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What Spec Should I Aim For
12 Answers
My old pc has died.What are the minimum specs I should aim for in a new desktop?
Could you give me specific numbers etc
Could you give me specific numbers etc
Answers
1 to 12 of 12
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Someone more "techy" than I will be along any minute, but in the meantime...decide on how much you need to pay, and then go somewhere like PC World and have a look.
If you haven't bought a PC for a few years, you will be pleasantly surprised at what your money will buy these days !
If you already have a large, flat screen monitor, then you won't need to replace that, so that about £150 you can save.
I bought a Lenovo from PC World last summer, and it only cost
£330 !
Look out for loads of USB slots as everything seems to need them these days. Personally, I would avoid anything "touch screen" as you will soon get arm ache, and anyway, what is faster than a mouse ?
If you haven't bought a PC for a few years, you will be pleasantly surprised at what your money will buy these days !
If you already have a large, flat screen monitor, then you won't need to replace that, so that about £150 you can save.
I bought a Lenovo from PC World last summer, and it only cost
£330 !
Look out for loads of USB slots as everything seems to need them these days. Personally, I would avoid anything "touch screen" as you will soon get arm ache, and anyway, what is faster than a mouse ?
This is similar to mine ::::
http://
Don't forget, most desktops are high-end these days !
http://
Don't forget, most desktops are high-end these days !
Your question is rather like asking "Which new car should I buy?" without telling us whether you want it just for popping down to the shops or for racing at Silverstone (and omitting to tell us whether a 2-seater would be fine or if you've got a partner and 5 kids to fit into it). i.e. you're unlikely to get a useful answer unless you tell us what you want it for!
So, will you just be using your new PC for 'office' type purposes (word processing, email, web browsing, etc) or will you be playing the latest all-action video games on it? Will you need to store lots of large files on it (such as videos) or will a small hard drive suffice? If you'll have loads of video files (requiring a large hard drive) will you be doing advanced editing work on them (requiring a high-spec processor)?
Many new PCs these days are vastly over-specified for what the average user does with them, meaning that people spend far more than they need to. (Buying a high-spec computer and then only using it for things like web-browsing is akin to spending mega-bucks on a professional DSLR camera and then only using it in 'point-&-shoot' mode. It's a complete waste of money).
If you simply need an 'office' computer, without a massive hard drive, you can get everything you need for £79
http://
(That's not just a random link. I'm typing this using a computer from that firm, purchased for around the same price. It does everything that I need just as well as a £2000 computer could do it).
If you need a bit more, please tell us why. (Gaming? Professional video processing? Something else?)
So, will you just be using your new PC for 'office' type purposes (word processing, email, web browsing, etc) or will you be playing the latest all-action video games on it? Will you need to store lots of large files on it (such as videos) or will a small hard drive suffice? If you'll have loads of video files (requiring a large hard drive) will you be doing advanced editing work on them (requiring a high-spec processor)?
Many new PCs these days are vastly over-specified for what the average user does with them, meaning that people spend far more than they need to. (Buying a high-spec computer and then only using it for things like web-browsing is akin to spending mega-bucks on a professional DSLR camera and then only using it in 'point-&-shoot' mode. It's a complete waste of money).
If you simply need an 'office' computer, without a massive hard drive, you can get everything you need for £79
http://
(That's not just a random link. I'm typing this using a computer from that firm, purchased for around the same price. It does everything that I need just as well as a £2000 computer could do it).
If you need a bit more, please tell us why. (Gaming? Professional video processing? Something else?)
For "basic" office type use I would go for an Intel i3 CPU. The link above to the Lenovo is for a Pentium CPU which are OK but an i3 probably would be better. An i5 is better but more expensive, an i7 is even better but even more expensive.
For memory got for 4GB minimum, or 8GB if you can find it. But for basic use 4GB is enough.
Most PCs come with huge hard disks nowadays 500GB or even 1TB so that is plenty of room. Some PCs come with an SSD (Solid State Drive) nowadays they are smaller, say 250GB, but will be a lot faster than a hard disk.
Any modern PC will have Windows 10 Home on it.
Some companies are phasing out DVDs so if that is important to you then make sure it has a DVD.
Some desktop PCs have wi fi built in and while you may not need it if you are connected via a cable it is still a "nice to have".
Be wary of PC World as they will try to get you to buy all sorts of add-ons you don't need (for extra money of course).
I have had a number of Dell PCs and they have all been fine. You can order them online from the Dell web site so wont get pressured in to buying lots of extras.
Inspiron PCs are good from Dell
http://
Or go to the Dell Outlet site where they sell out of date PCs or returned PCs (or PCs that are not selling) for a reduced cost. I have bought a few off there and they have been fine
But if you see one on there grab it quick as they dont stay on there long.
http://
Of course if you want to play games or do other specialist work then you need to look at the specs carefully and consider the graphics card that is installed. All the above specs I gave you are for an "office" PC
For memory got for 4GB minimum, or 8GB if you can find it. But for basic use 4GB is enough.
Most PCs come with huge hard disks nowadays 500GB or even 1TB so that is plenty of room. Some PCs come with an SSD (Solid State Drive) nowadays they are smaller, say 250GB, but will be a lot faster than a hard disk.
Any modern PC will have Windows 10 Home on it.
Some companies are phasing out DVDs so if that is important to you then make sure it has a DVD.
Some desktop PCs have wi fi built in and while you may not need it if you are connected via a cable it is still a "nice to have".
Be wary of PC World as they will try to get you to buy all sorts of add-ons you don't need (for extra money of course).
I have had a number of Dell PCs and they have all been fine. You can order them online from the Dell web site so wont get pressured in to buying lots of extras.
Inspiron PCs are good from Dell
http://
Or go to the Dell Outlet site where they sell out of date PCs or returned PCs (or PCs that are not selling) for a reduced cost. I have bought a few off there and they have been fine
But if you see one on there grab it quick as they dont stay on there long.
http://
Of course if you want to play games or do other specialist work then you need to look at the specs carefully and consider the graphics card that is installed. All the above specs I gave you are for an "office" PC
Note the £79 PC that Buenchico gave you the link to is VERY old technology, the CPU for example came out in 2008 (very old in computer terms).
Using his car analogy it is like buy an old Ford Anglia when you need a new Ford Focus.
Remember internet technology has moved on a lot since then and web sites now make far more use of video and sound so you need modern technology to cope with it all.
While that PC may be OK for now spend a bit more and get a new PC that will have 10 years of use still in it.
Using his car analogy it is like buy an old Ford Anglia when you need a new Ford Focus.
Remember internet technology has moved on a lot since then and web sites now make far more use of video and sound so you need modern technology to cope with it all.
While that PC may be OK for now spend a bit more and get a new PC that will have 10 years of use still in it.
Like Gulliver, I would be very aware of anything "reconditioned"
My example of Lenovo PCs for about £300 still stands. If a Lenovo lasts you another 8 years, then is £300 such a lot of money ?.......I don't think so.
I last changed my desktop in 2009, and it was a lot more than £300 back then !
The advantage with PC World is that you can walk around and browse, and touch and feel !
Even if you only go to have a look, its worth going there.
My example of Lenovo PCs for about £300 still stands. If a Lenovo lasts you another 8 years, then is £300 such a lot of money ?.......I don't think so.
I last changed my desktop in 2009, and it was a lot more than £300 back then !
The advantage with PC World is that you can walk around and browse, and touch and feel !
Even if you only go to have a look, its worth going there.
If you don’t use the PC for much more than surfing, e-mail and word processing activities – then Buenchico’s suggestion is perfectly adequate.
One thing missing is wi-fi connectivity, but if you are currently using USB/LAN cables to connect to a printer/internet then nothing will change. In my opinion wi-fi is an added security risk, offering the potential of interception of the rf signals.
It comes with windows 7, which Microsoft is supporting until 2020 (I’m still running XP on one of my PCs which Microsoft stopped supporting in April 2014).
If you pay £300 for a new PC you will be paying for many things you won’t use – If I purchased a new PC, I would be reluctant to pay more than £200 (including the operating system).
My first home PC purchased in 1998 cost over £1,000 – the refurbished £79 offering is far, far superior to that.
One thing missing is wi-fi connectivity, but if you are currently using USB/LAN cables to connect to a printer/internet then nothing will change. In my opinion wi-fi is an added security risk, offering the potential of interception of the rf signals.
It comes with windows 7, which Microsoft is supporting until 2020 (I’m still running XP on one of my PCs which Microsoft stopped supporting in April 2014).
If you pay £300 for a new PC you will be paying for many things you won’t use – If I purchased a new PC, I would be reluctant to pay more than £200 (including the operating system).
My first home PC purchased in 1998 cost over £1,000 – the refurbished £79 offering is far, far superior to that.
Hi guys. Thanks for your answers.The dead pc was from Dino PC and I was thinking about using them again. You have to choose your own spec and they will build it to that spec. The last time I guessed what I needed which is not the way to I know. I will be using it for email,browsing the net and playing the odd game of internet hearts. Nothing too serious.
>>> I will be using it for email,browsing the net and playing the odd game of internet hearts
With those requirements the £79 Windows 7 computer in my link above would be perfectly adequate for your needs. (You can still upgrade it Windows 10, free of charge, if you want - although I wouldn't bother: https:/
If you want a lot more RAM (although, with your limited requirements, I can't think why you'd ever need it) and Windows 10 pre-installed this would be ideal:
http://
If you insist on buying new, simply go for the cheapest that PC World can offer you:
http://
(It's still vastly over-specified for your needs anyway)
With those requirements the £79 Windows 7 computer in my link above would be perfectly adequate for your needs. (You can still upgrade it Windows 10, free of charge, if you want - although I wouldn't bother: https:/
If you want a lot more RAM (although, with your limited requirements, I can't think why you'd ever need it) and Windows 10 pre-installed this would be ideal:
http://
If you insist on buying new, simply go for the cheapest that PC World can offer you:
http://
(It's still vastly over-specified for your needs anyway)
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