get in the way of your work so you can install only your business apps and nothing else.

If you are looking for a system for your home office instead of a place of business however, a general purpose desktop may be a better option since you get the best of the consumer and the business desktop in one. 

Processor

Processors or CPUs (central processing units) are the heart of a computer system. Computers will typically have either an Intel or AMD branded processor. The clock speed used to be the main determining factor of how fast the processor is, and generally faster clock speeds equaled better performance, but in today’s digital age there are many other factors to consider such as cache size, bus speed, and amount of processing cores.

More cores mean there are multiple processors in one and more cores allow computer systems to be more responsive and perform better in numerous applications. Cache size is also very important; it acts as a buffer between your RAM and the CPU to speed up the processor. Bus speed is the speed in which the CPU communicates with the rest of the system and like other CPU specifications higher numbers are better.

When buying a desktop computer and comparing CPUs from the exact same processor series and manufacturer it is fairly easy to determine performance differences for higher numbers equal better performance. ("E.g." Comparing an Intel i7-960 to an Intel i7-950.) Simply compare cache size, clock speed, bus speed, etc. and this will give you at least a general idea of the performance differences between each processor.

On the other hand when comparing processors accross different manufacturers like AMD to Intel it isn't quite as easy to determine performance differences on the fly. The only thing you can really do in these situations is reference various benchmarks on sites like TomsHardware, etc. comparing the two processors together.

Memory

RAM (Random Access Memory) as it is commonly referred is small memory chips that make up a memory module. These memory modules are installed in the RAM slots on the motherboard of your computer.

Every time you open a program it gets loaded from the hard drive into the RAM where the processor/CPU can access that data much faster than reading the same data from the hard drive. When you computer has more RAM this means more data can be loaded from the hard drive into the RAM, which can substantially speed up your computer.

RAM is one of the most important components in a computer system and in general more memory is better, so when buying a desktop computer try to get as much RAM as you can. In today's desktop computer systems common memory capacities include 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB. As a general rule of thumb we recommend you get no less than 4GB when buying a desktop computer.

When comparing memory, speed is another factor you may need to consider. Memory speed is less important than capacity in general, but if there are options available higher numbers will equate to better performance.

Most pre-built systems from retailers such as Bestbuy and direct from manufacturer pre-built systems from say Dell or HP typically offer the mainstream memory technologies at the time so typically you won't be able to choose your memory speed but will instead have to take what's offered. That's another reason why memory speed isn't quite as important as memory capacity when buying a computer.

The only time you are really going to need to pay special attention to memory speed is when building your own desktop from individual parts purchased from companies such as Newegg or Tiger Direct.

Hard Drive

The hard drive is what stores all your data including the operating system. When you save data or install programs on your computer, the information is written to the hard drive. The hard drive on a technical level is actually a spindle of magnetic disks, called platters, that record and store information. And since the data is stored magnetically the information recorded to the hard drive remains there even after you turn your computer off.

When buying a desktop computer you will notice hard drives come in various storage capacities. Capacities are listed in Gigabytes (GB) or Terabytes (TB). 1TB equals 1,000GBs. Common drive capacities include 500GB, 1TB, and even 2TB. More storage is always better, especially if you have a lot of music, photos, and videos.

Hard drive spindle speed is another factor to consider when buying a desktop computer. Older drives typically spun at 5,400 RPM (revolutions per minute) where newer drives spin at 7,200 RPM so that data can be accessed even quicker. In high end systems you will even find hard drives with 10,000 RPM spindle speeds. The faster hard a hard drives spindle speed, the better the drive performs.

Another factor to consider when buying a desktop computer is the hard disks cache size, like a processors cache, a hard drive cache is also used to store data for quicker access and it improves the performance of the hard drive just like the processors cache improves its performance. Cache is also sometimes referred to as a buffer so you may here the terms used interchangeably. When comparing hard drives the more cache the better.

Video Card

Video cards, also called graphics cards or accelerators, are responsible for processing the 2D and 3D graphics on your computer and outputting that information to your monitor.

Video cards aid the CPU by taking over the graphics rendering so that the CPU can tend to other processing chores. Because many of today's programs are graphic intensive the video card actually helps most programs run more efficiently. The performance impact is especially noticeable in image editing applications, 3D games, and even in Microsoft's latest Windows 7 operating system.

When looking at video cards there are a few things to consider, one of the first things to consider is whether or not you are buying a desktop computer with an integrated or dedicated video card.

Integrated video cards are integrated into the main circuitry of the desktop computers mainboard and so cannot be removed where a dedicated video card in comparison is a separate component that can be removed or replaced.

Integrated video cards also use a portion of your computers system memory so there is less memory available to the operating system itself for loading applications. Dedicated graphic cards in comparison use their own memory so they are faster and they also speed up the computer system overall.

Most integrated video cards are slower than the majority of dedicated graphic cards so if you have the option it is best to go with a dedicated graphics card.

When buying a desktop computer choosing a powerful dedicated video card is especially important for 3D applications such as design programs or video games. In fact some programs rely so heavily on the video card that they will not even run if a supported video card is not installed.

On the other hand for 2D applications like web browsing, photo editing, etc., a basic to mid-range integrated graphics card is normally more than sufficient since newer technology requirements have forced even integrated graphics solutions to be more powerful. In fact with the release of Windows 7, graphics card makers had to up the ante even to run the new Windows Aero desktop interface.

One last thing to consider when buying a desktop computer is video card upgradability. When buying a desktop computer many desktops will give you the capability to upgrade the video card with a dedicated video card in the future, even if it was purchased with an integrated solution. Of course not every computer will have a graphics card upgrade slot so you may want to check with the manufacturer before buying a desktop computer, just in case you need or want to upgrade the video card in the future.

Buying A Desktop Computer Conclusion:

We hope you've enjoyed our introduction to buying a desktop computer. If you have any questions or you would like free purchasing advice, please Ask the computer tech.

Want to learn more about buying a desktop computer? Click button number 2 below to learn all about desktop computer case styles.

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