FREE Independent advice on buying and maintaining a home computer - PCAdviceNow

Desktop PC's

Desktop PC's are the most common type of Personal Computers, they come in various sizes but the majority are Midi-Size to slot under a workstation desk, this size is also known as Form Factor ATX.

However, smaller mini PC's are also becoming popular as PC's migrate from office / game / internet stations into fully fledged multi-media centres capable of integrating with digitial television and Hi Fi.

A Desktop PC is a good option if you have space to locate the PC in an environment where you can use it comfortably and have further space to locate a printer/scanner etc if required.

Desktop PC's are also a little easier to upgrade as they tend to have more expansion slots for improved graphics cards, sound cards, network adapters, memory and such like. They also have more space for larger hard drives for storing applications and digital media e.g. Photos

Finally, Desktops tend to operate at lower tempartures than Laptops given that there is more space between the components and the internal fans can be larger. This is useful if your PC is going to be on for some time e.g. a couple of hours.

For those of you who are ambitious and want to learn how computers work and experiment with different components then a Desktop PC is easier to work on and to repair if something goes wrong!

I am a fan of the innovation and designs produced by Apple / MAC however given that I have not worked on them directly it would be inappropriate to offer any views on specifications, performance, reliability etc.