What to Look For When Buying a Computer

With computers these days being cheaper than ever, now is a great time to buy them. However, when we buy anything most of us are faced with a chilling task; deciding what we want. In this article, I'll be reviewing the different types of computers that you will be looking for.

Let's start by talking about desktop computers. Desktop computers are computers that are stationary and not portable. These computers are generally the more powerful and cheaper type, but lack portability and are often clunky. They are mainly used for people who like gaming, multimedia, and very high-end video and photo editing. They often pack quite a punch at a reasonably affordable price, usually between $500 and $1000 dollars (although they can go up to $4000 for the high-end gaming desktops).

Next off is the laptops; these computers are portable and have a very sleek and slim downed design, however, are often more expensive, and lag behind the power of a desktop of the same price. Laptops are more geared towards people on the move such as students, frequent flyers, and business people. Laptops can allow for smooth internet browsing, e-mail, video playback, and much more. However, some high-end laptops can still do high end gaming and video editing.

Now let's look at some of the factors that will affect you when you're choosing a computer.

Let's start by talking about the hard drive. The hard drive is where all your information is stored. Things such as programs, pictures, videos, stuff like that. Hard drives are usually measured in gigabytes or GB for short. A larger hard drive means that you can store more information. People who do a lot of editing or if you do a lot of multimedia might require more hard drive space but typically you only need around 250 to 500 GB.

Now let's talk about RAM; RAM or Random Access Memory is sort of like a hard drive but not permanent. When you are using your computer, RAM is storing all the information that you are currently using. However, when your computer is turned off then that memory is gone. The higher the memory the more smoother and faster your computer will. You typically need about 2 to 4 GB of RAM. Although Gamers and hard-core editors may want to choose 6 or 8 GB of RAM.

Then you have the CPU. The CPU or Central Processing Unit is like the heart of your computer. The power of a CPU is measured in Gigahertz or GHz. The higher the GHz the more processing power it has. A typical computer you would buy would have 2 to 2.8 GHz. However, high-end gaming computers can have Quad-core processors that have up to 3.2 GHz.

Next up is the screen size. For people with desktops a 21 inch will satisfy the average user, and most gamers. However, you if you are looking forward to getting laptop then you must ask yourself this, Portability or Screen Size. A smaller screen will give you a lighter, more portable laptop, at the cost of some computing power. These small laptops are suitable for frequent fliers, and people on the move. A bigger screen size will give you a bigger screen and more computing power, while sacraficing some portability. These bigger laptops are more suitable for people rarely on the move. If you move around some what, and need a powerful laptop, then a 15 inch laptop is your best option. Small laptops are typically 13 inches or smaller, while big laptops are around 17 inch.

Finally, you have the video card. The video card renders all the stuff on your screen. A better video card allows for better graphics and 3-D rendering. Video card memory is measured in megabytes or gigabytes. A typical video card is around 512 MB or 1 GB. A higher end computer would have around 1 GB of video memory.

So there you have it, things to look for when buying a laptop. That way when you head in the store, you'll know what you want to get, and won't end up like one of those people who live under a rock.