PC Know Nothing!

[paulaoneill]

I don't know where to start. I am looking for a PC that I can use for Internet access and gaming. When I say gaming I mean the walkthrough type games. It needs to be relatively small and at a competitive price. When I go to purchase a Pc, what sort of things will be on it already and what would I have to buy (i.e security, XP)?

[Avocetz]

Hi Paula

As you have posted a question here I guess you have access to the internet in order to research buying a computer.

So with that in mind have a look here: http://www.ukorbit.com/computer_advice.htm
for some basic advice. I'm not sure what you mean by a "walkthrough" type game., but todays modern games take a lot of proccessing power to run and will cost more money. I would suggest that you pick up a copy of Computer Shopper at W H Smith, in each issue they have a section on buying a pc as well as lots of articles and adverts.

Expect any new PC to have Windows XP (the operating system) any applications software such as word processing, spreadsheets etc is likely to be extra.
As you intend to use the internet anti- virus software is essential but may only be included in a new pc as a trial version so you should factor this into your budget.

Hope this gets you started but many others will offer their suggestions. The important thing is to get as much advice as possible from friends and resources such as answerbank (it is free and people are always willing to provide it)

Good luck and welcome to the world of computing

Chris

[scotstone]

Dell have some good computers at reasonable prices but can only be bought online. They will have an operating system XP as standard. Don't worry about security as there are lots of free antivirus software which can be downloaded, just browse answerbank

[beebrook39]

Sensible advice from both previous posters so I will not repeat their advice.Very important point to add though..If by "walkthrough" games you are meaning "first person" 3D action type games..then you must stay well away from any system offering "integrated graphics" .Some sellers try to infer that these systems are comparable to a Nvidia or ATI dedicated graphics card and you will be very disappointed by the performance of an integrated system.Look for a PCI Express or AGP slot card. Most new pc's will have PCI-E as standard ..On some games you would have very poor performance with an integrated card!! .If you are a beginner..try one of the online computer companies..Mesh are a decent company and their customer sales guys are very helpfull. Also make sure you get a copy of the Windows operating system on a disk.along with your purchase..Some companies do not supply them and only offer a back up disk and these can be a pain in the butt if you need to reinstall your operating system.You need a Firewall and a good AntiVirus as the number one security essentials.Never...never go online without them running...Could go on for ever.... A lot depends on your budget too....Good Luck !!!

[paulaoneill]

Thanks for all this helpful advice especially reference the gaming aspect as the games I like to play would have serious graphics and i would like to play without any hitches. Again thanks for taking the time to respond!