Smart PC Shopping Tips

Regardless of your budget, get the most computer for your buck.

• Spring for RAM. Plenty of memory means a faster, more flexible system, especially when you run more than one task at a time (say, recording a TV show while watching a DVD). You need a minimum of 1GB; upping the ante to 2GB will give you the oomph to run several programs at once without slowing your PC down.
• Buy lots of storage. Hard drives are like kitchen cabinets: You need more space than you anticipate--and whatever space you do have, you'll fill. Accommodate your data and your growing collection of digital media (those 10-megapixel images add up--trust us!) with a large hard drive. We recommend 120GB as a bare minimum; 250GB for a PC with a TV tuner, since recorded TV shows take up a ton of space; and 500GB or more if you have a penchant for archiving multimedia.
• Go dual core. Though you may pay a bit more for a dual-core system (typically a premium of $20 to $50), dual-core CPUs like the Intel Core Duo and the AMD Athlon X2 are faster and more flexible than their single-core cousins.
• Buy a big LCD. Some vendors bundle cheap PCs with a low-cost CRT monitor, but don't fall into that trap. An LCD monitor causes less eye strain, and takes up less space on your desk. On the other hand, if your system comes bundled with a baseline 15- or 17-inch LCD, try to upgrade to a larger screen. A typical 19-inch display costs $100 more than a 17-inch model. If you buy a PC with a DVI graphics port (as is common when you get a dedicated graphics card), be sure to select a monitor that has a DVI connection; you'll get a sharper image by going all-digital.
• Be ready to run Microsoft Vista Premium. At the least, buy a system that carries a Windows Vista Ready logo or that meets Vista's minimum specifications. But we recommend that you aim higher: A PC bearing the Windows Vista Premium Ready logo is configured to meet the demanding specs that Vista's top-end features (such as its Aero interface) will require.

1. Plenty of memory means a faster, more flexible system, especially when you run more than one task at a time (say, recording a TV show while watching a DVD). You need a minimum of 1GB; upping the ante to 2GB will give you the oomph to run several programs at once without slowing your PC down.
2. Hard drives are like kitchen cabinets: You need more space than you anticipate--and whatever space you do have, you'll fill. Accommodate your data and your growing collection of digital media (those 10-megapixel images add up--trust us!) with a large hard drive. We recommend 120GB as a bare minimum; 250GB for a PC with a TV tuner, since recorded TV shows take up a ton of space; and 500GB or more if you have a penchant for archiving multimedia.
3. Though you may pay a bit more for a dual-core system (typically a premium of $20 to $50), dual-core CPUs like the Intel Core Duo and the AMD Athlon X2 are faster and more flexible than their single-core cousins.
4. Some vendors bundle cheap PCs with a low-cost CRT monitor, but don't fall into that trap. An LCD monitor causes less eye strain, and takes up less space on your desk. On the other hand, if your system comes bundled with a baseline 15- or 17-inch LCD, try to upgrade to a larger screen. A typical 19-inch display costs $100 more than a 17-inch model. If you buy a PC with a DVI graphics port (as is common when you get a dedicated graphics card), be sure to select a monitor that has a DVI connection; you'll get a sharper image by going all-digital.
5. At the least, buy a system that carries a Windows Vista Ready logo or that meets Vista's minimum specifications. But we recommend that you aim higher: A PC bearing the Windows Vista Premium Ready logo is configured to meet the demanding specs that Vista's top-end features (such as its Aero interface) will require.

PCWorld Staff

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