Your Buying Guide to Desktop PCs and Laptop Computers

By Conrad Cuthers

Desktop Computers - So you want to buy a new desktop computer, but you're not quite sure how to do it. That's understandable, because sometimes it can be very difficult to make a decision. After all, look at all the different brands out there! It's amazing that anyone can make sense of it, but luckily that's why this guide exists. The first thing you're going to need to do is assess your needs.

What are you going to need? What sorts of things are you going to be doing on your computer? Do you work with video, editing? You'll need editing software. Do you do 3-D modelling? Do you play lots of games? These are all different things and applications, and each of them requires different hardware.

The Hardware - If you are going to be doing any sort of 3D modeling, the video card is something to take into account. For instance, you do not want to choose a gaming card for a modeling workstation now would you? In most cases, the Nvidia Quadro series is a decent choice. But if you are going to be gaming and editing video, then you would choose something a little more mainstream.

What if you're doing something entirely different, though? Let's say, for example, that you're going to be doing word processing and not much else. In that case, your needs are a lot cheaper. These types of computers are very inexpensive, but they still have all the surfing capabilities you need. If you're a gamer, this type of computer might also work for you, because choosing a computer that has killer graphics (and hogs resources) isn't necessary if you can play video games on a console.

What about pricing? Desktop PCs are pretty cheap, and you can buy ready-made from a major manufacturer or build your own, your choice. If you want a gaming computer that is top-notch, you'll probably pay about 1375.8, unless you pay the approximate price of 3439.5 for a very powerful machine that could just about run a nuclear power plant.

If you just want a basic computer, you'll only pay about 343. That's a very good price if you just want to surf the Internet. When it comes to desktop PCs, this is about all the information you'll need to make an informed decision.

Laptop Computers - Laptop computers are a little more complicated than desktop computers. The one thing that you need to know about them is that they're not upgradeable, at least not for the most part. Usually the video cards and network cards are built right onto the board, meaning that you will have to either replace the entire board, or pray that the cards are standalone. In most cases you will not be able to do this, so it's very important to make sure that you get the right computer on the first try.

The standard for buying laptop computers is virtually the same as desktop computers, though now you have many more choices. If you are searching for a work horse, you probably know what type of hardware you need. You will need the best graphics and the highest amount of hard drive space. If you're just looking for something to surf the net, then you're in luck.

Netbooks are the "new kid on the block." They are workhorses and have the capability to surf the Internet. They're small, but they can surf the Internet very well, though they don't do much else. They don't usually have an optical drive, which explains why they're so inexpensively priced. The price can go up a little bit if you want to have a solid-state hard drive installed.

For a standard laptop with all the extras you might end up paying 825 EUR, but for a netbook you might pay around 130 EUR. It all depends on what you need. No matter what, you're sure to find the laptop computers that are right for you. Just keep looking and see what you can find! - 31403

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