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

Questions to ask!

The most important questions in respect of buying as new PC are the ones you need to ask yourself!

What do I want the PC to do?

• Will I be using it just to browse the internet and use Microsoft Office?
• This will help determine what CPU and Memory you need

• Will I need it to store all my digital video and photos?
• This will help determine if you need a good graphics card and a large hard drive e.g 250GB+

• Do I want to be able to play the latest games?
• Yes means that you will need a good graphics card and a medium to top end CPU

• Do I need a fully integrated media centre?
• If so, then style, size and ability to integrate with your TV etc should be high on your list

• Do I want my PC to be a TV as well?
• Yes means that you will need your PC to be able to accomodate a TV Tuner card

• Does it need to be portable or do I have a permanent place where I can set up a workstation?
• This will help determine if a laptop or desktop is best for your requirements

• Will it be used by more than one person?
• If the PC is going to be used by the familiy for various different applications then a good CPU, Graphics Card and reasonable size hard drive should all be considered

• What is my budget?
• You can buy a good desktop / Laptop for approx £500 with the top of the range systems costing over £2,000, set your budget before you go shopping and don't forget to include printers etc if needed

• Do I need peripherals as well?
• Will you need to buy a printer, scanner or copier as well? What about a memory stick so that you can transfer files between computers? Don't forget to budget for these as well.

Take 5 minutes to write the answers down on some paper that you can take with you when you go to look for a new computer / laptop. It will act as a memory jogger and help you choose the right computer for your own requirements.