Buying a pc base/system unit

[mizfiesta]

I am looking to buy a base unit for home use with windows XP. I'm not sure the minimum spec I should settle for. For instance how much Gb hard drive should I settle for? How much DDR Ram should I get? All this pc jargon has me confused! I don't need the monitor, speakers, keyboard etc I just want to upgrade from windows 98 se and thought I would be better getting a more up to date base unit. Any suggestions?

[fo3nix]

processor: go for about 3GHz Intel processor, or a similar AMD 64-bit processor (3000+, 3200+, whatever). basically, AMD processors run more efficiently than their Intel counterparts, so while the processor I am using now runs at 2GHz, it is called the 3000+, as it runs at an equivalent to an Intel 3GHz.

RAM: do you want to play games, do video editing, something like that? If so, go for 1GB RAM, maybe more. If you just want to surf the web, listen to music, do all the usual family things, and the odd game too, just go for 512MB RAM. some can be bought with 256MB, but in my opinion this isnt enough to get winXP running nice and fast.

hard drive: depends how many people are using the computer, and what you're installing. for the average use, 80GB should be fine. if you have a few kids, each of which has loads of their music they want storing on the drive, then go for something larger. letters, essays, that kind of thing don't take up much room. but lots of music can take a sizeable chunk, and video files (films) can take loads and loads.

also check out the graphics card. make sure it has its own one, an nVidia or ATI compatible one.

and dont be tempted to one PC by what software is included. if you'll be online, you can get any information for free from there anyway, and most other software tends to be stuff you'll never use anyway.

[DannyK]

There are some great all-in-one deals at the moment from such places as Dell, PC World etc. These normally include flat screen, printer, scanner, mouse, speakers, keyboard etc.
If you really only want a base unit then the bottom line is...buy as much as you can afford ! The more Gb hard drive the better - aim for about 200gb. The more RAM the better - the standard now is at least 1gb. If you intend to play good games - a good graphics card normally retails for around �150 - �200. If not, go for one around �30 - �50.
Go for a DVD re-writer too.
Ensure the base unit has plenty of USB sockets for cameras, joystick, MP3 player & other USB devices.
As i said before, it really does boil down to the more you can afford the better your system will be & be better future proof it will be.
Hve a look at this site - i normally buy all my stuff from these guys: http://www.novatech.co.uk/novatech/
Hope this helps.

[fo3nix]

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_Se ssionID=@@@@1955073160.1137620495@@@@&BV_EngineID=cc ckaddgkiigfdjcflgceggdhhmdgml.0&page=Product&sku =204858&fm=2&sm=0&tm=0&tabIndex=1

that is an example. maybe a bit pricey for what it is. take note of the media card reader too. if you use a digital camera then this will prove very useful (i find mine useful, anyway).

the dvd re-writer is also a useful feature too. great for making some backups, etc.

[fo3nix]

DannyK: I would very much disagree that the standard amount of ram is now "at least 1GB". its a common thought in the windows world that you need lots for all sorts of little tasks. you can run GNU/Linux very well, and do all the major tasks the average person does with a computer, on 256RAM, or less with some distro's. unrelated to your post: same goes for processors too; its not all about how many megahertz.

[El D]

home use you will not need more than 1.5gig 512 ram dvd rewriter 40 gig hdd. anything more than that you are just buying for the sake of it.

[DannyK]

Fo3nox: As i said twice in my post - the more that can be afforded, the better. With increasing amounts of new progams requiring more & more memory then...eventually...systems will invariably start to slow. It may be OK now to buy a system that will do for, maybe, word proccessing or spreadsheets but i can guarantee that more & more will be expected of it as time goes by. Evolutionary progress happens with all sorts including hardware. Survival of the fittest & the fastest. It's got to mke sense ? Get the most you can afford..!!!

[stevie21]

If it's just for day to day home use, buy the cheapest one you can lay your hands on (although not 2nd hand unless you know what you're looking for). Get at least 512MB of RAM. That's all you need to know for a basic, day to day PC. Unless you think that you might change the way you use the computer in future (record home movies and then edit them on the PC, then burn them to DVDs ??) you should be safe with this "entry level" PC.

If you're doing anything more demanding with it (games) then you'll need to give the graphics card and RAM more consideration.
If you expect lots of music & video to be stored, more than the standard issue hard drive (currently around 80GB) may be required.